Intensive Weekend MSW Program

All Intensive Weekend courses follow the School of Social Work's generalist curriculum followed by a choice of specializations, the Clinical or the Management and Policy specialization. All curricula are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The curriculum fulfills the requirements for future licensing, which students are encouraged to pursue.  Faculty and adjunct instructors with a range of practice experience teach in the rigorous program. 

Students may elect to develop a Area of Emphasis Portfolio to showcase expertise they have developed in child and adolescent mental health, adult behavioral health, addictions, aging or other areas of practice - as a further tool for career development.   

Strong writing skills are an important gateway to academic success and leadership in the field.  Since its inception, the Intensive Weekend Program has focused strategies on helping students develop their writing skills.  Students who join the Intensive Weekend program are enrolled in a Writing for Social Workers Self-Study beginning in the summer prior to matriculation. If you have been out of school for a while, or simply need to brush up on some writing skills, the Self-Study helps you prepare for graduate level writing in the social work discipline at your own pace.    

Learn more about our curriculum

• IW Curriculum at a Glance
• IW Curriculum at a Glance for Advanced Standing students

Learn more about the IW program and our students

Practicum education is an essential pedagogical component of MSW education. In the Intensive Weekend program, the practicum begins in September of the first year for both three-year and advanced standing students, and continues through to the completion of the program. 

Approval and confirmation of the practicum must occur by August 1.

Practicum Education in the Intensive Weekend Program

• 3-year students: 8-11 hours per week, 1,125 total hours
• Advanced standing: 8-9.5 hours per week, 675 total hours
• Practicum education is co-requisite with generalist, clinical, or MAP practice classes
• One practicum, provided it meets pedagogical objectives and is progressively challenging
• Workplace-based practicum must differ from customary employment duties in task, time and supervisor; alternative practicums are possible if practicum at the workplace is not available
• Practicum Instructors must have 2 years post MSW experience

Strong supervision and opportunities to practice what is learned in the classroom are an essential part of the student's practicum experience, as are process recordings that encourage reflection and development of the professional self. Year-round practicum in a single setting facilitates in-depth learning and the ability to follow client progress, or to see a project through from start to finish. Students are encouraged to examine appropriate practicum opportunities and explore possible arrangements for field with their employer, even as they apply for admission. 

The support of the applicant's employer is indispensable to ensure that students are able to meet the requirements for practicum in addition to meeting their responsibilities as employees. 

Practicum Plan and Conference

Once admitted, incoming students are invited to initiate a Practicum Plan, in consultation with their employer. They submit the plan online, including information about 1) a proposed workplace-based placement or, if not feasible, 2) a request for an alternative placement, as well as their 3) availability, interests and experiential background.  

Students submit a Confirmation form, co-signed by the Practicum Instructor, once the Practicum Plan is finalized and approved. 

How to Plan for Practicum

• Speak with your supervisor about your intention to apply to or begin the Intensive Weekend Program
• Explore the possibility of a practicum within your agency with your employer  
• If a workplace-based practicum is not feasible, explore the possibility of flexibility in your work schedule and/or the use of personal time or educational leave, or any recommendations your employer might have
• Discuss possibilities to flex your hours, educational leave or partial reassignment of duties. Plan how you will structure your time to manage school and your job
• If you are unable to locate a potential placement on your own, you will be referred to the IWP Placement Specialist for assistance

NOTE:  Fully after-hours placements are usually not available unless offered by the employer, so it is important to have at least some daytime hours available for field on at least one or two days during the week. 

For additional guidance, see Tips for a Successful Practicum

Support in Practicum

Maintaining a practicum while working is often the most challenging part of MSW education. Manageable practicum hours and the possibility of a workplace-based placement helps. Coordinated practicum support in the Intensive Weekend Program assists students in meeting the learning objectives and maintaining their practicum trajectory:

• A Practicum Advisor assigned to each cohort meets with students during monthly, usually during lunch-time sessions on class weekends. They bring the campus to the student, share critical information and provide guidance and support
• Practicum Liaisons provide consultation to students and Practicum Instructors in trimester visits. They follow individual student progress in practicum and provide valuable mentorship.   

MSW study offers robust staff development opportunities for human services agencies.  Weekend in-person classes provide a dynamic learning environment in a retreat-like atmosphere for students that facilitates knowledge transfer and application to the workplace. 

As students take classes with a cohort of similarly employed individuals from diverse human service backgrounds, they examine and often challenge their practice, learn from the experiences of others and discover ways to apply newly acquired knowledge and skills, enhancing their effectiveness even while they study. 

The hybrid design of the Intensive Weekend Program and manageable practicum hours means minimal disruption of the workplace.

Benefits for employing agencies

• Student involvement in year-round practicum education projects ensures continuity.  Projects can be developed that address a gap in services or area which the agency may wish to further develop 
• MSW education contributes to staff development and retention. Because students remain in the employ of the agency while in school, they continue to contribute to the work of the agency 
• MSW education for employees can help agencies build a cadre of skilled clinicians and managers from within, among their most promising and committed employees who know the agency, its work and its clients   
• Agency, employees and clients benefit from increased professionalization and the continuity of skilled social service staff who stay on the job as they further their education and advance in their careers

Benefits for students

• Students complete requirements for the MSW while remaining employed full time without losing the salary and benefits of full time employment.
• Weekly field hours, often prohibitive in traditional MSW study for full time employees, are manageable and easily integrated within the student’s work week. 
• The rhythm of classes is conducive to managing academics and professional life.
• The course schedule and active learning format encourages students to apply what they have learned in field and on the job. 
• Studying with a cohort of similarly employed students is a source of support and enriches classroom learning.

The Importance of Supervisor and Agency Support

Supervisor and agency support is critical for study in the IW Program.  Students are encouraged to consult with their employer as they make plans for MSW education and particularly practicum learning.  Signatures on students’ Practicum Plans are an acknowledgment that these discussions have occurred.

Employing agencies can support their employee in the pursuit of their MSW by:

• Providing an opportunity for a workplace-based practicum at the agency. 
• Establishing a flexible or adjusted schedule for practicum hours at the agency or at another agency; providing educational release time or partial reassignment of duties.

Some agencies may be able to provide tuition reimbursement or other financial assistance in support their employees' educational goals, possibly in return for post-completion commitments.  Such agreements and any other personnel matters as they may relate to the employee’s participation in the program are at the discretion of the employer, pursuant to the policies of individual agencies.  

We welcome employed students and their employing agencies to our growing family of Intensive Weekend stakeholders who are committed to workforce development and professionalization across the human services!