Field Experience Overview

Approved Illinois Teacher Educator Preparation Programs at the University of Illinois Chicago prepare undergraduate and graduate students to become educational leaders. A core component of this preparation is supervised field experience in school classrooms, where teacher candidates observe, engage with, and learn from teachers and students. Each program includes required field experiences hours embedded within designated courses. The number of required field experience hours varies by program. For specific requirements, students should contact the appropriate program representative for more information.

Preparing for Field Experiences

Here is a list of courses that require field experience. More comprehensive course information can be found in the academic catalog. Here is a list of field hours required by program.

If you are enrolled in a course that requires you to find your own placement for fieldwork observations, here are some guidelines you may find helpful.

For you to observe in a school, UIC must have an active placement contract with the school/district. This is a liability issue.

  • UIC’s largest partner district is Chicago Public Schools. We have an active agreement with CPS that allows you to observe in any CPS school once you have met the district’s HR requirements (see below.)
  • If you are interested in observing in a non-CPS school, please consult this list to ensure we have an active contract with the district. Most districts have multiple schools, and you can refer to the district websites to see which schools are included in each district.

Field Experience Approval Requirements

Before beginning any field experience, students must complete the CPS Field Experience Approval Process or the appropriate human resources requirements for the school district in which they will be observing. More information about the CPS approval process can be found in the CPS Field Experience Process tab.

The CPS approval process may take several weeks to complete, so students are strongly encouraged to begin as early as possible. Once a field experience approval notice email is received, the approval remains valid until the semester of student teaching, at which time a new approval process must be completed.

Students are required to record all field experience hours by the end of the semester in which the field experience occurs. To do so, click on the  Record Field Experience Hours tab.

Additional Field Experience Information

  • Students are required to bring a UIC ID, a State ID and the Approval Notice form to all Field Experiences.
  • Field Experience must be unpaid and supervised by a fully licensed educator.
  • Professional behavior and dress are expected at all times during field experience.
  • Field Experience Hours must be fully completed and recorded prior to the start of student teaching.