Social Work (MSW)

Program Details

• Degree Options

  The MSW program has the following degree options:

  • Full time: 62 credits completed full-time in two years, including summer courses
  • Part time: 62 credits typically completed in four years, including summer courses
  • Advanced Standing: applicants who have a BSW degree from a CSWE accredited program, may qualify for Advanced Standing Placement of 30+ credits completed full-time over three semesters (Summer, Fall, and Spring) or Part-Time in Two years

  MSW Curriculum Map Full Time Two Year Program

  MSW Curriculum Map Part Time Four Year Program

  MSW Curriculum Map Advanced Standing

• Program Learning Outcomes
  • Educate students to be competent (skilled) and effective (change agents) at working across service delivery systems utilizing a strengths-based approach and respecting human diversity.
  • Prepare competent and effective students for advanced generalist social work practice for the purposes of enhancing human well-being, preventing and alleviating human suffering, and advancing socio-economic and environmental justice.
  • Prepare students to work ethically with clients of all backgrounds regardless of ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender and culture and with client systems across the entire life span.
• Field Placements

  The MSW curriculum is uniquely designed as students take classes while doing concurrent fieldwork. You get the chance to apply what you learn, not at the end of your program, but during your program.  Students are placed in a variety of social service agencies throughout central Massachusetts and beyond. Your field work will give you an opportunity to work with diverse populations and we will assist you in selecting an appropriate and convenient field placement. If you work at a social service agency, you may be able to complete your field work there.

  Requirement for Field Placements
  All Masters of Social Work students must complete 900 hours of field education in total.

  Generalist Year Field Practicum
  First year students are required to be in field for 14-16 hours/week both Fall and Spring Semesters, 200 hours/semesters for a total of 400 hours for the academic year. Day and times in field can be determined by the student and placement.

  Advanced Generalist and Advanced Standing Field Practicum
  Advanced Year Field Practicum and Advanced Standing Placements are required to be in the field for 16-18 hours per week during the Fall and Spring Semesters for a total of 500 hours for the academic year.

  The program will prepare graduates for practice and licensure at the Masters level across the United States in accordance with ASWB standards. In Massachusetts, this licensure is classified as the Licensed Certified Social Worker(LCSW)

• Credit for Life Experience

  Consistent with the Council on Social Work Education’s Educational Policies and Accreditation Standards, the Master’s of Social Work Program does not grant course credit or exemptions for previous life or employment experience.

• MSW Mission Statement

  Consistent with the mission of Assumption University and EPAS (2022) requirements for the Council on Social Work Education, the Assumption University Master of Social Work Program’s Mission is: 

  The mission of the Master of Social Work (MSW) program is to prepare graduate students for advanced generalist practice with diverse populations through an integration of knowledge, values, and skills. Rooted in the professional social work tradition, the program educates ethical practitioners who are committed to human rights, anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice, and the pursuit of social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. The MSW program seeks to develop skilled advocates and agents of social change through evidence-informed practice, a person-in-environment framework, and a commitment to the respect for the dignity and worth of all people. Graduates will advance the opportunities, resources, and capacities of individuals, families, and communities both locally and globally.

• Academic and Professional Advising

  Academic Advising Policy
  All academic advising for the MSW Program is conducted by the Program Director and provides structured, collaborative support to promote student success and timely degree completion. Advising includes assistance with course selection, enrollment options, academic standing review, registration processes. The Program Director meets with each student at least once per semester and maintains weekly office hours, with additional meetings available upon request.

  Professional Advising Policy
  Professional advising is provided by MSW faculty and field education staff to support the development of students’ professional identity, ethical practice, and readiness for advanced generalist social work. Through both formal and informal processes—including coursework, field seminars, supervision, and mentorship—students receive guidance on professional expectations, ethical decision-making, and integration of theory and practice. Faculty and field staff collaborate to promote reflective practice, address professional concerns, and prepare students for field placement, employment, and licensure. This process reinforces competency-based growth, self-awareness, and alignment with CSWE’s core values of service, integrity, and social justice.

