ABSTRACT
The social work field has discussed for decades the desired qualifications of agency field instructors. The MSW degree traditionally has been recognized by social work educators and the Council on Social Work Education as the most desirable educational background for agency field instructors. During the 19605, there was increased emphasis on using nontraditional settings for student placements. This led to greater use of field instructors from various educational backgrounds, often with bachelor's degree only and with other than a social work education. In these situations, a member of the school faculty theoretically would supplement the student's field supervision to assure that a social work focus was maintained.
