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SOC-OFE Masters Students - Field Experience Manual:
Field Experience Readiness

Field Experience Readiness

To be eligible to participate in field experience (both practicum and internship), you must meet the following criteria:

  • Be actively enrolled in the university and in good academic standing;
  • Satisfactorily complete all core coursework, in accordance with the appropriate program of study, including all pre-practicum requirements:
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    • Prerequisite coursework includes all coursework listed in terms prior to each field experience course on the program of study (students are not permitted to take practicum or internship courses outside of the prescribed course sequence).
    • You must complete Practicum satisfactorily prior to Internship I, and you must complete Internship I satisfactorily prior to Internship II. In no case will a student be enrolled in more than one of these simultaneously.
    • You should not drop or withdraw from prerequisite coursework immediately prior to enrollment in a field experience course; doing so will delay your eligibility for field experience.
    • Earning an Unsatisfactory (U) or Incomplete (I) grade in prerequisite coursework immediately prior to enrollment will also delay your eligibility for field experience.
  • Receive a satisfactory formal evaluation of counseling skills by program faculty within 2 years of the start of the field experience (see Counseling Work Samples)[1];
  • Complete any student support plan(s), when applicable[2];
  • Receive formal approval of the field experience application (an application is required for each quarter of enrollment in field experience);
  • Complete all Required Field Experience Training;
  • Carry individual professional liability insurance for the duration of enrollment in field experience; and
  • Be able to commit fully to the requirements of the field experience at all times, both synchronous and asynchronous.

Note: You should not plan time off for vacations or other commitments during enrollment in field experience. This is subject to sanctions up to and including earning an Unsatisfactory (U) grade in the field experience course. You should consult with faculty for any unavoidable exceptions (e.g., scheduled site closings). You may be permitted to take leaves of absence between quarters of field experience in accordance with university policies and processes.

 

[1] Skills are formally evaluated at academic residencies, in the Techniques of Counseling course, field experience courses, and/or with Counseling Work Samples.

[2] Faculty members and program leadership reserve the right to postpone practicum instruction to evaluate and establish student competency. Please refer to Section 4, Appendix B, and the Counseling Student Program Guide for more details on the issue of student competency.

Counseling Work Samples

Counseling Work Samples are required of any student who has not satisfactorily participated in an academic practice experience (residency/pre-practicum or field experience course) for longer than 2 years. The current ACA Code of Ethics mandates that all counselor educators evaluate students’ academic and professional development continuously throughout the program. Please refer to the current ACA Code of Ethics for further information. Detailed instructions for submission of Counseling Work Samples are available on the SOC-OFE website.