Tips for Selecting Field Experience Agencies

Securing an Approved Site

During the MSC program and while earning the 3,000 supervised hours to apply for MFT licensure, students are responsible for identifying and arranging to work in approved clinical sites. This allows students to choose sites of interest based on the clinical setting, types of clients served, and treatment approaches used. Because the Practicum should be an experience that suits each particular student’s needs and goals for professional growth, it is incumbent on each student to determine the type of clinical setting and supervisor that will best serve his/her needs and goals. The Lead Faculty Placement Coordinators are available to assist students in securing placement at an available site and with a supervisor which will meet these goals.

Locating an available opening, applying for positions, and negotiating hours with a site can be a challenging and time-consuming task. When applying to work at a site, students should prepare a resume that is personalized for each site and expect to interview with a representative of each site. Be prepared to provide all information requested by the site. Be aware that some agencies conduct the initial interview over the phone. In addition, some sites require background checks, fingerprinting, or other screening, as well as initial agency-specific training to be completed before being cleared to work with clients, so plan your time accordingly.

To gain hours that will be accepted by the University of Phoenix and the BBS, MSC students must work in sites that have been reviewed and approved by the Lead Faculty Site Supervisor. Your site must be approved a minimum of two weeks before the first night of your Practicum course. Sites listed in the Practicum Site Directory are already approved. If a site is not listed in the Directory, it is not approved. Therefore, students must plan ahead to locate an approved site before enrollment in the Practicum course. University of Phoenix recommends that students begin the search for a site a minimum of four months prior to enrollment.

Please note: While enrolled in the MSC program, the University of Phoenix provides professional liability insurance for students. After completion of the program, graduates are encouraged to secure their own policy coverage.