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 | |
| Research Methods | ||
| Human Behavior in the Social Environment | ||
| Generalist Practice 1: Individuals, Families, and Groups | ||
| Social Welfare Policy and Programs | ||
| Professional Identity and Social Justice | ||
| Generalist Practice 2: Rural Community Macro Practice | ||
| Generalist Field Experience | ||
| Advanced Courses | 30 | |
| Evaluation Research in Social Work | ||
| Social Policy Analysis, Advocacy, and Deliberation | ||
| Assessment and Diagnosis | ||
| Practice with Individuals | ||
| Practice with Families and Groups | ||
| Organizational Administration and Leadership | ||
| Financial Management and Grant Writing | ||
| Advanced Field Experience | ||
| Electives | 6 | |
| Select two of the following: | ||
| Child Mental Health: Promotion, Prevention, and Treatment | ||
| Clinical Practice in Integrated Healthcare | ||
| Addiction and Social Work Practice | ||
| Child Welfare Continuum | ||
| Fundamentals of Gerontology | ||
| Rural Gerontology | ||
| Total Hours | 60 | |
Curriculum Requirements: Advanced Standing
| Advanced Courses | 30 | |
| Evaluation Research in Social Work | ||
| Social Policy Analysis, Advocacy, and Deliberation | ||
| Assessment and Diagnosis | ||
| Practice with Individuals | ||
| Practice with Families and Groups | ||
| Organizational Administration and Leadership | ||
| Financial Management and Grant Writing | ||
| Advanced Field Experience | ||
| Electives | 6 | |
| Select two of the following: | ||
| Child Mental Health: Promotion, Prevention, and Treatment | ||
| Clinical Practice in Integrated Healthcare | ||
| Addiction and Social Work Practice | ||
| Child Welfare Continuum | ||
| Fundamentals of Gerontology | ||
| Rural Gerontology | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Suggested Plan of Study: Regular Standing
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| SOWK 520 | 3 | SOWK 513 | 3 | SOWK 643 | 3 |
| SOWK 530 | 3 | SOWK 531 | 3 | SOWK 649 | 3 |
| SOWK 540 | 3 | SOWK 541 | 3 | SOWK 654 | 3 |
| SOWK 581 | 3 | SOWK 581 | 3 | ||
| 12 | 12 | 9 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| SOWK 650 | 3 | SOWK 656 | 3 | ||
| SOWK 633 | 3 | SOWK 616 | 3 | ||
| SOWK 682 | 4 | SOWK 682 | 5 | ||
| SOWK Elective 1 | 3 | SOWK Elective 2 | 3 | ||
| 13 | 14 | ||||
| Total credit hours: 60 | |||||
Suggested Plan of Study: Part-time Regular Standing
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| SOWK 530 | 3 | SOWK 513 | 3 | SOWK 581 | 3 |
| SOWK 540 | 3 | SOWK 531 | 3 | ||
| 6 | 6 | 3 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| SOWK 520 | 3 | SOWK 541 | 3 | SOWK 643 | 3 |
| SOWK 581 | 3 | SOWK Elective 1 | 3 | SOWK 649 | 3 |
| SOWK 633 | 3 | ||||
| 9 | 6 | 6 | |||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| SOWK 650 | 3 | SOWK 616 | 3 | SOWK 654 | 3 |
| SOWK 682 | 3 | SOWK 656 | 3 | SOWK 682 | 3 |
| SOWK Elective 2 | 3 | SOWK 682 | 3 | ||
| 9 | 9 | 6 | |||
| Total credit hours: 60 | |||||
Suggested Plan of Study: Advanced Standing
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Hours | ||||
| SOWK 643 | 3 | ||||
| SOWK 649 | 3 | ||||
| SOWK 654 | 3 | ||||
| 9 | |||||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| SOWK 633 | 3 | SOWK 616 | 3 | ||
| SOWK 650 | 3 | SOWK 656 | 3 | ||
| SOWK 682 | 4 | SOWK 682 | 5 | ||
| SOWK Elective 1 | 3 | SOWK Elective 2 | 3 | ||
| 13 | 14 | ||||
| Total credit hours: 36 | |||||
Suggested Plan of Study: Part-time Advanced Standing
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| SOWK 633 | 3 | SOWK 656 | 3 | SOWK 643 | 3 |
| SOWK Elective 1 | 3 | SOWK Elective 2 | 3 | SOWK 649 | 3 |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| SOWK 650 | 3 | SOWK 616 | 3 | SOWK 654 | 3 |
| SOWK 682 | 3 | SOWK 682 | 3 | SOWK 682 | 3 |
| 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:
- Formulate and implement integrated service delivery models appropriate to advanced practice with diverse client populations at multi-system levels.
