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TABLE OF CONTENTS 3
CURRICULUM INFORMATION
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ADMISSIONS INFORMATION
3 Master’s Program 4 Mission & Goals 4 Essential Technical Standards 4 MSW Program Requirements 5 Core Competencies 5 Field Practicum 6 Foundation Curriculum 6 Advanced Curriculum 6 Program Concentrations 7 Program Specializations 9 Subspecializations 10 Dual-Degree Programs
30 Applying for Admission 30 Information Seminars 31 Important Deadlines 31 The Universities at Shady Grove 32 Spring Admissions 32 Criteria for Admission 33 Requirements for Success 34 Tuition 34 Financial Aid Advice for Social Work Applicants 34 Important Phone Numbers 34 Additional Guidelines
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MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
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Foundation Curriculum Courses Advanced Curriculum Courses Advanced Research Courses Advanced Human Behavior Courses Clinical Methods Courses Macro Methods Courses Advanced Field Practicum Other Courses
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GENERAL INFORMATION
35 Personal Statement 36 Transcripts, References and Resume 36 Additional Requirements 36 Special Circumstances 37 Transfer Credits 37 VA Educational Benefits 37 Applicants With International Credentials 38 Offers and Reservations of Admission 38 Steps Once Accepted 39 Disability Accommodations 39 Accreditation 39 Non-Discriminatio Policy
27 Tuition 27 Housing 27 Student Organizations 28 Academic Regulations and Policies 28 University Policy Information
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APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
CURRICULUM INFORMATION
Master’s Program Mission & Goals Essential Technical Requirements MSW Program Requirements Core Competencies Foundation Curriculum Advanced Curriculum Program Concentrations Program Specializations Subspecializations Dual-Degree Programs Baccalaureate Program
MASTER’S PROGRAM Welcome to one of the top Council on Social Work Education-accredited social work programs in the country for those interested in studying clinical social work, human services management, and community organization. Our competency-based 60-credit master’s degree is divided between 27 foundation credits and 33 advanced credits, where students can choose from a rich curriculum of advanced courses and become the leaders of tomorrow. We educate students to face the challenges of the future— whether it is helping adults and children struggling with emotional and adjustment issues, working side by side with community residents to improve their neighborhoods or guiding human service agencies to better serve the needs of their clients. In the advanced year, students have the choice between the Clinical concentration and the Macro concentration. It is also possible to have a primary and secondary concentration. In addition, students choose a specialization or field of practice that will focus on work in a particular area of study within the concentration. These fields of practice are: Aging Behavioral Health Community Action and Social Policy (Macro Only) Families and Children Health We offer subspecializations in Child, Adolescent, and Family Health (within the Health specialization) and Social Work in the Workplace and Employee Assistance (within the Behavioral Health specialization). We also offer a one-year Advanced Standing program (36 credits) for students entering with a BSW from an accredited program. Students will typically take 30 credits during the fall and spring semesters and the remaining 6 credits in the summer after their enrollment. The Advanced Standing program may be extended to be completed in no more than two years. Locations The MSW program is offered in two locations, Baltimore and Shady Grove (Montgomery County). The Baltimore program offers students the opportunity to complete any of the five fields of practice. The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) At USG, the complete MSW degree program is offered for students interested in the Clinical Behavioral Health and the Clinical Families and Children areas of practice. Students in these specializations will develop assessment and intervention skills to work with families, youth, and adults in mental health, health care, substance abuse, child welfare, and educational settings. One of the distinctive components of the MSW program is the field placement experience where students practice
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and refine skills learned in class. For MSW students at USG, field placement opportunities are available in Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Frederick Counties, and the District of Columbia. MISSION AND GOALS All educational programs and activities at the University of Maryland School of Social Work are informed by our mission: The mission of the University of Maryland School of Social Work is to develop practitioners, leaders, and scholars who will advance the well-being of people and communities and promote social justice. As national leaders, we create and use knowledge for education, service innovation, and policy development. Goals of the MSW Program Our goals are to prepare students to: use a person-in-environment framework and a strengths-based perspective that recognizes the multiple and intersecting causes of personal problems: psychological, biological, familial, organizational, community, political, economic, and social; embrace social work’s fundamental mission to promote social, economic, racial, and environmental justice, which requires practice with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed populations and people of diverse backgrounds and needs within multiple systems, domestically and internationally; practice competently—working across the spectrum of social work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and society—and build on this strong foundation to practice at an advanced level in a method of concentration (clinical or macro social work) and an area of specialization; practice in a manner that reflects the values and principles underlying the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW); critically assess, implement, and inform evidence-based and best practices in social work; understand the critical influence of social policy on social work practice and engage in advocacy for socially just policies at all levels of society; and pursue ongoing professional development to become highly skilled practitioners and the next generation of social work leaders. ESSENTIAL TECHNICAL STANDARDS Students must consistently, accurately, and independently demonstrate essential technical requirements and academic requirements. Technical requirements, as distinguished from academic requirements, refer to the minimum cognitive, professional, and behavioral standards required for a student to matriculate and satisfactorily complete all essential aspects of the
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program. Academic requirements refer to educationally based requirements such as prerequisite course completions and grade point averages. Essential Technical requirements include: Intellectual and conceptual capacity to adequately learn, analyze, synthesize, and integrate information so that service can be provided to client populations, social agencies and other community services. These standards are met through demonstrated effective problem solving that occurs in a timely fashion, demonstrated exercise of good judgment, and prompt completion of all responsibilities related to clients and School of Social Work curriculum responsibilities. Communication standards to retain and recall information effectively and promptly, and perceive and respond appropriately to oral, non-verbal, and written communications. Communication standards are met through demonstrated professionalism and sensitivity with faculty, staff, students, field placement colleagues, clients, School of Social Work stakeholders, and the community. Behavioral, ethical and professional standards consistent with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics including respect for faculty, staff, students, field placement colleagues, clients, School of Social Work stakeholders and the community, and differences in culture and values. A summary of the Social Work Code of Ethics is provided on the NASW website: https://www.socialworkers. org/about/ethics/code-of-ethics. These standards are met through demonstration of emotional health required to function in stressful situations, adaptation to changing environments, and prompt completion of all responsibilities related to the School of Social Work curriculum requirements. MSW PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS All incoming students must complete the 0-credit prerequisite A Brief History of Oppression and Resistance. This self-paced online course takes approximately 15 hours, is accessed through Blackboard, and should be completed before the first day of classes. The 60-credit MSW degree must be earned within four years of initial registration. Advanced Standing students must earn the MSW within two years of initial registration, provided the degree is awarded within two years of initial registration, provided the degree is awarded within five years from the baccalaureate graduation. To comply with the University’s academic residency requirement, students must complete at least two consecutive semesters (i.e., fall-spring or spring-fall) and be registered for at least 9 credits during each of those semesters.
Students may register for a maximum of 16 credits (each fall or spring semester). Students must register for a minimum of 6 credits (each fall or spring semester). Foundation courses must be completed before students may enter advanced field practicum. Students must have a 3.0 GPA in foundation courses before entering advanced field practicum. A specialization in a field of practice, as well as a concentration, is required in the Advanced Curriculum A methods course must be taken concurrently with field practicum. Foundation methods courses are SOWK 630 and 631 to accompany SOWK 635, and SOWK 632 to accompany SOWK 635 and 636. Advanced methods courses begin with SWCL or SWOA. The advanced methods courses must be appropriate for the primary concentration (Clinical or Macro). No course may be taken without having received credit for the prerequisite. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation and a “P” (Pass) for all field courses All students must allocate time to complete field practicum requirements. CORE COMPETENCIES Our CSWE-accredited program is also guided by the CSWE competencies that graduating MSW students are expected to acquire in a master’s program. These competencies detail the fundamental practice behaviors students develop and use in their new roles as professional social workers. The 9 core competencies as outlined by CSWE are as follows: 1–Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior 2 –Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice 3 –Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice 4 - Engage in Practice-Informed Research and ResearchInformed Practice 5 –Engage in Policy Practice 6 –Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities 7 –Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities 8 –Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities 9 –Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities FIELD PRACTICUM The field practicum is the signature pedagogy of the MSW program. It is a required component of the Master’s curriculum, with specific professional competencies and practice behaviors that each student must demonstrate.
The School utilizes a concurrent model of Field Education that requires students to take classroom methods courses while in field placement. There are two different field placements included in a student’s plan of study: first year Foundation and second year Advanced. These placements take place in social service agencies, departments, or other service delivery systems throughout the State of Maryland -- mostly in Baltimore City and Metro Washington DC regions. Field placements take place during traditional workday hours for the full academic year beginning in the fall and continuing through the spring semester. University of Maryland School of Social Work students prepare for professional practice through the integration of theoretical, research, and practice-oriented material presented in the classroom, and the opportunity for guided practice experiences available through Field Education. Foundation year field placements are two full days a week (usually either Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays) for a total of sixteen (16) hours each week for a minimum of fifteen (15) weeks each semester (a minimum of four hundred and eighty [480] hours for the Foundation year). Each field practicum day must not exceed eight hours. Foundation students participate in a field seminar throughout the first year of their practicum experience. The Field Seminar meets as small groups of students, facilitated by a seasoned seminar instructor; and includes an intentional cultural humility component, such that students are encouraged to consider, and critically reflect upon, implications of privilege and oppression in their placement experiences. Field Seminar also provides student opportunities to discuss their field experiences, and the application of theory in practice. Advanced year field placements are three full days a week (usually Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays) for a total of twenty-four (24) hours each week for a minimum of fifteen (15) weeks each semester (a minimum of seven hundred and twenty [720] hours for the advanced year). Each field practicum day must not exceed eight hours. Advanced students may choose an extended field practicum option, which requires 16 hours per week from September through July. This option requires approval by the agency and the Office of Field Education. Students who choose this option do not complete the MSW until July. These students receive their diplomas in August as summer graduates. Students working in a social service setting may consider an employment-based field placement option if their proposal meets strict criteria and is approved by the agency and the Office of Field Education. Placements are generally within a (50) mile radius of the student’s home.
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The foundation and advanced field placements take place in different settings. Additional, more detailed information about Field Education can also be found in the Field Education Manual located on our website: http://www.ssw. umaryland.edu/field-education/field-calendar-manual/ Students who have full-time jobs need to plan for release time from their regular work to participate in field practicum. All students must allocate time to complete field practicum requirements within the above noted days and hours. FOUNDATION CURRICULUM [27 CREDITS] The 27-credit Foundation Curriculum provides educational and skills development in the values, concepts, and processes that are the core of social work practice. Coursework in human behavior and the social environment, social work practice, social policy, structural oppression, and research helps students develop a problem-solving framework with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations. Students also complete a two-semester field practicum, taken two days a week, in a social service placement where, with the help of a field instructor, they engage in carefully supervised and progressively more responsible social work practice. In the second semester, students may take one advanced course for which the prerequisites are met. For more information please refer to curriculum overviews online (http://www.ssw.umaryland.edu/academics/curriculum_ overviews). The goal of the Foundation Curriculum is to provide students with a sound, broad base for future practice in any concentration and specialization. Foundation Curriculum Credits
SOWK 600 - Social Welfare and Social Policy 3 SOWK 610 - Structural Oppression and Its Implications for Social Work Practice 3 SOWK 630 - Social Work Practice with Individuals (taken with SOWK 635) 3 SOWK 631 - Social Work Practice with Communities and Organizations (taken with SOWK 635) 3 SOWK 632 - Social Work Practice with Groups and Families (taken with SOWK 636) 3 SOWK 635 - Foundation Field Practicum I 3 SOWK 636 - Foundation Field Practicum II 3 SOWK 645 - Human Behavior & the Social Environment 3 SOWK 670 - Social Work Research 3
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ADVANCED CURRICULUM [33-36 CREDITS]* Students must select a concentration and specialization for their advanced year of study. Students must take an advanced policy course and four methods courses in the same concentration. A methods course within the concentration must be taken each semester a student is in the field. For more information please refer to curriculum overviews online (http://www.ssw.umaryland.edu/ academics/curriculum_overviews). PROGRAM CONCENTRATIONS Students are required to select a concentration in the Advanced Curriculum. Concentrations available are Clinical and Macro. Each concentration has specific course requirements in addition to those required in the specialization. Clinical Co-Chairs: Joan Pittman, PhD, MSW and Ed Pecukonis, PhD, MSW The Clinical Concentration provides a comprehensive gateway into the world of clinical social work. More direct clinical services are provided by social workers than any other profession in the United States. Our goal is to provide an education and field practicum that prepares graduates for the rapidly changing world of practice. Clinical social workers are licensed to provide a range of therapeutic services to children, adolescents, adults, older adults and their families across multiple settings using a wealth of treatment modalities The rich curriculum at the School of Social Work taught by world-class faculty includes two required courses, Advanced Clinical Interventions and Psychopathology. Advanced Clinical Interventions teaches students how to apply theoretical models in client assessment and treatment. Psychopathology is a comprehensive immersion into assessment, the use of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Version 5, and evidence-supported practices. The clinical concentration also provides indepth direct practice courses that focus on families, couples, and groups and cutting-edge treatment approaches. In keeping with social work’s history of providing services in multiple contexts and settings, the program offers courses on working in schools, hospitals, behavioral health settings, and child welfare agencies. Social work historically has also provided services to populations in need. Population-specific courses that are offered include working with: Military service members & their families Trauma Survivors Youth with disabilities People with serious health conditions People with serious mental illness
Individuals with addictive disorders People who identify as gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual Older Adults African American families Immigrants and refugees In the advanced year, clinical field placements provide an intensive learning experience across over 400 settings throughout the region and abroad. Examples of these settings include: in-patient and out-patient behavioral health facilities and community-based clinics; health care settings that serve people across the lifespan; departments of social service; child welfare settings; the Veterans Administration; social service; non-profits, court systems, employee assistance programs; and school settings. Macro Co-Chairs: Rebecca Davis, MSW and Adam Schneider, MA, MSW The Macro concentration prepares graduates for careers that improve organizations, communities, and society through positive social change. Macro social workers are prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century with knowledge, skills, and attitudes developed through a diverse curriculum, internship, called a field practicum, and other opportunities offered by our program Dynamic leadership, stakeholder engagement, resource development, program management, and policy analysis will enable graduates to solve today’s biggest problems with creativity and a commitment to social justice. Although not required, students are encouraged to select an area of focus in one of three practice areas: 1) Community Action, 2) Organizational Leadership, and 3) Policy Advocacy. A brief description of each of the practice areas follows: Community Action The community action focus prepares students for careers in neighborhood and community organizing, political campaigns, and movement leadership as catalysts, coordinators, power brokers, negotiators, activists, and organizers. Coursework in this area develops students’ skills in asset mapping, advocacy through media, analyzing power structures, strengthening community connections, improving service delivery and community economic development. Organizational Leadership The organizational leadership focus prepares students for careers in government, human service and nonprofit organizations as supervisors, team leaders, program managers, and transformational organization leaders. Coursework in this area develops students’ skills in the design, implementation, and management of programs
