Embedded Files
All Things Hours
All Things Hours
How many hours do I have to do?
How many hours do I have to do?
Each field course (SW690, SW691, SW790, and SW791) requires a minimum of 225 hours.
📽️ Watch a short video explaining this question.
When are most hours completed?
When are most hours completed?
Field hours occur during a typical workweek, Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 5 pm. This aligns with the time when most social, behavioral, and health services are typically provided. There are very few placements that allow for either night or weekend hours. Even in those situations, if the field site requests it, students are still required to provide up to 8 hours of service during regular business hours.
Students are expected to complete 16 hours of work per week during the semester. The best practice is to provide two eight-hour days each week. The other option, should the field site allow it, is to provide to two six-hour and one four-hour days. We do not advise shifts less than four-hours.
Do Integration Seminars (FIS) count toward my field hours?
Do Integration Seminars (FIS) count toward my field hours?
Yes! FIS hours count toward your field hours.
When can I start my field hours?
When can I start my field hours?
Field typically begins in the second week of the semester. A Field Calendar will be made available on the field website before the start of the semester.
The Field Office must approve any request to start early. To request this, complete the Field Form.
📋 Submit an hours request using the Field Form.
Can I do field hours before or between semesters?
Can I do field hours before or between semesters?
It depends.
Under special circumstances, a maximum of 32 hours may be approved and completed before or during semesters. To make a request, fill out the Field Form.
📋 Submit an hours request using the Field Form.
Variable credit options for Specialist Year
Variable credit options for Specialist Year
Specialist Year Field Courses (SW790 and SW791) are variable credits. At minimum, students must register for three (3) credits. Students can increase their field education hours beyond the required minimum of three credit hours (225 clock hours) per semester if their agency field instructor agrees. The additional credits may be used as elective credits in the specialization area.
300 clock hours per semester (20 clock hours per week) = four credit hours, and
375 clock hours per semester (25 clock hours per week) = five credit hours
A request to increase the variable credit must be submitted via the Field Form and approved by the Field Site, the student's Academic Advisor, and the Field Office.
📋 Submit an hours request using the Field Form.
Can I Continue with the Generalist Placement for the Specialist Year?
Can I Continue with the Generalist Placement for the Specialist Year?
It is not the general practice of the field program to allow students to continue their generalist year placement at the same field site for their specialist year. This is partly due to the difference in learning and expectations between generalist and specialist years. Also, our program is not an advanced generalist program. Rather, you select from one of four specializations, and your placement in the specialist year has to align with the specific behaviors of your specialization.
However, students can submit a request to continue with the generalist placement for the specialization year. If interested, students should complete the Field Form and schedule a meeting with their field coordinator.
In completing the form, students should outline what new learning occurs and how it fulfills the competencies and behaviors specific to their selected specialization.
This option is not available for co-occurring field education and employment-based placements.
Next Steps
Next Steps
📆 Schedule a meeting with your field coordinator.
📋 Complete the Field Form requesting to continue with the generalist placement for the specialist year.
What if I don't Like My Placement?
What if I don't Like My Placement?
Placements are designed for the entire Generalist (SW690 and SW691) or Specialist (SW790 & SW791) year.
Once placed, you are expected to be there the whole year.
Changes to placements occur only in exceptional circumstances. The Field Coordinator determines whether a change in placement should happen, and the process is outlined in the Field Manual.
Students should never quit their placement. Doing so may impact their academic plan.
Next Steps
Next Steps
📑 See the Field Manual for more details.
📆 Have questions? Schedule a meeting with your field coordinator.
Can I do my Placement at my Employer?
Can I do my Placement at my Employer?
Under certain circumstances, students can request to fulfill their field education requirement at their employer. This is referred to as the co-occurring field education and employment option, and the Field Office must approve it.
Please note that only one of the required two placements for the MSW program can be fulfilled using the co-occurring field education and employment option. For advanced standing students, this includes your bachelor of social work placement.
Requirements for the co-occurring field education and employment option include, but are not limited to, the following:
The employment duties must align with and fulfill the competencies and behaviors specific to the student's year in the program and, if applicable, specialization. A list of competencies and behaviors can be found here.
A social worker with two years post-master experience must be employed at the agency and willing to serve as the student's Field Instructor. This person cannot be the same as the student's direct employment supervisor.
The student's employer must agree with the request.
The employer must agree to and sign the template affiliation agreement provided by the program. We cannot approve a co-occurring field education and employment option if changes to the agreement are requested.
Students interested in the co-occurring field education and employment option should complete the Field Form and then schedule a meeting with their field coordinator.
Next Steps
Next Steps
📽️ Watch a video about the co-occurring field and employment options.
📑 See our Field Manual for more details.
📋 Complete the Field Form.
📆 Schedule a meeting with your field coordinator.
Who's Who? Common Field Language
Who's Who? Common Field Language
FC: Field Coordinator
FC: Field Coordinator
Field Office Faculty: Robin Arndt (MSW Specialist) and Aimee BSW & MSW Generalist). These individuals oversee the field experience, including coordinating placements.
FL: Field Liaison
FL: Field Liaison
These are faculty members who teach Field Integration Seminar for some sections (E.G., Tasha, Mike, Jillian, Erika, Jaime). In Exxat/Prism, Liaison is sometimes used to label the Field Coordinator. Once your placement is confirmed, this person will be your primary point of contact from the field office. They are in constant communication with the Field Coordinators.
FIS: Field Integration Seminar
FIS: Field Integration Seminar
The Field Integration Seminar, or FIS, or IS (Integration Seminar), is the classroom component of the field experience. The field Liaison teaches these sessions.
FI: Field Instructor
FI: Field Instructor
This is the person at your field site with an MSW degree and two years post-MSW experience. This is the official person of record who oversees your field placement at the field site. They supervise and approve your evaluations and final field site grade. Every placement must have a Field Instructor attached to it.
SS: Site Supervisor
SS: Site Supervisor
Agency staff on site who provides oversight and guidance at the field site. No degree is required. A Site Supervisor is optional and up to the Field Instructor. Not everyone has a Site Supervisor, but everyone does have a Field Instructor.
Field Site
Field Site
This is where the placement occurs. It is also referred to as an agency or affiliate.
I know of an agency that wants to be a field site. Is this possible?
I know of an agency that wants to be a field site. Is this possible?
Possibly! All Field Sites must meet specific criteria to be eligible to serve as a placement. The Field Office meets with sites to review criteria and determine eligibility, the level of practice (generalist or specialized), and the specialization area they satisfy. A site must have someone on staff who can serve as the Field Instructor (must have an MSW degree and two years post-MSW experience). The site must also sign an affiliation agreement with the University.
You can refer them to our website page about becoming a field site, and connect them with us at swfield@hawaii.edu.
What's Exxat and What's Prism?
What's Exxat and What's Prism?
Exxat and Prism are used interchangeably to refer to our field management platform.
Exxat is the name of the company that hosts our online field management platform. Prism, also known as Version 4, is the newest platform that we currently use (as of 2023).
A subscription to Exxat Prism is required for a field placement to occur.
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