(60 credits)
The Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) is a 60-credit program and can be earned in two years of full-time study or three years of part-time study. The program has been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) since 1969.
The courses of the M.S.W. degree curriculum may be classified generally into two categories: those in the foundation curriculum and those that provide opportunity for advanced study. Listed below are the course descriptions for the foundation curriculum and information about elective courses.
The School of Social Work reserves the right to modify or change the courses of instruction.
500 number courses are in Social Work Practice and include field education.
600 number courses are in the area of Human Behavior and the Social Environment.
700 number courses are in the Social Work Research curriculum area.
800 number courses are in Social Welfare Policy and Services.
900 number courses are in areas of practice or fields of practice or indicate courses that are interdisciplinary.
Foundation Curriculum
| SW 500 | Professional Foundations: Educ Tmr Prct | 3 |
| SW 501 | Theory and Practice of Social Work I | 3 |
| SW 502 | Practice II: SW Practice With Groups | 3 |
| SW 503 | Practice III: SW Pract. W/ Communities | 3 |
| SW 591 | Field Education Experience I | 3 |
| SW 592 | Field Education Experience II | 4 |
| SW 601 | Human Behavior I: Psychosocial Analysis?Of Human Behavior | 3 |
| SW 621 | Social Work Perspectives on Psych?Psychopathology | 3 |
| SW 701 | Social Work Research: Design & Meth?Methodology | 3 |
| SW 702 | Social Work: Resrch: Implement & Analys?And Analysis | 3 |
| SW 801 | Introduction to Social Welfare | 3 |
| SW 971 | Ethical Issues in Social Work Practice | 3 |
Specialization Courses
As students move to more advanced levels of their studies, more specialized courses are offered to assist in the acquisition of knowledge and skills in greater depth.
| SW 504 | Pract IV: Adv Scl Wrk Pract Ind/Fml | 3 |
| SW 505 | Pract V: Adm in SW | 3 |
| SW 506 | Practice VI: Culmination Integrative Se | 3 |
| SW 595 | Fld Ed Exp III: Advanced Prac?Client Systems Concentn | 4 |
| SW 596 | Fld Ed Exp IV: Advanced Practice W/?Client Systems Concentn | 4 |
| SW 802 | Social Policy Advocacy | 3 |
Electives
Electives allow study of a particular intervention methodology or area of significance for social work and usually follow completion of foundation coursework. The M.S.W. Program offers a range of elective choices to respond flexibly to priority concerns and emerging issues in social welfare, in accord with faculty resources and student interests.
| SW 535 | Child Welfare Services | 3 |
| SW 536 | Social Work Practice With Children | 3 |
| SW 561 | Family Focused Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SW 571 | Supervision in Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SW 625 | Critical Issues in Chemical Dependency | 3 |
| SW 705 | Social Work Thesis | 3 |
| SW 900 | SW Perspective on Trauma: Theory & Prac | 3 |
| SW 908 | Women's Issues and the Practice of?Social Work | 3 |
| SW 920 | Spiritual and Religious Dimensions of?Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SW 925 | Critical Issues in Racial and Ethnic?Experience | 3 |
| SW 940 | Dvlpmntl/Physcl Dsblts for Soc Work | 3 |
| SW 941 | Concepts and Issues in Gerontology | 3 |
| SW 950 | Independent Study | 3 |
| SW 950I | Independent Study - International Study | 3 |
| SW 965 | Human Sexuality: Issues for Social Work | 3 |
| SW 989 | Glbl Prsp Soc & Adm Prct | 3 |
Advanced Standing
Students who have earned a B.S.W. in a CSWE-accredited program may be eligible for advanced standing. Based on the review of the student’s undergraduate transcript, up to 21 credits may be applied to the foundation year of the M.S.W. program. Students must have earned a minimum grade of “B” for the individual course to be considered for advanced standing.
Independent Study
Independent study is open to students who have completed one year of full-time or the equivalent part-time study in Marywood’s Master of Social Work program. A 3.50 quality point average is required in order to be eligible. No more than two independent study courses may be taken by non-advanced-standing students, or one by advanced-standing students during their Master of Social Work programs. Only one independent study may be taken per semester, and no more than one independent study may be taken with any given faculty member.
Independent study courses may be taken for variable credit (one-, two- or three-credit hours). The exact number of credits assigned to a particular course is determined by the faculty member who agrees to monitor and evaluate the student’s performance. The determination of credit hours is consistent with the purpose, the nature, and the extent of the proposed independent study. All independent study courses must be of comparable rigor to other courses in the curriculum of similar value.