and services, talent and resource development, performance measurement, budgeting, and leadership to target change in people, organizations, and culture Policy Advocacy The policy advocacy focus prepares students for careers in the development, implementation, and evaluation of public policy in government and nonprofit organizations as thought leaders, researchers, educators, and policy advocates. Coursework in this area develops students’ knowledge of current policies in the context of history and political economy, skills to analyze and advocate for policy options, and mastery of how public policies and programs affect marginalized populations, including how such communities can impact the policymaking process and drive social change. Secondary Concentration Option It is also possible to elect a secondary concentration in conjunction with a primary one. Students who select a primary and secondary concentration (i.e., Clinical/Macro) are placed in their Advanced Field Practicum based upon their primary concentration (in this case, Clinical). A secondary concentration will expose the student to some of the content from the other concentration through study in two courses. A student interested in this educational plan would satisfy all of the requirements for either the Clinical or Macro concentration. Students choosing a secondary concentration must develop their plan of study carefully. PROGRAM SPECIALIZATIONS Students are required to select a specialization in the Advanced Curriculum. All students specialize in one of the following five fields of practice. Each specialization is guided by a committee that ensures the curriculum and field experiences are current and appropriate. Aging Chair: Joan Davitt, PhD, MSW Social workers specializing in aging are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of older adults. A growing older adult population, increasing life expectancy, and diminishing health care have created a need for professionals skilled in helping older people, which, according to the Department of Labor, will translate into numerous career opportunities for many years to come. The School of Social Work has a long history in the field of aging. Many opportunities exist for professionals skilled in working with older persons in Baltimore, throughout Maryland and in DC. Clinicians, community organizers, social administrators, and policy advocates specializing in aging have an edge in the job market: in communitybased agencies, housing programs, senior centers, family
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agencies, hospitals, and nursing homes, as well as in policy advocacy, think tanks or even on Capitol Hill. This specialization is available to students in both the Clinical and Macro concentrations. Behavioral Health Chair: Michelle Tuten, PhD, MSW The behavioral health specialization provides students with an understanding of the intersecting issues of health, mental health, and substance use. Students will develop competencies in evidence-based practices in behavioral health as well knowledge of current and emerging practices and policies that impact the behavioral health of individuals and communities. This specialization places emphasis on training students in the macro and clinical practice competencies needed to implement and support best practices combined with a foundation in core social work prevention, intervention, and policy. Students will be trained on core behavioral health approaches cognitivebehavioral treatments, behavioral therapies, motivational interviewing, and other techniques. Students in the behavioral health specialization will explore the national, state, and local policies that impact behavioral health such as the Affordable Care Act, and the ongoing merger of mental health and substance use administrations in the state of Maryland. Importantly, students will understand behavioral health within a social justice perspective. This specialization is available to students in both the Clinical and Macro concentrations. Community Action and Social Policy Chair: Adam Schneider, MA, MSW Students who specialize in community action and social policy prepare for careers helping community organizations, non-profit agencies, and their constituents collaborate to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Through a grassroots, empowerment-based approach they collaborate with other disciplines and professions to create social and policy change through advocacy to reduce poverty and socio-economic inequality, promote community economic and social development, and provide services that are more responsive to community needs. During this era of community fragmentation, social alienation and exclusion, and economic degeneration of the poor and the middle class, the need for skilled professionals in social and community development, policy analysis, and policy advocacy has never been greater. The School of Social Work is one of the few schools of social work in the nation that offers a specialization in these areas. In addition to faculty expertise, a strong alumni and social network, and excellent resources to support this specialization, the School is located in downtown Baltimore, yet only a short drive or train ride from the nation’s capital and social policy center, and near
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the state capital, Annapolis. This prime location provides a host of opportunities for policy analysis and advocacy at the local, state, and national levels. In addition, the diversity of the Maryland-DC area provides numerous opportunities for both rural and urban social and community action and development. This specialization is only available to Macro concentrators. Families and Children Chair: Caroline Long, PhD, MSW Social workers have always led the efforts of society to help families and children. Those specializing in service to families and children know that not only do children need protection, but also that families need help and support to change their behaviors. Social workers respond to problems within families and advocate for laws, programs, and public understanding of the special needs of children, the most vulnerable group in our society. In addition, families and children social workers are also deeply involved in prevention efforts to strengthen families. The University’s social work faculty is nationally recognized in the areas of foster care, adoption, adolescence, divorce, child abuse and neglect, custody disputes and parental kidnapping, single parents, and African-American families. The faculty has an outstanding record of research and publication, grant funding, and community service. The families and children specialization prepares students for clinical, community organization, and/or social administration practice in a range of professional settings, including child protection and child placement, home-based services to families at risk, children’s group and residential care, school social work, child guidance, child and family services, parent education, juvenile and family courts, family violence programs, child and family advocacy, and policy development. The specialization is available to students in both the Clinical and Macro concentrations. Health Chair: Melissa Bellin, PhD, MSW Social workers specializing in healthcare practice know that treating a health condition does not necessarily resolve the patient’s presenting needs. Acute, chronic, and life-threatening health conditions often cause profound emotional, financial and social challenges, for both the affected individual and surrounding family. Social workers likewise know that health service delivery alone will not eliminate health disparities and health inequities. Instead, health social workers work to identify and address social determinants of health (for example, poverty, structural racism, health literacy) with the goal of improving quality of life and patient outcomes.
Clinical health social workers provide supportive counseling, crisis intervention, care coordination to link patients and families with community resources, serve as advocates to promote understanding of and sensitivity to social determinants of health, and collaborate with interdisciplinary healthcare team members to implement evidence-supported psychosocial interventions. Healthcare social workers also engage in macro practice in social administration and community organization leadership roles to study patterns of illness, develop and implement programs to prevent disease, administer services to improve health, and advocate for an equitable health care system accessible to all patients with healthcare needs. The School takes advantage of its location on a campus that includes several major medical centers, a trauma center, and diverse interprofessional education opportunities for social work students to partner with professional students from nursing, medicine, pharmacy, dental, and law. Field placements are available in renowned health organizations throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C. Graduates are well-qualified to work in one of the largest fields of social work practice–one in which employment opportunities in recent years have been excellent. The specialization is available to students in both the Clinical and Macro concentrations. SUBSPECIALIZATIONS Social Work in the Workplace and Employee Assistance Subspecialization Chair: Jodi Frey, PhD, MSW The Social Work in the Workplace and Employee Assistance Sub-specialization (formerly, Employee Assistance Program Sub-specialization) is recognized as a global leader in the preparation of social workers to enter and provide leadership to the workplace in Employee Assistance (EA) and related fields of workplace social work. Workplaces continue to report rapid growth in the demand for social work and human services in the workplace, including but not limited to workplace behavioral health and worker well-being. Workplace and EA social workers provide a wide array of organizational or macro level and clinical or direct practice and consultation services for employers, employees and their family members. The University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW) program is unique as it is the oldest and largest social work program in the world focused on the interaction between social work, employee assistance, and broader workplace health and well-being. We prepare graduates to understand and practice within settings that incorporate holistic well-being perspectives of employees, family members and work environments to implement innovative, ethical and just policies and practices.
Social work in the workplace and EA focuses on prevention, assessment, and short-term counseling for mental health and substance use problems, personal problems that can negatively affect productivity and work performance, services to support work/life balance and well-being, crisis intervention, and stress management. Additionally, social workers in the workplace and EA social workers partner with diverse work organizations to develop and implement policies, consult with managers, and assess organizational functioning and human resource management. The spectrum of what social workers in the workplace and EA social workers can offer to employers is broad. For example, we partner with workplace leaders to support diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and also work with individuals and departments to address complex problems affecting employees such as opioid use disorders, suicide, and workplace violence. Social workers fill a critical role in the workplace, supporting the employer’s most valuable asset, their employees. The Social Work in the Workplace and Employee Assistance Sub-specialization is offered within the UMSSW’s Behavioral Health specialization. Classroom learning and field placements focus on employee assistance programs (EAPs), work/life integration, mental health, and substance use in the workplace. Faculty members and field instructors are recognized experts in the EA and related social work in the workplace fields. Our graduates join a rapidly expanding group of social workers in the workplace and EA professionals who are well qualified to develop and manage programs in private and public settings. Employment opportunities exist at all corporate and government levels, as well as internationally. This sub-specialization is available to students in both the Clinical and Macro concentrations. Child, Adolescent, and Family Health Subspecialization Chair: Sarah Dababnah, PhD, MSW Child, adolescent, and family health social workers practice in a variety of settings, including prenatal clinics, well-baby centers, pediatric intensive care units, school-based health centers, programs for pregnant and parenting teens, and child development centers. They also practice in settings for children with chronic illnesses, disabilities, and handicapping conditions in state and local departments of public health, and in child advocacy organizations. Depending on the setting and their position, they may provide direct services, organize parents and other constituencies, administer programs, formulate policy or advocate for improved services. The Child, Adolescent, and Family Health Subspecialization is part of the Health Specialization. This sub-specialization is available to students in both the Clinical and Macro concentrations.
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DUAL-DEGREE PROGRAMS The School of Social Work participates in five dual-degree programs. More information about these program options is available from the following contact people and from the Office of Admissions. Applicants to any dual-degree program must apply separately to each program. Admission to one program does not guarantee admission to the other. Master of Social Work and Master of Public Policy The MSW/MPP dual-degree program, offered in collaboration with the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, College Park, prepares graduates for practice in public policy and social service agencies and settings in which a combined expertise in social work and public policy would enable them to assume policy and leadership positions. The dual degree program requires 90 credits. This consists of 51 credits in the School of Social Work and 39 credits in the School of Public Policy. Combining the strengths of the University of Maryland School of Social Work’s MSW program and the University of Maryland, College Park’s MPP program, students will be immersed in two diverse curricula and faculties. Both programs accept nine (9) credits from the other program, which allows students to complete both the MSW and MPP programs with fewer courses and in less time than if they had to enroll in each program separately. Full-time students complete the dual degree in three (3) years, excluding summers. Students may complete their first year in either program, their second year in the alternate program, and then split their third year between the two programs. For further information, contact: Corey Shdaimah, PhD, MSW University of Maryland School of Social Work 525 West Redwood Street Baltimore, Maryland 21201 410-706-7544 cshdaimah@ssw.umaryland.edu William Powers, PhD School of Public Policy University of Maryland, College Park 2101 Van Munching Hall College Park, Maryland 20742 wpowers@umd.edu Master of Social Work and Leadership in Jewish Education and Communal Service/Jewish Studies The dual-degree program in Social Work and Leadership in Jewish Education and Communal Service (or Jewish
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Studies) prepares students for careers in the Jewish community in areas such as Federations (planning, campaign, and resource development); community relations councils (Jewish advocacy and community organizations); Jewish community center work (group work, programming, youth work, and administration); Jewish educational settings (religious/day schools, camps) and Jewish family services (clinical social work). The dual degree underscores the need to be skilled in social work, be knowledgeable about Judaism, and receive professional experience in the Jewish community. This program emphasizes the development of students’ capacities for effective communication, critical analysis, and flexible thought. Students may complete the program in two years with summer classes or a minimester; however a three-year program is offered and recommended. Dual-degree students concurrently obtain their degrees from Towson University (TU) and the University of Maryland. The School of Social Work accepts 6 credits to be transferred from TU, to apply to the Advanced Curriculum requirements. Towson University accepts 6 credits to be transferred from UMD. For more information, contact: Geoffrey Greif, PhD, MSW University of Maryland School of Social Work 525 W. Redwood St. Baltimore, MD 21201-1777 410-706-3567 ggreif@ssw.umaryland.edu Hana Bor, PhD Director, Leadership in Jewish Education & Communal Service, Associate Professor Family Studies & Community Development Department Towson University 8000 York Road Towson, Maryland 21252-0001 410-704-5026 hbor@towson.edu Master of Social Work and Juris Doctor Our nation and society must face major social problems to fulfill American dreams and promises. A person educated in both social work and law is better equipped to understand and shape the programs and policies that affect human lives and to use legal and institutional resources to work with individuals and communities to improve their lives and society The dual-degree program in social work and law is a valuable preparation for careers in advocacy, as well as in the administration of human service organizations, and in executive, legislative or judicial arenas in all areas of social welfare and social policy including such as child welfare, family law, criminal justice, health and well-being. The dual-degree program
makes it possible to earn an MSW and JD within four years. Study during one summer is usually required. The 27-credit Foundation Curriculum is the same for all students. As part of the 36-credit Advanced Curriculum, the School of Social Work accepts 6 credits from the law school. The six credits must be selected in consultation with Dr. Corey Shdaimah, PhD, LLB, LLM. Dual-degree students have access to the full range of social work field practicums. Most dual-degree students want to do some of their field work in legal or forensic settings where social workers and attorneys interact, where clients have legal and social problems or where legislation is advocated or drafted.
Students typically would complete their first year in the MSW, the second and third years in the MBA program, and their fourth in the MSW program. Students have the option of taking some courses in the summers.
For more information, contact:
Maria Berberabe Pineda Director of Admissions, Full Time MBA Robert H. Smith School of Business University of Maryland, 2303 Van Munching Hall College Park, MD 20742 301-405-0018 mpineda@rhsmith.umd.edu
Corey Shdaimah, PhD, LLB, LLM University of Maryland School of Social Work 525 W. Redwood St. Baltimore, MD 21201-1777 410-706-7544 cshdaimah@ssw.umaryland.edu Jonathan M. Glick, Esq. Director of Admissions The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law Office of Admissions 500 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 410.706.3492 jglick@law.umaryland.edu Master of Social Work and Master of Business Administration Financial and business expertise combined with social work practice, knowledge, and experience is invaluable in nonprofit, public, and for-profit human service organizations. The MSW and MBA degrees complement each other and provide graduates with the combination of knowledge, skills, experience, and values necessary in business and the human services to effectively deliver quality services. Combining the strengths of the School of Social Work’s MSW program and the University of Maryland, College Park’s MBA program, students will be exposed to two diverse curricula and faculties. Students will experience life in the Washington-Baltimore corridor, a 40-mile stretch connecting two exceptional cities that share one of the richest concentrations of resources and talent in the nation. The dual-degree program makes it possible for full-time students to earn the MSW and the MBA degrees within four years, excluding summers. The dual program requires 90 credits. Of those, 39 are from the Robert H. Smith School of Business in College Park, and 51 are from the School of Social Work.
