FAQ portion about Field Education

Q: I am a current Field instructor supervising a Student Intern placed with my agency. Where can I seek support from SJSU School of Social Work?

A: Each Student Intern has a Field Faculty Liaison. The Field Faculty Liaison is the first point of contact  regarding your Student Intern. You can reach your Student’s Field Faculty Liaison by email. Please read a list of Field Faculty Liaisons and their contact information. 

Additionally, the Field Office Team offers a monthly drop in hour for Field Instructors. The dates and zoom link for these meetings are sent to all Field Instructors by email. Please note that other Field Instructors may be present during drop in hours and the time is best used for general questions rather than a specific discussion of an Intern. 

Q: Where can I get help with my resume and interview skills?

A: San José  State Career Center
Please review the San José  State Career Center website. 

Q: Where can I find more information about the petition to use my place of employment as my internship site?

A: Students may review, The MSW Field Placement and Field Fair Information Meeting January, 2023 powerpoint. There are several slides regarding the circumstances of when/if a petition needs to be completed and pointers for successfully completing the form. 

Q:  I am a prospective student. How plausible is it to use an employment site for practicum placement? Would it be possible for both practicum years to be done at my place of employment if the internships would be with different job duties and with a different program than where I am currently employed? 

A: Each scenario described in your question would require a petition and we cannot guarantee approval in advance because of different variables that may exist. We have to adhere to the CSWE standards and our program's policies and standards to ensure that our students are receiving appropriate supervision with learning experiences to meet competencies. 

We also encourage students to consider two different placements each year as this is the only opportunity to be an MSW student and gain valuable social experience in this process. 

Any admitted student must complete a petition to intern at their place of employment and the employer must also adhere to the SJSU guidelines and policies. In addition, there is no guarantee that petitions will be approved or meet our SJSU guidelines.

Q: What is the timeline for Fall 2023 internships?
Internship Search Process, Timeline, and Forms for students in their final year during the 2023-2024 school year:

  • Beginning 1/24/23:
    • Students may contact agencies to express interest and request interviews
  • Beginning 2/6/23:
    • Students may begin interviewing with agencies for internships for AY 2023-2024
    • Agencies are free to make internship offers to Students
      • Student can accept an offer after they have interviewed with at least two agencies
  • Student completes BASW or MSW application/agreement form in Tevera
  • Completion of internship confirmation form in Tevera
    • By Student first, then agency - due when offer is accepted
  • Confirmation of Placement Dates form in Tevera
  • Confirmation of Field Instructor form in Tevera (due by 9/1/23)