Field Education
In addition to classroom courses, Field Education is an essential and integral part of the M.S.W. program. Through the Field Education experience students engage in experiential, collaborative, and integrative learning through practice in a field placement setting, under the supervision of a qualified Field Instructor and with the support of a Faculty Field Liaison from the M.S.W. program. The Field Education experience provides students with the opportunity to bridge and apply classroom theory, knowledge, and practice skills in real-life practice situations while developing professional competence and a professional identity.
Students complete a total of 920 hours of Field, 440 hours over two semesters in their Foundation Field placement (first-year Field) and 480 hours over two semesters in their Specialization Practice Field placement (second-year Field). Students with a B.S.W. degree who receive Advanced Standing status for Foundation Field complete a total 480 hours in a Practice Field Placement. Foundation Field placements must be taken concurrently with core practice methods courses, since a primary objective of the field experience is to facilitate the integration of practice learning with theoretical content. Specialization Field education placements and Theory and Practice courses are normally taken concurrently.
Placement decisions involve collaboration between the Director of Field Education for the student’s respective program and the student in order to select a field setting that meets the student’s interests, provides appropriate learning opportunities, and whose location and operating hours are accessible to the student. Students do not arrange their own field placements.
The M.S.W. Program has field placement opportunities throughout Pennsylvania, the Southern Tier and upstate New York, and New Jersey, providing a variety of social work practice experiences. Assignment of placements is at the discretion of the Director of Field Education.
Students with full- or part-time employment have the opportunity to do employer-based placements which utilize field learning opportunities through their employer. This option may be available for those who work in agencies able to provide the equivalent of a social work experience that is different from the student’s employment responsibilities. The student must have been employed by the agency for a minimum of six months.
Approval for an employer-based field placement is based on the Field Education Department’s evaluation of a comprehensive plan submitted by the student and the agency as part of the placement process.
The Field Education Office requires all students registering for field experience to obtain Criminal Background Check, FBI Clearance, and Child Abuse Clearance. Students in the M.S.W. Program should recognize that a negative information report in any background check may:
- disqualify a student from placement at a field education site of his/her choice
- bar a graduate of the program from obtaining a license to practice as a social worker.
- Inability to obtain an appropriate placement may lead to dismissal from the program or otherwise prevent the student from obtaining a degree.
Students should be aware that state licensing boards, many employers, and many Field education placement agency administrators require background checks for M.S.W. students and professional social workers. These checks include State Police, FBI, child abuse, current health, or other requirements particular to the work the student or social worker may be expected to do.
Students with circumstances in their backgrounds that may emerge during background checks are encouraged to discuss the potential implications of these circumstances with the Director of Field Education for their program.
In addition, many agencies require medical exams, immunizations, and drug testing. Students are required to comply with individual agency requirements and are responsible for any associated costs in completing the requirements. Agency requirements must be met prior to the beginning of a field placement.
Standard for Ethical Behavior
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics is the established standard of ethical behavior for professional social workers. Students in the Social Work Program are preparing for positions of professional responsibility, and their conduct while students is guided by this code. Students are referred for further information about the Code to the Student Handbook, to the Field Manual, and to the NASW publication, “Code of Ethics,” available from NASW online.
Suitability for Professional Social Work
An Academic and Professional Standards Review Committee is established when concerns arise pertaining to the academic or professional performance of individual students. The committee is responsible for gathering and evaluating information concerning the student’s academic and professional performance for the purpose of formulating recommendations to the director for resolution of these situations. Recommended resolutions may include: 1) continuation in the program in good standing without remedial action; 2) continuation in the program in good standing contingent on successful completion of remedial action; and 3) dismissal from the program. The committee does not reconsider grades.
Formal review by an Academic and Professional Standards Review Committee will occur for any of the following reasons:
- Alleged violation of the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers by written report from the field instructor, faculty liaison, educational coordinator, faculty member, or peer.
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Alleged violation of the Code of Academic Honesty of Marywood University by written report from the field instructor, faculty liaison, educational coordinator, faculty member, or peer.
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Alleged failure to demonstrate the capacity to engage in appropriate social work roles, by written report from the field instructor, faculty liaison, educational coordinator, faculty member, or peer.
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Attainment of an F or U grade in a course or field placement or a semester GPA 2.85 or below.
Academic and Professional Standards Review procedures are detailed in the School of Social Work Student Handbook.
School of Social Work Program Requirements
The M.S.W. Program at Marywood has developed full- and part-time program plans for persons seeking the degree: Standard full-time and part-time and Advanced Standing full-time and part-time. All plans have the same standards and require both classroom study and field education, working under supervision in a social work setting.
Full-time programs are available on weekdays at Marywood University in Scranton, and evenings in the Lehigh Valley Center at DeSales University. Part-time programs are available on Saturdays in Scranton at Marywood University, evenings in the Lehigh Valley at DeSales University, and Saturdays in Central Pennsylvania at Bloomsburg University and in the Pocono Pennsylvania area at East Stroudsburg University.