SOCIAL WORK
PROGRAM
MASTER OF SOCIAL
WORK DEGREE
The Social Work Department provides a pro-
gram leading to a Master of Social Work
(M.S.W.) degree. The program prepares stu-
dents for advanced social work practice pro-
viding services to families, and can be com-
pleted on a full-time or part-time basis.
The program's mission is consistent with the
mission of the University and graduate divi-
sion. It builds on a strong liberal arts base and
encourages students to become lifelong learn-
ers who will contribute to the profession and
their communities. The program prepares
graduates to provide service in a family con-
text to meet the social and economic needs of
residents of the region. The program has a
commitment to social and economic justice, to
serving vulnerable and disadvantaged popula-
tions, and to promoting a civil society. The
program prepares graduates who are able to
work with individuals, families, groups and
communities of diverse ethnic, racial, reli-
gious, and cultural backgrounds, and of differ-
ing ages, abilities, social classes and sexual
orientation.
At its June 2001 meeting, the Commission on
Accreditation of the Council on Social Work
Education, the profession's national accredit-
ing body, granted candidacy status to the
MSW program.
Program Goals
The goals of the graduate program in social
work are:
1.
To prepare students for advanced social
work practice providing services to fami-
lies.
2.
To prepare graduates with requisite
opportunities to develop a commitment to
a civil society, contribution to the profes-
sion and their community, and to lifelong
learning.
3.
To prepare graduates who can work with
individuals, families, groups and commu-
nities of diverse ethnic, racial, religious,
and cultural backgrounds, and of differ-
ing ages, abilities, social classes, and sex-
ual orientation.
4.
To prepare graduates who can assume the
profession's commitment and responsi-
bility to work to improve the quality of
life of populations at greatest risk, and to
the promotion of social and economic
justice.
Admission Requirements and
Procedures
1.
Completed graduate application
2.
Application fee of $25.00
3.
Submit an official transcript reflecting
completion of a baccalaureate degree
including a course in statistics and a
course with substantive content on
human biology from an accredited insti-
tution, a minimum of 21 semester hours
in the liberal arts distributed among the
humanities, mathematics, fine arts, phys-
ical and biological sciences, and social
and behavioral sciences.
4.
Three written letters of recommendation
5.
A minimum overall GPA of 2.80
6.
An autobiographical essay stating profes-
sional goals and how professional social
work education will help attain those
goals.
7.
A professional resume.
8.
Take either the Miller's Analogies Test
(MAT) or the general Aptitude Test of the
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
and score at the 50th percentile or better.
A copy of the scores for these tests must
be sent to the Office of Graduate Studies
and Research.
9.
No credit will be given for life or work
experience.
Curriculum Requirements
The Master of Social Work degree requires a
minimum of 60 semester hours of profession-
al training and a minimum of 900 clock hours
of supervised internship. It may be taken on
either a full-time or part-time basis. The pro-
gram has only one concentration advanced
social work practice providing services to
families.
The curriculum is divided into two levels, the
foundation year and the concentration year.
Each year requires completion of 30 semester
hours credit. The curriculum provides a care-
fully-designed sequence of courses which
build on prior learning, and courses must be
taken in sequence. Practice and Field courses
(SOWK 612, 717, 622, 623, 613, 719, 722,
723) are open only to students formally admit-
ted to the degree program.
Applicants who have a baccalaureate degree in
social work from a program accredited by the
Council on Social Work Education, who meet
requirements for admission, who present field
or employment references indicating their
readiness for advanced social work practice,
and who have completed the following or
equivalent courses with a grade of "B" or bet-
ter may be eligible for advanced standing: two
semesters of Social Welfare History and Poli-
cy, two semesters of Human Behavior in
Social Environment, two semesters of
Research, two semesters of Social Work Prac-
tice (macro and micro), and a minimum of 400
clock hours of field instruction. Students
admitted to advanced standing must complete
with a grade of "B" or better the pre-entry
course, SOWK699 Principles of Advanced
Social Work Practice with Families. This
three-credit course is offered during the sum-
mer preceding fall entry into the program.
Students must maintain a cumulative quality
point average of 3.00 or better to remain in
good standing in the program. A maximum of
six semester hours of "C" grades will be
accepted. Only one "C" grade will be accepted
for field (SOWK 622, 623, 722 or 723). Stu-
dents are expected to comply with all require-
ments of the National Association of Social
Work's Code of Ethics and to demonstrate
appropriate professional behavior. Failure to
do so may result in termination of the student
from the program.
Full-Time Two-year Program
Foundation year courses
Fall
15 sem. hrs.
SOWK600
Human Behavior and Social
Environment I (3)
SOWK604
Social Welfare, Social Policy,
and Social Work (3)
SOWK608
Social Work Research I (3)
SOWK612
Social Work Practice I (3)
SOWK622
Field Education Internship I (3)
Spring
15 sem. hrs.
SOWK602
Human Behavior and Social
Environment II (3)
SOWK606
Social Policy and Social
Policy Practice (3)
SOWK609
Social Work Research II (3)
SOWK613
Social Work Practice II (3)
SOWK623
Field Education Internship II (3)
Concentration Year Courses
Fall
15 sem. hrs.
SOWK740
Family Diversity (3)
SOWK719
Social Work Practice with
Families I (3)
SOWK744
Administration and Supervision
in Family Service Settings (3)
SOWK798
Family Practice Integrative
Seminar I (3)
SOWK722
Field Education Internship III
(3)
Spring
15 sem. hrs.
SOWK717
Social Work Practice with
Families II (3)
SOWK799
Family Practice Integrative
Seminar II (3)
SOWK723
Field Education Internship IV
(3)
Program Electives (Two, one of which may
be from outside the department, with pro-
gram approval.)
SOWK741
Practice for Families and
Children in Child Welfare (3)
SOWK742
Mental Health Practice in
Social Work with Individuals
and Families (3)
Social Work Program/87