MSW Degree Goals and Objectives

The purpose of the MSW Program is to prepare graduates for the advanced clinical practice of social work.  The goals are derived from the Mission of the School of Social Work “to educate students for professional social work service and leadership in the local, national, and international domains.  The School collaborates with communities, conducts research, and disseminates knowledge in response to the needs of individuals and families living in diverse and multicultural urban environments.  We lead the scholarly search for innovative, effective, and just solutions to human concerns.”

The goals of the MSW Program are to:

1.      Provide curricula that build on a liberal arts foundation and reflect state of the art social work knowledge.

2.      Educate students for advanced practice that is grounded in the history, values, and science of the social work profession.

3.      Educate students to enhance functioning of diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

4.      Educate students to understand social policies, services and programs that support the development, capacities, and needs of human beings.

5.      Educate students to promote policies, services, and resource allocation through advocacy or political actions that result in social and economic justice.

6.      Prepare students to use critical thinking, research, and technology to advance and evaluate social work practice.

7.      Promote and provide opportunities for ongoing professional development.

The MSW curriculum is organized into a Foundation, completed during the student’s first 30 semester hours, and an Advanced Clinical Practice Concentration, completed during the student’s last 30 semester hours. 

The objectives of the MSW Foundation are to educate students to:

1.      Apply critical thinking skills to generalist social work knowledge, perspective, and practice.

2.      Understand and apply the values and ethics of the social work profession.

3.      Recognize and demonstrate sensitivity to ethnic heritage, culture, gender, sex or sexual orientation, race, age, class, faith and spirituality, and disabilities and how these factors can affect social work practice with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations.

4.      Demonstrate knowledge of the history of the social work profession and its role in addressing contemporary social problems.

5.      Understand oppression and apply the strategies and skills of change that advance social and economic justice for vulnerable and at risk populations.

6.      Understand, analyze, and apply the social work generalist perspective to practice.

7.      Use research-based knowledge to understand interactions among individuals and between individuals and families, groups, organizations, and communities as it relates to human development and behavior across the life span.

8.      Demonstrate knowledge of social welfare policies including the analysis, formulation and influencing of the policy making process. 

9.      Demonstrate the skills needed to evaluate human service interventions, including their own practice.

10.  Demonstrate professional communication skills across systems and settings.

11.  Demonstrate proficiency in the use of technology and application of technology to social work practice.

12.  Practice effectively in organizations and service delivery systems and understand the processes and seek necessary organizational change.

The objectives of the Advanced Clinical Practice Concentration are to educate students to:

1.      Demonstrates competency in the use of supervision and consultation for advanced practice.

2.      Critically analyze, synthesize, and differentially apply knowledge and skills for advanced clinical social work practice in multiple contexts.

3.      Demonstrate proficiency with analytical and communication skills necessary for autonomous advanced clinical practice.

4.      Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing professional development.