DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Curriculum
The MSW program curriculum is designed to prepare students for both generalist and specialized social work practice, and equip them with the knowledge, skills, values, and practice experiences necessary for work across varying contexts, social problems, and client/constituent systems. The curriculum is congruent with the accreditation standards set forth by the Council on Social Work Education, which encourages attainment of academic excellence through scientific inquiry, social responsibility, service, and the quest for justice.
The MSW Program is comprised of two program tracks offered full-time or part-time. These program tracks include classroom and field education (see below). The following describes the 60 Credit Track and 30 Credit Track (Advanced Standing):
- 60 Credit Program Track. Students enrolled in this Track will complete both their Generalist and Specialized Years in the MSW Program. Since Generalist courses serve as prerequisites for most Specialized courses, students are expected to complete the Generalist courses. Students in this track must complete a minimum total of 1,000 hours of field practicum in approved sites across two field placements (field courses included in required courses).
- 30 Credit Program Track (Advanced Standing). Students enrolled in this Track have been accepted to the MSW Program as Advanced Standing students. Advanced Standing is granted to students who have completed their Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from a CSWE accredited program and in accordance with admission criteria. Students in this track must complete a minimum of 500 hours of field practicum in an approved site (field courses included in required courses).
Specializations
Students will select one of two specializations: Direct Clinical Practice or Direct Community Practice. Both specializations emphasize practice across social work settings and roles and are taught through the lens of integrated and anti-racist practice.
Capstone
A capstone project is required for graduation and requires demonstration of social work competencies in alignment with the mission of the School and ethical principles of the profession.
Field Education
The program requires 500-1,000 hours of field practicum to be conducted over the course of the program (see description of program tracks). Sacred Heart University currently has an extensive network of agencies eager to accept graduate-level students for their field practica. Agencies include those in urban and suburban settings, and public and private not-for—profit organizations such as: schools, hospitals, adult mental health clinics, juvenile justice, adult probation, substance abuse programs, disabilities, adoptions, child protective services, public housing, domestic violence, refugee and re-settlement, adult psychiatric services and children’s mental health.
Students are eligible for the field education program when they have been admitted to the MSW Program and have met the following criteria, or will meet the following criteria prior to the start of the field placement:
- A minimum of a 3.0 GPA & B or better in all courses,
- In good program standing (i.e., no program probation),
- Course Pre/Co-Requisites (as referenced below) have been met before or taken concurrently with field,
- Timely completion of all Field Placement Planning Documents and Steps according to the Field Education Placement Process and established timelines.
- Confirmed placements at a qualified field site/setting.
The Graduate Transfer Credit Policy governs the approval of transfer credits.
Transfer Credit Limit: 15
Minimum Grade Required: B
REQUIRED ELECTIVES
Students enrolled in the 60-credit track program are required to take 6 elective credits. Students enrolled in the 30-credit track (Advanced Standing) are required to take 9 elective credits. The School of Social Work offers a variety of elective courses on a rotating basis from semester to semester. Contact department or Advisor for details.
| SW 530 | Group Work | 3 |
| SW 535 | Forensic Social Work | 3 |
| SW 540 | Mental Health & Addiction | 3 |
| SW 545 | SW Practice with LGBTQ+ Community | 3 |
| SW 550 | Loss & Life Transition | 3 |
| SW 555 | Children and Families | 3 |
| SW 560 | Trauma-Informed Practice | 3 |
| SW 570 | Inter-Professional Education | 3 |
REQUIRED GENERALIST COURSES
All courses listed below comprise the generalist curriculum of the MSW program and are required to complete prior to the specialized courses that follow. Please see list of pre/co-requisite requirements for generalist courses.
| SW 524 | Human Diversity & Social Justice | 3 |
| SW 565 | Social Welfare Policy I | 3 |
| SW 566 | Social Welfare Policy II | 3 |
| SW 567 | Human Behavior & Social Environment I | 3 |
| SW 568 | Human Behavior & Social Environment II | 3 |
| SW 575 | Social Work Generalist Practice I | 3 |
| SW 576 | Social Work Generalist Practice II | 3 |
| SW 578 | Generalist Practicum & Seminar I | 3 |
| SW 580 | Generalist Practicum & Seminar II | 3 |
| SW 585 | Assessment of Client Systems | 3 |
| SW 590 | Methods of Social Work Research | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 33 |
Generalist Courses: Pre/Co-Requisite Requirements
- SW 568 Human Behavior & the Social Environment II (pre-requisite = SW 567 Human Behavior & the Social Environment I)
- SW 566 Social Welfare Policy II (pre-requisite = SW 565 Social Welfare Policy I)
- SW 576 Generalist Practice II (pre-requisite= SW 575 Generalist Practice I)
Generalist Field Education Courses: Pre/Co-Requisite Requirements
For Generalist Field Placement, the course pre/co-requisites for SW 578 Generalist Practicum & Seminar I are:
- SW 524 Human Diversity and Social Justice
- SW 567 Human Behavior & the Social Environment I
- SW 575 Social Work Generalist Practice I
The course pre/co-requisites for SW 580 Generalist Practicum & Seminar II are:
- SW 578 Generalist Practicum & Seminar 1 (pre)
- SW 576 Social Work Generalist Practice II (pre/co)
- SW 568 Human Behavior & the Social Environment II (pre/co)
REQUIRED SPECIALIZED/ADVANCED STANDING COURSES
All courses listed below comprise the specialized curriculum. Completion of all generalist courses or admission to Advanced Standing is required prior to taking specialized courses. Please see additional pre/co-requisites following the list of courses below.
| SW 591 | Applying Research in Practice | 3 |
| SW 586 | Clinical Assessment & Diagnosis | 3 |
| SW 587 | Community Assessment | 3 |
| SW 624 | Anti-Racist Social Work Practice: Disrupting, Challenging & Healing | 3 |
| SW 675 | Specialized Integrated Practice I | 3 |
| SW 676 | Specialized Integrated Practice II: MSW Capstone | 3 |
| SW 678 | Specialized Practicum & Seminar I | 3 |
| SW 680 | Specialized Practicum & Seminar II | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 24 |
Specialization
Choose one of the following required courses based on your academic focus during your Specialized Year:
- SW 586: Clinical Assessment & Diagnosis (required for Direct Clinical Specialization), OR
- SW 587: Community Assessment (required for Direct Community Specialization)
Specialized Courses: Pre/Co-Requisite Requirements
- SW 591 Applying Research in Practice (pre-requisite = SW 590 Methods of Social Work Research or Advanced Standing)
- SW 676 Specialized Integrated Practice II, Capstone (pre-requisite = SW 675 Specialized Integrated Practice I)
Specialized Field Education Courses: Pre/Co-Requisite Requirements
Completion of all generalist courses and generalist field placement or Advanced Standing is required prior to starting the specialized field education courses. The following are additional pre/co-requisite requirements:
The course pre/co-requisites SW 678 Specialized Practicum & Seminar I are:
- SW 586 or SW 587 Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis OR Community Assessment
- SW 675 Specialized Integrated Practice I
The course co-requisites for SW 680 Specialized Practicum & Seminar II are:
- SW 676 Specialized Integrated Practice II