For more information, contact: Karen Hopkins, PhD, MSW University of Maryland School of Social Work 525 W. Redwood St. Baltimore, MD 21201-1777 410-706-1496 khopkins@ssw.umaryland.edu
Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health The School of Social Work offers two dual-degree program options in Social Work and Public Health: 1) the MSW/MPH program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, and 2) the MSW/MPH program at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. The purpose of these combined programs is to prepare graduates to assume leadership positions in program administration in health-related agencies and setting, to advance the science of health disparities research, and to deliver multi-level practice interventions for at-risk health populations. Full-time students typically complete their first year in the MSW program, their second year in the MPH program (at Maryland or Hopkins), and then return to the MSW program in their third year. The School of Social Work allows 6 to 9 credits of its program to be completed in the MPH program; these may include 3 credits of research requirements and 6 credits of electives. This allows students to complete both the MSW and MPH programs with fewer courses than if they had to enroll in each program separately. For detailed information on the MSW/MPH programs, see: http://www.medschool.umaryland. edu/epidemiology/mph/Prospective-Students/JointMPH-Degree-Programs/MSWMPH/ for the dual degree program with Maryland and https://www.jhsph.edu/ academics/degree-programs/master-of-public-health/ program- overview/dual-degrees.html for the dual degree program with Johns Hopkins. For more information on both programs, contact:
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Terry Shaw, PhD, MSW, MPH University of Maryland School of Social Work 525 W. Redwood St. Baltimore, MD 21201-1777 410-706-3811 tshaw@ssw.umaryland.edu University of Maryland School of Medicine Master of Public Health Program 660 W. Redwood St, Howard Hall Suite 100 Baltimore MD 21201 Telephone (410) 706-0539 mph_program@som.umaryland.edu Renee Johnson, PhD Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
 624 N. Broadway Baltimore, MD 21205 410-955-7073 rjohnson@jhu.edu GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES The University and the School have a strong and growing international focus offering a variety of global educational experiences. The School offers courses which include international travel and an international field placement program for interested students. Information about University global education initiatives for all students may be found at http://www. umaryland.edu/global. SSW Courses with International Travel: A variety of courses that include campus classes and travel to another country are available. These courses have focused on social justice, health research, and comparative social work practice globally. Travel locations have included India, Central America and Israel. SSW International Field Placement Program (IFPP): International advanced field placements are offered in London, UK and Cochin, India. Students live on campus at the partnering university and take MSW courses in the social work department there. Field placements are arranged in local agencies based upon the student’s concentration and specialization. In both locations, students are in residence for five to six months and complete (18) credits towards their advanced curriculum including their advanced field practicum requirement. These placements begin in summer and extend through the fall semester. Interested students complete an application and interview as part of the selection process. For more information about IFPP, contact:
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Caroline Long, PhD, MSW 410-706-3509 caroline.long@ssw.umaryland.edu
FOUNDATION CURRICULUM COURSES SOWK 600—Social Welfare and Social Policy [3 credits] This course provides students with a foundation understanding and appraisal of social welfare policies and programs in the United States, and the historical and contemporary forces that have shaped their development. It introduces core concepts to provide both an understanding of the political process and the analytic skills needed to further the achievement of social work goals regarding social policies and programs. The course also reviews the development of the social work profession and its influence on social welfare policies through advocacy, social action, research, and social reform.
MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK COURSE DESCRIPTIONS Foundation Curriculum Courses Advanced Curriculum Courses Advanced Research Courses Advanced Human Behavior Courses Clinical Methods Courses Macro Methods Courses Advanced Field Practicum Other Courses
SOWK 610 – Structural Oppression and Its Implications for Social Work Practice [3 credits] Structural oppression – e.g., by race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, (dis)ability, religious and cultural beliefs and practices, ethnicity, national origin, and class – is omnipresent. Its faces and forms shape our consciousness, our communities, and our cultural norms. It influences the way we see both ourselves and others. It impacts our attitudes, our interactions, and our opportunities. We cannot escape it; we can only work to overcome it. This course will encourage its members to interrogate the causes, manifestations, impacts, and means of overcoming structural oppression in its myriad faces and forms. We will explore social identity in the context of a complex web of structural oppression – and the ways that dominant narratives influence the way we see ourselves and others. We will examine how some human differences are given social meaning, and how these differences have been used to divide people and hide and justify systems of exclusion, exploitation and marginalization. Throughout, as we seek to question constructs often considered natural and inevitable, we will challenge ourselves to envision and create more liberatory, equitable, and just ways to practice social work and organize social life. SOWK 630—Social Work Practice with Individuals [3 credits] (Co-requisites: SOWK 631 and SOWK 635) The values and societal mission of the social work profession guide this course. An ecological systems perspective and generic problem-solving model are taught to provide students with theory, knowledge, and a value base for purposeful, culturally competent, and sequential intervention with individuals of diverse backgrounds. Generalist skills taught in this course are interviewing, problem identification, problemexploration, formulating the problem-to-be worked, data gathering, differential assessment, planning, intervention, termination, and evaluation. Initial exposure to finding evidence-based practices for our work with individuals, families and groups will be introduced. Self-awareness
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and conscious use of self are emphasized. Self-care will also be discussed. Classroom learning is enhanced through the systematic use of the students’ experiences in work with individuals in their field placements. SOWK 631—Social Work Practice with Communities and Organizations [3 credits] (Co-requisites: SOWK 630 and SOWK 635) SOWK 631 is a required foundation year course stressing beginning skills and knowledge for practice within social service organizations, networks, and communities, i.e., the contexts in which all social work practice occurs. Understanding and intervening in the environment are skills consonant with the ecological or social determinants perspective that provides focus for the foundation curriculum. This course stresses that social, economic, and political systems are important sources of individual and familial distress. In order to intervene in this distress, it is essential to craft interventions on the macro-social (communities and organizations) as well as the microsocial (individuals and families) levels. In the course, we will also explore the nature and dynamics of diverse communities and social service networks. SOWK 632—Social Work Practice with Groups and Families [3 credits] (Prerequisites: SOWK 630, 631 and SOWK 635; Co-requisite: SOWK 636 ) This course is designed for foundation students to learn about dynamics and basic procedures for direct practice with groups and families. The course first presents an ecological perspective on groups in clinical and organizational settings, explores group typologies, formation, composition, and development, and teaches concepts of group structure and process. The course then furnishes a foundation on social work practice with families, with emphasis on family structure and dynamics as well as beginning techniques for intervention with families. SOWK 635, 636—Foundation Field Practicum and Seminar I and II [3 credits each semester] The Field Practicum is the signature pedagogy of the MSW program. It provides the framework for knowledge and skill development through immediate application of theoretical knowledge presented in the classroom to real situations presented by individuals, groups or service delivery systems. The practicum helps students learn to shape human services in ways that respond to broad social welfare needs and issues through various forms of intervention. Attention is directed to what is currently known and practiced, to the preparation of students for change in the knowledge base and organization of services, and for reflection on the practice curriculum. Students should have knowledge of, and an opportunity to develop competence in, service delivery that reflects
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their understanding of the particular needs of minorities, women, and people of various ethnic backgrounds. Practicum experiences and student application of course content are supported by a field seminar in the foundation year. Field Seminar includes an intentional focus on concepts of privilege and oppression, and their implications for practice. Both the practicum and seminar aim to integrate the entire Foundation curriculum. The practicum and seminar teach a common core of knowledge and principles of social work practice in which students are guided by the values and ethics of the profession. SOWK 645—Human Behavior and the Social Environment [3 credits] Within the person/environment framework, this course will provide a foundation for social work practice through an understanding of the major theories of individual and family functioning that encompasses biophysical, cognitive, emotional, social and spiritual dimensions. Specific attention will be paid to the roles that culture and cultural identity play in human development and to what constitutes “normal” behavior. Students will master the central concepts of theories that provide the basis for many assessment and intervention tools used in social work practice with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations. Students will also master relevant concepts of genetics and neurobiology to facilitate understanding of human functioning at the biological level. The course emphasizes the interrelations among social institutions, social structures, and social processes on the one hand, and the realities of the lives of families, groups, communities, organizations and societies, on the other. Another major emphasis of the course is on human diversity, both in terms of its inherent social value and with respect to discrimination and oppression. SOWK 670—Social Work Research [3 credits] As both consumers and producers of research, social workers need to understand core research concepts. This course provides a solid foundation in social work research, with a special emphasis on evidence-based practice. It will prepare you to evaluate critically the wealth of research and evidence available to inform your practice. Furthermore, you will learn to synthesize empirical research into a systematic review of the literature to address a social work practice of personal interest.
ADVANCED CURRICULUM COURSES ADVANCED POLICY COURSES (Prerequisite: SOWK 600) Course selections are determined by the student’s concentration and specialization. SOWK 704—Social Work and the Law [3 credits] Social Work and the Law is an introduction to the structure and operations of the legal system as it affects social work practice. The course covers several areas closely related to social work: family and domestic matters, child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, education, and advocacy. Emphasis is on analyzing legislation and court decisions as social policy. The focus includes legal issues relating especially to minors, women, people of color, and other disempowered groups. The course also provides an overview of legal issues bearing upon professional responsibility (such as malpractice, privileged communications, and confidentiality) and offers an introduction to the development of skills used in courtroom testimony. SOWK 706—Mental Health and Social Policy [3 credits] This course examines the growth of community mental health in the United States and its relationship to sociological and psychological approaches to various communities and cultural groups. Approaches to mental health, mental illness, problems of service delivery, professional roles, and the possibilities and problems of community mental health are discussed. SOWK 708—Integrated Behavioral Health Policy [3 credits] This course is an introduction to U.S. health and behavioral health care policies and programs. This course is designed to prepare students to analyze, develop, and implement health and behavioral health policies across a range of settings, including prevention/promotion services, primary care, acute care, chronic care, and long-term care. It examines the financing and organization of health and behavioral health systems, including the historical and contemporary forces that have shaped their development. We will pay particular attention to evidence-based models that aim to integrate physical and behavioral health services. The role of social workers in health care will be addressed throughout the semester, including the need to work effectively with cross-disciplinary teams of providers. A major focus will be the impact of policies on excluded, marginalized, and vulnerable populations, and the evaluation of policies based on the social work profession’s ethical criteria such as fairness, social justice, antioppression, self-determination, and human dignity. The course will also examine diversity dimensions, including ability, age, class, culture, ethnicity, family structure, gender, gender identity and expression, relationship status,
national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. SOWK 710—Legislative Processes in Social Welfare [3 credits] This course has two basic purposes. The first is to provide students with an understanding of American legislative processes with particular reference to the social welfare policy formulation system. The federal system of policy and legislative process also will be examined. The second aim is to develop an appreciation and understanding of the range of social work involvement in the policy/legislative process. Throughout the course, attention is given to the role of human service advocacy organizations active in influencing social welfare legislation and the role of social workers in social action. The course is also offered as SWOA 710 for those wanting an advanced macro methods course. The major assignment for the course will vary according to the designation chosen (Advanced Policy or Macro methods). SOWK 713—Social Policy and Health Care [3 credits] This course is designed to prepare students to assess and understand the impact of American medical and health service programs and policies on human well-being. It has several purposes: (1) to understand the political process through which health service delivery policy evolves; (2) to provide students with background on the organization of health care services so that they have some understanding of the origins and current directions of health care programs; (3) to understand the relationship of medical care and health care programs to other community programs and their impact on various communities; and (4) to enable students, as future social workers, to assess and evaluate program directions and proposals for change. SOWK 715—Children and Social Services Policy [3 credits] This course identifies challenges contemporary American families are experiencing and presents strategies for developing policies and services to meet these challenges. It not only examines specific policies and services that most affect families but also considers broader questions concerning power and its distribution, allocation of resources, and the role of government in promoting individual and family well-being. The theme of advocacy on behalf of children and families at all levels is stressed throughout the course. This course will help students build on the knowledge of the evaluative concepts of social policy analysis developed in prior research and policy courses. SOWK 718 —Equality and Social Justice [3 credits] This course examines concepts of equality and inequality, justice (or equity), and injustice, and how they have been or could be applied to the development and implementation of social policy, with a particular focus on the U.S. The
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course will address (1) the effects of diverse ideologies, values, cultural perspectives, and historical contexts on the evolution of these concepts; (2) the implications of contemporary definitions of equality and social justice for social policy; and (3) the relationship between social justice, equality, and human rights. SOWK 720—Comparative Social Policy [3 credits] The course provides an overview of global social welfare policies and programs, and the historical and contemporary forces that have shaped their development. The course introduces core concepts relating to global human rights and social justice to provide both an understanding of the political process and the analytic skills which will further the achievement of social work goals regarding social work programs and policies. The course also reviews the contemporaneous progress of international social work organizations in responding to global initiatives. The course frames policies by examining the social determinants of health. It pays specific attention to the commitment of social workers to underserved populations, based on the profession’s ethical criteria such as fairness, equity, anti-oppression, selfdetermination, and human dignity. The course will apply these frameworks to the assessment of specific policies in the areas of health care, civil rights, immigrant and refugee rights, employment, criminal justice, education and the environment. SOWK 721—Housing, Homelessness, and Social Policy [3 credits] This course is designed to prepare students to assess and understand the dialectic between social policies and human well being, with a focus on shelter in its many manifestations. It has several purposes: (a) to reflect upon the concepts of social justice and social change and their relationship to housing, social policy, and participation; (b) to understand the processes through which housing and homelessness services are financed, constructed, maintained, and evolve; (c) to reflect upon the relationships among housing, health, human growth and development, neighborhoods, and communities; (d) to develop a sufficient knowledge of the background and context of housing and homelessness services in the U.S. so that they might predict and influence future directions of these goods; (e) to understand the relationships between housing markets on the one hand, and policies and programs serving the poor and the disadvantaged on the other hand; (f) to enable students to evaluate program changes and proposals for reform in the institutions providing housing, related services, and financing; (g) to become familiar with the context of housing provisions/ financing and homelessness services in other nations;
