Master of Social Work (MSW) Curriculum

The college seeks to produce M.S.W. graduates who are fully prepared for advanced social work practice. To this end, the curriculum is designed to insure that graduates possess:

• knowledge and skills required for professional practice with vulnerable populations (e.g., African American and other racial minorities, women, persons with disabilities, children, the elderly, those who are economically disadvantaged) who have suffered the consequences of institutionalized forms of discrimination and oppression;
• the values and ethics of the social work profession as acquired through classroom instruction and applied within supervised field instruction;
• an in-depth understanding of the dynamics of human behavior and of the social, economic and political forces that impact on it within the range of social systems;
• an understanding of social programs, policies, and services that historically have sought to address social problems;
• advanced skill in the critical analysis of social programs, policies, and services;
• skill in the design and implementation of research that will enable one to contribute to and expand the body of social work professional knowledge, to critically assess the research of others, and to evaluate one's own practice;
• advanced analytic and practice skills sufficient for self-critical, accountable, and ultimately autonomous practice either (a) in service delivery to individuals, families, and groups; or (b) in administration, social policy development, and societal change in organizations and communities; and
• focused knowledge in specialized areas relating to specific client groups, client problems, or practice.

Course Waivers

The College of Social Work offers the opportunity for students who can demonstrate mastery of certain areas of knowledge to waive up to 15 semester hours of course work. Under this plan, students who have been accepted as degree candidates may, upon successful completion of evaluation procedures, be allowed to waive any of the following courses: SOWK 712, SOWK 716, SOWK741, SOWK 742, and SOWK 791. Evaluation procedures include written examinations.  Only students who hold a B.S.W. from a CSWE-accredited program are eligible to take SOWK 712 and SOWK 716 waiver exams.