Master of Social Work Program

Mission Statement

The mission of the MSW program is the preparation of competent and effective professional clinical community practitioners to develop critical thinking skills, promote life long learning, advance social work knowledge, and to provide leadership in the development of service delivery systems. The program educates students with specialized skills for advanced clinical community practice (CCP) with diverse client systems of various sizes. The MSW program is grounded in the profession’s history, purposes, and philosophy and is based on a body of knowledge, values and skills of the social work profession.

Program Goals

1. To prepare social workers for advanced clinical community practice (CCP) in the public and non-profit sector agencies with diverse clients systems of various sizes.

2. To prepare social workers for competent agency-based practice with a strong commitment to professional social work values and ethics, promotion of social and economic justice, diversity, alleviation of oppression and discriminating skills to address ethical dilemmas.

3. To prepare students with knowledge and skills for informed practice including the development of critical thinking and lifelong learning based upon a solid liberal arts foundation.

4. To provide students with knowledge and skills to evaluate their own practice and programs based upon critical analysis and assessment.

5. To educate students about the behavior of communities and organizations within the social contexts of social work practice, and the dynamics of change from a local, regional and international perspective.

Foundation Year Objectives

By the end of the foundation year students will:

1. Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and apply strategies of advocacy and social change that advance social and economic justice.

2. Understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards and principles, and practice accordingly.

3. Practice without discrimination and with respect, knowledge, and skills related to clients’ age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.

4. Use theoretical frameworks supported by empirical evidence to understand individual development and behavior across the life span and the interactions among individuals and between individuals and families, groups, organizations, and communities.

5. Apply the knowledge and skills of a generalist social work perspective to practice with systems of all sizes.

6. Use communication skills differentially across client populations, colleagues,

and communities.

7. Understand and interpret the history of the social work profession and its

contemporary structures and issues.

8. Use supervision and consultation appropriate to social work practice.

9. Apply critical thinking skills within the context of professional social

work practice.

10. Analyze, formulate, and influence social policies.

11. Evaluate research studies, apply research findings to practice, and

evaluate their practice interventions.

12. Function within the structure of organizations and service delivery systems and seek necessary organizational change.

Concentration Year Objectives

1. Practice using advanced clinical community practice skills, including highly differentiated intervention skills, without discrimination and with respect, knowledge, and skills related to clients’ age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.

2. Synthesize and apply a broad range of theoretical frameworks supported by empirical evidence to understand individual development and behavior across the life span and the interactions among individuals and between individuals and families, groups, organizations, and communities using advanced clinical community social work practice skills.

3. Use supervision and consultation appropriate to advanced clinical community social work practice while maintaining a high degree of autonomy and proficiency.

4. Analyze, formulate, and influence/advocate for social policies in ways that are highly differentiated.

5. Evaluate research studies, apply research findings to practice, and evaluate their own practice interventions in ways that are highly discriminating and self-critical while increasing the knowledge base for practice and improved service delivery.

6. Function within the structure of organizations and service delivery systems and seek necessary organizational change by refining and advancing the quality of their advanced clinical community practice and that of the larger social work profession.

7. Apply a broad range of knowledge and skills of an advanced/specialized social work perspective to practice with systems of all sizes.