Master of Social Work
Program Contact: Deborah Rejent 203-582-6433
The master of social work program prepares students for achievement and leadership in the field of social work. The curricular approach of the MSW program is unique in that it directly engages students in interprofessional education and the health care team approach.
Quinnipiac’s MSW program embraces the university’s commitment to the development of professional expertise through practice experience. The two field placements offer students the opportunity to practice skills learned in the classroom in real-world settings. A seminar that supports the student in integrating academic and fieldwork is held monthly. Upon completion of the MSW degree, the student will have at least 1,000 hours of professional preparation in the field.
General Information
The 60 credits required for the MSW degree include 30 credits in the foundation curriculum and 30 credits in the advanced curriculum. The degree can be completed full-time in four terms of study or through an extended plan, where the foundation curriculum begins with part-time courses (6 credits) for one or two semesters, and is completed full time over two semesters of study (with foundation field and courses for 9 or more credits each term) and the advanced curriculum is completed full time over two semesters.
The curriculum includes a course in interprofessional education. An electronic portfolio is used throughout the program to include all major assignments from courses and field placements. The advanced curriculum has a concentration of health/behavioral health. Also, each student chooses one of four specializations: aging services, child and family welfare and justice, health/mental health/substance abuse, or school social work. An integrative seminar/capstone project is completed in the final semester of study and requires an integrative paper or project related to the specialization. The MSW program at Quinnipiac University does not give credit for life or work experience.
Students interested in earning both a JD degree and a Master of Social Work degree may earn both degrees on an accelerated basis by enrolling in the joint JD/MSW degree program. Please see the Admission tab for details.
The MSW degree also meets the academic requirements for licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).
MSW Program of Study
Students can choose among three plans of study for the MSW.
The curriculum for the professional courses in the program are subject to modification as deemed necessary to maintain a high-quality educational experience and keep current with best practices in the profession.
Two-Year Full-time MSW
Students in this plan of study enter the MSW program in the fall semester and complete the degree over four terms of study in two academic years. In addition to their classes, students are required to complete foundation and advanced field placements.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| SW 500 | Foundation Field Education Practicum I | 3 |
| SW 501 | Practice I: Individuals and Families | 3 |
| SW 504 | Social Welfare Policy | 3 |
| SW 505 | Social Work Research | 3 |
| SW 506 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment I: Theories of Practice | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SW 502 | Foundation Field Education Practicum II | 3 |
| SW 503 | Practice II: Groups, Organizations, and Communities | 3 |
| SW 507 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment II: Issues of Diversity and Oppression | 3 |
| SW 508 | Psychopathology | 3 |
| SW 509 | Interprofessional Education (IPE) Option | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SW 600 | Advanced Field Education Practicum In Health/Behavioral Health I | 4 |
| SW 601 | Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SW 604 | Evaluation Research for Social Work Programs and Practice | 2 |
| Select two electives 1 | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SW 602 | Advanced Field Education Practicum In Health/Behavioral Health II | 4 |
| SW 603 | Advanced Organizational Social Work Practice: Program Management, Supervision, Career Development and Professional Ethics | 3 |
| SW 605 | Integrative Seminar/Capstone Project | 2 |
| Select two electives 1 | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
| 1 | Of the four elective courses, one must be an advanced clinical course and another must support the chosen specialization. |
Extended MSW (completed in six semesters with fall admission)
Students are admitted in the fall to complete the foundation curriculum over two years with part-time and full-time terms and then attend classes full time during the last nine months of study (fall and spring) to complete the advanced concentration curriculum. In addition to their classes, students are required to complete foundation and advanced field placements.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| SW 505 | Social Work Research | 3 |
| SW 506 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment I: Theories of Practice | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SW 507 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment II: Issues of Diversity and Oppression | 3 |
| SW 509 | Interprofessional Education (IPE) Option | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SW 500 | Foundation Field Education Practicum I | 3 |
| SW 501 | Practice I: Individuals and Families | 3 |
| SW 504 | Social Welfare Policy | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SW 502 | Foundation Field Education Practicum II | 3 |
| SW 503 | Practice II: Groups, Organizations, and Communities | 3 |
| SW 508 | Psychopathology | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SW 600 | Advanced Field Education Practicum In Health/Behavioral Health I | 4 |
| SW 601 | Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SW 604 | Evaluation Research for Social Work Programs and Practice | 2 |
| Select two electives 1 | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SW 602 | Advanced Field Education Practicum In Health/Behavioral Health II | 4 |
| SW 603 | Advanced Organizational Social Work Practice: Program Management, Supervision, Career Development and Professional Ethics | 3 |
| SW 605 | Integrative Seminar/Capstone Project | 2 |
| Select two electives 1 | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
| 1 | Of the four elective courses, one must be an advanced clinical course and another must support the chosen specialization. |
Extended MSW (completed in five semesters with spring admission)
Students are admitted in the spring semester to complete the foundation curriculum in three semesters (with part-time and full-time terms) and then attend classes full-time during the last nine months of study (fall and spring) to complete the advanced concentration curriculum. In addition to their classes, students are required to complete foundation and advanced field placements.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spring Semester | Credits | |
