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  • Social Work, M.S.W.
WVU Morgantown

Social Work, M.S.W.

  • Overview
  • Learning Outcomes
  • Dual Degree

Degree Requirements

  • Standing:
    • Regular Standing: includes students who have completed a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university in a discipline other than Social Work. Regular Standing students can complete their degree on a full-time or part-time basis. Part-time students have the option of completing their degree on campus or online.
    • Advanced Standing: reserved for students who have earned a Council on Social Work Education accredited baccalaureate degree in Social Work within the past 8 years. Advanced standing students can complete their degree on a full-time or part-time basis.  Part-time students have the option of completing their degree on campus or online.
  • Credit Hours:
    • Regular Standing students are required to complete a minimum of 60 graduate credit hours in Social Work and Gerontology at the 500 and 600 level.
    • Advanced Standing students are required to complete a minimum of 36 graduate credit hours in Social Work and Gerontology at the 600 level.
  • Grade Point Average: Students must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75, and a GPA of 3.00 in all courses required for the Social Work degree plan. 
  • Graduation Requirement: Students must complete required coursework and maintain the minimum GPA.
  • Benchmarks: For details, go to the Social Work Degree Progress tab
  • Dual M.S.W/M.P.A.: A dual degree option resulting in the master of social work (M.S.W.) and master of public administration (M.P.A.) is available through the School of Social Work and the Department of Public Administration.

Curriculum Requirements: Regular Standing

Generalist Courses 24
SOWK 513
Research Methods
SOWK 520
Human Behavior in the Social Environment
SOWK 540
Generalist Practice 1: Individuals, Families, and Groups
SOWK 531
Social Welfare Policy and Programs
SOWK 530
Professional Identity and Social Justice
SOWK 541
Generalist Practice 2: Rural Community Macro Practice
SOWK 581
Generalist Field Experience
Advanced Courses30
SOWK 616
Evaluation Research in Social Work
SOWK 633
Social Policy Analysis, Advocacy, and Deliberation
SOWK 643
Assessment and Diagnosis
SOWK 649
Practice with Individuals
SOWK 650
Practice with Families and Groups
SOWK 654
Organizational Administration and Leadership
SOWK 656
Financial Management and Grant Writing
SOWK 682
Advanced Field Experience
Electives 6
Select two of the following:
SOWK 626
Child Mental Health: Promotion, Prevention, and Treatment
SOWK 627
Clinical Practice in Integrated Healthcare
SOWK 675
Addiction and Social Work Practice
SOWK 680
Child Welfare Continuum
GERO 645
Fundamentals of Gerontology
GERO 681
Rural Gerontology
Total Hours60

Curriculum Requirements: Advanced Standing

Advanced Courses30
SOWK 616
Evaluation Research in Social Work
SOWK 633
Social Policy Analysis, Advocacy, and Deliberation
SOWK 643
Assessment and Diagnosis
SOWK 649
Practice with Individuals
SOWK 650
Practice with Families and Groups
SOWK 654
Organizational Administration and Leadership
SOWK 656
Financial Management and Grant Writing
SOWK 682
Advanced Field Experience
Electives 6
Select two of the following:
SOWK 626
Child Mental Health: Promotion, Prevention, and Treatment
SOWK 627
Clinical Practice in Integrated Healthcare
SOWK 675
Addiction and Social Work Practice
SOWK 680
Child Welfare Continuum
GERO 645
Fundamentals of Gerontology
GERO 681
Rural Gerontology
Total Hours36

Suggested Plan of Study: Regular Standing

First Year
FallHoursSpringHoursSummerHours
SOWK 5203SOWK 5133SOWK 6433
SOWK 5303SOWK 5313SOWK 6493
SOWK 5403SOWK 5413SOWK 6543
SOWK 5813SOWK 5813 
 12 12 9
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours 
SOWK 6503SOWK 6563 
SOWK 6333SOWK 6163 
SOWK 6824SOWK 6825 
SOWK Elective 13SOWK Elective 23 
 13 14
Total credit hours: 60

Suggested Plan of Study: Part-time Regular Standing

First Year
FallHoursSpringHoursSummerHours
SOWK 5303SOWK 5133SOWK 5813
SOWK 5403SOWK 5313 
 6 6 3
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHoursSummerHours
SOWK 5203SOWK 5413SOWK 6433
SOWK 5813SOWK Elective 13SOWK 6493
SOWK 6333  
 9 6 6
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHoursSummerHours
SOWK 6503SOWK 6163SOWK 6543
SOWK 6823SOWK 6563SOWK 6823
SOWK Elective 23SOWK 6823 
 9 9 6
Total credit hours: 60

Suggested Plan of Study: Advanced Standing

First Year
  SummerHours
  SOWK 6433
  SOWK 6493
  SOWK 6543
 9
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours 
SOWK 6333SOWK 6163 
SOWK 6503SOWK 6563 
SOWK 6824SOWK 6825 
SOWK Elective 13SOWK Elective 23 
 13 14
Total credit hours: 36

Suggested Plan of Study: Part-time Advanced Standing

First Year
FallHoursSpringHoursSummerHours
SOWK 6333SOWK 6563SOWK 6433
SOWK Elective 13SOWK Elective 23SOWK 6493
 6 6 6
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHoursSummerHours
SOWK 6503SOWK 6163SOWK 6543
SOWK 6823SOWK 6823SOWK 6823
 6 6 6
Total credit hours: 36

Major Learning Outcomes

Social Work

The mission of the MSW program is to provide students with skills in direct practice with individuals, families, and groups, as well as program and agency administration, community development, and macro-level practice. In addition, students are trained in how to utilize these skills to foster successful interprofessional practice in a wide variety of settings. Specifically, graduates of the MSW program will be prepared to:

  1. Formulate and implement integrated service delivery models appropriate to advanced practice with diverse client populations at multi-system levels.
     