   

• Generalist Year Courses

  SWK 501 Social Work and Practice Fields (3)

  This is the first of the two required social work courses for the foundation year, which examines the history and development of Social Work and U.S social welfare programs and policies as they pertain to marginalized individuals. In addition, it provides the conceptual framework of generalist social work practice. This first course in the methods sequence introduces the concept that practice methods to be used in a given situation depend on the needs and preferences of the client, as well as on the skills of the social worker. It teaches the basic macro and micro intervention skills, techniques, and processes required for sound social work practice at the beginning of the professional level. The course focuses on professional and personal values and knowledge of self.

   

  SWK 502 Ethical Theory, Diversity and Social Justice (3)

  This course content addresses specific core areas. The core content areas include the history and evolution of values and ethics in social work; ethics theories (e.g. Abramson, Gilligan, Levy, Keith-Lucas, Loewenberg, Reamer, etc.), social justice, and the professional standards of social work practice, as described in the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics.  The course expands the knowledge of students in terms of race, ethnic identity, and various disenfranchised populations.

   

  SWK 503 Social Welfare Policy (3)

  This course examines the policies, programs, issues, and problems that social workers confront. Students are encouraged to develop critical and analytical skills in examining our present policies and in considering possible alternatives. Present day policies are analyzed through the lens of history and contemporary economic, social, political, value, and spiritual milieus. Using professional ethics and values, and cross-cultural knowledge as foundations, as well as the rich contribution and strengths of a diverse range of individuals and groups, particularly women and people of color, are brought to bear in evidence-based analyses of historical and contemporary policies.

   

  SWK 504 Growth and Behavior in Social Environment (3)

  This course examines the physical, psychological, social, spiritual and cultural forces impacting the growth and development of individuals within the context of their families, communities, and society. It provides the student with the opportunity to integrate knowledge from courses in Biology, Psychology and Sociology. Using a life span approach, the course covers the prenatal period through the aging years and death.

   

  SWK 505 Field Work & Seminar I (4)

  SWK 505/510 Field Work and Seminar I (4 Cr per semester) these courses build on the knowledge, and skills gained in the foundation fieldwork education placement. Students beginning experience working with individuals, families, small groups, communities, and organizations within the political, social, and cultural context of the setting. Issues of social and economic justice within organizational and community context and how they are addressed through policy or program development and evaluation. Students must complete 200 field placement hours per semester for a total of 400 hours. This course focuses on the development of applied social work skills, knowledge, values, cognitive and affective processes for generalist practice in a diverse population setting. As such, it provides students with an experiential learning experience consistent with an advanced field course. This course consists of 400 hours of practicum experience. Students are expected to attend all hours of practicum and training, demonstrating appropriate social work skills and use of self. The course emphasis is on the development of beginning social work skills and the application of these skills to the practice setting. Skills include the application of all the generalist curriculum content combined with the concurrent first semester social work generalist course content. This content encompasses an understanding of human behavior and social theories along with a commitment to the profession and an adherence to social work values and ethics. It also includes specific practice skills such as effective communication and professional use of self within the rural practice milieu as well as an understanding of and respect for persons who may not be from the same background, and respect for human diversity. This course requires the use of Tevera- an online platform that will be used to manage documentation required for your field experience. There is a one-time fee for students to purchase Tevera which provides life-time access to the product. Tevera can be purchased in the Assumption University Bookstore or directly through Tevera.(* there are processing fees that are applied by both Tevera and Bookstore).

   

  SWK 506 Generalist Practice with Individuals (3)

  This course builds on the first course- Social Work and practice (SWK 501) content. Students gain generalist practice skills. This course is an integration of theory and practice in working with clients as direct practitioners. Students gain knowledge of generalist practice at the micro level. This is one of the foundation courses of social work for MSW students. It is recommended to be taken concurrently with Fieldwork in the foundation year.

   

  SWK 507 Generalist Practice with Families and Groups (3)

  This is the third of the foundation practice course. It prepares students to assess larger systems such as groups, and families. The course covers interactional models of practice in the context of social work with groups, the group as a mutual aid system, and principles of group formation with the beginning phase of group work. The course covers these topics within the context of families and special attention is paid to social work practice with diverse groups, those oppressed and at-risk, and to institutional patterns of discrimination. This course is taken concurrently with SWK 510 Field work and seminar –II. The course integrates practice experience and course learning, and continues the development of the general skills required to intervene on a generalist practitioner level.

