Master of Social Work
Curriculum
Students currently in the MSW program should click the link to the quarter system curricula for more information about their programs and contact their faculty advisor with questions. The following information is intended for prospective students seeking admission in Fall Semester 2012 or after.
The MSW curriculum has both foundation and advanced courses. Foundation courses are designed to help you develop knowledge and skills for social work with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations. The advanced courses allow you to specialize in either Direct Practice or Social Welfare Administration and Macro Practice in order to attain specialized skills for practice.
To earn the MSW, you must complete 60 semester credit hours of classroom and field instruction. You must also maintain a 3.0 grade point average with two-thirds of the grades “B” or higher.
One Year Advanced Standing Program
You may choose this program of study only if you have a Bachelor of Social Work degree from a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work (CSWE) and meet other admission requirements. This program allows students to complete the MSW program in one calendar year of full-time study. Classes start in June when the summer term begins. In the fall semester, you begin the second year of the two-year full-time MSW program.
Students must choose their concentration and specialized study are upon admission to the program. Field education begins in the summer term, and students continue in the same agency placement site throughout the advanced year of study.
Please click here to view the One Year Advanced Standing Quarter Curriculum
Please click here to view the One Year Advanced Standing Semester Curriculum
Two Year Full-Time Program
The full-time program is a two-year, 60 semester credit hour plan of study that begins in Fall Semester. Courses are sequenced and must be taken in order. In the first year, you will take foundation course work, developing knowledge and skills for social work with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations encountering a wide array of problems and situations. You will have a concurrent field placement that provides opportunities to practice the skills you are learning.
Students choose a concentration – either Direct Practice or Social Welfare Administration and Macro Practice - prior to the start of the second year of the program. Students in Direct Practice also choose a specialized study area in Children & Families, Health & Aging, or Mental Health. The advanced curriculum of the second year provides students with specialized knowledge and skills for practice in these areas, and the concurrent second year field placement offers the opportunities to develop these advanced skills for specialized practice.
Please click here to view the Two Year Full-Time Quarter Curriculum
Please click here to view the Two Year Full-Time Semester Curriculum
Three Year Part-Time Program
The part-time program is a three-year 60 semester credit hour plan of study that begins in the Fall Semester. It is designed to allow working students to take courses in the evening in Fall, Spring, and Summer Semesters over three years. However, students must still be able to schedule day time hours (14 hours per week) for field education which begins in the Fall Semester of the second year of study. Students in this program have one field placement experience throughout the program.
Courses are sequenced in this program and must be taken in order. The first year of course work is comprised of foundation courses which provide the basis for the development of knowledge and skills for social work with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations encountering a wide array of problems and situations. In the second year of study, you will complete the foundation curriculum and choose your specialized study area.
You will begin your field placement and the advanced year curriculum. In the final year of study, you will continue in your placement and complete the advanced year curriculum.
Please click here to view the Three Year Part-Time Quarter Curriculum
Please click here to view the Three Year Part-Time Semester Curriculum
Exemptions:
If you have a BSW degree and are admitted to the full-time or part-time program, you may qualify for an exemption from the following required MSW courses:
- SW7010 Psychosocial Theory for Direct Practice
- SW7020 Social Work Research
- SW7030 Social Welfare Policy and Practice
- SW7041 Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families
- SW7042 Social Work Practice with Groups
- SW7043 Social Work Practice with Communities & Organizations
To receive an exemption from any of these classes, the following conditions must be met:
- You must have earned your BSW within five years prior to being admitted to the MSW program.
- You must have earned a "B" or better in the equivalent undergraduate classes.
In some cases, prior graduate credits you earned may be counted toward your MSW degree.
Four Year Part-Time Program
The four year part-time program will no longer be an option once semester conversions is completed.
Please click here to view the Four Year Part-Time Quarter Curriculum
Advanced Standing
If you have a graduate degree in another field or you have completed coursework in a non-social work graduate program, you may request advanced standing elective credit.
- Only relevant coursework will be considered, and you must have earned a "B" or better in each class.
Transfer Credit
If you transfer from another accredited social work graduate program to the MSW program, you may transfer up to 30 semester or 45 quarter hours of credit for the courses you already completed. To receive transfer credits, the following conditions must be met:
- The credits must have been earned within five years of being admitted to the MSW program.
- You must have earned a "B" or better in each class.
Waivers
- If you have completed courses equivalent to the current MSW program offerings, you may petition the course instructor for a waiver from the course. You are responsible for showing the instructor that you have satisfactory competence and knowledge in the subject area. If you waive a course, you must still complete the same number of credits by taking another class or classes.