Master of Social Work

The M.S.W. is a professional degree that prepares students to work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in clinical settings.

• Depending on your educational background you can choose from a regular track or an advanced standing track. 

Learn more about the courses for the Master of Social Work degree program. 

No academic credit is given for life experience or previous social work experience.

There are two standing programs students can choose from, depending on their undergraduate degree and academic standing:

• A two-year 60-hour track (Regular Standing Program)
• A one-year 36-hour track (Advance Standing Program)

The Advance Standing Program is designed for highly qualified BSW students.

Course of Study (Regular Standing Program)

 Fall Year 1

• SW 601: Human Behavior and the Social Environment
• SW 602: Social Work Practice with Individuals
• SW 604: Social Work Welfare Policies and Programs
• SW 621: Field Instruction I

Spring Year 1

• SW 603: Social Work Research Methods
• SW 615: Practice with Families and Groups
• SW 620: Practice with Organizations & Communities
• SW 622: Field Instruction II

Summer Year 1

• SW Elective (3 hrs)
• SW Elective (3 hrs)

Fall Year 2

• SW 630: Theories & Methods of Family Intervention
• SW 683: Theories of Psychotherapy
• SW 650: Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis
• SW 660: Clinical Supervision

Spring Year 2

• SW 680: Evaluation Research
• SW 640: Advance Practice with Groups
• SW 686: Traumatic Stress and Crisis Intervention
• SW 687: Substance Abuse and Addiction

Summer Year 2

• SW 623: Field Instruction III
• SW 624: Field Instruction IV

Course of Study (Advance Standing Program)

Summer

• SW Elective (3 hrs)
• SW Elective (3 hrs)

Fall

• SW 630: Theories & Methods of Family Intervention
• SW 683: Theories of Psychotherapy
• SW 650: Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis
• SW 660: Clinical Supervision

Spring

• SW 680: Evaluation Research
• SW 640: Advance Practice with Groups
• SW 686: Traumatic Stress and Crisis Intervention
• SW 687: Substance Abuse and Addiction

Summer

• SW 623: Field Instruction III
• SW 624: Field Instruction IV

Prospective students should understand that admission to the Master of Social Work Program is competitive, limited in number, and dependent upon the availability of faculty.

Meeting the requirements below does not guarantee admission.

Admission Requirements (Regular and Advanced Standing Programs)

Students seeking admission to the MSW program must complete a Graduate School application online. This application will require the following:

• Resume
• Personal and Professional Statement
• Essay/ Writing Sample
  • Acceptable writing samples can come from your undergraduate career or a or a recent publication (e.g., practice report for your profession) that showcases your writing as well as critical thinking.
    
    Topics related to social work are encouraged, but not required.
• Three letters of recommendation
  • Recommenders will be contacted by the Graduate School and asked for a recommendation.
    
    Please note that it is your responsibility to make sure these recommendations are submitted.  Please check your application regularly to make sure the letters are submitted by your recommenders. We recommend you ask:
    • Previous professor or instructor
    • Current supervisor or professional
    • One other professional contact, work associate, or professor/instructor

Admission Requirements (Advanced Standing)

In addition to the requirements above, students seeking admission to the Advanced Standing Program for the Master of Social Work must meet the following requirements:

• 3.0 GPA on the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework or 3.0 Overall GPA
• Completion of Bachelor of Social Work degree from a CSWE accredited program within the last five years

Financial aid and scholarship information may be found online with the Graduate School and with the Department of Social Work.

Application Deadline

(Regular and Advanced Standing): April 1.

The mission of the Master of Social Work is to prepare competent and ethical clinical social workers for careers guided by scientific inquiry.

Our program works diligently to educate Social Workers that are committed to diversity, social and economic justice, and the enrichment of the quality of life, with systems of all sizes and at every level of society.

Program Goals of the Master in Social Work Degree

We want our graduates to be ready for the varied realities of a career in Social Work. To make sure they are capable and thoughtful leaders in their field, we work tirelessly to prepare clinical social workers who:

1. Continue to develop knowledge for competent, effective, and ethical autonomous social work practice and the development of service delivery systems.
2. Practice social work through the study of its history, purposes, philosophy, and theoretical and practice frameworks.
3. Provide leadership in the effective and ethical clinical social work practice with diverse populations and systems of all sizes, striving to alleviate poverty and oppression, and to provide social and economic justice for all citizens at the local, national, and global levels.
4. Understand the social contexts of clinical social work practice, the changing nature of those contexts, the behaviors found in systems, and the dynamics of change.
5. Demonstrate a commitment to continue life-long learning and professional growth.

Council on Social Work and Core Competencies

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) requires social work programs to ensure that all social work students demonstrate the following competencies by graduation:

Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior

Social workers understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, as well as relevant laws and regulations that may impact practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Social workers understand frameworks of ethical decision-making and how to apply principles of critical thinking to those frameworks in practice, research, and policy arenas. Social workers recognize personal values and the distinction between personal and professional values. They also understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions influence their professional judgment and behavior. Social workers understand the profession’s history, its mission, and the roles and responsibilities of the profession. Social Workers also understand the role of other professions when engaged in inter-professional teams. Social workers recognize the importance of life-long learning and are committed to continually updating their skills to ensure they are relevant and effective. Social workers also understand emerging forms of technology and the ethical use of technology in social work practice. Social workers:

• make ethical decisions by applying the standards of the NASW Code of Ethics, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision-making, ethical conduct of research, and additional codes of ethics as appropriate to context;
• use reflection and self-regulation to manage personal values and maintain professionalism in practice situations;
• demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior; appearance; and oral, written, and electronic communication;
• use technology ethically and appropriately to facilitate practice outcomes; and
• use supervision and consultation to guide professional judgment and behavior.

