ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the field education as delivered within the BSc Social Work at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados. Since its implementation in 1988, the field education component, which presently consists of 835 contact hours for final year students, has gone through some modifications. It is now delivered as a one-year block placement in the final year of the programme rather than in a concurrent format. It has also moved from having a predominately micro and mezzo focus to include a macro component and continues to provide governmental and non-governmental placement opportunities for students. The curriculum for the block placement is quite intense and students may choose to spend the entire year at the same agency as opposed to changing agencies if the opportunities for learning permit. Those from the Caribbean region can choose to pursue their block placement within their country of residence, which gives them an advantage for employment on completion. There is also an international student internship exchange programme with universities in Canada and the USA where students engage in a block placement. These external placements afford students a rich cultural experience.