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and (g) to understand the role of social workers as service providers and change agents in access to emergency shelter, homelessness services, and housing. SOWK 725—Work, Well-being and Social Policy [3 credits] This course provides a theoretical framework for delivering social work services in the workplace. It also explores the possible value conflicts faced by the occupational social worker. It will include a history of social services in the work arena and a comprehensive picture of the delivery points for human services, including, but not limited to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), human resources and occupational health/medicine. Specific subjects such as mental health and substance abuse, work/life, workplace violence and crisis, diversity, globalization and more will be explored with their respective policy implications. Discrimination and equality in the workplace based on gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, disability, age, employee work status and any other protected categories will be discussed with their appropriate policy questions. SOWK 726—Aging and Social Policy [3 credits] This course examines a variety of social welfare policies that affect the rights and interests of older adults. These include policies related to economic security, health, long term care, and elder justice. Building on the foundation policy curriculum, the course reviews the policy-making process with a discussion of the influence of legislative sanctions and case law in establishing aging policy in the U.S. The focus of the course is on critical analysis of the key assumptions driving policy and policy change, as well as enhancing skills in policy messaging and advocacy. Finally, the course includes a critical examination of the intersection between policy and practice, that is, the influence that policy has on the design of interventions and service delivery practices at the federal, state and local level and the impact of changing policies on communities, providers and older adults. ADVANCED RESEARCH COURSES (Prerequisite: SOWK 670) SOWK 772—Research: Program Evaluation [3 credits] This is an advanced research class that introduces students to the issues and methods of evaluation in social work practice. In this course students will consider concepts and approaches for evaluating social interventions, including social work practice, programs, and policies. SOWK 670—Social Work Research—serves as a prerequisite for this class. Previously acquired research knowledge is built upon for elaborating on the conceptual, methodological, and administrative aspects of evaluation research. The course focuses on use of empirically based methods to enhance social work practice. Students
will consider the theoretical and ethical aspects of an evaluative approach to treatment and examine the policy implications of professional participation (or lack thereof) in evaluation processes. SOWK 777—Research in Child Welfare [3 credits] The purpose of this advanced research course is to provide the student with an opportunity to explore critical research questions, methods, and results that are related to the child welfare service delivery system. Under federal requirements to report on outcomes of child welfare programs, social workers face a persistent challenge to improve the scientific knowledge that guides practice and policy in this field. This course focuses on the evaluation of interventions in child welfare, by measuring outcomes of child welfare programs. A goal of this course is to draw the logic between research findings and the development and evaluation of child welfare programs, practice, and policy. As such, the course is intended for students who are interested in discovering ways to use research to answer critical child welfare questions and to integrate empirical findings in their practice. This course fulfills the advance research requirement for the families and children specialization. SOWK 783—Qualitative Cross-Cultural Research [3 credits] The course purposes are: (1) To provide students with beginning level of skill in planning, implementing, and evaluating ethno-cultural research projects that utilize qualitative methods. (2) To enable students to develop confidence in their ability to independently conduct ethnocultural class project within constrains of time, energy, and resources. (3) To aid students to enhance their awareness of a role of an ethnographic researcher as one who learns from members of different cultural backgrounds in order to develop an ability to learn from insider perspectives. SOWK 789—Faculty Initiated Independent Research Project [1-6 credits] The instructor-initiated advanced research course involves student participation in research activities under the instructor’s direction and supervision. Opportunities are provided for students to engage in hands-on research activities which contribute to a faculty member’s program of research. See specific course descriptions offered each semester in the course schedule. SOWK 790—Student Initiated Independent Research Project [1-6 credits] The student-initiated independent research course provides an opportunity for students with advanced research abilities to pursue a research topic of personal interest that cannot be addressed in the existing MSW
curriculum. This course requires a faculty mentor and a written proposal that is approved by the research sequence as methodically sound. To be eligible to propose an independent research course, the student must have earned a grade of “A” in SOWK 670, and must have some hands-on research experience. Approval submission deadlines are: March 1st for fall semester; October 1st for spring semester. ADVANCED HUMAN BEHAVIOR COURSES (Prerequisite: SOWK 645) SOWK 765—The Nature of Health and Illness [3 credits] A bio-psychosocial model of health and illness is developed in this course, where biological, psychological, social, cultural, and environmental factors and their interactions are explored. A framework of individual and family development is used to study common diseases throughout the life span. SOWK 766—International Social Welfare [3 credits] This advanced human behavior course prepares students for international social work globally and / or for transnational work in the United States or abroad. International social work is a discrete field of practice within social work that seeks to improve the social and material well-being of people everywhere. It is practiced across geopolitical borders and at all levels of social and economic organizations. International social work is also development-focused, and so practice is most often at the local, state, and provincial levels within countries. Increased global communication strengthens our awareness of social challenges faced throughout the world, including human rights violations, rapid and unplanned urbanization, poverty, housing access, gender inequality, inability to care for the complex needs of children, poverty and indebtedness, racial and/or ethnic discrimination, and cultural conflicts. To respond to these challenges, social work models used in the United States represent only a subset of possible intervention strategies to meet the diverse needs of communities and societies globally. Expanding the knowledge of models of intervention strategies and their relevance to specific situations is a key element of this course. SOWK 767—Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) - Breaking the Cycle [3 credits] Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant societal problem, which has persisted despite determined efforts to eradicate it through legal and therapeutic methods. In this course, the student will be introduced to the basics of IPV, as well as a number of different theories which have been used to explain it. Issues related to victims, offenders, and the effects of exposure to IPV on children will also be examined. Against this backdrop, we will explore various
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strategies for ending and preventing IPV. Both clinical and policy options will be addressed. This course will help students think critically about what it means to end intimate partner violence on both individual and macro levels of intervention and change. CLINICAL METHODS COURSES (Prerequisites: SOWK 632 and SOWK 636 unless otherwise specified) At least one clinical methods course must be taken concurrently with each semester of advanced clinical field practicum. SWCL 700—Advanced Clinical Interventions [3 credits] (Prerequisites: SOWK 630, 631 and SOWK 635) This required clinical methods course advances students’ ability to work directly with adult individuals from diverse populations using evidence and theoretical models to inform clinical practice. Major skills to be acquired are how to make comprehensive psychosocial assessments, treatment plans, and facilitate interventions for clients based on evidence and theoretical models. The specific models of clinical practice addressed in this course are: cognitive, behavioral, solution-focused, narrative, psychodynamic, and motivational interviewing. The development, maintenance, and termination of the therapeutic alliance will be explored from different theoretical perspectives. Multi-cultural applications for practice will also be incorporated. Attention will be given to developing students’ critical thinking skills and their ability to apply ethical standards to clinical practice. SWCL 703—Family Therapy [3 credits] Working with families requires a conceptual base in understanding the importance of transactions and patterns between family members, and development of practice application in family therapy techniques. This course extends knowledge in current theoretical thinking about family interaction, and methods of direct intervention. Among the various theoretical perspectives that are examined, special emphasis will be placed on structural, strategic and family-of-origin models. SWCL 704—Integrated Behavioral Health Practice [3 credits] This course is designed to provide the students with extensive knowledge of the integration of treatment for health, mental health and substance use disorders. Students will develop competence in the implementation of this integration in a variety of practice settings. Further, students will develop competence in assessment, treatment planning, and implementation through awareness and understanding of the most modern, empirically based and accepted treatments for a variety of health, mental health, and substance use illnesses. Upon
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successful completion of the course, the student will be able to gather and analyze information, make accurate diagnoses based upon that information, assess positive and negative factors affecting treatment decisions, develop an appropriate and contemporary treatment plan and present it in a form consistent with current practice in the Behavioral Health Professions. SWCL 705—Clinical Social Work With Addictive Behavior Patterns [3 credits] This course is designed to teach the clinical social work student the following major content areas: 1) current scientific understanding of substance use disorders (SUDs), 2) diagnostic indicators of SUD(s) (DSM 5), 3) drug classifications, routes of drug administration, and intoxication effects for select commonly abuse substances, 4) example evidence-supported screening and assessment instruments, 5) example evidence-supported interventions for treating SUDs, 6) the impact of factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, co-occurring disorders, and health disparities on treatment access and outcomes, and 7) the application of social work values and ethics in the delivery of SUD-related services. SWCL 710—Advanced Group Methods [3 credits] The aim of this advanced group methods course is to deepen students’ understanding of group dynamics, theories, and methods, with special emphasis on the group-as-a-whole. Course content includes using research and theory to plan for and facilitate groups with different populations and in different settings. The meanings of group experience for members of oppressed groups will be stressed. Specific readings and assignments will focus on group treatment for members of groups who have and are suffering discrimination, exclusion, lack of resources and stigmatization because of ethno-racial background, gender, religion, sexual orientation, nationality and/or age. SWCL 712—Clinical Social Work Practice with Individuals Experiencing Acute, Chronic, and/or Life Threatening Conditions [3 credits] This course focuses on the roles and functions of social workers in a rapidly changing health care industry. A strengths-based, family-centered and culturally aware approach to assessment and intervention is presented and used as the organizing framework for this course. We explore a range of advanced practice interventions, from prevention and health promotion activities (e.g., motivational interviewing in primary care) to crisis intervention in acute care and end-of life scenarios. We also critically evaluate how ethical dilemmas and the interprofessional environment influence the implementation of these interventions.
SWCL 714—Clinical and Public Health Perspectives in Child and Family Health [3 credits] The course examines maternal and child health with a life course perspective. The course builds upon theory and policy introduced in the health specialization courses and emphasizes social work services to women, children, and adolescents within the context of the family. The curriculum examines a variety of issues affecting the health and well-being of mothers and children. Students examine the cultural diversity inherent in our nation’s families and the richness these differences bring to our communities. In pursuit of this discovery, the course focuses on both maternal and child health within a historical context and the utility of social work practice methods in the provision of services to this population. A strong emphasis is placed on exploring issues with difficult to reach MCH populations and use of evidence-based interventions employing a public health perspective. SWCL 715—Mindfulness, Stress Reduction and Self Care [3 credits] The focus of this course is to teach students to utilize stress-management techniques for the purpose of self-care, and to implement these techniques with their clients. A neurobiological framework will be used to conceptualize the stress-management techniques taught in this advanced methods course. Psychological, physiological and sociocultural aspects of stress will be addressed, and stress-management techniques will be explored didactically and experientially. Students will learn to understand the cognitive, affective and neurobiological impact of stress. They will discuss how diversity factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, spiritual/religious beliefs and other factors impact the type and impact of stress and coping responses. SWCL 720—Art Therapy in Clinical Social Work Practice [3 credits] This 3-credit advanced clinical practice course explores the principles of Art Therapy and considers the adjunctive use of art in a therapeutic setting. Ethical guidelines will be presented on the appropriate therapeutic use of art in a social work setting. Art therapy was established as a psychotherapy profession over 70 years ago. Current and past research will be reviewed. Art Therapy interventions can be a challenge to research and to establish at the highest level of evidence based practice due to the subjective nature of the creative process. Clinical studies that support best practice approaches in the field will be emphasized in all lectures with emerging EBT discussed. Readings will cover the hierarchy of evidence-based approaches.
SWCL 722—Cognitive Behavioral Therapies [3 credits] (Additional Prerequisite: SWCL 700) This course provides an introduction to Cognitive and Behavior Therapy as it applies to the practice of Clinical Social Work. The course begins with an overview of the behavioral approaches to therapy. Students will become familiar with respondent and operant conditioning, social-learning, behavioral observation/assessment, differential reinforcement and the application of behavioral interventions in working with individuals, families, and other client groupings. The various settings for behaviorally oriented social work, such as schools, hospitals (behavioral medicine), and others are discussed. Following this review of behavioral approaches to clinical social work, students will learn about the theoretical framework and treatment components of cognitive therapy and the role of cognitive interventions in promoting symptom reduction and behavior change. This includes an understanding of cognitive assessment, Socratic questioning, and cognitive restructuring. Once students have a solid understanding of cognitive and behavioral frameworks and interventions, the course will explore various applications of cognitive and behavioral techniques as they are integrated into evidence-based treatment approaches which will prepare students to work with diverse client populations in a variety of clinical social work and social service settings. SWCL 723—Couples Therapy [3 credits] This course builds upon the knowledge, attitude and skills components of the foundation curriculum, with a focus on assessment and intervention in intimate relationships within clinical social work practice. The process and outcomes of working with intimate dyadic adult relationships will be viewed from psychosocial, developmental, structural, communication, and systems, frameworks. Lecture, discussion and assignments will encourage student awareness of their own values base and the need to provide ethical professional service free of personal bias. SWCL 724—Clinical Social Work With the Aging and Their Families [3 credits] This course is required for the Aging Specialization and provides a foundation for clinical social work practice with older adults and their families. We will be focusing on PIE-person in environment perspective in order to practice effective clinical interventions with older individuals, their families, and the practice settings where older adults interface. Major goals for this course will be for students to: (1) Understand the aging process from a comprehensive holistic perspective, including biophysical, psychological (cognitive and emotional), social, economical, and spiritual dimensions. (2) Develop knowledge and skills to conduct a competent psychosocial
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assessment and implement effective interventions with older adults and their caregivers. (3) Become familiar and develop skill set to practice competent social work in specific practice settings such as hospitals, adult day centers, gero-psychiatry units, hospices, retirement communities, and adult protective services. (4) Apply social work ethical principles to guide work with older adults and their families. SWCL 726—Clinical Social Work With African-American Families [3 credits] The overall objective of this course is to provide a knowledge base on African American families within a community and societal context that is the basis for developing methods and skills relevant for clinical intervention with African American families. The course will explore in depth the literature on African American Families with a focus on understanding the wide range of forces which help to shape the Black family historically. The course will provide the student with the opportunity to expand on the concepts, principles, skills and assumptions about clinical transactions learned in the basic clinical courses; and most importantly to hone the student’s capacity to critically analyze existing models for relevance and appropriateness for intervention with African American Families. Conceptual models for assessment and intervention with African American Families will be presented with the goal of assisting students in clarifying and becoming comfortable with theoretical and practice approaches with African American Families. These theoretical and practice models will recognize the importance of culture in providing effective social work clinical intervention. The course content is presented from a perspective of resilience and strength rather than from a perspective of deficit or deviance, acknowledging the impact of oppression and racism on African American Families and communities, and will examine these issues as critical to clinical practice with African American Families. SWCL 727—Clinical Practice With Families and Children in Child Welfare [3 credits] This course focuses on the characteristics, strengths, and service needs of families and children in the child welfare system. The course examines issues and builds practice skills related to family support services, child maltreatment, substitute care, and permanency planning. It considers family events within their ecological context and works to build sensitivity to various family forms and cultural patterns. Skills that are emphasized include: engaging families as partners, interviewing, assessing risk and safety, assessing the child and family, planning and delivering effective treatment, evaluating change and risk reduction, and deciding when to close the case.
