Social Work Field Education
Graduate Social Work (MSW) field education experiences — also known as practica or internships — are a critical component of Carroll’s online MSW program, providing you with valuable opportunities to connect theories, concepts, and skills learned in the classroom with actual practice.
Your social work field education experience in our online MSW program also provides you with individualized, experiential opportunities to:
- Serve populations or work in practice settings of interest to you
- Develop your knowledge and skills in a safe and supportive learning environment
Understanding the importance of field education in your graduate social work education experience, we work closely with students to identify placements that align closely with longer-term professional goals. If you aren’t sure where you might like to practice or which populations you’d like to serve, we can design a field education experience that helps you narrow your professional focus.
Above all, our approach to field education is student-focused and collaborative, emphasizing a rigorous and high-quality learning experience to prepare you for a rewarding career in social work.
MSW Field Education at Carroll College
Carroll College’s graduate social work degree takes an individualized and developmental approach to MSW field education. We collaborate with you to explore populations, social problems, or practice settings. Once we have identified your professional goals, our Director of Field Education works closely with you to identify a practicum opportunity that provides you with a high-quality, rigorous learning experience.
Unlike other online social work degree programs that may expect you to find and develop your own social work field placement, we take the lead on identifying and formalizing MSW field education sites wherever you are located.
Once your social work field placement is finalized, you will be supported by an agency-based field instructor and a Master of Social Work degree faculty field liaison. These individuals will help you develop a learning contract that will further refine your social work knowledge and skills, allowing you to demonstrate essential competencies identified by the Council on Social Work Education.
Throughout your social work field education, you can be assured that our director of field education and other Carroll MSW Program faculty are committed to your learning. Practicum field instructors and program field liaisons will further support you to maximize your MSW field education experience.
AWARE is a statewide nonprofit organization that offers quality, community-based support for people with mental health and/or developmental disabilities and families with children ages 0 to 8. We serve all 56 counties in Montana. The support they provide helps the adults, children, and families we serve to become active and vital members of their community while focusing on personal growth. 
Each day, Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch employees work with close to 650 youth throughout Montana who struggle with controlling emotions and behaviors. YBGR has impacted more than 10,000 youth and their families since 1957 through Residential Services in Billings, Community Based Services throughout Montana, and the Yellowstone Academy in Billings.
Youth Dynamics offers children's mental and behavioral health services, including home and community-based services, youth case management, outpatient therapy, and residential treatment in Therapeutic Group Homes and Therapeutic Foster Care at more than 30 locations across Montana.