M.S.S.A. OVERVIEW

Intensive Weekend Field Education

Field Education
http://msass.case.edu/fieldedu
The Field Education web pages include the most up-to-date information about the Field Education and Intensive Weekend Field Education programs and curriculum. These pages provide access the field manual, field forms, schedules, and information regarding your field education advisor.

The Intensive Weekend program allows employed social workers to pursue the M.S.S.A. degree while maintaining full-time employment. In addition to the course requirements, the student must complete four periods of field education (three if the student has been granted advanced standing).

Field education begins during the initial spring semester. It is necessary for the employed student to develop a learning activities plan at his or her place of employment with the cooperation of the supervisor and agency administrator. This proposal needs to differentiate clearly the current job responsibilities from the proposed educational activities. This plan, including the qualifications of a proposed field instructor, is submitted at the time of application to the School. (See the Application for the Intensive Weekend Program on pages 47-52).

The total number of field education hours required to complete the M.S.S.A. degree in the Intensive Weekend program is outlined below.

• 1,184 hours for Non-Advanced Standing –four field periods that breakdown as follows:
  • 1st field period (SASS 601) 176 hours
    Spring semester of 1st year
  • 2nd field period (SASS 602) 300 hours
    Summer and fall semesters of 2nd year
  • 3rd field period (SASS 603) 336 hours
    Spring and summer of 2nd year
  • 4th field period (SASS 604) 336 hours
    Fall and spring
• 1008 hours for Advanced Standing students –three field periods that are as follows:
  • 1st field period (SASS 602) 300 hoursSpring and summer semesters of 1st year
  • 2nd field period (SASS 603) 336 hoursFall and spring of 2nd year
  • 3rd field period (SASS 604) 336 hoursSummer of 2nd year

Students may use the social work agencies where they are employed as their field practicum site, provided the following criteria are met:

• The student has at least one year of paid full-time employment in a human service capacity at the time of matriculation into the Intensive Weekend program.
• The field instructor must be a) someone other than the applicant's current supervisor or supervisor's boss, b) a social worker with at least two years post-master's experience and licensed or license eligible at the highest level conferred by the state of residence, and c) someone committed to attending the field instructor training sessions held at the Mandel School.
• The student must demonstrate that he/she can allocate 10-14 hours per week for each field education period. These hours must be specifically differentiated from work performed during other work hours to provide for new learning opportunities. In most instances this can be incorporated into normal work hours. Learning tasks that are different from or expand upon the student's current role may include special projects that require new administrative, clinical, or research skills.