   

  SWK 508 Generalist Practice with Communities and Organizations (3)

  This course provides the student with an understanding and appreciation of macro social work practice with organizations and communities. Students will learn the social worker’s role and responsibility in assisting consumers to solve problems and promote change in the communities and organizations. A broad range of topics will be covered, including community organization, advocacy, policy analysis, supervision/administration and grant proposal writing.

   

  SWK 509 Social Work Research Methods (3)

  This course examines the role and the systematic process of research in the social work profession; it includes a review of relevant research in the field and instructs students in the evaluation of their own practice of social work. Students will be oriented to statistics and utility in the social work profession. This is one of the foundational courses for the MSW student. It is generally taken in the second semester or in the summer of the first year.

   

  SWK 510 Field Work & Seminar II (4)

  SWK 510 Field Work and Seminar II (4 Cr per semester) this course is a continuation of SWK 505 and continues to build on the knowledge, and skills gained in the foundation fieldwork education placement. Students will continue to experience working with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations within the political, social, and cultural context of the field setting. The course explores issues of social and economic justice within organizational and community context and how they addressed through policy or program development and evaluation. Students must complete 200 field placement hours per semester for a total of 400 hours. This course requires the use of Tevera- an online platform that will be used to manage documentation required for your field experience. There is a one-time fee per student to purchase Tevera which provides life-time access to the product. Tevera can be purchased in the Assumption University Bookstore or directly through Tevera. (* there are processing fees that are applied by both Tevera and Bookstore).

   

   

   

• Advanced Generalist Practice Year

  Upon completion of the generalist practice year of 10 required courses, students will be allowed to move into the concentration year of Advanced Generalist Practice. During this period, students are required to complete 30 credits, of which 24 are required courses. This includes a 620-hour field placement at the advanced level under a clinical supervisor. Students will continue to participate in the social work forum and six required courses at the advanced generalist level, which includes a two-part applied research component. The following are the course descriptions of the courses that students will take. In addition, students during the program are required to take two electives to make up a total of 62 credits in the program.  The electives may be taken in the MSW program or in another graduate program at Assumption University or at another institution.

   

  SWK 601 Policy and Practice (3)

  This course focuses on social work macro practice skills including the history of social welfare as well as social welfare policy as it impacts communities and service delivery organizations. It teaches policy and practice skills that enable students to use evidence based practices to frame interventions for social issues that affect the lives of marginalized groups of people and populations-at-risk. Using professional values and ethics and the employment of critical thinking skills as a base, students will demonstrate their ability to evaluate the effectiveness of culturally competent policy practice interventions. Pre-requisite is Social Welfare policy.

   

  SWK 602 Evaluation and Assessment (3)

  Social Workers in any setting need to demonstrate facility with client diagnosis. This course helps student assess individuals in the context of mental disorders using the person-in- environment approach. The evolution and assumptions of the DSM- V systems are examined in terms of strengths and limitations. Students will be oriented to the various disorders at the advanced generalist level. It will help students develop competence and critical thinking in the diagnostic process, while also considering diagnosis in a way that is consistent with social work values and principles.

   

  SWK 603 Administration and Supervision (3)

  This course is an advanced generalist practice course at the macro level. The first part of this course will focus on social work practice from an administrative perspective and the second part will focus on supervision in social work practice, including theories and principles of culturally competent management and organizational issues in administration within the context of professional social work. It will include consideration of social and economic justice and ethical imperatives and influences of funding patterns, legislation, organizational culture, and structure on program planning, and implementation. The second part of the course provides the requisite knowledge and skills for assuming basic responsibilities of being a supervisor. The part of the course examines the purpose, principles, and methods of supervision applicable to many social work settings and the demands upon the supervisor and supervisee. The emphasis is on the supportive, educational, and administrative elements of supervision. Issues specific to women and other minority groups are also addressed. This course is taken concurrently with Fieldwork and Seminar -III.

