University Archives

Unpaid field education is a required component of all Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) programs

accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and is recognized as the signature

pedagogy of social work education. Field placements are intended to cultivate professional

growth through experiential learning and supervised practice. However, students are required to

complete extensive field hours that are typically unpaid, while simultaneously managing

employment, academic coursework, and personal responsibilities. As tuition costs and living

expenses continue to rise, concerns have emerged regarding whether unpaid field placements

contribute to financial strain and raise questions about professional integrity within a profession

grounded in equity and social justice.

Although existing scholarship acknowledges financial stress among social work students, limited

research centers BSW students’ own perceptions of unpaid field placements as labor, particularly

in relation to financial burden and professional integrity. Much of the current discourse remains

policy-oriented or descriptive, leaving a gap in understanding how students themselves interpret

and experience these structural expectations.

This study seeks to explore how BSW students perceive unpaid field placements in relation to

labor demands, financial strain, and questions of professional integrity. By centering student

perspectives, this research aims to contribute to ongoing conversations about equity and

institutional accountability in social work education. Findings may inform future programmatic

decisions, field education practices, and broader discussions regarding the sustainability of

current models and their alignment with social work’s ethical commitments.