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SWCL 730—Clinical and Evidence-Supported Practices for Individuals in Recovery from Serious Mental Illness [3 credits] (Additional Prerequisite: SWCL 744) This is an advanced methods course within the clinical concentration. The focus is on social work treatment and care with persons in recovery from serious mental illness using empirical knowledge of what we know works (recovery-oriented and evidence-supported practices and interventions and noting where there is a paucity of evidence-supported practices and interventions). This course teaches practice models and methods of intervention for effective social work practice in community mental health services, including the promotion of mental health, the prevention of mental illnesses (with special emphasis on relapse prevention), and the delivery of psychosocial treatments and rehabilitation services across diverse populations. It will assist students with the ability to examine research literature and determine how to translate research into practice. A major focus of the course is on enabling individuals with mental health problems to increase their functioning in the least restrictive environments, with the least amount of ongoing professional intervention, so these individuals maximize their success and satisfaction. This course has a specific emphasis on services to individuals who suffer from serious and persistent mental illness, substance abuse in conjunction with mental illness (dual-diagnosis population) and/or who are recovering from the effects of severe traumatic events. Interventions relevant to these conditions help individual’s develop/ restore their skills and empower them to modify their environments so as to improve their interactions with their environments. A second major focus is culturally humility in the context of providing services including addressing special issues for groups who have been subject to ongoing oppression. Privilege and social justice as they affect access to treatment will be a major emphasis of the course. Mental health disparities by race, class, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and physical disability will be considered in relation to diagnoses, treatment options and case disposition within the mental health system. SWCL 738—Financial Stability for Individuals, Families, and Communities [3 credits] This course examines barriers to and opportunities for the financial stability of individuals, families, and the impact of low wealth in communities. The course uses a comprehensive approach examining social programs and direct practice interventions, financial services, and policies that can move individuals, families, and communities along the asset-building continuum. The impact of issues such as life stage, social class, and cultural background will be examined. Policy issues include savings, consumer protection, tax credits, public
benefits, and innovative programs; practice issues include financial assessment and goal setting, financial coaching, and integrating financial interventions with traditional psychosocial interventions. This is an advanced clinical methods course. It is also offered as SWOA 734 for those wanting an advanced macro methods course. The major assignment for the course will vary according to the concentration (SWCL or SWOA) chosen. SWCL 744—Psychopathology [3 credits] (Prerequisites: SOWK 630, 631 and SOWK 635) This course is designed to provide the student with extensive knowledge of the major forms of emotional illness and their treatment. Students will develop competence in diagnosis by mastering the currently accepted diagnostic code (DSM-V). They will develop competence in treatment planning through awareness and understanding of the most modern and accepted treatments for each major category of mental illness. Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to gather and analyze relevant information, make accurate diagnoses based upon that information, assess positive and negative factors affecting treatment decisions, develop an appropriate and contemporary treatment plan, and present it in a form consistent with current practice in the mental health professions. Students will be prepared for diagnosis and treatment planning activities appropriate to a variety of clinical settings. This course is required for clinical concentrators. SWCL 747—Introduction to Forensic Social Work [3 credits] Forensic social work is the application of social work methods and practice to questions and problems, which arise within the legal system. This social work specialty involves clinical practice with (1) victims and defendants in the Criminal Justice and Penal systems, (2) victims and respondents in CINA (Child in Need of Assistance) and delinquency proceedings in Juvenile Court, and (3) adults and children who are involved in proceedings in Civil Court, such as child custody determinations, divorce mediation, and civil commitments. This three-credit class reflects a holistic and comprehensive approach to the practice of forensic social work. It offers an overview of the structure and operation of the judicial system with emphasis on the various roles of the forensic social worker. However, unlike the policy course Social Work and the Law, this course option focuses on the varieties and methods of clinical interventions and practice within the legal system. Moreover, this course on forensic social work differs from those offered at other institutions, in that it is balanced with perspectives of both prosecution and defense, and it is comprehensive and practical. The instructor and guest presenters include legal and social work practitioners with experience in the wide variety of areas in which
forensic social workers practice. The goal of this course is to develop appropriate clinical skills within the forensic setting, and foster an appreciation for the variety of roles that forensic social workers assume. SWCL 748—Clinical Social Work Practice in Relation to Death, Dying, and Bereavement [3 credits] This course provides a framework of knowledge, skills and values for culturally competent and responsive social work practice in helping clients who confront the issues of death and dying. A comparative, critically reflective approach to content is employed. The students will explore experiences of death, dying and bereavement in relation to diversity of ethnicity or culture, age, gender, sexual orientation, and social class. SWCL 749-Clinical Social Work Practice with LGBTQI+ Communities [3 credits] This is an advanced clinical course that is designed to expose students to a variety of concepts, topics, and contemporary phenomena that impact LGBTQI individuals, families (by blood and by choice), and communities. The framework of this course endorses non-cis, nonheterosexual identities, and self-concepts as real and irrefutable. This course recognizes key dimensions of intersectionality in addition to marginalization and alienation – which are byproducts of structural oppression that limit and/ or restrict the freedoms and therefore wellbeing of LGBTQI individuals. The class seeks to elevate the importance of the “lived experience” of individuals within a social context and arena that is influenced by institutionalized heterosexism and proscribed gender binaries. Additionally, this course highlights the phenomena of “minority stress” as a key instigator of psycho-social and health-based disparities. Lastly, this course endorses the need for students as well as tenured social workers to be equipped and versed in strategies and knowledge to effectively and clinically support LGBTQI clientele. Ultimately it is pivotal that Social Workers employ affirming clinical techniques that recognize the inherent worth, value, and strengths and resiliencies of LGBTQI clientele. SWCL 750—Social Work in Education [3 credits] This course will present knowledge, skills, and strategies for engaging in social work practice from preschool through high school in educational settings across the continuum from direct practice, to school- and districtlevel programming and policy. The course is designed for students who are interested in direct practice or programming and policy roles in educational settings. Ten central topical areas will be covered: 1) the history of social work in school settings leading to the current and still evolving roles of social workers in schools; 2) theory, research, and conceptual frameworks informing social
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work practice and programming in schools; 3) historical and ongoing inequities in public education, policy and programming efforts to reduce those inequities; 4) laws, legislation, and current policy and procedures guiding the identification and service provision for students with disabilities; 5) assessment skills with student, family, classroom, school-level, and community needs and struggles in order to conduct student development studies, functional behavioral assessments, and to inform student, family, classroom, and school level service planning; 6) response to intervention (RTI) and the three level approach to prevention and intervention service delivery; 7) crisis management and response including student suicide risk assessment and screening or violent incidents and prevention in schools; 8) consultation and coordination with school staff and families; 9) planning and implementing direct social work services in schools at the individual, family, group, classroom, and school levels; 10) issues and service needs of populations of students vulnerable to poor educational outcomes due for example economic disparities, historical discrimination, language or immigration status, incarcerated parents, parents with substance abuse issues, sexual orientation, or homelessness. This is an advanced clinical methods course. SWCL 751—Relational Theory and Practice [3 credits] (Additional Prerequisite: SWCL 700) This course builds on earlier psychodynamic theories taught in HBSE and Paradigms, and emphasizes self psychology and relational theory as the basis for learning contemporary psychodynamic/relational clinical practice skills. The course focuses on learning models of intervention grounded in a comprehension of relational theory and self psychology, and their integration of feminist and gender perspective with socio-cultural factors in the treatment. Specific skills will be emphasized, including the clinician use of self, the appreciation for attachment processes, developmental factors, relational patterns, affect facilitation, and utilization of impasse and enactment in the therapeutic relationship. This course includes the application of relational treatment with multicultural populations, and with clients presenting with a range of mental illnesses, including mood and anxiety disorders, trauma, and personality disorders. SWCL 754 —Social Work and Developmental Disabilities [3 credits] The mission of Social Work and Developmental Disabilities (SWCL 754; online) is to prepare students to deliver ethically sound, family-centered, and evidencebased services to children, adolescents, and emerging adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/ DD). This online clinical methods course uses self-paced
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multi-media modules to advance student understanding of the incidence and etiology of common intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as the unique physical, psychosocial, and behavioral health needs of affected youths and their families. Social Work and Developmental Disabilities also examines the intersection of culture and ethics in the delivery of family-centered services to this population, as well as how clinical assessment processes and practice models (e.g., group work and CBT) are adapted for the I/DD population. Social work students who intend to practice with this population must also be able to critically analyze historical and contemporary legislation impacting the health, quality of life, and community integration of individuals with I/DD and their families. Prior experience in the disability field is not necessary to be successful in this course. SWCL 755—Assessment of Common Childhood Mental Health Disorders [3 credits] This course is designed to provide the students with knowledge of the major forms of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral illnesses impacting children and adolescents, as well as best available treatment options. Students will develop competence in comprehensive assessment leading to diagnosis by mastering the currently accepted diagnostic code (DSM-5). Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to gather and analyze relevant information, make accurate diagnoses based upon that information, assess positive and negative factors affecting treatment decisions, develop an appropriate and contemporary treatment plan and present it in a form consistent with current practice in the mental health professions. Students will be prepared for diagnosis and treatment planning activities appropriate to a variety of clinical settings. This course does not replace the requirement of SWCL 744 for students in the Clinical concentration SWCL 756—Motivational Interviewing in Social Work Practice [3 credits] This course in Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an intensive experiential approach to learning Motivational Interviewing with Child Welfare Clients. MI is an evidence based practice method developed by Bill Miller and Stephen Rollnick that increases motivation to make specific and needed behavior changes for individuals and their families. MI is a directive, client-centered approach for resolving ambivalence and eliciting behavior change across a broad range of behavior domains. SWCL 771—Evidence-Based Mental Health Treatment With Children and Adolescents The overall objective of this course is to provide students with a framework for understanding evidence-based mental health treatment with children and adolescents
and promote an understanding of the principles of Evidence Based Practice. The underlying premise of the course is that effective implementation of empirically supported therapeutic interventions has an important place in the treatment of emotional and/or behavioral problems. Students will have the opportunity to become familiar with some of the most commonly used EBTs in the field today and will gain an understanding of how clinical interventions are implemented in real world settings. As is true with the current state of the field, many models presented will be based in cognitive-behavioral theory. Individual, family and group treatment will be addressed. Consideration of clients’ cultures and backgrounds as well as the importance of consumer engagement will be emphasized. Students will be expected to utilize knowledge gained in the classroom to assess their field placements with regard to organizational capacity and readiness for implementation of evidence-based practice. SWCL 773—Adult Trauma and Clinical Social Work Practice [3 credits] (Additional Prerequisite: SWCL 700) This course will provide an advanced learning in theories of trauma, practice approaches and research findings. In the first part of the course, students will learn the conceptualization of trauma from a cognitive behavioral, psychodynamic and attachment theory perspectives. They will become familiar with neuroscience findings that explain the impact of trauma on brain development. Students will be able to differentiate between different types of trauma, to identify the impact of trauma on adults, and to understand the role of gender, race, ethnicity and culture in individuals’ response to trauma. In the second part of the course, students learn to apply diagnosis, assessment, psycho-education, safety and stabilization, affect regulation techniques, as well as sensory, affective and cognitive processing techniques as core treatment components. They will utilize ethical principles based on the social work Code of Ethics. The course will include the applications of trauma therapy to selected groups, including adult survivors of complex PTSD and combat trauma. The course emphasizes critical thinking, use of self and the clinician’s self care. SWCL 774—Social Work with Military Service Members and their Families [3 credits] (Additional Prerequisites: SWCL 700 and 744) This advanced clinical course will provide learning in conceptual theories of, best practice approaches with, and research findings on working with service members (veterans and active duty) and their families, with a primary focus on service members who have served in combat. Students will learn theoretical frameworks of trauma. They will become familiar with common psychological and medical concerns for service members with combat experience. Students will be able to identify
the impact of trauma on those who have served in combat and on their amilies upon their return, including the role of gender, race, ethnicity, and culture in individuals’ response to trauma. Students will also learn common demands of military service on family dynamics and composition. Students will learn about the role of social work within the military in meeting the needs of active duty service members, National Guard and Reserve members, veterans and their families. Students will develop a working understanding of the history of military social work, aspects of the military culture that they will need to know in order to be able to develop a strong therapeutic alliance, social and mental health needs and issues facing this ethnically and culturally diverse population, military social work policies and services and needed advocacy efforts in that regard, evidence-based and other mental health interventions with emerging empirical support for this population, and other ethnic and cultural diversity issues in military social work (including the needs of women, gays and lesbians, and immigrants serving in the military). The course will emphasize the needs of service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan (but will touch on veterans from all eras), including stressors connected to multiple deployments and to the unique nature of those wars, when danger is ever present and the enemy often is not identifiable. Students will learn and practice strengthsbased assessment and core evidence-based treatment interventions. Finally, the impact of working with traumatized individuals and families on social workers will be reviewed with recommendations for self-care. SWCL 775—Clinical Social Work Practice with Immigrants and Refugees [3 credits] This course is designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of clinical social work with immigrant and refugee populations. The population in the United States is changing rapidly due to the influx of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers from all around the world. This clinical course examines factors fueling U.S. Immigration. It provides an in-depth examination of how immigration has contributed to Racial and Ethnic diversity, what drives diversity in destinations for newly arrived immigrants, and the importance of understanding educational and language diversity among and within immigrant groups. Social work practitioners need to be skilled in understanding the diverse cultures and ethnic backgrounds that shape the landscape of the U.S population. The course will offer knowledge and critical skills needed for engaging in social work practice with immigrant and refugee populations. The course focuses on the need for cultural competency in order to assess, communicate, adapt, and provide culturally sensitive services. The course will examine the social work role in aiding the successful integration of first and second-
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generation immigrants and refugees. Students will consider their roles in incorporating research- informed practice, practice- informed research, and indigenous healing practices to the fields of health, mental health, and family violence. They will learn how to communicate the U.S. laws and cultural mores, while helping to preserve the client’s dignity and values. SWCL 776—Core Concepts in Trauma Treatment for Children and Adolescents [3 credits] (Additional prerequisites: SWCL 700 and SWCL 744) This course will introduce students to the core concepts (general theory and foundational knowledge), which inform evidence-based assessment and intervention with children, adolescents, and families who are traumatized. Trauma is broadly defined, and includes children and adolescents exposed to traumatic events including, but not limited to natural disasters, war, abuse and neglect, medical trauma and witnessing interpersonal crime (e.g., family violence, intimate partner violence) and other traumatic events from a domestic and international perspective. The course will highlight the role of development, culture, and empirical evidence in traumaspecific interventions with children, adolescents, and their families. It will address the level of functioning of primary care giving environments and assess the capacity of the community to facilitate restorative processes. MACRO METHODS COURSES (Prerequisites: SOWK 632 and 636 unless otherwise specified) At least one Macro methods course must be taken concurrently with each semester of advanced Macro field practicum. SWOA 703—Program Development [3 credits] (Prerequisites: SOWK 630, SOWK 631, and 635) This course is designed to expand students’ knowledge of and skills in the design, development and management of programs in human service organizations within a multi-cultural environment. Program theory and multicultural program development are applied to a range of human service programs. Students will design and develop a program, create logic models and a strategy for performance measurement and program evaluation, develop program budgets and management information systems. Students will also be exposed to various related contextual organizational and management practices such as organizational learning and change, strategic planning, interagency alliances. SWOA 704—Community Organization [3 credits] (Prerequisites: SOWK 630, SOWK 631, and 635) Community organizing is a means of bringing people together to address problematic social conditions.
