Field experience is designed as the final learning experience and provides the opportunity to integrate and practice learning obtained throughout the degree/certification program.
Even though the field experience is scheduled as one of the last classes in a student’s program, early planning is necessary. The department mandates that all required COUN degree coursework must be completed before a student is eligible for field experience. Electives and research (GSR 615) may be completed concurrently with the field experience or after its completion since they are not core counseling degree courses. Preparations for the field experience are to be completed the semester before the student plans to enroll in the course.
Course Requirements
Field experiences provide a supervised field placement for students in the counselor education programs. The exact plan and scope of the field experience experience will be determined by the student, faculty supervisor, and site supervisor on an individual basis. However, the following are the minimum requirements for this experience.
Program requirements for field experience hours are in the process of changing. For community counseling students who began the program in or after Fall 2006, a 600-hour field experience is required. For school counseling students who began the program in or after Fall 2007, a 600-hour field experience is required. For students in either program who entered prior to these dates, a 300-hour field experience is required. A breakdown of hours for both the 300- and 600-hour field experiences is included below.
For 600-hour field experiences, students may complete the hours in one semester (600 hours) or over two semesters (300 hours each semester). If completing over two semesters, students may continue at the same field experience site or select a new field experience site. For school counseling students, at least one 300-hour experience must be completed in a public school setting.
300 hours in one semester
Direct Service
120 hours, including 75 hours of individual counseling
Indirect Service
180 hours, including one hour of clinical supervision per week on site and an average of 1.5 hours per week group supervision at the university
600 hours in one semester
Direct Service
240 hours, including 75 hours of individual counseling
Indirect Service
360 hours, including one hour of clinical supervision per week on-site and an average of 1.5 hours per week group supervision at the university
600 hours over two semesters
Totals
Semester 1
Semester 2
Direct Service
240 hours, including 75 hours of individual counseling
120 hours, including approximately 37.5 hours of individual counseling
120 hours, including approximately 37.5 hours of individual counseling
Indirect Service
360 hours, including one hour of clinical supervision per week on-site and an average of 1.5 hours per week group supervision at the university
180 hours, including one hour of clinical supervision per week on-site and an average of 1.5 hours per week group supervision at the university
180 hours, including one hour of clinical supervision per week on-site and an average of 1.5 hours per week group supervision at the university
To help you plan, copies of the Field Experience Handbook are available on the Department of Counseling website. The most current edition can be accessed (and printed if desired) by connecting to the following link:
*New* Summer 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010 Field Experience Handbook
Pre-Field Experience Planning
Field experience Orientation Meeting
All students enrolling in an field experience for the first time are required to attend a Field Experience Orientation Meeting scheduled in October for those students desiring a Spring placement, or February for Fall and Summer placements. This meeting provides information on liability insurance, clearances, course requirements, site selection, time deadlines, etc. In addition, students pre-enroll for field experience at this meeting which further ensures a “seat” for them in their desired semester. The additional steps for field experience planning are outlined below.
Step 1: Attend Field Experience Meeting
Students receive:
- Planning Schedule
- Field Experience Process Flowchart
- Field Experience Handbooks
- Appendix A
- Department Clearance Policy
- Liability Insurance
- Child Abuse Clearance Application
- Criminal Background Check Application
- Federal Fingerprinting Information
- Affiliation Agreement Information
Step 2: Review Handbook and Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility requirements include
- Minimum of 3.00 GPA in master’s degree program
- All program course prerequisites have been completed.
Step 3: Field Experience Approval and Registration
Once your application is approved by your advisor, the field experience coordinator will notify you about class registration.
Step 4: Site Selection
- Review site requirements specified in Appendices D and E.
- Learn about field experience sites that seem most appropriate in satisfying the field experience requirements and meeting your personal and professional goals. A database is available to help with choices. Students are permitted to do their field experience at their place of employment as long as the site meets the field experience requirements and involves master’s level work. Students must obtain and submit an Administrator Letter if they choose to do their field experience at their place of employment.
- Select your top choice as an field experience site and contact the site for an informal interview. Be prepared to do the following:
- Provide a copy of the Field Experience Handbook and your résumé to the potential site supervisor.
- State why you want to explore field experience opportunities at their site.
- Determine if the site can meet the field experience requirements.
- Determine if there is a mutual agreement for placement.
- Complete Appendix B.
- Check the Department of Counseling website to see if an Affiliation Agreement exists with the potential site.
*If there is no existing Affiliation Agreement with the potential site, the student will take a blank copy of the Affiliation Agreement to proposed site and obtain a signature from an individual who is able to sign on behalf of the site.
- Work with the site supervisor to complete other required paperwork (Appendices C-E and Affiliation Agreement if necessary.)
Step 5: Submit Required Paperwork
By a specified date, you must complete and submit to Dr. Lorraine Guth:
- Appendix B — Student Checklist and Field Experience Agreement
- Appendix C — Field Experience Site Information Sheet
- Appendix D — Field Experience Contract
- Appendix E — Checklist for Site and Supervisor Qualifications
- Affiliation Agreement (if necessary)
- Affiliation Agreement Receipt
- Administrator Letter (required if field experience is at place of employment)
Dr. Lorraine J. Guth, Field Experience Coordinator
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Department of Counseling
Stouffer Hall, Room 206
1175 Maple Street
Indiana, PA 15705
By a specified date, you must complete and submit to Dr. Laurie Nicholson
- Appendix L — Checklist for Receipt of Clearances
- Child Abuse Clearance (required)
- Criminal Background Check (required)
- Federal Fingerprinting (if required)
- TB Test Results (if required)
- Proof of Liability Insurance
Dr. Laurie Nicholson, Director of Field Placement Assistance
College of Education and Educational Technology
Stouffer Hall, Room 104
1175 Maple Street
Indiana,PA 15705-1058
Important Note: Continuing interns must submit a field experience application for the second placement and new paperwork by the specified due dates.
Completing the Field Experience
Interns are required to document their hours. Students should download and use the log for School Counseling or Community Counseling. Students who are continuing their field experience in a second semester should download and use the log for Continuing School Counseling or Continuing Community Counseling.
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Lorraine J. Guth at lguth@iup.edu.
