Master of Social Work
Website: https://twu.edu/social-work/master-of-social-work/
The MSW program offers an Advanced Generalist Practice curriculum, which is the fastest-growing area of concentration for MSW programs in the nation. Advanced Generalist Practice is performed by social workers with advanced competency in multilevel, multimethod approaches who are equipped to work in complex environments. The MSW Program boasts an academically rigorous curriculum and an exciting and diverse array of electives and field placement experiences that help students explore interests and expand beyond their current knowledge and skills.
Marketable Skills
Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."
- Apply advanced generalist knowledge and skills in complex practice environments.
- Use and translate research evidence to inform and improve practice, policy, and service delivery.
- Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation
- Apply and communicate an understanding of the importance of diversity and difference in shaping life experiences in practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
- Apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.
- Apply an understanding of social, economic, and environmental justice to advocate for human rights at the individual and system levels.
Admissions
All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.
The academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.
Degree Requirements
Total Semester Credit Hours Required
30 or 60 semester credit hours (SCH), depending on the option selected.
There are two Programs of Study, Generalist and Advanced, and two types of students may apply for admission. The first, Generalist students, are graduates of bachelor's programs in fields other than Social Work; they complete a two-year MSW program. Another category of students are those who have graduated from an accredited Bachelor of Social Work program within the last seven years. For these “Advanced Standing” students, the first "Generalist" year of the MSW is waived, and they complete the program in two long semesters. Both Generalist and Advanced Standing students may attend the program on either a full-time or part-time basis. Generalist students complete no fewer than 900 hours of practicum, while Advanced Standing students must complete at least 500 hours.
Students accepted into the program for the full-time two-year program complete 10 Generalist courses (30 SCH) in the first year and 10 advanced courses (30 SCH) in the second year. Students accepted into the Advanced Standing one-year full-time option complete 10 advanced courses (30 SCH). The program concentration is “Advanced Generalist Practice.”
Generalist (Foundational/Prerequisite) Courses
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| SOWK 5103 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment I | 3 |
| SOWK 5113 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment II | 3 |
| SOWK 5203 | Social Work Practice I: Individuals and Systems | 3 |
| SOWK 5213 | Social Work Practice II: Organizations and Communities | 3 |
| SOWK 5223 | Social Work Practice III: Groups | 3 |
| SOWK 5243 | Social Work Human Diversity and Multicultural Practice | 3 |
| SOWK 5303 | Social Work History and Social Welfare Policy | 3 |
| SOWK 5403 | Social Work Research Methods | 3 |
| SOWK 5803 | Social Work Foundation Field Seminar and Field Practicum I | 3 |
| SOWK 5813 | Social Work Foundation Field Seminar and Field Practicum II | 3 |
| Total SCHs | 30 | |
Specialist Courses
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| SOWK 5233 | Social Work Advanced Practice I | 3 |
| SOWK 5253 | Social Work Advanced Practice II Interventions | 3 |
| SOWK 5313 | Social Work Policy Practice | 3 |
| SOWK 5323 | Social Work Administration and Management | 3 |
| SOWK 5333 | Social Work Advanced Policy Analysis | 3 |
| SOWK 5833 | Social Work Advanced Field Seminar and Field Practicum I | 3 |
| SOWK 5843 | Social Work Advanced Field Seminar and Field Practicum II | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Choose two of the following | 6 | |
| Death, Dying and Bereavement | ||
| Practice in Mental Health | ||
| Theories and Interventions with Children | ||
| Child Maltreatment: Assessment and Intervention | ||
| Foster Care, Adoption and Permanency Planning | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Culminating Experience | ||
| SOWK 5973 | Advanced Integrative Seminar | 3 |
| or SOWK 5983 | Thesis | |
| Total SCHs | 30 | |
