MSW Coursework and Syllabi
Generalist Curriculum Courses
All students, except those with baccalaureate degrees from programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, are required to take all of the generalist curriculum courses. These courses contain a body of knowledge, values, and skills essential for social work practice. This common base is transferable among settings, population groups, and problems areas. The generalist curriculum consists of courses in generalist social work practice with corresponding field instruction, human behavior and the social environment, psychopathology, introductory social work research methods, social welfare policy and services, and a course focused on diversity and oppression. Successful completion of the generalist program is required before beginning the specialized curriculum.
Course
- 19:910:500 Social Work Practice I with Individuals, Families, and Groups (3)
- 19:910:501 Social Work Practice II (3)
- 19:910:502 Human Behavior and the Social Environment (3)
- 19:910:504 Social Welfare Policy and Services I (3)
- 19:910:505 Methods of Social Work Research I (3)
- 19:910:506 Diversity and Oppression (3)
- 19:910:507 Clinical Assessment & Diagnosis (3)
- 19:910:508 Field Education Practicum I (3)
- 19:910:509 Field Education Practicum II (3)
- 19:910:553 Field Education Seminar: Developing Engagement and Assessment Skills
Specialized Curriculum
The specialized curriculum consists of a specialization in a method of advanced practice, an advanced research course, advanced field instruction, and electives. Only after successful completion of the generalist curriculum courses and the statistics requirement can students begin the specialized curriculum. Students must select a specialization of either Clinical Social Work or Nonprofit and Public Management.
Course
- 19:910:511 Clinical Social Work I (3)
- 19:910:512 Clinical Social Work II (3)
- 19:910:535 Management Practice and Theory (3)
- 19:910:536 Program and Strategic Planning (3)
- 19:910:542 Advanced Contemporary Policy: Aging (formerly Social Welfare Policy and Services II: Health and Aging) (3)
- 19:910:565 Field Education Practicum III AS (3)
- 19:910:584 Advanced Contemporary Policy: Interpersonal Violence
- 19:910:585 Advanced Contemporary Policy: Economic Justice for Families & Communities
- 19:910:587 Advanced Contemporary Policy: Mental Health (3)
- 19:910:591 Advanced Contemporary Policy: Children & Youth (formerly SWPS II: Policies & Programs for Children & Youth)
- 19:910:595 Methods of Social Work Research II
- 19:910:600 Field Education Practicum III (3)
- 19:910:601 Field Education Practicum IV (3)
- 19:910:800 Matriculation Continued (0)
Electives
Three general elective courses are required to complete the MSW program. Any elective offered through the School of Social Work meets the general elective requirement. Typically, students complete one general elective in the Generalist Curriculum and two in the Specialized Curriculum.
Students may take general elective courses at any point in the program. Only after successful completion of the generalist curriculum courses and the statistics requirement are students eligible to take advanced electives. Students should review course descriptions for additional pre- or corequisites for elective courses.
Students are also required to complete a Human Behavior Distribution Requirement and Advanced Practice Distribution Requirement course (see course descriptions or review "Curriculum at a Glance" for a list of electives that meet these requirements).
Generalist Curriculum Electives
*also meets one of the distribution requirements
Course
- 19:910:503 Social Work with Latinos
- 19:910:514 Understanding Addictive Behaviors (formerly HBSE: Understanding Addictive Behaviors*)
- 19:910:515 Financial Capabilities of Individuals, Families, and Communities
- 19:910:527 Politics, Policy & Racial Justice
- 19:910:529 Adolescents: Understanding Risk and Resilience (formerly HBSE: Adolescents at Risk*)
- 19:910:531 Children’s Mental Health Services
- 19:910:533 Special Topics in Social Work Research
- 19:910:538 Law and Social Work
- 19:910:539 Community Organizations
- 19:910:543 Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees (formerly HBSE: Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees*)
- 19:910:544 Poverty, Inequality, Discrimination, and Public Policy (formerly HBSE: Poverty, Inequality, Discrimination, and Public Policy)
- 19:910:545 Global Social Work and Social Development
- 19:910:546 Spanish for Social Workers
- 19:910:547 Social Work with Loss Across the Lifespan (formerly HBSE: Loss Across the Lifespan*)
- 19:910:549 Latinos, Culture, Community, and Social Welfare*
- 19:910:594 Environmental Justice and Social Work
- 19:910:553 Special Topics in Social Work: Perpetration of Interpersonal Violence & Abuse
- 19:910:557 Issues in Public Organizational Management
- 19:910:559 Sexual and Gender Diversity in Social Work
- 19:910:560 Current Issues in Developmental Disabilities
- 19:910:561 Group Dynamics
- 19:910:562 Chronic Illness and Disability
- 19:910:564 Gender, Women & Intersectional Social Justice
- 19:910:566 Understanding Violence and Abuse in Adulthood (formerly HBSE: Violence and Abuse in Adulthood*)
- 19:910:567 Understanding Violence and Abuse in Childhood (formerly HBSE: Violence and Abuse in Childhood*)
- 19:910:569 Intersectionality in Social Work Practice with HIV/AIDS (formerly HBSE: AIDS*)
- 19:910:572 Aging Services: A Critical Perspective
- 19:910:574 Developmental Perspective on Infants & Child Well Being (formerly HBSE: Developmental Perspective on Infants & Child Well Being)
- 19:910:577 Social Work Practice in Complex Times
- 19:910:582 Spirituality and Social Work
- 19:910:583 Human Sexuality for the Helping Professions
- 19:910:588 Direct Practice: Theory and Models
Advanced Electives
*also meets one of the distribution requirements
Course
- 19:910:513 Clinical Social Work: Adolescents*
- 19:910:516 Clinical Social Work: Health*
- 19:910:517 Clinical Social Work: Mental Health*
- 19:910:518 Clinical Social Work: Children*
- 19:910:519 Clinical Social Work: Families*
- 19:910:520 Clinical Social Work: School*
- 19:910:521 Clinical Social Work: Addictive Behaviors*
- 19:910:523 Clinical Social Work: Survivors of Abuse and Trauma*
- 19:910:525 Clinical Social Work: Aging*
- 19:910:528 Human Resource Management*
- 19:910:530 Solution Focused Therapy
- 19:910:534 Child Welfare Management
- 19:910:537 Financial Management*
- 19:910:540 Supervision and Consultation*
- 19:910:541 Fundraising and Marketing*
- 19:910:550 Play Therapy