Potential Field Instructors ( ie: Practicum Agreement etc)

Eligibility to be a Field Instructor (FI)

Field Instructors for Master’s (MSW) students must hold a Master’s Degree
in Social Work from a CSWE-accredited program and have 2 years Post-Master’s Social Work practice experience.

Field instructors (FI) for baccalaureate students(BASW) must hold a baccalaureate or Master’s Degree in Social Work from a CSWE-accredited program and have 2 years post-social work degree practice experience in social work.

The Field Instructor(FI) must adhere and follow an approved Practicum Agreement with the School of Social Work. 

• To learn more, read Minimum Qualification for Field Instructors
  • 1. The Field Instructor must have a MSW degree from an accredited School/MSW Program of Social Work and a minimum of two years practice experience following the degree. LCSW and ASW are desirable;
    2. A demonstration of professional competence and an interest in engaging in professional social work education as a teacher;
    3. An understanding of the objectives of the MSW Program and a willingness to contribute to the MSW Program and its goals;
    4. A commitment to attend required orientation and/or training in field instruction;
    5. A commitment to the time and effort required to regularly supervise, evaluate and communicate with the MSW Program for the Student(s) under his/her/their supervision.
    6. A minimum of one hour of instructive supervision a week is required for each student; and
    7. A commitment to remain with the student for the entire time of his/her placement. Should the Field Instructor be anticipating a change of position, she/he/they should delay supervision until this situation stabilizes.

Process of Becoming a Field Instructor 

If the agency has a 1) signed practicum agreement with the university, the Field Instructor (FI) should send the Field Instructor Profile/Application form and their current updated resume to the Field Education Office email address: (socialworkfieldeducation@sjsu.edu) for review and approval.There is no guarantee that the Field Instructor will be approved. 

If a current student has accepted an internship and is completing the confirmation form in Tevera, the student can list the prospective Field Instructor’s name and email address. The Field Instructor can then complete the profile form and upload their resume in the database. 

***If a potential Field Instructor is not sure if the agency has a practicum agreement in place, please email us at (socialworkfieldeducation@sjsu.edu) to inquire. 

Once the Field Office reviews and approves the Field Instructor application, the Field Office Team will add the Field Instructor to our email list, create an account in Tevera (if not previously completed in the database) and send resources for initial training and future reference.