Bachelor of Social Work Field Work

You are encouraged to research potential agencies that fit your interests; however, Boise State vets and arranges field work placements to ensure they meet program standards. Please do not contact agencies directly. You will work closely with your field coordinator during field advising appointments to identify appropriate placement opportunities.

Field work at the undergraduate level is not clinical and typically does not take place in hospitals, schools or Veterans Affairs. In some cases, such as in more rural areas, hospitals and schools may accept undergraduate placements for case management roles. However, most undergraduate field placements occur in settings such as case management, behavioral health, domestic violence shelters, homeless shelters, early intervention programs, early childhood education, habilitative services and substance use treatment programs.

While it’s not impossible to work during your field work placement, balancing a full-time job can be challenging. The requirement of 240 field work hours per semester averages about 16 hours per week in addition to your online coursework. Consider your workload carefully to ensure you can successfully meet all requirements. Students who successfully manage their field placement, full-time employment and courses are those who have supportive supervisors at their place of employment and excellent time management skills

You may propose a field work placement at your place of employment by following the process outlined in the field manual. The proposed placement cannot include or duplicate the roles, tasks or responsibilities of your current job. The Boise State School of Social Work is responsible for evaluating and approving these proposals.

Field work takes place in an agency setting under the supervision of a licensed social worker. Most agencies require students to be available Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Evening and weekend placements are rare, so if you work full-time and need a nontraditional schedule, securing a placement may be challenging. If no suitable placement is available, you may need to adjust your work schedule or delay your progress in the program.