WHAT IS IT?

A practice-based experience where students participate in components of a discipline or profession through the application of disciplinary concepts. This type of experience can occur under the direction or supervision of a non-faculty professional or a course instructor and is primarily intended to support professional and discipline-based competency development. Experiences where students are only observing professional activities (e.g., field trips) are not considered field experiences in this context.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS 

Eligibility: 

• Field experiences typically take place as part of a course. Eligibility requirements for these types of courses vary.

Duration:  

• Field experiences can last from a few hours to many hours over the course of an academic term; timelines are set within the academic program or course.

Recognition and / or compensation:  

• Students will typically receive course credit for participating in a field course.

Accessibility:

• Inclusion in EL is achieved when an experience supports learning for all students. In keeping with the Ontario Human Rights Code, the University of Toronto has a commitment to an equitable learning environment for people with disabilities. It is important to engage in an interactive process to determine the optimal and most appropriate accommodations for individual students engaged in experiential learning.
• If a student requires an accommodation related to a field experience, you may wish to connect with one of the accessibility services offices at the University of Toronto. Staff at these offices will advise you on the disclosure of accommodation requirements as well as support you through the process of determining and negotiating effective accommodations for the student’s individual circumstances.
• Student support offices strive to create a safe and comfortable community where students have opportunities to discuss navigating barriers, find peer support and learn about various academic and social opportunities. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Review the Guidelines & Procedures page to further understand which partnership agreements, insurance and liability coverage and health and safety policies are applicable to field experiences. The Experiential Learning Risk Management Matrix provides a one-page overview.
• If there are agreements in place, liability would be determined based on the agreements. Where there are no agreements, instructors or program coordinators would need to contact the Risk Management and Insurance Department.
• Students engaging in a curricular field experience experience (for credit), receive workplace insurance coverage through the University or Ministry of Colleges and Universities.