Program Description

Master of Social Work

GENERALIST SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE

The foundation curriculum (30 credit hours) of the TSU-MSW Program prepares students for Generalist Social Work Practice, a foundation of knowledge, values, skills, and roles that lays the groundwork for advanced generalist practice.  The foundation level curriculum requires students to develop knowledge and skills in the fundamental application of theories and methods central to generalist social work practice in a variety of generalist practice roles. Students learn how to integrate ethics, research, policy, and theoretical perspectives into the generalist intervention model in the foundation curriculum. From there, students advance to the concentration curriculum discussed below. 

ADVANCED GENERALIST SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE  

The concentration curriculum (30 credit hours) of the TSU-MSW Program prepares students for Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice.  The advanced generalist concentration curriculum builds on the knowledge, values, skills, and roles mastered at the foundation level.  The concentration requires that students have greater theoretical and methodological sophistication.  It requires them to be able to work in a wider selection of practitioner roles.  It requires the ability to integrate research into advanced practice, add greater depth to the provision of services, and provide the skills to function as advanced practitioners, administrators, supervisors, policy analysts, and social planners.  The concentration curriculum encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, public-private partnerships, and enhances the student's skill to address issues of economic and social justice with oppressed populations.

A frequently asked question is: How does the concentration of Advanced Generalist impact the jobs for which I am eligible?  The concentration provides a specialty area for the student.  A clinical or direct practice concentration prepares students for clinical or direct service work with clients.  An administrative concentration prepares students to provide indirect services.  The advanced generalist concentration prepares students to engage both direct and indirect services.

THE INTERNSHIPS

The Foundation internship is 400 hours and can be completed in a Spring semester block or can be spread over both the Spring and Summer semesters.  This first practicum experience provides experiential learning of generalist social work practice in selected human service agencies.

The Concentration internship is 500 hours and can be completed in a Spring semester block or can be spread over both the Spring and Summer semesters.  This practicum experience provides the student with an individualized, educationally focused experience in advanced generalist social work practice.

Employment based internships for those students already employed in a social work setting are encouraged, as long as a new learning experience can be provided to the student.  Guidelines for employment based internships can be found in the Field Education Manual.

More about the internships...

FOUNDATION COURSES:

View Overview of Semester Course Schedule

SOWK 6000 MSW Practice I (3 hours)
A social work methods course designed to enable the student to understand and apply social work methods within the context of the generalist perspective with individuals and families.

SOWK 6010 Practice in Human Behavior and the Social Environment (3 hours)
An introduction to the theories and knowledge of the human bio-psycho-social development including theories and knowledge about the range of social systems in which individuals live (families, groups, organizations, agencies, and communities).  (online delivery)

SOWK 6020 MSW Research in Practice I (3 hours)
This is a basic research and statistical methods course, utilizing research in general inquiry and practice evaluation in social work with the generalist perspective.

SOWK 6030 Social Welfare Policy and Practice (3 hours)
The historical development, philosophical orientation, and analysis of US social welfare policy and services, including the global context.  (online delivery)

SOWK 6100 MSW Practice II (3 hours)
A social work methods course designed to enable the student to understand and apply social work methods within the context of the generalist perspective with groups, agencies, and communities.  Prerequisites: MSW Practice I and HBSE

SOWK 6110 Social Justice in Practice (3 hours)
An overview of the professional commitment of social work to oppressed peoples.  Prerequisite: HBSE (online delivery)

SOWK 6120 MSW Research in Practice II (3 hours)
An advanced discussion of program evaluation strategies and single system design issues.  The student will conduct a research project.  Prerequisite Research I

SOWK 6130 Practicum IA (3 hours)
A 200 hour field practicum experience within the generalist perspective.  May be taken concurrently with Practicum IB.  Prerequisites MSW Practice I, HBSE, Research I, & Policy

SOWK 6140 Practicum IB (3 hours)
A 200 hour field practicum experience with the generalist perspective.  May be taken concurrently with SW 6130 Practicum IA.  Prerequisites: MSW Practice I, HBSE, Research I, & Policy.

CONCENTRATION COURSES: (Students must have taken their Foundation courses or been admitted with Advanced Standing)

SOWK 6200 Advanced Practice with Individuals (3 hours)
Advanced practice with individuals including client system assessment, intervention, and evaluation.  Prerequisites: Practicum IA (SW 6130) & IB (SW 6140) OR Advanced Standing admission.

SOWK 6210 Advanced Practice with Families (3 hours)
Advanced practice with families including client system assessment, intervention, and evaluation.  Prerequisites: Practicum IA (SW 6130) & IB (SW 6140) OR Advanced Standing admission.

SOWK 6220 Advanced Group Practice (3 hours)
Advanced practice with groups including client system assessment, intervention, and evaluation.  Prerequisites: Practicum IA (SW 6130) & IB (SW 6140) OR Advanced Standing admission

SOWK 6230 Advanced Macro Practice (3 hours)
Advanced practice with organizations and communities including system assessment, intervention, and evaluation.  Prerequisites: Practicum IA (SW 6130) & IB (SW 6140) OR Advanced Standing admission

SOWK 6240 Social Policy Analysis in Practice (3 hours)
A study of the design, implementation, and analysis of social policies and their impact on social work practice.  Prerequisites: Practicum IA (SW 6130) & IB (SW 6140) OR Advanced Standing admission (online delivery)

SOWK 6300 Empirical Social Work Practice (4 hours)
A seminar in the integration of theoretical perspectives and the application of research findings and empirical outcome evaluation techniques to advanced generalist social work practice .  Prerequisites: Advanced Practice with Individuals, Advanced Practice with Families OR Advanced Group Practice, Advanced Macro Practice, & Social Policy Analysis

SOWK 6310 Practicum IIA (4 hours)
A 250 hour field practicum experience.    May be taken concurrently with Practicum IIB.  Prerequisites: Advanced Practice with Individuals, Advanced Practice with Families OR Advanced Group Practice, Advanced Macro Practice, & Social Policy Analysis

SOWK 6320 Practicum IIB (4 hours)

A 250 hour field practicum experience.  May be taken concurrently with SW 6310 Practicum IIA.  Prerequisites: Advanced Practice with Individuals, Advanced Practice with Families OR Advanced Groups Practice, Advanced Macro Practice, & Social Policy Analysis.

ELECTIVE COURSES

SOWK 5000 Special Topics (3 hours)
Special topics in social work and social welfare.  May be repeated for a maximum of 6 hours for Advanced Standing and 9 hours for Foundation.  (online delivery)

SOWK 6400 Independent Study (3 hours)
Independent study allows a student to develop more fully an area of particular interest.  Topics for intensive study are chosen in joint consultation between the student and the instructor.

Graduate Electives (3 hours)
There are very specific graduate electives that are taught in other departments that have been selected as courses that would meet the requirements for special topics courses in social work. 

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