Graduate Catalog: Social Work Programs

Mission Statement || Curriculum Structure || Course of Instruction || Foundation Curriculum || Advanced Curriculum || Concentration Courses || Electives || Independent Study || Field Education || Work Study || Medical Exams, Clearances, etc. || Standard for Ethical Behavior || Suitability for Professional Social Work || Program Plans || Dual Degree Programs || Home & School Visitor Certification

Director: Joyce Z. White, Ph.D.

Master of Social Work Program

Mission Statement

The Marywood University School of Social Work, accredited by the Council on Social Work Education since 1969, honors and promotes the core values of the social work profession: dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, professional competence, social justice, and service, especially with oppressed and marginalized groups, to maximize their physical, mental, social, and spiritual health in interactions with their environments.

Grounded in these values, the Marywood University School of Social Work educates full and part-time undergraduate (BSW) and graduate students (MSW and interdisciplinary doctorate) and prepares them for entry and advanced levels of social work practice across a broad spectrum of settings and methods. Our students become practitioners who are resourceful, creative, self-reflective, culturally and ethically competent, critically thinking life-long learners, and leaders committed to social justice. The School’s hallmark flexibility in both scheduling and locations, as well as its welcoming learning environment, is responsive to beginning, career changing, and mid-career social work students.

The School is an engaging participant in the community, fostering mutually helpful partnerships between the School and community agencies that: identify talented prospective students, facilitate successful practice experiences for current students, and provide professional opportunities for graduating students, while fulfilling client/ community needs. These partnerships also create opportunities for the School to advocate for and lead systemic change that enhances the agency, community, and profession’s ability to serve emerging needs.

Curriculum Structure

The Master of Social Work curriculum is organized as an integrated whole, including foundation and advanced content. It is designed to prepare graduates for advanced practice. Each semester builds upon knowledge from the previous semester, and the completion of the foundation content is preparatory to advancement to concentrations.

A system of organizing principles threads throughout the core content areas of the curriculum to form a foundation based upon the ecological perspective, social work values and ethics, appreciation of diversity, social and economic justice, the strengths perspective, professional use of self, systematic mode of inquiry, and populations at risk.

Foundation course work provides students with educational experiences designed to assure the acquisition of knowledge, values, and skills that form the basis of professional practice. Course work consists of 31 credits and includes six areas of core content: Social Policy (three credits), Human Behavior and the Social Environment (six credits), Research (six credits), Ethics for Social Work (three credits), Social Work Theory and Practice (six credits), and two concurrent field experiences (seven credits). The foundation is designed to develop basic knowledge of social welfare policy, issues of oppression and social justice, bio-psycho-social-spiritual aspects of human behavior, utilization of the specific methods and processes, and methods of assessment, intervention, and evaluation with sensitivity to diversity among people.

Upon completion of the foundation curriculum students begin the concentration. Students choose a concentration in either Advanced Social Work Practice with Client Systems or Administration in Social Work. Each concentration consists of six courses. During the first semester of the advanced curriculum, students take the first advanced practice course in their concentration (3 credits) and are required to take the first advanced course in the alternate concentration (3 credits). The two semesters of advanced practicum are taken concurrently with practice courses and are specific to the area of concentration. Advanced content in Social Policy (3 credits) is also taken as part of the advanced curriculum. Electives round out the curriculum.

Course of Instruction

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 concentration and 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 practicum placements.

600 number courses are in the area of Human Behavior and the Social Environment.

700 number courses are in the Social Work Research curriculum content 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 cross content area lines in an interdisciplinary manner.

Foundation Curriculum

SW 501	Social Work Practice I	3
SW 502	Social Work Practice II	3
SW 591	Field Education I	3
SW 592	Field Education II	4
SW 601	Human Behavior I	3
SW 602	Human Behavior II	3
SW 701	Social Work Research I: Design and Methodology	3
SW 702	Social Work Research II: Implementation and Analysis	3
SW 801	Introduction to Social Welfare	3
SW 971	Ethical Issues in Social Work Practice	3

Advanced Curriculum

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. The School offers concentrations in Advanced Practice with Client Systems and Administration in Social Work. Students who have completed the foundation courses are required to take a two-semester Concentration in either Advanced Practice with Client Systems or Administration. The choice of their concentration is the focus of their field assignment, which is taken concurrently with concentration course work. Students at the advanced level of study also take course work in Advanced Practice with Client Systems (for those concentrating in Administration), or in Administration (for those concentrating in Advanced Practice with Client Systems). It is out of the convergence of the methods concentration, complementary methods work and field experience, supported by elective choices, that the student is expected to develop skill and competence for advanced social work practice.