- Design and conduct brief and/or on-going assessment and intervention methods consistent with integrated systems and context of practice.
- Construct an integrated evidence-informed theoretical framework appropriate to the level and context of practice situations.
- Organize collaboration with other professions to coordinate intervention efforts suitable to the practice situation.
- 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 Coursework | 54 | |
| Research Methods | ||
| Human Behavior in the Social Environment | ||
| Professional Identity and Social Justice | ||
| Social Welfare Policy and Programs | ||
| Generalist Practice 1: Individuals, Families, and Groups | ||
| Generalist Practice 2: Rural Community Macro Practice | ||
| Generalist Field Experience | ||
| Evaluation Research in Social Work | ||
| Social Policy Analysis, Advocacy, and Deliberation | ||
| Assessment and Diagnosis | ||
| Practice with Individuals | ||
| Practice with Families and Groups | ||
| Organizational Administration and Leadership | ||
| Financial Management and Grant Writing | ||
| Advanced Field Experience | ||
| LAW Electives (share 6 credits) | ||
| Jurisprudence Doctorate | ||
| LAW Coursework | 38 | |
| Introduction to Legal Research | ||
| Legal Analysis, Research and Writing 1 | ||
| Contracts 1 | ||
| Criminal Law | ||
| Property | ||
| Torts 1 | ||
| Legal Analysis, Research and Writing 2 | ||
| Constitutional Law 1 | ||
LAW 793 Civil Procedure | ||
| LAW 793 Introduction to the Profession | ||
| LAW 793 Legal Writing Intensive | ||
| Appellate Advocacy | ||
| Professional Responsibility | ||
| Seminar | 2 | |
| Administrative Law Requirement | 3 | |
| Perspective | 2 | |
| Capstone | 4 | |
| Electives | 39 | |
| SOWK Electives (share 6 credits) | ||
| Child Mental Health: Promotion, Prevention, and Treatment | ||
| Clinical Practice in Integrated Healthcare | ||
| Addiction and Social Work Practice | ||
| Child Welfare Continuum | ||
| Fundamentals of Gerontology | ||
| Rural Gerontology | ||
| Total Hours | 142 | |
| Master of Social Work Advanced Standing | ||
| SOWK Coursework | 30 | |
| Evaluation Research in Social Work | ||
| Social Policy Analysis, Advocacy, and Deliberation | ||
| Assessment and Diagnosis | ||
| Practice with Individuals | ||
| Practice with Families and Groups | ||
| Organizational Administration and Leadership | ||
| Financial Management and Grant Writing | ||
| Advanced Field Experience | ||
| LAW Electives (share 6 credits) | ||
| Jurisprudence Doctorate | ||
| LAW Coursework | 38 | |
| Introduction to Legal Research | ||
| Legal Analysis, Research and Writing 1 | ||
| Contracts 1 | ||
| Criminal Law | ||
| Property | ||
| Torts 1 | ||
| Legal Analysis, Research and Writing 2 | ||
| Constitutional Law 1 | ||
| LAW 793 Civil Procedure | ||
| LAW 793 Introduction to the Profession | ||
| LAW 793 Legal Writing Intensive | ||
| Appellate Advocacy | ||
| Professional Responsibility | ||
| Seminar (any LAW 688, 689, or 796 course) | 2 | |
| Administrative Law Requirement | 3 | |
| Perspective | 2 | |
| Capstone | 4 | |
| Electives | 39 | |
| SOWK Electives (share 6 credits) | ||
| Child Mental Health: Promotion, Prevention, and Treatment | ||
| Clinical Practice in Integrated Healthcare | ||
| Addiction and Social Work Practice | ||
| Child Welfare Continuum | ||
| Fundamentals of Gerontology | ||
| Rural Gerontology | ||
| Total Hours | 118 | |