Goals of the Program

Program Overview

The School of Social Work prepares people for advanced professional practice and is accredited to offer the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree by the Council on Social Work Education.

MSW graduates learn to:

 
•
 Understand the potential for individual and collective human development when people live with dignity and social justice.
 
 
 
•
 Identify people's strengths across diverse populations and how to build upon them.
 
 
 
•
 Understand the multiple social, cultural, political, and economic factors influencing the design, development and evaluation of social policies and programs.
 
 
 
•
 Develop the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out multiple social work intervention strategies that empower individual, families, groups or communities.

The MSW degree offers graduates the opportunity to play active roles in health and mental health, alcohol and substance abuse, poverty and public welfare, women's and children's services, domestic violence, homelessness, and other emerging areas of service delivery. The program prepares graduates to work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in an array of settings and with diverse populations.

The values and commitments embedded in the School's Mission Statement permeate our work in every area.

Master's in Social Work Program Goals

 
•
 To prepare students for entry into advanced social work practice - to carry out professional roles and responsibilities consistent with social work ethics and the values embodied in the School's Mission.
 
 
 
•
 To prepare students to understand the interactive and multiple historical and contextual factors that shape and define the social work profession, social policies and programs, and their outcomes with different client systems.
 
 
 
•
 To prepare students to understand structural, cultural and interpersonal oppression occurring in people's lives and its impact on individuals, families and communities.
 
 
 
•
 To provide students with the knowledge and skills to identify and build upon the strengths of client systems at multiple levels.
 
 
 
•
 To provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to produce effective interventions with people from diverse backgrounds, experiencing different types of problems, across different settings.
 
 
 
•
 To help students develop and implement professional practice relationships based upon empowerment and connection in order to enhance social functioning and social change consistent with the values of human dignity, individual and cultural diversity, self determination, and social justice.
 
 
 
•
 To help students build the knowledge and skills necessary to influence social, economic and political systems to provide adequate and appropriate resources that honor diversity, and to achieve social justice.
 
 
 
•
 To help students use critical self-reflection, research, and continuing knowledge building to enhance professional practice.
 
 
 
•
 To prepare students to work in un-served and underserved areas within our region.
   
Apply Online
Request Information
     

Back to Top

 
» Advanced Search