Concentration Courses

SW 511	Advanced Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families, and Groups	3
SW 512	Advanced Social Work Practice with Organizations and Communities	3
SW 595	Field Education III: Advanced Practice with Client Systems	4
SW 596	Field Education IV: Advanced Practice with Client Systems	4
SW 531	Administration in Social Work Practice I	3
SW 532	Administration in Social Work Practice II	3
SW 597	Field Education III: Administration in Social Work	4
SW 598	Field Education IV: Administration in Social Work	4
SW 802	Social Welfare Policy and Services	3

Electives

Electives allow study of a particular intervention methodology or area of significance for social work and usually follow completion of foundation course work. The school 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. A minimum enrollment of ten students is required for an elective to be offered.

In consultation with their advisors, students may select some of their elective course work in Marywood’s other graduate programs. Course offerings in the departments of Art Therapy, Education, Counseling and Psychology, Criminal Justice, Nutrition, Public Administration, Health Services Administration, and Gerontology can enrich a student’s social work education. Courses taken in other departments must be approved in advance.

SW 535	Child Welfare Practice and Services	3
SW 536	Social Work Practice with Children	3
SW 561	Family Focused Social Work Practice	3
SW 565	Social Work Practice in Groups	3
SW 571	Supervision in Social Work Practice	3
SW 621	Social Work Perspectives on Psychopathology	3
SW 625	Critical Issues in Chemical Dependence	3
SW 705	Social Work Thesis	3
SW 908	Women’s Issues and the Practice of Social Work	3
SW 921	Spiritual and Religious Dimensions of Social Work Practice	3
SW 925	Critical Issues in Ethnic and Racial Experience	3
SW 941	Concepts and Issues in Gerontology	3
SW 950	Independent Study	Variable
SW 950I	International Independent Study	Variable
SW 965	Human Sexuality: Issues for Social Work	3

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 the classroom courses, social work education places great emphasis on the experiential learning acquired by students through their field placements, which provide actual practice in social services agencies and settings. Field education provides the opportunity for students to obtain first-hand experience in working with people and situations under the supervision of qualified and experienced social work practitioners.

Students are required to spend a total of 920 clock hours, in field education placements, acquiring progressively more developed and sensitive skills in helping people as “beginning professionals.” Students with Advanced Standing status complete three semesters of field for a total of 720 hours. Advanced Standing students who choose summer field placements will spend 24 hours per week in field placement during the summer. Field placements must be taken concurrently with core practice methods courses since the primary objective of field experience is to facilitate the integration of practice learning with theoretical content. Placement decisions involve collaboration between the Director of Field Education 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 with full-time employment may seek placements with nontraditional hours. Such placements are available in a very limited number of agencies.

The School of Social Work has field placement agencies located throughout Pennsylvania, the Southern Tier and upstate New York, and New Jersey, providing every type of social work practice. Assignment of placements is at the discretion of the Director of Field Education.

The Field Department prepares a Field Manual, updated annually, for students and field instructors.

Work Study

Work-study field placement allows graduate social work students to utilize field learning opportunities at their social service employment sites as their field placement setting.

This option may be available for those who work in agencies able to provide the equivalent of two days a week social work experience that is different from the student’s employment responsibilities. The agency should provide a field instructor with an M.S.W. and two years post-master’s experience, who is not the student’s regular work supervisor. The student must have been employed by the agency for one year.

Approval for work-study is based upon the Field Education Department’s evaluation of a comprehensive plan submitted by the student and the agency. Ordinarily students may take no more than one work study field placement.

Medical Examinations, Immunizations, Abuse Clearances, and Criminal Record Checks

Agencies may require medical exams, immunizations, abuse clearances, and/or criminal record checks. 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.

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 many 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. The School requires all students registering for field experience to obtain State Police and child abuse reports. Students in School of Social Work 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. Inability to obtain an appropriate placement may lead to dismissal from the program or otherwise prevent the student from obtaining a degree.
bar a graduate of the program from obtaining a license to practice as a social worker.
disqualify a licensed social worker from employment.

Students with circumstances in their backgrounds that may emerge during background checks are encouraged to discuss the potential implications of these circumstances with their advisor or the Director of Field Education.

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 School of Social Work 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 on-line. A copy of the code is given to each entering student, and he or she is required to sign a prepared statement acknowledging acceptance of this standard of behavior.

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.

Academic progress toward the M.S.W. degree is reviewed each semester for all students. Formal review by an Academic and Professional Standards Review Committee will occur for any of the following reasons:

Substandard academic performance: a grade point average that falls below 3.00 after completion of 6 or more credits.
Receipt of an “F” or “U” grade in a graduate social work course.
Alleged violation of the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers by report from the field instructor, faculty liaison, educational coordinator, faculty member or peer.
Alleged violation of the Code of Academic Honesty of Marywood University by report from the field instructor, faculty liaison, educational coordinator, faculty member, or peer.
Alleged failure to demonstrate the capacity to engage in appropriate social work roles, by report from the field instructor, faculty liaison, educational coordinator, faculty member, or peer.

