Master of Social Work Admission & Curriculum

Master of Social Work (62 semester hours)

MSW Admission Requirements (Semester Hours)

  • An application fee (non-refundable)
  • A completed application with the official transcript documenting a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and an official transcript from each college where graduate credit was earned
  • GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) in all undergraduate work; if the GPA is less than 3.0 the applicant may be requested to submit scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Previous study should include work in the liberal arts, including statistics and human biology
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • A personal statement which should include the applicant’s qualifications and motivations for entering the field of social work and his/her areas of special interest in terms of fields of practice and special populations. The statement should be about two or three pages in length and address the applicant’s ability to collaborate with others and readiness to learn in the classroom and in the field practicum

Six credit hours may be transferred.

The first 30 credit hours of the 62 credit hours constitute the MSW Degree Foundation.

First Semester (15 semester hours) (Fall)
Social Work Generalist Practice I (3)
Human Behavior and the Social Environment (3)
Social Policy I: Analysis and Practice (3)
Social Work Research Methods I (3)
Field Practicum/Seminar I (3)

Second Semester Courses (15 semester hours) (Spring)
Social Work Generalist Practice II (3)
Human Behavior and the Social Environment II (3)
Field Practicum/Seminar II (3)
Social Policy II: Ethics in Social Welfare (3)
Women’s Issues and Feminist Practice (3)

MSW Concentration
Advanced Standing Bridge Courses
Required only of students who BSW coursework is more than seven years old or cumulative GPA is 2.75 or less

Summer
Bridging Course in Human Behavior and the Social Environment I & II (3)
Bridging Course in Social Policy I & II: Analysis and Practice (3)

Third Semester Courses (16 semester hours) (Fall)
Social Work Advanced Generalist Practice I (3)
Field Practicum/Integrative Seminar III (4)
Ethical Issues in Contemporary Social Work (3)
Cross Cultural Practice Systems (3)
Elective (3)

Fourth Semester Courses (16 semester hours) (Spring)
Comparative Theories/Object Relations in Social Work Practice (3)
Advanced Research Methods (3)
Field Practicum/Seminar IV (4)
Social Work Advanced Generalist Practice II (3)
Elective (3)

Electives
Domestic Violence (3)
Substance Abuse and Treatment (3)
Practice and Policy Issues in Child Abuse and Neglect (30
Crisis Intervention (3)
Spirituality and Franciscan Ideals (3)
Social Work with the Elderly (3)
Psychopathology (3)
Topics (3)
Independent Study (1-3)

Graduate Certificate

Post Master – Forensic Social Work Certificate (14 semester hours)

Certificate Requirements

Orientation to Forensic Social Work (1)
Legal and Ethical Issues in Social Work (3)
Seminar in Criminal Law (3)
Seminar in Family Law (3)
Forensic Practice Skills Lab/Seminar (2)
Capstone in Forensic Social Work (4)