Counseling Masters Field Experience:

Application Process

Applications for field experience must be submitted in Meditrek within the Application Submission Windows listed below.

Applying for field experience can be a lengthy process. Start early. Incomplete and/or late applications will not be accepted.

Important

If there are any changes to your field experience plans (including your site supervisor, provision of TMH or in-home services, your employment status) after you have submitted your field experience application, contact the SOC-OFE immediately.

The field experience application consists of several checklist items, all of which are required for application submission.

• Field Experience Manual - detailed information about application requirements.
• Meditrek Student Guide - application submission instructions.

Documents to Upload in Meditrek

Some of the Meditrek® checklist items are documents that will need to be completed outside of Meditrek® and uploaded into your Meditrek® field experience application.

Field Experience Application Worksheet

Must be completed in coordination with your proposed site supervisor. It provides the site supervisor with an overview of the field experience requirements, and you will use the information contained within the document to help you complete your field experience application in Meditrek®.

Professional Liability Insurance

You are required to obtain professional liability insurance prior to beginning a field experience and to maintain active professional liability insurance throughout the duration of the field experiences.

International Students

You must attempt to obtain the required professional liability insurance for field experience. If insurance is not available or is cost-prohibitive in your location, you may request a waiver from the Office of Applied Learning Agreements.

To request a Professional Liability Insurance (PLI) Waiver Form, please contact the Office of Field Experience.

• The form must be completed in its entirety.
• The SOC-OFE will submit the PLI Waiver Request to the Office of Applied Learning Agreements (OALA) for a decision.
• The SOC-OFE is not involved in this decision, but will communicate OALA's decision when it is received
• Submission of the PLI Waiver Request does not guarantee approval.

Forms to Complete in Meditrek

Several application checklist items are online forms that you will complete right in your Meditrek® application. You will gather information needed from your field site to complete these online forms in the Field Experience Application Worksheet. The information in the Field Experience Application Worksheet must match exactly the information entered into the online forms in your Meditrek® application. Discrepancies will result in rejection of the field experience application and could result in a delay of the field experience.

The School of Counseling evaluates students’ skills regularly. If a student has not had their skills evaluated by Walden faculty for more than 2 years for any reason, it is required that they submit a Counseling Work Sample before they enter a field experience. The work sample allows Walden faculty to evaluate the student's clinical skills to ensure that the student is prepared for a successful field experience.

• The Counseling Work Sample is submitted as part of due at the same time as the field experience application (see Demonstration of Skills Competency). If you are not sure if a Work Sample will be required for you, contact the SOC-OFE.

The SOC-OFE application review process includes multiple layers of review (academic and operations). Applications can be returned to you throughout the review process to allow for revision, with the intent of approving all viable applications.  You must monitor your Walden email account closely during the application review period (from the time you submit your application for field experience through the start of enrollment) to ensure that you are able to respond to requests for additional information during the time frames provided.

Applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received. Due to the large volume of applications received each quarter, students should expect the review process to take several weeks. Any changes or revisions required will move the application to the end of the review list. The SOC-OFE makes every effort to ensure that all applications are reviewed in time for the desired term start, but students should ensure applications are complete and accurate upon submission to avoid any delays in the process.

Preparation for field experience does not end when you submit your application!