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As a purposeful collective effort, organizing requires sound analytical, political and interactional skills. An important aspect of those skills for professional organizers involves a continuous pattern of systematic planning, “doing”, reflecting again (theorizing) and acting strategically to build a group that can achieve its aims. Community organization is rooted in the reform tradition of professional social work and such values as self-determination, self-sufficiency, empowerment, and social justice. This course is particularly relevant to direct practice with and advocacy for disempowered groups in the society, such as ethnic and racial minorities, lowincome persons, women, the aged and the disabled. The methods course in community organization is aimed at students who seek to expand and refine their skills in organization-building and collective action. It builds on foundation knowledge and skills from the prerequisite introductory level practice course in the curriculum. SWOA 705—Community Economic Development [3 credits] This course helps students build upon, expand, and refine their organizational development and capacity building skills. The course covers a number of themes, including small communities, factors leading to the health or decline of communities, community economic development (CED) strategies, community development corporations (CDC), advocacy and community organizing, various action programs, and social development strategies. Specific knowledge, skills, and values will be discussed in relation to these themes. Culturally responsive practice principals will be woven into class discussions on a regular basis. SWOA 707—Social Policy and Social Change [3 credits] (Prerequisites SOWK 630, SOWK 631 and 635) The course provides an overview of the policy-making process at the federal and state levels and analyzes the roles of the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches of the government in the policy-making enterprise. The focus of the course is on critical analysis of the key assumptions driving policy and policy change, such as social vs. individual responsibility and risk. The course also includes a critical examination of the role that policy plays in the design of interventions and service delivery practices at the federal, state, and local level and the impact of changing policies on people, groups, communities, and providers. In addition, it emphasizes the impact of policy on diverse and at-risk-populations, and its implications for social and economic justice. Students will be introduced to both the analytic and interactional skills associated with social policy development, including social problem analysis, social planning, the legislative process at the federal, state, and local levels, policy analysis and evaluation, and policy advocacy and social change.
SWOA 710 – Legislative Processes in Social Welfare [3 credits] This course has two basic purposes. The first is to provide students with an understanding of American legislative processes with particular reference to the social welfare policy formulation system. The federal system of policy and legislative process will also be examined. The second aim is to develop an appreciation and understanding of the range of social work involvement in the policy/legislative process. Throughout the course, attention is given to the role of human service advocacy organizations active in influencing social welfare legislation and the role of social workers in social action. The course is also offered as SOWK 710 for those wanting an advanced macro policy course. The major assignment for the course will vary according to the designation chosen (Advanced Policy or Macro methods). SWOA 721—Strategic Talent and Performance Management This course focuses on fostering the skills and competencies necessary for understanding and applying contemporary and strategic management of human capital and individual, team, and organizational performance within human service organizations through team-based learning exercises, case analysis, peer training, readings, and discussion. The course is divided into 3 two-day intensive modules. Module 1: Legal and Dynamic Environment for the Human Service Workforce: This module will prepare students to both understand and play a proactive role in implementing both required and effective workforce legislation and legalities, ethical behavior, risk leadership, inclusive culture and environment, safety, and work-life integration. Module 2: Talent Management and Leadership: This module will prepare students to employ integrated and outcome-directed talent management through workforce forecasting, competency-based work analysis, talent scouting, recruiting, and on-boarding, work engagement, compensation, and career development. Module 3: Performance Management and Measurement: This module will prepare students in performance management and measurement strategies for work and programmatic accountability and results, and workforce feedback, coaching, and mentoring. SWOA 722—Supervision in Social Work [3 credits] Students are introduced to the historical development of supervision within social work and will explore the core responsibilities of a supervisor - administrative, educational, and supportive roles. The course also covers different supervisory methods and techniques and considers supervisory issues that arise in a variety of practice settings. The course will build students’
knowledge base, develop specific supervisory skills, and will promote self-awareness. SWOA 724—Managing Financial and Information Systems in Human Services Organizations [3 credits] The goal of the course is to introduce students to the elements of financial management and design of information systems in human service organizations. In addition to learning the elements of financial and information management through readings and class presentations, students also will gain beginning skills through assigned exercises. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to integrate their experience and training as social workers and as administrators with the concepts, options, and techniques of financial management. SWOA 732—Resource Development for Nonprofit Groups Nonprofit organizations operate in a climate of increasingly scarce and unpredictable resources. In recent years, government cutbacks, volatile stock markets, changing policies, and changing practices of business contributors have caused many charitable agencies and community organizations to change their focus, curtail services, merge or go out of business. As a result, nonprofits have had to seek new avenues for funding and other sources for resources. This course aims to explore the resource climate of nonprofit organizations, to identify different ways of acquiring resources, and to develop knowledge of and skill in a variety of interrelated strategies and techniques. These include annual giving, capital gifts, direct mail, special events, face-to-face solicitation, grant seeking, sale of goods and services, online donations, major gifts and planned gifts. These also include board development, case development, fundraising feasibility studies, fundraising readiness assessments, marketing, planning and prospect research. SWOA 735—Social Work and Social Action [3 credits] This course examines the origin, structure, methodology, and theory of social movements. It also focuses on the organizing methods and processes used in various social movements to bring about social change. Close attention is paid to the causes and crystallization of protests, the genesis, growth, and maintenance of movements, the strategies and tactics required to achieve social goals, and the institutionalization of social change. Where appropriate, current and historical examples of major social movements–such as the civil rights, feminist, labor, and welfare rights movements–are studied in terms of their theoretical foundations or operational mechanisms. Emphasis throughout the course, however, is on the skills and processes needed to bring about change.
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SWOA 736—Administering Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) [3 credits] This course will introduce students to a conceptual framework for managing and administering Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). Similarities with other human service programs will be identified while the uniqueness of administering EAPs will be examined closely. Topics such as policy development, case management, supervisory training, marketing, and evaluating EAPs from a cost-effective approach will be covered. EAP direct practice including intake, assessment, brief intervention and short-term counseling, and referral with follow-up will also be reviewed, with an eye to managing and administering such services. Students will learn about EAP services for managers and supervisors to gain an understanding of how EAPs serve multiple clients within the workplace. Special populations in the workplace, including women and minority employee groups, and other vulnerable employee groups including the working poor will be discussed. Social workers are well suited to function in the workplace; however, they must understand the unique nuances of the business world in an effort to meet the sometimes conflicting needs of their multiple clients. SWOA 738—Financial Stability for Individuals, Families, and Communities [3 credits] This course examines barriers to and opportunities for the financial stability of individuals, families, and the impact of low wealth in communities. The course uses a comprehensive approach examining social programs and direct practice interventions, financial services, and policies that can move individuals, families, and communities along the asset-building continuum. The impact of issues such as life stage, social class, and cultural background will be examined. Policy issues include savings, consumer protection, tax credits, public benefits, and innovative programs; practice issues include financial assessment and goal setting, financial coaching, and integrating financial interventions with traditional psychosocial interventions. This is an advanced macro methods course. It is also offered as SWCL 734 for those wanting an advanced macro methods course. The major assignment for the course will vary according to the concentration (SWCL or SWOA) chosen. ADVANCED FIELD PRACTICUM The Advanced Field Practicum continues the signature pedagogy of the MSW program in the advanced curriculum. It consists of two consecutive semesters in a fall-spring sequence. Each practicum semester is completed concurrently with a methods course appropriate for the concentration selected.
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SWCL 794, 795—Advanced Clinical Field Practicum I and II [6 credits each semester] Two semesters in the Advanced Curriculum. Students are assigned to agencies and organizations for practice responsibilities and instruction in clinical social work. A SWCL course must be taken concurrently with each semester of advanced clinical field practicum. SWOA 794, 795—Advanced Macro Field Practicum I and II [6 credits each semester] Two semesters in the Advanced Curriculum. Students are assigned to agencies for practice responsibilities and instruction in social administration, human services, and community organization and development. A SWOA course must be taken concurrently with each semester of advanced Macro field practicum. OTHER COURSES SOWK 699—Special Topics [1-3 credits] The topics of these courses vary from semester to semester. Prerequisites may vary. These courses may be used to satisfy elective credit requirements. SOWK 705—International Social Work [3 credits] Comparative studies of social work practice provide instruments for better understanding the general laws of social life and opportunities for examining practice trends and issues in a clearer perspective. This course focuses on the study of the social work profession and practice in specified developed and developing nations. This course is taken in conjunction with travel to various destinations, which have included India, Central America and Israel. Required pre-departure classes and post-trip debriefings, presentations, and subsequent planning are also included in the course. SOWK 798—Independent Study [1-3 credits] A student-selected topic is studied under the guidance of a faculty member. Note: Not all courses are offered every semester or every academic year.
TUITION For tuition purposes, a student registering for 9 credits or more is considered full time. However, the MSW curriculum requires students to take 15 credits each semester to complete the curriculum in two years. Tuition and fees can be found at http://www.umaryland.edu/financialservices. Under special arrangement, Delaware residents are eligible for the same tuition as Maryland residents. NOTE: Notwithstanding any other provision of this or any other University publication, the University reserves the right to make changes in tuition, fees, and other charges. At any time such changes may be deemed necessary by the University and the University System of Maryland Board of Regents.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Tuition Housing Student Organizations Academic Regulations and Policies University Policy Information
School of Social Work Scholarships The School offers a variety of merit and other scholarships each year for incoming and continuing students. For more information, please visit http://www.ssw.umaryland.edu/ students/scholarships/. HOUSING There are several sources of housing for University students: University-owned housing on campus, privately owned apartments and rowhouses near the campus, nearby neighborhoods, and neighborhoods within commuting distance. University-owned housing includes apartment complexes such as University Suites Fayette Square, and a traditional residence hall. Pascault Row apartments are located in eight historic row-houses on West Lexington Street. The University also maintains listings of off-campus housing. For more information about housing options, contact the Housing Office, 518 W. Fayette St, Baltimore, MD 21201, (410) 706-5523, umbhousing@umaryland.edu or www.housing.umaryland.edu. SSW STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS Student Government Association The Alliance of Anti-Racist Social Work Practitioners Anti-Oppression Work group (AOWG) Christian Social Work Fellowship (CSWF) Community Action Network International Social Work Organization (ISWO) Latinx Unidos for Community Healing and Awareness (LUCHA) Macro Student Union (MSU) MSW Student Organization at USG Organization of African-American Students in Social Work (OASIS) Parent Alliance Queer Community Alliance (QCA) Tikkun (Jewish Student Organization)
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For more information about student organizations, contact the SSW Office of Student Services at 410706-5100 or http://www.ssw.umaryland.edu/studentservices/. ACADEMIC REGULATIONS AND POLICIES Academic Year The School follows the common calendar of the University. This consists of a fall semester, a spring semester and a summer session. http://www.ssw. umaryland.edu/academics/calendar/ Plan of Study The full-time program is a four-semester (two academic years) plan. Students can also develop a plan of study to complete the program in three or four years. Sample plans of study are available at https://www.ssw.umaryland.edu/ academics/msw-program/sample-plans-of-study/. Grading System The letters A through C- are used to evaluate performance in classroom courses; the letter P (Pass) is the passing grade for field courses. The following numeric point system is being used. A=4.33 A =4.00 A- =3.67 B+=3.33 B =3.00 B- =2.67 C+=2.33 C =2.00 C- =1.67 F = failure/need to repeat class Grading Scale 93-100 = A+ 90 - 92.9 = A87 - 89.9 = B+ 83 - 86.9 = B 80 - 82.9 = B77 - 79.9 = C+ 73 - 76.9 = C 70 - 72.9 = C69.9 and under = F For final grades, any grade below “C-”is registered as “F.” A cumulative grade point average of “B” or 3.0 is required for graduation as well as in the Foundation curriculum for progression into the Advanced curriculum. Every credit hour below a 3.0 must be balanced by a credit hour above 3.0, unless it is repeated. When a course is repeated, the new grade, whether higher or lower, replaces the old grade and becomes the grade of record for calculating the grade point average. A course, regardless of the grade, may be repeated one time only. The grade of “F” indicates failure to achieve a satisfactory level of performance and the course must be repeated. The original “F” grade remains on the student’s permanent record, but it is the subsequent passing grade
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that is used to compute grade point average. Thus, a grade “F” cannot be balanced. A final course grade lower than a “C-” is automatically converted to an “F.” A grade of Pass (“P”) is awarded to MSW field education courses to denote satisfactory completion of requirements. Courses assigned the grade of “P” will not be computed in the student’s grade point average. No Mark (N/M) indicates that the Instructor has not yet submitted the final grade. Incomplete Grade An incomplete grade is given under exceptional circumstances to a student who has made satisfactory progress in the course and because of illness or circumstances beyond the student’s control is unable to complete the course requirements by the end of the semester. The incomplete grade is not designed to accommodate an illness or circumstance that is long in duration where the student misses the majority of a course. More appropriate avenues for such long illnesses or circumstances are to withdraw from the course, retake the course, take a leave of absence from the program, or to withdraw from the program. The student is only eligible to receive an incomplete (“I”) grade when there is a reasonable expectation that all course requirements can be completed with a passing grade. The grade of “I” may be considered only for a student who has attended at least half of the course, completed approximately half of all coursework assignments (if assigned) with at least a grade of “B”, and, in the judgment of the instructor, is performing at a grade of “B” or better (or in a field course, a grade of passing). The instructor retains the right to make the final decision on granting a student’s request for an “I”, even though a student may meet the eligibility requirements for this grade. If the course in which an “I” is assigned is a prerequisite for another course, the student cannot attend the other course until a final grade for the pre-requisite course is entered. For the classroom, the student must obtain permission in writing from the instructor for an incomplete “I” grade to be entered. This is evidenced by the submission of an Incomplete Grade Form (http:// www.ssw.umaryland.edu/media/ssw/students/forms/ Incomplete_Grade_Form.pdf ). Timelines for completion of work must be agreed upon in writing by the instructor and the student and written into the Incomplete Grade Form. The instructor will determine a deadline no later than 6 weeks from the last day of the semester in which the course was attempted and write it into the Incomplete Grade Form. In the case of a student enrolled for a course where the incomplete course is a pre-requisite for the upcoming Fall, Spring or Summer semester, the deadline for the grade to be entered by the instructor must occur at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the first class of the next enrolled
course. For Field Education courses, in the case where there is not enough time between semesters to make up missed field days and assignments, the student, field instructor and faculty field liaison will develop a written plan for completion of missed field days and assignments. The Incomplete Grade Form will be used to document this plan. This plan may extend beyond the 10 day limit, but may not exceed 4 weeks from the last day of the semester. The administration of the Office of Field Education must approve the plan in writing. It is the student’s responsibility to complete and submit the remaining coursework before the assigned deadline. The instructor will submit the grade change, converting the “I” to a letter grade, no more than one week after receiving the student’s completed work. All grade changes must be submitted by the instructor to the Office of Records and Registration using the Supplemental Grade Form. If the student does not meet the deadline(s) as written, the “I” will automatically convert to an “F”. Instructors may not issue a terminal “I” grade. Leave of Absence Students who wish to withdraw or disengage from the School of Social Work with no intention of returning should complete the Withdrawal from the School of Social Work form located on the School’s website (www.ssw.umaryland.edu/students/forms/). A student can withdraw from the School at any time during the semester, but may be financially liable for the semester tuition and fees as outlined in the UMB “Refund Schedule for Withdrawal” at this link: www.umaryland.edu/ registrar/academic-calendar/refund-schedule Withdrawal from the School of Social Work Students who wish to withdraw or disengage from the School of Social Work with no intention of returning should complete the Withdrawal from the School of Social Work form located on the School’s website (www. ssw.umaryland.edu/students/forms/). A student can withdraw from the School at any time during the semester, but may be financially liable for the semester tuition and fees as outlined in the UMB “Refund Schedule for Withdrawal” at this link: www.umaryland.edu/ registrar/academic-calendar/refund-schedule
change without prior notice. The University publishes policies and procedures online at www.umaryland.edu/ policies-and-procedures. Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act The Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act (Public Law 101-542), signed into federal law Nov. 8, 1990, requires that the University of Maryland make readily available to its students and prospective students the following information: Financial aid; costs of attending the University of Maryland; refund policy; facilities and services for students with disabilities; procedures for review of School and campus accreditation; completion and graduation rates for undergraduate students; loan deferral under the Peace Corps and Domestic Volunteer Services Act; campus safety and security; campus crime statistics. To obtain any of this information, visit www.umaryland. edu/oac/student-right-to-know FERPA Notice Pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the UMB Confidentiality and Disclosure of Student Records Policy, this notice is given to students to advise them that the following information about a student is directory information subject to disclosure by the University upon request: name; address telephone listing; date and place of birth; photograph; major field of study; dates of attendance; degrees and awards received; and most recent previous educational institution attended. The directory information concerning a student may be disclosed even in the absence of consent unless the student files written notice informing the University not to disclose any or all of the categories within three weeks of the first day of the semester in which the student begins each school year. Notice not to disclose may be filed with the student’s school Office of Student Affairs.
