MSW Frequently Asked Questions

The MSW Faculty understands that many students work full-time and maintain full schedules.  While most of the coursework is provided with flexible options on Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday, field practicum requires students be available during business hours.  Generally, social work practice occurs Monday through Friday between the hours of 8am and 6pm.  The program and agency sites require that students have the flexibility in their schedules to be available during the business hours when they can engage in collaborative practice offerings, access clients (individual, families, groups & communities) and gain access to resources for service delivery.  Lastly, field instructors are predominately available during the business hours.  We have found that most evening/weekend hours tend to lack quality field instructors and social work practice opportunities.  It is important that students prepare for field by finding flexibility in their schedule to accommodate field practicum in the Spring and Summer semesters. 

Weekend and evening hours rarely offered due to the lack of field instructors being available to work with students. It is important that students have access to their MSW field instructor while at the practicum site.  Additionally, most field settings have field instruction and meeting requirements scheduled during business hours. Therefore, this limits students’ ability to do practicum during evening and weekend hours.

The Department is strongly committed to ensuring that students assume the role of learner for them to achieve their learning goals in field settings. The Department also recognizes that some students have personal economic situations that make it necessary for them to explore field opportunities that can provide financial assistance, including at their current place of employment. Even though the Department does not encourage placement at a student’s employer, if a student desires to do one practicum at their place of employment, they will be allowed to pursue such an arrangement. In this case, students are required to complete additional paperwork that will include all parties (student, field director, and agency) in the planning and negotiation, and this is not always a workable option.  Please refer to the Field Placement at Employment Policy in the Field Education Manual.

The number of hours required depends on the year a student is in the MSW program. Foundation year students will need to complete 460 hours over 25 weeks. Specialization year students will need to complete 500 hours over 25 weeks. Please refer to the MSW Hour requirements in the Field Education Manual.

Although previous work experience will support and enhance participation in the practicum experience, under no circumstances will previous life or work experience substitute for practicum hours. Practicum and seminar courses are never waived for any reason, nor will transfer credits be substituted.

Students are expected to begin practicum on the first official day of classes and conclude on the last class day of each semester as determined by the Minnesota State University, Mankato academic calendar unless student receives prior approval for an alternative start date by the field instructor and MSW Director of Field Education.

In some instances, a social work MSW field instructor is not available in a practicum setting. In that situation, an agency field instructor with a, preferred master’s degree in a related field, will be assigned by the agency to provide field oversight for the student.  The MSW Director of Field Education will also ensure an appropriate off-site MSW field instructor to work with the student throughout the student’s practicum.

Very few agencies pay practicum students. There are limited agencies that provide a small stipend for students, but this is not typically the case.

Foundation field practicum is scheduled for 20 hours per week for 15 weeks in the spring semester and 16 hours per week for 10 weeks in the summer semester. Specialization field practicum is scheduled for 20 hours per week for 15 weeks in the spring semester and 20 hours per week for 10 weeks in the summer semester. A plan for accruing hours will be determined by the student and field instructor.

At first these difficulties can appear to be insurmountable but they can be resolved successfully if they are addressed early in the placement. Disruptions to field placements are infrequent and changes in placement will only be considered under unusual circumstances, such as extreme life events, agency disruption, or serious impediments to completing the practicum as planned.  Please refer to the field challenges, resolution, and termination section in the Field Education Manual for more information.

Difficulties can often be a crucial part of the learning process and it is important to address concerns; not ignore them.  A key objective in social work is to recognize difficulties that occur in relationships and to work towards conflict resolution.  The field education program has developed policies for addressing difficulties in field practicum.  The policies and procedures are found in the Field Education Manual under the section Field Challenges, Resolution, and Termination.