All prospective students are strongly encouraged to attend an information meeting. At the meeting, we go over in detail about the MSW program, careers, concentrations, application process, curriculum, tuition cost, and much more. Schedules of the MSW meetings are available at http://socialwork/msw/info-meetings.php. Prospective students can also view the MSW informational meeting video. 

For further information on the MSW program, please call the school's Office of Admissions and Student Services toll-free at 866- WSU-SWRK (978-7975).

MSW Curriculum

The core curriculum of the graduate program emphasizes the integration of content in the five major curricular areas:

• social work practice
• human behavior and the social environment
• social welfare policy and services
• research
• field education

The MSW program consists of two academic years of full-time study for a total of 60 credits. The credits are a combination of curriculum and 16 credits in field education (two full days a week of supervised practice in a social agency per semester). Typically students are enrolled in 16 credits for each of four semesters.

The first year of graduate study is called the "Core Year" and, as mandated by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE), provides a foundation of basic social work knowledge and skills for all students. The core curriculum stresses fundamentals and knowledge of social work practice as they relate to individuals, families, small groups, organizations and communities. In field education, theory is translated into practice and includes experiences for students in interpersonal practice and practice in organizations and communities.

The second year of graduate study is designated the "Advanced Year." Students select their concentration area toward the end of the Core Year or as they enter the Advanced Year. The advanced curriculum builds on the knowledge, values and skills gained in the core curriculum, with the objective of increasing the student's competence to deal with greater complexities of social work practice through a focus on areas of social concern. This advanced portion of the MSW degree program is designed to provide specific knowledge and practice skills.

Students must meet the requirements for a concentration by completing concentration-specific coursework in the curricular areas of human behavior and the social environment, practice methods and social welfare organization and policy services. Each student must also complete a field education placement in one of the two concentrations:

Interpersonal Practice Concentration focuses on preparation for direct social work practice in a range of social service settings. Students choose a special interest area: families-at-risk, child welfare, substance abuse, schools, inpatient and outpatient mental health, health care, or aging/gerontology. Courses in this concentration support interventions that enhance the social functioning of client groups and address a range of social problems, including strains in family life, physical illness, life transitions, adjustment reactions and chemical dependency. Examples of field sites include schools, family mediation clinics, family service agencies, hospitals, transitional residences and outpatient mental health clinics.

Community Practice and Social Action focuses on interventions in social agencies, institutions and neighborhoods of the community and society to enhance the quality of life. Students will be in practicums which relate to urban social planning, community development, comprehensive community mental health planning and development, coordination and planning for the aged, juvenile justice, social change and political internships. Examples of sites for social work employment include community-based organizations, social welfare planning agencies, planning departments in governmental units, advocacy organizations, political offices and human resource departments.

MSW Program Goals

1. To prepare MSW students for ethical, competent advanced level professional social work practice with a focus on interpersonal practice or community practice and social action, particularly in urban settings with diverse, poor, vulnerable and oppressed individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
2. To foster a commitment to continuing education, maintain competence in practice, and enhance and increase opportunities for MSW graduates for renewal and advancement within the profession.

Foundation Curriculum – Educational Objectives

When students complete the foundation curriculum, they will be able to:

1. Build on a liberal arts base to identify generalist knowledge, values, and skills of social work practice with various sizes and types of client systems within the framework of an ecological systems approach.
2. Describe, critically evaluate, and apply evidence-based theories of human behavior and life span development to understand individuals, groups, families, organizations and communities and the interactions between them.
3. Describe and apply the generalist social work perspective to practice with individuals, groups, families, organizations and communities.
4. Understand and interpret the history of the social work profession, describe and analyze past and present social welfare policy/policy research, and formulate and advocate for social policies against discriminatory and oppressive systems that advance social and economic justice.
5. Identify, evaluate, and apply research relevant to practice and evaluate one’s practice.
6. Demonstrate knowledge, values and skill in nondiscriminatory social work practice related to clients’ age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.
7. Demonstrate professionalism, including: critical thinking skills applied to one’s own practice, self-awareness and the professional use of self in interactions with clients, and a commitment to the norms and standards of professional behavior.
8. Apply communication skills and professional relationship skills with diverse client populations, social work colleagues and those in other disciplines, supervisors, and individuals and groups within various organizational, community, and political systems.
9. Recognize the principles and importance of ethical social work practice and ongoing social work supervision and consultation.
10. Recognize the global context of practice, particularly as the context affects residents in the metropolitan Detroit area.
11. Function within the structure of organizations and service delivery systems and seek necessary organizational change.
12. Use technology to access information and facilitate communication.

Advanced Curriculum – Common Educational Objectives

Objectives for all advanced year students
When students complete the advanced-year curriculum, they will be able to:

1. Build on the foundation of generalist social work gained in the core year; apply particularly advanced evidence-based theory to understanding of client systems and to apply advanced social work practice skills, within an area of concentration (community practice and social action or interpersonal practice).
2. Demonstrate the ability to apply research concepts and strategies to inform social work practice and programs.
3. Demonstrate proficiency and in-depth knowledge about the core competencies of area of concentration (interpersonal or community practice) and demonstrate insight into practice through ethical, critical, and developmental self reflection.
4. Apply advanced knowledge and skill and social work values in practice with diverse urban populations without discrimination related to clients’ age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.
5. Demonstrate the ability to design, analyze, evaluate and change social policy and to intervene against discriminatory and oppressive systems to advance social and economic justice.
6. Recognize the importance of ongoing professional development and supervision/consultation after graduation.
7. Use technology to advance practice skills and knowledge and to facilitate communication with clients and colleagues.

Concentration Specific Objectives

Advanced Year Interpersonal Concentration Specific:
When students complete the advance-year, interpersonal curriculum, they will be able to:

1. Synthesize and apply scientific knowledge of both normal and abnormal development and psychopathology to individuals and families, within a chosen theoretical framework (cognitive behavioral, family systems, or psychodynamic).
2. Identify, implement, and evaluate appropriate interventions, reflective of a chosen theory track (cognitive-behavioral, family systems, or psychodynamic) with a high level of self awareness and autonomy in work with diverse clients, particularly with oppressed and disenfranchised populations.

Advanced Year Community Practice and Social Action Concentration Specific:
When student complete the advance-year community practice and social action curriculum, they will be able to:

1. Synthesize and apply particularly evidence-based knowledge and theory of behavior and dynamics of human service programs, organizations, communities and, complex systems to foster and advance social and economic justice.
2. Understand a broad spectrum of change strategies and demonstrate the ability to select and match these strategies to the programmatic, organizational, and community challenges. Demonstrate differential application of these strategies in partnership with people who experience oppression and disenfranchisement.
3. Apply models, concepts, and strategies to the conception, design, development, implementation, evaluation and improvement of social work practice, programs, and social policies.

The MSW program is a structured, sequential, full-time professional program which cannot be pursued piecemeal. There is limited enrollment in a planned part-time program. Students must be enrolled simultaneously in required classroom courses and practicum:

• Two-year traditional program
• Four-year part-time program
• Advanced standing program (part-time and full-time options) for students with the BSW degree
• Pre- and post-degree students