Graduate and Undergraduate Field Placements in Child Welfare: Is There A Difference?

Abstract

A continuing theme in social work education has been on defining the educational continuum between BSW and MSW degrees. While some authors have focused on the existence of continuity or discontinuity in the curriculum, recent research studies have identified similarities and differences in graduate and undergraduate field placements. Both social work education and the profession of social work have recently focused their attention on the field of child welfare, in an effort to attract more professional social workers to the field. Part of this effort has resulted in a “New Partnership Initiative” between social service departments and social work educators to aid in the reprofessionalization of public social services. The current study was undertaken, in part, to gather information on undergraduate and graduate field placements in child welfare in one state with such a partnership agreement.