   

  SWK 604 Integrated Seminar – I (Applied Research) (2)

  This is the first half of a year-long course that serves as a capstone to the full MSW learning experience. Students will design and conduct human rights-based research projects that integrate the key concepts of the MSW program’s curricular themes and course work, and develop an integrative project proposal for a study that contributes to the knowledge, skills, and values of justice-based social work practice. Prerequisites: completion of foundation year courses. Offered winter break.

   

  Extended course description Students apply scientific methods of knowledge development for social work clinical practice; ethical standards for scientific inquiry; quantitative and qualitative research methods; and research designs to critical evaluation of research in the clinical concentration and to development of a plan for research project implementation. Students will engage in an advanced research practice experience that enables them to demonstrate the capacity to plan, conduct, and evaluate a research project in an agency or other approved venue. The research proposal is implemented during the spring semester while enrolled in SWK 609 Integrated Seminar-II and usually concurrently enrolled in Advanced Field Internship.

   

  SWK 605 Field Work and Seminar – III (4)

  SWK 605/610 Field Work and Seminar III and IV (4 Cr per semester) these courses build on the knowledge, and skills gained in the foundation field work education placement. Students gain additional experience working with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations within the political, social, and cultural context of the setting. Issues of social and economic justice within organizational and community context and how they addressed through policy or program development and evaluation are also studied. Students must complete 250 clock hours per semester. Taken concurrently with the practice course in the concentration.

  Prerequisites: Completion of all required 500 level MSW courses or admission to the Advanced Standing MSW program. This course requires the use of Tevera- an online platform that will be used to manage documentation required for your field experience. There is a one-time fee per student to purchase Tevera which provides life-time access to the product. Tevera can be purchased in the Assumption University Bookstore or directly through Tevera. (* there are processing fees that are applied by both Tevera and Bookstore).

   

  SWK 606 Advanced Practice with Couples, Families, and Groups (3)

  This course provides students with advanced generalist theories, knowledge, values, and skills for evidence-based direct practice with couples, families, and treatment groups. Students develop, analyze, integrate and apply advanced knowledge and skills in the comprehensive assessment and the differential application of treatment approaches and intervention strategies in social work practice at the micro level with couples and families and at the mezzo level with treatment groups. This course presents a framework for comparing, contrasting, and differentially applying these models to direct practice with diverse populations and in a variety of field settings, with emphasis on practice in a multicultural community context.

   

  SWK 609 Integrated Seminar- II (Research Project) (2)

  This is the second half of the year-long integrative project course. Students complete the human rights action project begun in the fall. Projects focus on advancing human rights and social and economic justice for children, families and communities, through education, social action, and policy. Projects integrate the concepts learned in previous courses and reflect the curricular themes and justice-based focus of the program. Prerequisites: completion of foundation year courses and SWK 604.

   

  SWK 610 Field work and Seminar – IV (4)

  SWK 605/610 Field Work and Seminar III and IV (4 Cr per semester) these courses build on the knowledge, and skills gained in the foundation fieldwork education placement. Students gain additional experience working with individuals, families, small groups, communities, and organizations within the political, social, and cultural context of the setting. Students will also examine issues of social and economic justice within organizational and community context and how they are addressed through policy or program development and evaluation. Students must complete 250 clock hours per semester. Taken concurrently with the practice course in the advanced generalist year. This course requires the use of Tevera- an online platform that will be used to manage documentation required for your field experience. There is a one-time fee per student to purchase Tevera which provides life-time access to the product. Tevera can be purchased in the Assumption University Bookstore or directly through Tevera. (* there are processing fees that are applied by both Tevera and Bookstore).

   

  Elective Courses (minimum two courses either in Social Work or another graduate program*)

  *requires approval of the Chair

  SWK 607- Foundations for Understanding Trauma

  SWK 611: Clinical Interventions

  SWK 612: Psychopharmacology for Social Workers

  SWK 701 Clinical Interviewing and Clinical Writing (3)

  SWK 704 Critical issues in Chemical Dependence (3)

  SWK 707 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (3)

  SWK 712 Child Abuse and Trauma (3)

  SWK 711 Death and Dying (3)