Competency 2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice

Social workers understand how diversity and difference characterize and shape the human experience and are critical to the formation of identity. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiple factors including but not limited to age, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, marital status, political ideology, race, religion/spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status. Social workers understand that, as a consequence of difference, a person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, nationalization, and alienation as well as privilege, power, and acclaim. Social workers also understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values, including social, economic, political, and cultural exclusions, may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create privilege and power. Social workers:

• apply and communicate understanding of the importance of diversity and difference in shaping life experiences in practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels;
• present themselves as learners and engage clients and constituencies as experts of their own experiences; and
• apply self-awareness and self-regulation to manage the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse clients and constituencies.

Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice

Social workers understand that every person regardless of position in society has fundamental human rights such as freedom, safety, privacy, an adequate standard of living, health care, and education. Social workers understand the global interconnections of oppression and human rights violations, and are knowledgeable about theories of human need and social justice and strategies to promote social and economic justice and human rights. Social workers understand strategies designed to eliminate oppressive structural barriers to ensure that social goods, rights, and responsibilities are distributed equitably and that civil, political, environmental, economic, social, and cultural human rights are protected. Social workers:

• apply their understanding of social, economic, and environmental justice to advocate for human rights at the individual and system levels; and
• engage in practices that advance social, economic, and environmental justice.

Competency 4: Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice

Social workers understand quantitative and qualitative research methods and their respective roles in advancing a science of social work and in evaluating their practice. Social workers know the principles of logic, scientific inquiry, and culturally informed and ethical approaches to building knowledge. Social workers understand that evidence that informs practice derives from multi-disciplinary sources and multiple ways of knowing. They also understand the processes for translating research findings into effective practice. Social workers:

• use practice experience and theory to inform scientific inquiry and research;
• apply critical thinking to engage in analysis of quantitative and qualitative research methods and research findings; and
• use and translate research evidence to inform and improve practice, policy, and service delivery.

Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice

Social workers understand that human rights and social justice, as well as social welfare and services, are mediated by policy and its implementation at the federal, state, and local levels. Social workers understand the history and current structures of social policies and services, the role of policy in service delivery, and the role of practice in policy development.

Social workers understand their role in policy development and implementation within their practice settings at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and they actively engage in policy practice to effect change within those settings. Social workers recognize and understand the historical, social, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. They are also knowledgeable about policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation. Social workers:

• identify social policy at the local, state, and federal level that impacts well-being, service delivery, and access to social services;
• assess how social welfare and economic policies impact the delivery of and access to social services;
• apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.

Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that engagement is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Social workers value the importance of human relationships. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to facilitate engagement with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand strategies to engage diverse clients and constituencies to advance practice effectiveness.

Social workers understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions may impact their ability to effectively engage with diverse clients and constituencies. Social workers value principles of relationship-building and inter-professional collaboration to facilitate engagement with clients, constituencies, and other professionals as appropriate. Social workers:

• apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks to engage with clients and constituencies; and
• use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to effectively engage diverse clients and constituencies.

Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that assessment is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in the assessment of diverse clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Social workers understand methods of assessment with diverse clients and constituencies to advance practice effectiveness. Social workers recognize the implications of the larger practice context in the assessment process and value the importance of inter-professional collaboration in this process. Social workers understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions may affect their assessment and decision-making. Social workers:

• collect and organize data, and apply critical thinking to interpret information from clients and constituencies;
• apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the analysis of assessment data from clients and constituencies;
• develop mutually agreed-on intervention goals and objectives based on the critical assessment of strengths, needs, and challenges within clients and constituencies; and
• select appropriate intervention strategies based on the assessment, research knowledge, and values and preferences of clients and constituencies.

Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that intervention is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are knowledgeable about evidence-informed interventions to achieve the goals of clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to effectively intervene with clients and constituencies. Social workers understand methods of identifying, analyzing and implementing evidence-informed interventions to achieve client and constituency goals. Social workers value the importance of inter-professional teamwork and communication in interventions, recognizing that beneficial outcomes may require interdisciplinary, inter-professional, and inter-organizational collaboration. Social workers:

• critically choose and implement interventions to achieve practice goals and enhance capacities of clients and constituencies;
• apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in interventions with clients and constituencies;
• use inter-professional collaboration as appropriate to achieve beneficial practice outcomes;
• negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on behalf of diverse clients and constituencies; and
• facilitate effective transitions and endings that advance mutually agreed-on goals.

Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that evaluation is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. Social workers recognize the importance of evaluating processes and outcomes to advance practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness.

Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in evaluating outcomes. Social workers understand qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluating outcomes and practice effectiveness. Social workers:

• select and use appropriate methods for evaluation of outcomes;
• apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the evaluation of outcomes;
• critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate intervention and program processes and outcomes; and
• apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.