Social Work, M.S.W. - Community Practice: Community Organization, Policy, and Leadership

For further information: SocialWork@southernct.edu

Application Deadline

Applications to the Master of Social Work program must be submitted and complete no later than December 15 for admission in the following year.

Master of Social Work

The Master of Social Work (MSW) program prepares social workers for clinical and community practice. The MSW curriculum is designed to encourage innovative responses to human and social needs.  MSW graduates are qualified for professional social work positions in public and private agencies at the local, state, and national levels and for applying for the State of Connecticut LMSW Licensure Examination. The MSW program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

Applications

Applicants for the MSW program complete all admissions materials required by both the School of Graduate and Professional Studies and the Department of Social Work. All application materials must be received by the School of Graduate and Professional Studies by December 15 for admission in the following year.

Program Requirements

The MSW program is a sixty-credit program with concentrations in Clinical Practice and in Community Practice. During the first year in the program, students develop knowledge, skills, and values for generalist social work. Students in the Community Practice concentration then prepare for specialized social work in the areas of community organization, policy, and leadership.

The MSW program may be completed in two years or three years of full-time study. Employed students are encouraged to choose the three-year plan. All students must be enrolled as full-time students (9 credits per semester) in at least one academic year.

In addition to academic courses, students complete 1,100 hours of supervised field practice in two different internships that extend through the fall and spring semesters of two academic years (500 hours in the first field placement; 600 hours in the second field placement). For further information about field education, please refer to the MSW Student Handbook and Field Practice Manual.

Class Schedules

The Social Work department seeks to accommodate students’ schedules by offering courses on weekdays, evenings, weekends, and in hybrid (on campus and online) formats. Field practice hours typically are held during weekdays according to agency needs.

COD Cohort Program

The Social Work department offers a three-year cohort program in the specialization of Mental Health and Substance Use: Co-Occurring Disorders (COD). The COD cohort program is designed to support students who are maintaining their employment while they pursue their MSW degree. COD cohort students take classes for three days per month (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) over three calendar years. Most classes are delivered in a hybrid format (on campus and online). The COD cohort program emphasizes an adult learning paradigm in which courses are taken sequentially, a supportive learning community is created, and self-discipline and self-directed learning are key skills for success. 

Advanced Standing Program

Students who will have graduated from a CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program are eligible to apply for admission with Advanced Standing to the MSW program. Students who are admitted with Advanced Standing have demonstrated competencies in generalist social work (equivalent to 21 credits of coursework) through exemplary performance in their BSW courses and field practice.

Students who are admitted with Advanced Standing complete 39 credits, including 700 hours of supervised field experience in a specialized field of practice. The Advanced Standing program may be completed in either one calendar year or two academic years of full-time study. Employed students are strongly encouraged to select the two-year plan.

Applicants to the Advanced Standing program complete the regular MSW application process, and in addition, they submit a third educational or professional reference letter and their final field evaluation (for BSW graduates) or mid-term field evaluation (for current BSW students).

Non-Matriculated and Post-Graduate Students

Courses open to non-matriculated Social Work students are SWK 510, 550, and 551. Social workers who hold an MSW degree may enroll in any Social Work courses except field practicum (SWK 570, 571, 572, or 573) on a space-available basis with permission of the instructor.

Program Sequence-60 Credits

MSW students are provided with Advising Guides in their specialized field of practice. Advising Guides specify the courses to be taken in each semester for two-year, three-year, and Advanced Standing program plans. Please note that practice courses (SWK 520, 523, 539, 533, 534, 539, 540, 545, 549, 556, and 568) must be taken concurrently with or following a field practicum (SWK 570, 571, 572, or 573). Students who take courses out of sequence risk delaying their anticipated date of graduation. It is highly recommended that students meet with their faculty advisor to review their Advising Guide and their progress toward completing requirements for graduation.  

The Social Work department continuously evaluates students' performance in the MSW program according to three sets of standards: professional standards (essential abilities and attributes), academic standards, and field practice standards. Students' continuance in the MSW program depends upon positive evaluations in each area. For further information, please consult the MSW Student Handbook and Field Education Manual.

MSW General Requirements - 48 Credits

SWK 510 - Social Welfare Policies and Delivery Systems - 3 credits
SWK 521 - Substance Use: Current Issues - 3 credits
SWK 532 - Theory and Practice I - Individuals - 3 credits
SWK 533 - Theory and Practice II - Groups - 3 credits
SWK 534 - Theory and Practice III - Organizations and Communities - 3 credits

SWK 548 - Evidence-based Social Work with Families - 3 credits
Or
SWK 549 - Clinical Practice with Later Life Families - 3 credits

SWK 550 - Human Behavior and Social Environment - 3 credits
SWK 551 - Diversity, Oppression, and Social Functioning - 3 credits
SWK 552 - Human Behavior in the Social Environment - Psychopathology - 3 credits
SWK 561 - Social Work Research Methods -  3 credits
SWK 570 - Generalist Social Work Field Practicum I - 3 credits
SWK 571 - Generalist Social Work Field Practicum II - 3 credits
SWK 572 - Practicum III and Capstone Proposal - 6 credits
SWK 573 - Practicum IV and Capstone - 6 credits

Advanced Standing General Requirements - 27 Credits

SWK 521 - Substance Use: Current Issues - 3 credits

SWK 548 - Evidence-based Social Work with Families - 3 credits
Or
SWK 549 - Clinical Practice with Later Life Families - 3 credits

SWK 551 - Diversity, Oppression, and Social Functioning - 3 credits
SWK 552 - Human Behavior in the Social Environment - Psychopathology - 3 credits
SWK 561 - Social Work Research Methods -  3 credits
SWK 572 - Practicum III and Capstone Proposal - 6 credits
SWK 573 - Practicum IV and Capstone - 6 credits

Community Practice Requirements - 12 Credits

In addition to the MSW general requirements above, students in the Community Practice concentration complete 12 credits in specialized courses as follows:

SWK 511 - Social Welfare Policy Analysis - 3 credits
SWK 520 - Communities and Social Welfare - 3 credits
SWK 538 - Leadership and Management: Theory and Practice - 3 credits
SWK 560 - Social Administration - 3 credits