Academic and Professional Standards Review procedures are detailed in the School of Social Work Student Handbook.

Program Plans

The School of Social Work at Marywood has developed full- and part-time program plans for persons seeking the Master of Social work 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 at the Lehigh Valley Center at De Sales University. Part-time programs are available on Saturdays in Scranton, evenings at the Lehigh Valley and Reading centers, and Saturdays at the Central Pennsylvania Center.

Dual Degree Programs: M.S.W./M.P.A., M.S.W./M.H.S.A., M.S.W./M.S. Gerontology

These programs are designed for those who wish to combine the development of administrative and managerial expertise in defined service areas—public or nonprofit agency administration, health services administration, or gerontological services administration—with the knowledge, skills, and values of the social work profession. The joint focus prepares students for a range of professional options and opportunities. Participation in a dual degree program permits the student to earn the the M.S.W. degree with the M.P.A., M.H.S.A., or M.S. Gerontology in a manner that expedites the time required, by crediting work earned for one degree to the requirements of the other.

M.S.W./Art Therapy

The combination of Art Therapy and Social Work is an innovation in interprofessional education. A student who has preparation in studio art can arrange a curriculum plan that will lead to the M.S.W. and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Art Therapy. The student will use art therapy courses as electives toward the M.S.W., and will apply to the art therapy degree program as a candidate for the CAGS on the basis of the M.S.W. This is a highly individualized and specialized program of study, and the student should seek advisement from both the School of Social Work and the Art Therapy Department.

M.S.W./Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling and M.S.W./Master of Divinity

Dual degree programs have been established with Moravian Theological Seminary. Students must apply to each school separately and be accepted by each. Several courses taken in each program are credited to the degree requirements in the other, allowing persons to earn either pair of degrees jointly with fewer credits than if taken separately.

Home and School Visitor Certification

Pennsylvania Certification for Home and School Visitor can be earned in combination with the M.S.W. or through a separate 34-credit course of study. The certification curriculum is presented as an interprofessional preparation for social work practice in elementary and secondary schools in Pennsylvania. Students who intend to practice in other jurisdictions may enroll in the program whether or not they plan to apply for Pennsylvania certification.

The program develops the competencies required for certification through course work in both the School of Social Work and in the Education Department of the College of Education and Human Development. Curriculum expectations for the Education courses, which fulfill the M.S.W. student’s elective requirements, can be adjusted on the basis of prior learning.

Preparation for certification includes 360 hours of supervised social work practice in school settings. M.S.W. candidates will accomplish the practice requirement through their practicum courses; certification candidates may develop other educationally appropriate schedules for practicum.

International Study Opportunities

Marywood University School of Social Work offers M.S.W. students opportunities for international social work with various agencies. To qualify, a student must have completed the equivalent of half of the M.S.W. program, be returning the following September, and have a QPA of 3.50 or higher. The placement agencies have education and experience requirements. The positions are all volunteer, and travel and any other costs are at the student’s own expense. The following September, the student registers to complete an independent study under the supervision of a member of the SSW faculty, based upon some aspect of the international experience. The independent study fulfills an elective requirement. To balance the extra costs of travel, Marywood University charges students for only two of the three credits in their international independent study.

It is possible to earn field education credit in an international placement. The requisite course work must typically be arranged to be taken concurrently at a university in the country where the student is placed. Placement can be developed for well-qualified students in a variety of international settings, but fluency in the language of the client system of the field placement is essential.

Transfer of Credits and Credit for Life or Work Experience

Only credits earned in CSWE accredited schools of social work are accepted for transfer. Prior to enrolling in the Marywood University School of Social Work M.S.W. Program, a student may request the transfer of up to twenty-eight (28) credits.

When an applicant requests transfer of credits from another accredited M.S.W. program, the following considerations will apply. Each application will be evaluated on its own merits. Credits may be transferred provided the work is at the level of 3.00 or better on a 4.00 point scale, at least three credits graduate level, deemed relevant to the student’s area of concentration, and completed not more than five years prior to the date of application. All decisions regarding the acceptability of courses transferred into the Marywood School of Social Work M.S.W. Program from another institution will be the responsibility of the Director in consultation with appropriate faculty in the area of the curriculum in which the course falls. It is the responsibility of the applicant to have an official copy of the transcript, listing the courses for which transfer credit is sought, sent to the Admissions Office along with a detailed description, or syllabus, of the courses in question.

Once enrolled in the M.S.W. Program at the Marywood University School of Social Work, a student may request transfer of up to six (6) credits of electives that were earned in accredited schools of social work subsequent to the student’s enrollment at Marywood. The same grade requirements as above must be met.

The School of Social Work does not grant academic credit for life or work experience.

Social Work Programs Courses