7.4 Grading in Field Placement

All field practicum courses (SOC WEL 410A, 410B, 412A, 412B) are graded under the Satisfactory (S)/Unsatisfactory (U) grading option.  When taken on the S/U basis, a student must earn the equivalent of a B- grade or better to be considered passing. Grades in field practicum courses do not count toward the one-third limit on S/U-graded units. Grades in required field seminar courses (SOC WEL 290A, 290B, 292A, 292B) do count toward the S/U limit. For more information please review the MSW Student Handbook section on Grades and Grading.

Grade Recommendations Offered by Field Instructors

Field Instructors provide grade recommendations for field practicum each semester on the First Semester Progress Review and on Final Evaluations:

  • Satisfactory (S) grade recommendation indicates that the student's learning and performance are proceeding at an appropriate rate, and the student is demonstrating sufficient progress toward achieving proficiency of all required competencies with a satisfactory level of skill. 
  • An Unsatisfactory (U) grade recommendation indicates that the student's learning or performance in field placement is not proceeding at an appropriate rate, and is deficient in one or more areas of competence. If this is the case, the Field Instructor will provide a narrative describing the problem(s), and what the student would need to do to bring their performance up to proficiency standards. If a student is seriously deficient in one or more required competency areas, or is consistently performing below proficiency, the Field Instructor should ordinarily recommend a grade of Unsatisfactory.

Grade Determinations Made by Field Consultants

As the official instructors of record for field practicum courses, Field Consultant faculty are responsible for determining and submitting student grades each semester. Field Consultants review the completed field evaluation form and accompanying comments, and the Field Instructor's grade recommendation, to determine the student's grade in field practicum. When there is a discrepancy between the Field Instructor's recommendation and the Field Consultant's grade determination, a consultation process may be initiated prior to submitting official grades each term.

Although grades are entered at the end of each semester, field practicum courses (SOC WEL 410A, 410B, 412A, 412B) are considered cumulative, year-long courses. As such, students must receive a satisfactory grade for two consecutive semesters at the same field placement in order to meet field education requirements for the MSW degree in each year of the MSW program. Generally speaking, students are not allowed to switch placements between semesters.

Incomplete Grades in Field

When a student’s work is of passing quality but cannot be completed due to extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control, the Field Consultant may consider issuing a grade of Incomplete (I). An Incomplete will not be assigned simply because a student needs additional time to complete field practicum course requirements or assignments.

A grade of Incomplete may only be assigned if all the following conditions are met:

  1. The student is in “good standing,” i.e., has been satisfactorily performing assigned field tasks.

  2. The student experiences events beyond their control which prevent completion of required field practicum by the date grades are due (such as illness, accident, family emergencies, or an unavoidable late start to placement.

  3. The student has completed the majority of the total required field days for the semester or appears able to complete the remaining days in the foreseeable future.

Before assigning an Incomplete grade, the student’s FIeld Consultant will obtain confirmation from the Field Instructor that the student is in good standing. If the Field Instructor cannot provide a detailed evaluation because the student was not in the field long enough to assess their work, the Field Consultant will make the relevant determination.

When assigning a grade of Incomplete, Field Consultant faculty must state the reason for the Incomplete in the comment column of the grade report in CalCentral. The student and Field Consultant must notify the Graduate Student Affairs Advisor (GSAO) of plans for completing the work via a Graduate Student Petition for an Incomplete Grade form approved by the Field Consultant. Students should notify the GSAO via email when the form has been submitted.

Break times and other non-field education days during the regular school calendar may be used to satisfy requirements to remove the Incomplete.  Extension of field practicum beyond the end of the spring semester usually does not necessitate that the student enroll in summer session while they complete the work required to resolve the Incomplete.

Students with an Incomplete grade in the first year generalist field practicum may not begin their second year specialized field practicum until they have successfully completed their generalist field practicum placement. 

To be considered in good academic standing in the Social Welfare MSW Program, students may not accumulate more than two Incomplete grades on their academic record. MSW students with more than two Incomplete grades on their academic record are not considered in good academic standing and may face probation and dismissal. For more information on Incomplete grade policies and academic penalties, please review the MSW Student Handbook section on Grades and Grading and the UC Berkeley Guide to Graduate Policy section on grading.