Field Education: Our Signature Pedagogy
Field education is an essential component of the MSW Program. It is where theories and concepts are integrated with actual social work practice. Field education at FGCU is guided by standards set forth by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and the MSW Program's Mission.
Students are placed at a variety of community-based social service organizations which serve the five-county Florida Gulf Coast University area (Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades). Placements in other regions are provided based on students need.
The standard two-year, full-time curriculum is structured so that the student:
- Is assigned to two different field sites: one in the Generalist Year and the second in the Clinical Year;
- Is enrolled in three (3) credit hours of Field Education each semester the student is in their internship: Field I and Field II in the Generalist Year & Field III and Field IV in the Clinical year;
- Completes 500 hours of field education per academic year (250 hours per semester; roughly 16 - 17 hours per week for 15 - 16 weeks); and
- Is concurrently enrolled in core and elective social work courses.
The standard four-year, part-time curriculum is structured so that the student:
- Is assigned to two different field sites: one in the Generalist Year and the second in the Clinical Year;
- Is in internship for three (3) semesters: fall, spring, and summer for the Generalist Year placement and summer, fall, spring for the Clinical Year placement;
- Is enrolled in two (2) credit hours of Field Education each semester the student is in internship: Field IA, IB, and IC for the Foundation Year placement & Field IIA, IIB, and IIC for the Clinical Year placement;
- Completes 500 hours of field education per academic year - Generalist Year: fall (190 hours), spring (190 hours), summer (120 hours) & Clinical Year: summer (120 hours), fall (190 hours), and spring (190 hours).
- Is concurrently enrolled in core and elective social work courses.
**Students in the Advanced Standing Program follow the same programs as above but are exempted from the Generalist Year of internship due to completing an internship through their BSW program.
For further information on the field education process, please contact:
Tammy Walker, MSW - Field Education Coordinator
Florida Gulf Coast University
Department of Social Work
10501 FGCU Blvd S
Fort Myers, FL 33965
Email: twalker@fgcu.edu
Phone: 239-590-7726
Field Education Forms
Global Forms
Generalist Year Forms (Full-Time Students)
- Field Internship Application
- Generalist Year Learning Plan
- Fall Semester Field Evaluation
- Spring Semester (Final) Evaluation
Generalist Year Forms (Part-Time Students)
- Field Internship Application
- Generalist Year Learning Plan
- Fall Semester Field Evaluation
- Spring Semester Evaluation
- Summer Semester (Final) Field Evaluation
Clinical Year Forms (Full-Time Students)
- Field Internship Application
- Clinical Year Learning Plan
- Fall Semester Field Evaluation
- Spring Semester (Final) Evaluation
Clinical Year Forms (Part-Time Students)
- Field Internship Application
- Clinical Year Learning Plan
- Summer Semester Field Evaluation
- Fall Semester Evaluation
- Spring Semester (Final) Evaluation
Agency Directory
Field placements must be Department-approved sites for field education. A student interested in an agency they do not see listed in a directory must contact the Field Education Coordinator to inquire about the possibility of placement. The Field Education Coordinator will evaluate an agency’s appropriateness for student placements and confirm that the agency meets the Department of Social Work requirements.
All questions regarding field education should be directed to Tammy Walker, Field Education Coordinator, at twalker@fgcu.edu or (239) 590-7726.
Link to Field Education Internship Agency Directory
Becoming a Field Education Placement Agency
