Fieldwork

Fieldwork is an exciting and crucial part of occupational therapy education. These experiences provide role modeling and supervised hands-on opportunities to apply occupational therapy knowledge in real practice. Fieldwork takes place in a variety of settings and emerging areas of practice and occurs throughout the curriculum. Two types of fieldwork experiences are included within the curriculum, Level I and Level II fieldwork.

At VCU,  and  placements are coordinated to give students exposure to a variety of settings and ages and at least one community setting. The VCU Director of Fieldwork and the Fieldwork I Coordinator in collaboration with faculty, students, and sites arrange these fieldwork placements. ACOTE Fieldwork Standards are followed during the development, implementation and evaluation of fieldwork sites used by the Department of Occupational Therapy. 

Most Frequently Asked Questions about Fieldwork

VCU Mission for Fieldwork Education

Fieldwork II is a crucial part of our occupational therapy education and encompasses 18 credits of learning or the equivalent of six 3-credit courses. With this in mind, the VCU Fieldwork Coordinators and other faculty work together to:

  • Collaborate with students to arrange fieldwork experiences related to their preferences and capabilities;
  • Support student success in completion of fieldwork requirements for graduation from the curriculum;
  • Guide student growth in professional development by:
    • facilitating self assessment and plans to improve technical and personal skills,
    • promoting self-reflection and transition from the student role to that of a practitioner,
    • processing the outcomes of fieldwork experiences; and
    • providing information about NBCOT certification examination and state licensure applications.
  • Collaborate and learn from fieldwork supervisors while enhancing the quality of occupational therapy fieldwork education and supervision.
  • Collaborate with fieldwork supervisors to identify and develop fieldwork experiences which are compatible with the VCU curriculum and the learning needs of the students within the constraints of existing policies and procedures