  2. Design and conduct brief and/or on-going assessment and intervention methods consistent with integrated systems and context of practice.
     
  3. Construct an integrated evidence-informed theoretical framework appropriate to the level and context of practice situations.
     
  4. Organize collaboration with other professions to coordinate intervention efforts suitable to the practice situation.
     
  5. Design and conduct collaborative, practice-based evaluation methods and apply findings to improve practice, policy, and/or service delivery effectiveness.

Doctor of Jurisprudence/Master of Social Work

  • Admission.  Students seeking to enter the Program must apply separately and be admitted independently to the College of Law's JD and Eberly's MSW program in accordance with each college's standard admission procedure. 
  • For additional details and requirements for each program, please visit the Law page or the Social Work page.
  • Students will develop a combined plan of study with their graduate advisers in Social Work and in the College of Law. 
  • Only courses included in an approved plan of study will satisfy graduation requirements.
  • Students admitted to an approved dual degree program should plan to have their two degrees conferred simultaneously upon completion of all requirements for both degrees. 
  • Students must meet the academic standards of both degree programs.
Master of Social Work Regular Standing
SOWK Coursework54
SOWK 513
Research Methods
SOWK 520
Human Behavior in the Social Environment
SOWK 530
Professional Identity and Social Justice
SOWK 531
Social Welfare Policy and Programs
SOWK 540
Generalist Practice 1: Individuals, Families, and Groups
SOWK 541
Generalist Practice 2: Rural Community Macro Practice
SOWK 581
Generalist Field Experience
SOWK 616
Evaluation Research in Social Work
SOWK 633
Social Policy Analysis, Advocacy, and Deliberation
SOWK 643
Assessment and Diagnosis
SOWK 649
Practice with Individuals
SOWK 650
Practice with Families and Groups
SOWK 654
Organizational Administration and Leadership
SOWK 656
Financial Management and Grant Writing
SOWK 682
Advanced Field Experience
LAW Electives (share 6 credits)
Jurisprudence Doctorate
LAW Coursework38
LAW 641
Introduction to Legal Research
LAW 700
Legal Analysis, Research and Writing 1
LAW 703
Contracts 1
LAW 705
Criminal Law
LAW 707
Property
LAW 709
Torts 1
LAW 711
Legal Analysis, Research and Writing 2
LAW 725
Constitutional Law 1
LAW 793 Civil Procedure
LAW 793 Introduction to the Profession
LAW 793 Legal Writing Intensive
LAW 715
Appellate Advocacy
LAW 742
Professional Responsibility
Seminar 2
Administrative Law Requirement3
Perspective2
Capstone4
Electives39
SOWK Electives (share 6 credits)
SOWK 626
Child Mental Health: Promotion, Prevention, and Treatment
SOWK 627
Clinical Practice in Integrated Healthcare
SOWK 675
Addiction and Social Work Practice
SOWK 680
Child Welfare Continuum
GERO 645
Fundamentals of Gerontology
GERO 681
Rural Gerontology
Total Hours142
Master of Social Work Advanced Standing
SOWK Coursework30
SOWK 616
Evaluation Research in Social Work
SOWK 633
Social Policy Analysis, Advocacy, and Deliberation
SOWK 643
Assessment and Diagnosis
SOWK 649
Practice with Individuals
SOWK 650
Practice with Families and Groups
SOWK 654
Organizational Administration and Leadership
SOWK 656
Financial Management and Grant Writing
SOWK 682
Advanced Field Experience
LAW Electives (share 6 credits)
Jurisprudence Doctorate
LAW Coursework38
LAW 641
Introduction to Legal Research
LAW 700
Legal Analysis, Research and Writing 1
LAW 703
Contracts 1
LAW 705
Criminal Law
LAW 707
Property
LAW 709
Torts 1
LAW 711
Legal Analysis, Research and Writing 2
LAW 725
Constitutional Law 1
LAW 793 Civil Procedure
LAW 793 Introduction to the Profession
LAW 793 Legal Writing Intensive
LAW 715
Appellate Advocacy
LAW 742
Professional Responsibility
Seminar (any LAW 688, 689, or 796 course)2
Administrative Law Requirement3
Perspective2
Capstone4
Electives39
SOWK Electives (share 6 credits)
SOWK 626
Child Mental Health: Promotion, Prevention, and Treatment
SOWK 627
Clinical Practice in Integrated Healthcare
SOWK 675
Addiction and Social Work Practice
SOWK 680
Child Welfare Continuum
GERO 645
Fundamentals of Gerontology
GERO 681
Rural Gerontology
Total Hours118
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