| SW 507 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment II: Issues of Diversity and Oppression | 3 |
| SW 509 | Interprofessional Education (IPE) Option | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SW 500 | Foundation Field Education Practicum I | 3 |
| SW 501 | Practice I: Individuals and Families | 3 |
| SW 504 | Social Welfare Policy | 3 |
| SW 505 | Social Work Research | 3 |
| SW 506 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment I: Theories of Practice | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SW 502 | Foundation Field Education Practicum II | 3 |
| SW 503 | Practice II: Groups, Organizations, and Communities | 3 |
| SW 508 | Psychopathology | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SW 600 | Advanced Field Education Practicum In Health/Behavioral Health I | 4 |
| SW 601 | Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SW 604 | Evaluation Research for Social Work Programs and Practice | 2 |
| Select two electives 1 | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SW 602 | Advanced Field Education Practicum In Health/Behavioral Health II | 4 |
| SW 603 | Advanced Organizational Social Work Practice: Program Management, Supervision, Career Development and Professional Ethics | 3 |
| SW 605 | Integrative Seminar/Capstone Project | 2 |
| Select two electives 1 | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
| 1 | Of the four elective courses, one must be an advanced clinical course and another must support the chosen specialization. |
Mission Statement
The mission of the Quinnipiac University MSW program is to prepare social workers for advanced practice in the context of health and behavioral health settings through a curriculum that focuses on clinical practice, organizational practice and interprofessional teamwork. This program is guided by a person and environment construct, a global perspective, respect for human diversity and knowledge based on scientific inquiry, for the purpose of educating social work professionals to promote human and community well-being. The program’s core values are as follows and reflect the NASW Code of Ethics for Social Workers: service, social justice, the dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, integrity, competence, human rights and scientific inquiry.
Program Goals
The MSW program has the following four goals:
- Prepare social workers to be advanced practitioners in diverse systems of various sizes, emphasizing competent, ethical clinical and organizational practice toward the advancement of the human condition. The advanced curriculum will build upon the foundation curriculum of generalist knowledge and practice skills with individuals, families and groups and communities.
- Prepare social workers to practice without discrimination with diverse populations.
- Prepare social workers to engage in professional activities that promote interprofessional collaboration and advocacy within diverse environments toward the enhancement of the human condition.
- Prepare students for lifelong professional development.
Admission
To qualify for admission to the program, students must have earned a bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by a recognized regional accrediting association, with a preferred minimum GPA of 3.0 and at least 20 semester credits in liberal arts, and a course in statistics (with a grade of C or higher).
Background Check and Drug Screening
To ensure their safety and maintain high-quality care of patients, clinical affiliates of the university require students to have a criminal background check. All students entering the Quinnipiac MSW program are required to undergo a criminal background check (through the university vendor) prior to beginning classes. This is a mandatory component of the program. In addition, MSW students may be required to undergo a criminal background re-check and/or drug screen prior to any of their field placements. The results are made available to the student through their own personal and secure online portal. Whenever a Quinnipiac MSW student may need proof of his/her criminal background check for field placements, the student will release the information directly from their personal portal to the clinical site. The cost of the criminal background check and any re-checks and/or drug screens is the responsibility of each individual student.
Joint Degree JD/MSW
Students interested in earning both a JD degree and a Master of Social Work degree may earn both degrees on an accelerated basis by enrolling in the joint JD/MSW degree program.
The two degree programs, if completed separately, require 146 credits—86 for the JD degree and 60 for the MSW degree. Students in the joint degree program are required to complete only 131 total credits. Joint degree students will earn: 1) their JD degree with 77 law credits and 9 social work credits (from courses approved in advance by the law school associate dean); and 2) their MSW degree with 54 social work credits and 6 law credits (from courses approved by the Social Work faculty). The two programs, which require five years of study if taken separately, can be completed in 4½ years in the ordinary course, or in 4 calendar years if 11 credits are earned during summer semesters.
Students must apply and be accepted separately to each program. Ideally, students would apply to both programs before starting either but a student enrolled in either program could, during the first year (and possibly later), apply for and be accepted to the other program.
Students may begin their study in either program but must complete the first year in each program before any advanced courses can be taken in that program.
A student in the joint program may not obtain either degree until the requirements for both have been met. Upon admission to the joint degree program, the enrolled student must meet with the Director of the MSW program and the associate dean of the School of Law.
The MSW program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
The CSWE address is:
Council on Social Work Education
1701 Duke Street, Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 22314
P: +1.703.683.8080
F: +1.703.683.8099
E: info@cswe.org
Website: www.cswe.org
All Council on Social Work Education programs measure and report student learning outcomes. Students are assessed on their mastery of the competencies that comprise the accreditation standards of the Council on Social Work Education. These competencies are dimensions of social work practice that all social workers are expected to master during their professional training. A measurement benchmark is set by the social work programs for each competency. An assessment score at or above that benchmark is considered by the program to represent mastery of that particular competency.
Please click Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes (PDF) for more information - last completed June 27, 2016.