Social Work, M.S.W.

The Master of Social Work Degree Program provides a quality graduate education to prepare students to be excellent direct service social work practitioners. The Program prepares students to demonstrate a heightened sense of social consciousness and to become culturally competent social workers capable of addressing and resolving complex social problems and issues affecting diverse groups in a variety of settings. However, the emphasis is to prepare graduates to be creative and responsible social work professionals who, in pursuit of social justice within a global context, demonstrate commitment to the search for solutions to problems affecting the African-American community, with a focus on children, families, and males within the context of family and community.

The Master of Social Work Degree Program further seeks to advance the aims of the profession through education for excellence in advanced clinical social work practice and offers two foci areas:

  1. Child and Family and
  2. Health/Mental Health.

Both specializations utilize ecological and systems theories as a base though they draw upon other theories, including developmental and life-stage theories. Three major integrative themes undergird the curriculum: Afrocentric Perspective; Humanistic Values; and Autonomous Social Work Practice Roles.

The Program mission is built upon a liberal arts base and an Afrocentric, autonomous social work practice model heavily guided by humanistic values that enable students to engage in competent practice.

Mission

The mission of the Master of Social Work Program is to provide to prepare social work practitioners as leaders who pursue social justice with a commitment to service to diverse populations, address disparity issues that prevail, and engage in competent practice.

Vision

The vision of the Master of Social Work Program is to create social work practitioners with knowledge, values, and skills for practice, advocacy, policy analysis, and research, to be effective and culturally competent with a strong impact on diverse global populations.

Program of Study Master of Social Work

The Master of Social Work Degree Program offers the following degree completion plan of study options:

Admissions Requirements

In addition to the General Admissions Requirements as published in this Catalog, all applicants to the Master of Social Work Degree for the Two-Year, Full-Time; Three-Year, Part-Time Option; and One-Year, Full-Time Advanced Standing Option must submit a personal statement. The applicants for the One-Year, Full-Time Advanced Standing Option must have a Bachelor’s degree in social work from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited program in order to be eligible for Advanced Standing. The GRE is waived for application to the MSW Program.

All applicants for the Master of Social Work Degree must have completed a minimum of twenty-seven (27) liberal arts undergraduate credit hours as follows:

Applicants who have liberal arts deficiencies may be admitted conditionally; such students must complete all liberal arts requirements during their matriculation in the MSW program.

Note: The Master of Social Work Degree program does not permit academic credit for life or work experience.

Program Objectives

  1. Prepare graduate students for service in the social work profession as competent advanced direct social work practitioners.
  2. Prepare students to apply multiple theoretical frameworks and practice models to work with client systems of all sizes to resolve complex social issues.
  3. Prepare students for ethical and culturally competent practice with diverse systems of all sizes, including the ability to utilize an Afrocentric Perspective to resolve complex social issues and to promote and advocate for social and economic justice.
  4. Provide students with social work research, knowledge, values, and skills that will enable them to provide leadership in service delivery systems on a global level.
  5. Prepare students to acquire skills to use technology appropriately to ensure competent and ethical practice and provide access to opportunities that enhance their personal and professional growth.