Traditional MSW Flagship (On-Campus)

Direct Practice social work students are prepared to work with individuals, families, and groups. Students develop knowledge and skills in diagnosis and assessment, treatment, and prevention. Direct practice also focuses on collaborative problem solving and engages the social worker in advocacy to mobilize and improve service delivery systems and related policies. Direct practice social workers are employed in a variety of settings including child welfare, hospitals, community health settings, schools, housing developments, nursing homes, and mental health clinics. Direct Practice is comparable to clinical practice at other schools of social work. 

Direct Practice is a social work practice method that, in concert with people and/or on their behalf, enhances the quality of life and resolves disruption in social existence. The direct practice practitioner enables persons individually or collectively through the family and small group to achieve healthy resolution of developmental needs, accomplish life tasks, and perform social roles. Direct Practice focuses on: 

• helping people enhance their own coping and problem-solving efforts; 

• facilitating effective interaction between people and societal institutions and resource systems; and 

• change efforts directed at problematic psychosocial interpersonal functioning and change efforts directed at societal and institutional environments.

Community, Administration and Policy Practice social work students develop knowledge and skills related to changing larger systems, such as communities and organizations. The curriculum prepares students for work in the areas of planning, program development, community organizing, policy analysis, legislative advocacy, program evaluation, and human services management. Community, Administration and Policy Practice students build upon their knowledge of individual development to promote culturally competent solutions to social conditions. CAP Practice (Macro) students are employed in the public and private sectors in social service organizations as well as other organizations engaged in developing and analyzing policy. Also, CAP Practice majors often pursue entrepreneurship opportunities. Community, Administration, and Policy practice is comparable to macro social work at other schools of social work.

Specifically, the CAP Practice (Macro) advanced concentration prepares students to: 

• practice at the advanced level with stakeholders in larger systems such as organizations, communities, and at the policy level with a commitment to social and economic justice and human rights; 

• create and evaluate policies, opportunities and services to promote human well-being, self-determination and empowerment for African Americans, other people of color, and other populations; 

• practice in communities, organizations, and human services delivery systems while working to achieve organizational change; and 

• serve as leaders of the social work profession , organizations, communities, and the larger society

(Foundation course)  First of four required Agency-Based Education courses in regular sixty (60) hour degree program.  Focuses on integration of foundation knowledge and practice skills for beginning generalist practice.  Requires completion of 233 clock hours, including ten (10) hours for Agency-Based Education orientation, 208 hours in assigned Agency-Based Education agency setting, and 15 hours in scheduled Agency-Based Education integrative seminars.  Concurrent enrollment in Practice Methods I course required.

(Differential Foundation course)  Second of four required Agency-Based Education Education courses in regular sixty (60) hour degree program.  First of three Agency-Based Education courses in Advanced Standing program.  Focuses on integration of differential foundation knowledge and practice skills.  Requires completion of 223 clock hours, for regular students, including 208 hours in assigned Agency-Based Education agency and 15 hours in scheduled Agency-Based Education integrative seminars.  Requires 233 clock hours for advanced standing students, including 10 hours for Agency-Based Education orientation, 208 hours in assigned Agency-Based Education agency, and 15 hours for scheduled Agency-Based Education integrative seminars.  Concurrent enrollment in Practice Methods II course required.  Prerequisites: SWFI-201

(Advanced course)  Third of four required Agency-Based Education courses in regular sixty (60) hour degree program. Second of three required courses in advanced standing program.  Focuses on integration of advanced knowledge and practice skills in chosen Practice Method concentration, Requires completion of 272 clock hours, including 260 hours in assigned Agency-Based Education agency setting, and 12 hours in scheduled Agency-Based Education integrative seminars.  Concurrent enrollment in Practice Methods III course and Special Topics course required.  Prerequisites: SWFI-202

(Advanced course) Fourth of four required Agency-Based Education courses in regular sixty (60) hour degree program.  Third of three required courses in Advanced Standing program.  Focuses on integration of advanced knowledge and practice skills in chosen Practice Method concentration. Requires 272 clock hours, including 260 hours in assigned Agency-Based Education agency setting, and 12 hours in scheduled Agency-Based Education integrative seminars.  Concurrent enrollment in Practice Methods IV course and Special Topics course required.  Prerequisites: SWFI-336

Critically examines social forces, programs, policies, and services for families, particularly Black families. Social work practice implications are examined based on the assumption that the family is an important institution, a source of strength, dynamic and evolving in its structure, organization and values. The family as primary source of support and socialization for children is examined from two important perspectives: 

• The child within his/her natural parenting situation or home; and
• The child in need of substitute, alternative or additional parenting and childcare arrangements. Policy contexts are addressed; practice implications are examined

Course offerings focus on biological, psychological and social aspects of aging with a special emphasis on Black and minority aged are covered. Students are prepared to become practitioners with the elderly population. Policies, programs and services are studied with special emphasis on the Black elderly who are known to suffer disproportionately from the disadvantages and problems common to aging in America

Covers perspectives, problems and processes of refugees, immigrants, victims of natural and man-made disasters, displaced homemakers, long-term unemployed, and the homeless. Policy contexts and issues are covered as are relevant theoretical models and social work practice interventions. A wide variety of service responses are studied including institutional and self-help group responses to the phenomena of uprootedness and displacement. Critical policy analysis and practice implications as related to disadvantaged status and discrimination are covered.

Addresses special issues related to particular health care settings, health care policy and costs, epidemiology for health sciences and professional values and ethical issues. In addition, students completing the concentration are educated about the emotional and social stress placed on individuals and families when physical illness and handicaps are present. Psychosocial factors in illness and handicaps are covered as are social conditions and ethnic and racial differences as they are relevant to health care problems. The role of the health care system is examined, as well as its impact on its users, particularly Blacks, women, and other people of color.

Provides knowledge about policies, programs, and service systems in mental health. In addition, legal decisions and related issues that impact on mental health practice are covered as are: social work's role in interdisciplinary and emerging mental health settings. There is an emphasis on the implications and relevance of these factors to the mental health of Blacks, women, and other people of color