UNIVERSITY POLICY INFORMATION No provision of this publication shall be construed as a contract between any applicant or student and the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The University reserves the right to change any admission or advancement requirement at any time. The University further reserves the right to ask a student to withdraw at any time when it is considered to be in the best interest of the University. Admission and curriculum requirements are subject to
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ADMISSIONS INFORMATION
Applying for Admission Information Seminars Important Deadlines The Universities of Shady Grove (USG) (Montgomery County) Criteria for Admission Requirements for Success Tuition Important Phone Numbers Additional Guidelines
APPLYING FOR ADMISSION Over the past several years, admission to the Master of Social Work program has become more competitive. Meeting admissions criteria is not a guarantee of admission. The percentage of applicants accepted varies from year to year, based on the applicant pool. We encourage applications from those interested in the profession, and will consider each application on its merits. The Admissions Committee assembles the incoming class on the basis of multiple qualitative (such as depth and breadth of life experience) and quantitative (such as academic performance) factors. In addition, the Admissions Committee seeks to admit qualified applicants who can contribute to the diversity of the student body, particularly in gender, ethnicity, and geography. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact us by e-mail at info@ssw.umaryland. edu. More information about the School of Social Work is available at www.ssw.umaryland.edu. International students applying from overseas should also view the University Web page for additional information related to international student enrollment, www.umaryland.edu/ois/international/admissions.html. Regrettably, we cannot routinely accommodate requests for individual interviews. Although interviews are not a routine part of the selection process, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, individual applicants may be asked to appear for an interview. Prospective students are encouraged to attend informational seminars. These seminars provide an opportunity to visit and learn more about the School. Lasting approximately two hours, the seminars cover admission policies, curriculum, field practicum, and tuition costs. Time is provided for individual questions and a tour of the building. INFORMATION SEMINARS BALTIMORE (525 W. Redwood St., Baltimore, MD 21201) Date Day Time August 14 Friday 10:30 am to 12 pm October 7 Wednesday 5 pm to 6:30 pm November 16 Monday 9:30 am to 11:30am SHADY GROVE (USG) (9636 Gudelsky Dr., Rockville, MD 20850) Date Day Time August 18 Tuesday 10:30 am to 11:30 am September 14 Monday 7 pm to 8 pm November 4 Wednesday 12 pm to 1 pm To reserve your space, register online at http://www.ssw.
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umaryland.edu/admissions/msw-program/connect/ schedule-a-visit/. Please follow the instructions for parking emailed to students in the confirmation email. Parking in Baltimore is either metered street parking OR public garage parking at the Baltimore Grand Garage on the corner of Baltimore and Paca streets. Prospective students attending an information seminar at USG can park in the campus garage or in designated parking lots. The School does not provide parking or waive parking fees. If you require special accommodations to attend, please provide information about your requirements by calling Admissions at 410-706-3025 or 800-735-2258 (TTY/Voice) at least five business days in advance. Application Fees Online applicants must submit a $65 nonrefundable application fee that cannot be waived unless you meet certain requirements, as outlined below. Application Fee Waiver Program Members and alumni of the following programs are considered excellent candidates to enter the helping profession of social work. They have already demonstrated an interest in working with disenfranchised and/or marginalized populations. • Americorps (Teach for America, Public Allies, VISTA) • Peace Corps (PC) • TRIO McNair or SSS Scholars • Veteran/Active Military • Fulbright The application fee will be waived for applicants who verify participation in the above programs only. To receive a fee waiver, applicants must submit the appropriate documentation (acceptance letter/email or completion of service). Veterans should submit a copy of their DD214 form, while active duty members are required to provide written proof of their current service. NOTE: Do not pay the non-refundable application fee if yuou wish to receive a fee waiver. Contact your assigned admissions counselor (based upon the first letter of your last name) with any questions regarding fee-waiver documentation. A-K: Ms. Natalie Flowers nflowers@ssw.umaryland.edu L-Z: Ms. Shannon DeGross sdegross@ssw.umaryland.edu
IMPORTANT DEADLINES Incoming students are admitted to the spring semester (part time only) and fall semester. Advanced Standing students may apply for either spring or fall and must begin the program in the term to which they apply and are accepted. Applicants may apply any time after September 1. For best consideration, submit a completed application no later than: Spring Foundation & Advanced Standing: November 1 Applications submitted after this date will be considered for fall only. (If you submit a completed application by this date you will receive an answer from us in six to eight weeks.) A limited number of Advanced Standing applicants whose specialization will be Clinical Behavioral Health or Clinical Families and Children will be admitted to USG for the spring semester only. FAFSA applications should be submitted at time of applying for spring. Fall Advanced Standing: February 1 If you submit a complete Advanced Standing application by this date you will have an answer from us in six to eight weeks. Foundation: March 15 If you submit a complete Foundation application by this date, you will have an answer from us in six to eight weeks. Do NOT wait until you have been offered admission to apply for FASFA. (Apply between October and March for Fall) THE UNIVERSITIES OF SHADY GROVE (USG) (MONTGOMERY COUNTY) Students applying for admission to the MSW program at the USG Campus may complete their plan of study if they intend to select a concentration/ specialization in Clinical Behavioral Health and Clinical Families and Children. Students in the Behavioral Health specialization will develop assessment and interventions skills to work with families, youth and adults in mental health, health care, and substance abuse, child welfare and educational settings. USG students also have the opportunity to select the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) subspecialization (only available with Clinical Behavioral Health Specialization). Field placement opportunities are available in Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Frederick
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counties, and the District of Columbia. Students at USG may also participate in the dual-degree programs and/or global educational opportunities. Foundation students applying for the USG program can start a part-time plan of study in the spring semester or a part-time or full-time plan of study in the fall semester. Applicants with a BSW degree can apply for Advanced Standing for the spring semester at USG. The admissions criteria and deadlines are the same for USG and Baltimore locations. Applicants for spring (Foundation or Advanced Standing) and fall (Foundation only) must complete an online application for Foundation or Advanced Standing and select Shady Grove as location. SPRING ADMISSIONS Students may apply for spring semester admission. Students are only admitted for spring classes in January on a part-time basis (6 credits only). They must enter field practicum in the fall of the same year. Applicants who anticipate graduating in December are not eligible for Spring admission. CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION Determination of admission is made by the School’s Admissions Committee. Minimum requirements for consideration for admission to and enrollment in the Master of Social Work program are: Master’s program applicants to the University of Maryland School of Social Work must have an earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. That degree should reflect a broad background with at least 60 hours of liberal arts course work. For admission to the regular MSW program, a minimum 3.0 grade point average on the last 60 semester hours leading to the baccalaureate. Applicants who will not complete their undergraduate degree by May 30, will not be eligible for Fall admission. If you are required to take a summer course to complete your undergraduate degree you are not eligible for fall admission. Acceptance Factors Factors that are favorably considered by the Admissions Committee include the following: (You should not assume that any factor, by itself, will either ensure or bar your admission.) Above-average academic performance, either in the baccalaureate or in post-baccalaureate work Length and relevance of related experience, either voluntary or paid, as reflected in the required resume
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A well-crafted personal statement comprised of three essay question responses that expresses a degree of personal reflection References that verify that the applicant possesses the qualities necessary for success in graduate school and in social work practice, written by those who have the skills and experience necessary to assess these qualities Contribution to the diversity of the incoming class by virtue of personal characteristics such as race, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, and geography. Life experiences such as career history, experience dealing with a significant personal challenge, belonging to or working in or among another culture or overseas (for the purposes of evaluating applicants, culture includes, but is not limited to, ethnic communities and alternative lifestyles), economic disadvantage, knowledge of more than one language, and/or deep and broad life experiences. Suitability for professional social work practice. Exemption Exams for Foundation Courses All entering students are eligible to take exemption examinations for three foundation courses: SOWK 600—Social Welfare and Social Policy [3 credits] SOWK 645—Human Behavior and the Social Environment [3 credits] SOWK 670—Social Work Research [3 credits] The exemption exams offer the opportunity for enrolling students who believe they have already covered foundation content in these courses to place-out of one or more of them. Students who place out of a course by successfully passing the exemption exam must take another elective course in its place. Therefore, those who qualify for exemptions must still complete 60 credits at the School to earn the MSW degree. What is changed by successful exemption is the distribution of credits, enabling students to increase the number of elective credits. Students who are exempted from courses should consult the academic advisor for special assistance in program planning. Exemption examinations are given in June and January each year and may be taken only once. Students who have attended a class at the SSW are not eligible to take an exemption exam. If you have any questions about the exemption exams, please contact the Office of the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at 410-706-5102.
Advanced Standing Advanced Standing status is available to students who have completed, within five years prior to their enrollment in the School, an undergraduate program in social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. These students must have earned a minimum overall 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, as well as a 3.0 on the last 60 semester hours. Applicants must also be recommended for Advanced Standing by their department chair. Applicants with a grade lower than a “B” in a Practice and Field Practicum class are ineligible for Advanced Standing. Advanced Standing credit is given only for courses in which the applicants earned a “B” or higher grade. The Admissions Committee reserves the right to recommend Advanced Standing applicants into a Foundation program. Those who qualify may receive up to 24 semester hours of credit toward the MSW degree. Full-time Advanced Standing students will typically complete 30 credits in the fall and spring semesters, which include their advanced field practicum. The final 6 credits will be completed in the summer session. Advanced Standing students must earn the MSW within two years of their initial registration at the School of Social Work. Advanced Standing students may complete the MSW in one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study. Those who graduated more than one year ago and who work in the social work profession must submit a letter of reference (one of the letters of reference required for admission) from an employer or supervisor who is familiar with the applicant’s post-BSW social work practice. A reference letter from applicant’s field supervisor is required. All Advanced Standing applicants must submit the Advanced Standing recommendation form completed and signed by their undergraduate social work department chairperson. In addition to the program chair recommendation form, three additional references are needed. Since many schools of social work offer field practicum on a pass/fail basis, grades for field practicum, if assigned, are not included in the calculation of the grade point average. Applicants who are December graduates are not eligible for Advanced Standing Spring admission. BSW applicants who are enrolled in a Spring field block-placement are not eligible to apply for Advanced Standing in the same academic year. Admissions standards are the same for part-time and full-time students; therefore, you should apply for admission to the program that best meets your needs.
The Admissions Committee follows a rolling admissions process. Applications are reviewed in the order in which they are completed. The Admissions Committee makes decisions to admit, wait list, or deny. If you are admitted, you will be asked to pay a $300 non-refundable tuition deposit within three weeks of acceptance, to confirm your acceptance of our offer of admission. For international applicants who require an I-20, the deadline is the same for receiving the application and all required materials, including international credential evaluations, TOEFL or IELTS scores. Applications will be processed only when all required documents have been received. The School of Social Work employs a self-managed application process. To ensure timely submission of all materials, students should sign into their online application frequently to verify receipt of all documents using the Application Portal. It is the applicant’s responsibility to submit all required materials by the stated deadlines. A complete application includes transcripts, references, recommendations, a resume, a personal statement, and the application itself. If you are applying for Advanced Standing, a case plan is also required. REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS The principles below help new students understand how to prepare for success in the MSW program: The MSW curriculum prepares graduates to work with critically important aspects of people’s lives. This responsibility necessitates a significant commitment by the MSW student to master the principles upon which the profession is based. The MSW curriculum is rigorous. Approximately three hours of preparation time is required for each hour spent in class. This time is used for library research, assigned readings, group meetings, experiential learning, writing papers, and studying for exams. In addition, MSW students are required to work in their field practicum 16 hours each week in the foundation year and 24 hours each week in the advanced year. The time commitment expected of an MSW student normally precludes the possibility of working full time while enrolled as a full-time student. All students, even those attending part time, must be prepared to adjust their schedules to successfully complete all degree requirements. It is the MSW student’s responsibility to remain flexible regarding class schedules and field practicum days and locations. The School cannot guarantee that academic schedules and field practicum will be arranged around students’ other commitments.
