MSW Curriculum & Concentrations
Foundation Curriculum
The foundation curriculum (first 27 credits of the program) consists of core courses that are required for all students regardless of concentration. These required courses are organized under five sequence areas:
- Human Behavior and the Social Environment
- Social Policy
- Social Work Practice
- Research
- Field Education
The foundation curriculum is designed to prepare students to use, critique, and integrate varying theoretical frameworks as they relate to the assessment of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Familiarity with perspectives that emphasize the interplay and transactions between the individual and the environment allows for understanding and work with at risk populations and prepares students for culturally competent practice.
Concentration Curriculum
The concentration curriculum (last 26 credits of the program) varies according to students' chosen concentration:
The concentration curriculum builds on foundation content by providing increased breadth, depth, and integration of knowledge and skills across all of the five sequences noted above. The curriculum supports the need for sophisticated abilities and the assumption of practice roles that demand increased responsibility, especially with regard to complex practice, policy, and ethical dilemmas.
Students enrolled in the Program select one of the three different Concentration Areas listed above in order to acquire advanced knowledge and skills in a particular practice area. The Program's concentration curriculum consists of three concentration-specific courses as well as a concentration-specific field education practicum.
In addition, three electives (nine credits) are required and can be taken at any time, as long as prerequisites are met.