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MSW students will stay informed about and meet all announced deadlines. The Daily Bulletin, video display monitors, and electronic mail are vehicles to help MSW students meet this professional obligation. MSW students should own a computer and have access to the Internet while in the program. TUITION For tuition purposes, a student registering for 9 credits or more is considered full time. However, the MSW curriculum requires students to take 15 credits each semester to complete the curriculum in two years. Tuition and fees can be found at http://www.umaryland.edu/ financialservices. Under special arrangement, Delaware residents are eligible for the same tuition as Maryland residents. NOTE: Notwithstanding any other provision of this or any other University publication, the University reserves the right to make changes in tuition, fees, and other charges. At any time such changes may be deemed necessary by the University and the University System of Maryland Board of Regents. FINANCIAL AID ADVICE FOR SOCIAL WORK APPLICANTS To apply for federal or state aid or be eligible for scholarship funding, you must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), preferably between October and January 31. March 1 is the priority deadline. Filing after March 1 may reduce the type of aid you are awarded as well as affect receiving living expenses by the first day of instruction. Spring applicants should complete the FAFSA at the time they apply. FAFSA is a standard form, available nationwide in high schools, colleges, and through the Office of Student Financial Assistance and Education. The UMB Title IV code is 002104. You will be notified of your eligibility for financial aid only after you receive an offer of admission and submit the confirmation fee. Do not wait until you have been offered admission to apply for aid. Graduate students who meet federal need standards may be eligible for subsidized Stafford loans, which are interest-free during the time a student is enrolled at least half time. Graduate students who file early and demonstrate substantial need may also be eligible for Perkins loans, federal work study, and limited grant or scholarship dollars. Students enrolled for 6 to 8 credits may be eligible to receive federal loans. Maryland residents are encouraged to contact their senators and delegates to ask whether there are additional application procedures required to be considered for state dollars. Visit the Maryland General Assembly at http://mlis. state.md.us for information about contacting the
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senators and delegates who serve your district. For more information, visit the UMB Student Financial Assistance and Education Office at umaryland.edu/fin, call 410-706-7347; or send an e-mail to aidtalk@umaryland. edu. IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS Admissions–MSW 410-706-3025 Bookstore 410-706-7788 Disability Services 410-706-5889 Exemption Exams 410-706-5102 Field Education 410-706-7187 Financial Aid 410-706-7347 Housing 410-706-7766 Parking 410-706-6603 Registration 410-706-6102 Residency 410-706-7480 Student Accounts 410-706-2930 Student Services 410-706-5100 Student Health 667-214-1883 ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES Immunization and Health Policy All UMB graduate students are expected to satisfy the University’s immunization policy requirements. Health care coverage is required for all full time students. The University’s immunization and health coverage policy, include waivers and exceptions may be found at the UMB Student Health website: http://www.umaryland.edu/ studenthealth/
Applications will be reviewed only when all required documents have been received.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Personal Statement Transcripts, References and Resume Additional Requirements Special Circumstances Transfer Credits VA Educational Benefits Applicants With International Credentials Offers and Reservations of Admission
We encourage applicants to go online at www.ssw. umaryland.edu and submit an application as early as possible beginning on September 1. For the personal statement of the application, please answer the three (3) questions that follow. The personal statement is a vital part of your online application. Your statement provides the Admissions Committee with insight into your prior experiences and how you relate these experiences to social work. Your aptitude for written self-expression is also evaluated through the personal statement. Please answer the following questions on the online application and limit each answer to 300 words. Your application is considered incomplete if these instructions are not followed. PERSONAL STATEMENT The School of Social Work seeks to enroll highly qualified students who will contribute to the profession of social work in the state, the region, the nation and internationally. Please provide answers in essay format to the below questions. 1. Describe your interest in pursuing a Master’s in Social Work at the University of Maryland and why it is a good fit for your educational and professional goals. Please include any relevant information from current or previous experiences (e.g. employment, volunteer, academic, and/ or personal) that have influenced your decision. 2. Define a social problem affecting a population of specific interest to you that you would want to work with in the future. Please examine the relevancy of the problem to the field of social work, how you came to identify and understand it as a social problem, societal factors that have contributed to the problem, and specific ways that you, as a social worker, could address the problem. 3. Social workers are expected to work with individuals, families, groups, and communities from diverse backgrounds in a caring and respectful fashion. Using a specific experience you’ve had with an individual or group different than you (in terms of race, socioeconomic background, gender, disability, religion, sexual orientation, culture, age, etc.), discuss what challenges and lessons you learned from this situation. How did the interaction affect your personal views about this individual/group and your overall perspective on diversity? Advanced Standing applicants must also submit the following: 4. Please choose a direct practice example on individuals, group, family or organization and describe it, disguising
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names and identifying information. Please introduce the example with a brief paragraph describing the agency, its function, and its purpose. Case Plan description headings should include: Brief Agency description Assessment: a summary of the essential case data (age, ethnicity, race, presenting problem, history of the problem, coping abilities. If group or organization, describe the type of group/organization, membership make up, and purpose). Case plan: describe the plan and how it relates to the assessment evaluation. Interventions: describe and analyze your practice interventions and how they are related to the case plan or assessment formulation. 5. Optional: Please address any other considerations (e.g. previous academic performance, financial, balancing work, family, and/or other commitments with school) that you would like the Admissions Committee to be aware of when reviewing your application. TRANSCRIPTS, REFERENCES AND RESUME Applicants must submit official transcripts from each college and university attended. This includes every post-secondary institution attended (including study abroad), even if the credits appear on another institution’s transcript. We require official transcripts be sent to us at University of Maryland School of Social Work, c/o Office of Admissions, 525 W. Redwood St., Baltimore, MD 21201. Final transcript submissions deadline for new incoming students is July 15. If you are applying for fall and you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate program, no decision will be made until we receive fall semester grades. If you are attending an institution with a nontraditional Applicants must also submit a current resume, no longer than two pages. The resume should include all relevant work experience, internships and volunteer experiences. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS Applicants whose grade point average is 2.5 or below on their last 60 undergraduate credits must submit official Graduate Record Examination (minimum score of 146) or Miller Analogies Test (minimum score of 30/386) scores to us via mail. Applicants whose records meet one or more of the following criteria may elect to submit official Graduate Record Examination or Miller Analogies Test scores to the Admissions Committee:
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Applicants whose undergraduate work was completed outside of the United States. Applicants who attended an undergraduate institution that used a nontraditional grading scale or academic calendar (e.g., trimester, yearlong courses), you must write to the School’s Associate Dean for Admissions to request an adjustment to this requirement. Applicants who have earned a substantial number of credits on a pass/fail basis. Applicants whose grade point average on the last 60 hours of academic work leading to the award of the bachelor’s degree is below a 3.0 (excluding grades for field instruction, if applicable). Applicants who feel, for any reason, that their formal academic record is not an accurate, or the best, predictor of their ability to succeed in graduate school Applicants must also provide three or more current references, usually including professors, employers, supervisors, and professional colleagues. They will be asked to comment on your academic aptitude, ability to work with others, capacity for selfdevelopment, and dependability. Do not ask friends or relatives for references. Please refer to the online application for instructions on how to submit references. NOTE: Test scores are considered only if they enhance the academic performance rating. You must allow sufficient time for the exam to be graded and for the official score report to be received by the deadline. Score reports must be sent directly from the testing agency to the School of Social Work. For more information about these tests, write or call: Graduate Record Examination Educational Testing Services P.O. Box 6000 Princeton, NJ 08541-6000 800-GRE-CALL Institution Code and Name: 5848 U MD Baltimore Department Code and Name: Social Work
Miller Analogies Test Psychological Corp. 555 Academic Court San Antonio, TX 78204-2498 800-622-3231 milleranalogies.com Institution code: 2340
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES Prior Criminal Convictions Applicants who indicate on their application form that they have any criminal convictions or current criminal charges must submit the following additional
documentation under separate cover addressed to the Associate Dean for Admissions by the application deadline: 1. a certified copy of the disposition of the charge(s) entered by the court 2. a copy of the charging document(s) and/or the official police report, and 3. a personal statement describing the charges in your own words with a description of your response to the charges, your actions taken since the conviction, and a description of how you think this incident will impact your ability to work in the social work field. A personal interview and criminal background check may be required. Conditions may be placed upon the applicant such as restrictions on choice of area of study and field instruction related to the nature of the criminal conviction. Certain field agencies may require a criminal background check as well. Potential applicants are also advised that the Professional Standards Committee of the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners may refuse to issue a license or certificate of registration to any person who has been convicted in this or any other state of any crime that is a felony in this state. Students may be automatically denied admission or, if enrolled, terminated from the program if they have not been truthful or have provided inaccurate information in the application concerning criminal convictions. Dismissal from Another Program Applicants who indicate on their application form that they have been dismissed from a graduate program must submit a statement of explanation by the application deadline. TRANSFER CREDITS Under certain circumstances, students may receive a maximum of 30 semester hours for work completed not more than five years prior to first registration (at UMB) from a CSWE-accredited graduate school of social work, and for which a grade of at least a “B” was received. The entire MSW program, including transfer credits and UMB coursework, must be completed within six years. Students must complete a minimum of 30 credits at the University of Maryland School of Social Work to be eligible for the master’s degree. Students currently or previously enrolled in another accredited master’s-level social work degree program who are seeking admission as transfer students are required to submit the following additional materials: A brief written statement describing why they are requesting a transfer
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A copy of their practicum/field work evaluation(s), if applicable; One of the recommendations must be from the applicant’s current/former faculty advisor and must address the applicant’s academic standing in the program. Under certain circumstances, a student may upon request receive a maximum of 6 transfer (elective) credits for a course in which a grade of “A” or “B” was earned in another discipline, within four years prior to enrollment here; each course will be individually assessed for social work relevancy. Official determination of allowable credit for coursework completed elsewhere will be made at the time of admission. A course that is considered to have content equivalent to the required course, but has only 2 credits, may be accepted for transfer. The student will be exempt from taking that course, but must take the additional credit in the specific sequence. Students transferring courses from a quarterly system must also make up the difference in credits. VA EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS Students attending the School of Social Work using Veterans Education and Training Benefits may receive assistance with enrollment certification at the SSW Office of Records and Registration. Email: sswregistration@ssw. umaryland.edu. Students who are eligible for benefits and would like to use them while attending the School of Social Work, should follow the instructions below: Newly admitted students must submit the following documentation to the Office of Records and Registration prior to being certified: Copy of Certificate of Eligibility Copy of Change of Program/Place of Training (form 221995, if applicable) Authorization and Certification of Entrance/Reentrance (form 28-1905, if applicable) with case manager’s signature and enrollment period. APPLICANTS WITH INTERNATIONAL CREDENTIALS An applicant with international educational credentials must provide the Office of Admissions with a document that translates the credentials into English, evaluates the degree for equivalency to degrees awarded in the United States, and provides information to enable the interpretation of grades. Respected sources for the required documentation include: World Education Services P.O. Box 745, Old Chelsea Station New York, NY 10113-0745 212-966-6311
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800-937-3895 info@wes.org The Knowledge Company 13022 Monroe Manor Drive, First Floor Herndon, VA 20171 http:www.knowledgecompany.com Educational Credential Evaluators P.O. Box 514070 Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470 414-289-3400 414-289-3411 fax eval@ece.org www.ece.org International applicants for fall must submit credentials for evaluation and take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System in time to have the results reach us by the application deadline. A TOEFL/ IELTS waiver can be given, at the discretion of the admissions dean, if your Bachelor’s degree was received from an international college/university with an approved English- based curriculum. An applicant with international educational credentials in social work may also provide the Office of Admissions an equivalency determination document from: Foreign Equivalency Determination Service Council on Social Work Education 1600 Duke St. Alexandria, VA 22314-3457 703-683-8080 www.cswe.org English Proficiency To demonstrate English proficiency, a minimum TOEFL score of 94 is required of applicants for whom English is not their native language. TOEFL scores must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service to the School. At the discretion of the Associate Dean for admissions, the TOEFL requirement may be waived for applicants who have earned acceptable grades from another U.S. college or university. Minimum IELTS score needed is 7. For more information about the TOEFL exam, contact: Educational Testing Service Rosedale Road Princeton, NJ 08541 609-921-9000 www.toefl.org Institution code: 6592
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IELTS USA 825 Colorado Boulevard Suite 201 Los Angeles, CA 90041 323 255 2771 ielts@ieltsusa.org
OFFERS AND RESERVATIONS OF ADMISSION The School strives to officially notify all applications of the Admissions Committee’s decision, which will be published on the student portal, within six to eight weeks of the submission of a complete application packet. Initial notification of an application decision will be provided by email. To reserve your space in the program, you must pay a $300 non-refundable confirmation deposit by the due date indicated in your offer-of-admissions letter. Applicants must respond to a written offer of admission for a specific semester. To accept or decline the offer of admission, applicants must notify the Office of Admissions online or in writing. Failure to do so may result in the cancellation of admission. Admitted students may not change from full-time to part-time status, or vice versa, without the approval of the Associate Dean for admissions. Provided that the confirmation deposit has been paid, a request for a change in status does not jeopardize the original offer of admission; however, no guarantees can be made as to availability. Offers of admission to currently enrolled undergraduates are made pending receipt of final transcripts showing the award of a bachelor’s degree. All official awards of Advanced Standing are made pending receipt of the final transcript showing the award of the bachelor’s of social work degree, continued recommendation of the undergraduate program, and evidence that all other criteria have been met. Steps Once Accepted In your acceptance letter, students are directed to an online web page for accepted students. Accepted students must complete the important steps below to secure admission to the program. Step One—Pay your confirmation deposit within 3 weeks of the date on your acceptance letter Step Two—Tuition and Fees-Related Forms i. FAFSA application opens October 1 ii. Tuition Classification Form (In-State Residency) iv. Health Insurance Waiver v. Health Immunization Forms Step Three—Submit field placement application within 2 weeks of your confirmation deposit Step Four—Register for classes Step Five—Plan to attend mandatory Orientation Step Six—Accommodations (ADA Requests)
DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS If you would like to request classroom and/or field accommodations for a disability, please contact the University’s Office of Educational Support and Disability Services at 410-706-5889 or disabilityservices@ umaryland.edu. Accommodations will not be made retroactively. More information is available at www. umaryland.edu/disabilityservices. DEFERRING ENROLLMENT Accepted students can opt to defer their enrollment to the following year. Accepted student can request a deferral only once. Send request to the Associate Dean of Admissions. The deferral deadline for new incoming fall students is July 15. ACCREDITATION The University of Maryland, Baltimore is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267-284-5000)). Both the baccalaureate program (offered at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County campus) and Master of Social Work program (offered at the School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore) are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, the authorized professional accrediting body for social work in the United States. NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY The University of Maryland, Baltimore does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran’s status or age in its programs and activities. The University of Maryland School of Social Work frequently photographs and/or videotapes classroom activities, lectures, public events, and other School-related activities for possible use in future media outlets such as School and University publications, videotapes, etc. The School and University reserve the right to use such images in School- or University-related publications, videos, etc.
Office of Admissions 525 W. Redwood St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-706-3025 info@ssw.umaryland.edu www.ssw.umaryland.edu
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