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 academics 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.
The 60 credits required for the MSW degree include 30 credits in the generalist curriculum and 30 credits in the specialized practice curriculum. The degree can be completed full-time in four terms of study or through an extended plan over six or eight terms. Students with a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program may apply for Advanced Standing and complete 36 credits over one or two years.
The specialized practice curriculum has a concentration of health and mental health. An integrative seminar/capstone project is completed in the final semester of study and requires an integrative paper or project. The MSW program values interprofessional education and requires students to complete 30 hours of interprofessional education activities before graduation. The MSW program at Quinnipiac University does not give credit for life or work experience.
Students entering Quinnipiac as undergraduates who are interested in the social work program have the option of pursuing a dual-degree bachelor's to master's program. There are two options: the Accelerated Dual-Degree BS in Health Science Studies/Master of Social Work (3+2) that begins with an undergraduate degree in Health Science Studies in the School of Health Sciences, or the Accelerated Dual-Degree Bachelor's/Master of Social Work (3+2) that begins with undergraduate study in the College of Arts and Sciences. Students who are interested in earning a JD and a Master of Social Work may earn both degrees on an accelerated basis by enrolling in the joint Dual-Degree JD/MSW program. Please see the Admission tab for additional details.
The MSW degree also meets the academic requirements for licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).
Traditional MSW Program of Study
Students can choose among three plans of study for the traditional 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 generalist and specialized practice field placements.
Of the four elective courses, two must be clinical elective courses.
Three-Year Extended MSW
Students complete the generalist curriculum over two years with a reduced course load and then attend classes full time to complete the specialized practice curriculum. In addition to their classes, students are required to complete generalist and specialized practice field placements.
Of the four elective courses, two must be clinical elective courses.
Four-Year Extended MSW
Students complete the generalist curriculum over two years with a reduced course load and then complete the specialized practice curriculum over two years with a reduced course load. In addition to their classes, students are required to complete generalist and specialized practice field placements.
Of the four elective courses, two must be clinical elective courses.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the MSW program, students will demonstrate the following competencies:
Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior.
Engage diversity and difference in practice.
Advance human rights and social, economic and environmental justice.
Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
Engage in policy practice.
Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Quinnipiac University MSW program is to prepare social workers for specialized practice in health and mental health through a curriculum that focuses on clinical and organizational practice, experiential learning, and interprofessional teamwork. Guided by respect for human dignity and a commitment to social justice, the MSW program uses a person-in-environment framework to ready students for professional practice in dynamic contexts.
MSW Program Values
The MSW program’s core values 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 and competence.
MSW Program Goals
The MSW program has the following five goals:
Prepare students to be competent ethical social workers in a varietyof health and mental health settings.
Prepare students to engage in anti-racist and anti-oppressive clinical and organizational social work practice.
Prepare students to advocate for equity and social justice at all levels of social work practice.
Prepare students to integrate social work perspectives within interprofessional collaborations and across systems.
Promote lifelong learning and professional development for students, alumni and social work colleagues.
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. Students with a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program are encouraged to apply for Advanced Standing.
Dual-Degree JD/MSW
Students interested in earning both a JD and a Master of Social Work may earn both degrees on an accelerated basis by enrolling in the Dual-Degree JD/MSW program. 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.
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.
Additional Program Costs
As a clinical education program, the MSW program requires some expenses that go beyond standard university tuition and fees:
Clinical/Fieldwork Education Travel (gas, parking, public transportation): Students are responsible for the costs associated with travel to and from field internships. Costs: variable.
Background Check: Quinnipiac University and its clinical affiliates require that all students undergo a criminal background check, through the university vendor, prior to beginning classes (University Criminal Background Check Policy). Please note that placement sites may require that students participate in the agency’s background check, in addition to the one required by the university.
University background check – Cost: $63 for all domestic addresses for the past 7 years or $158 for students who have resided in New York state in the last 7 years due to NY state surcharge.
Some students may be required to do an annual recheck one year after the initial background recheck. Cost: $32 per annual recheck.
Drug Screening: Some sites require physical and/or substance use drug screens as well as fingerprinting. MSW students are expected to comply with all agency requirements prior to beginning field internships.
Liability Insurance: All students have liability insurance coverage through the university, free of charge, while performing required clinical activity. Students may choose to purchase additional coverage at their own expense.
EXXAT and APPROVE: Students enrolled in the MSW program must enroll in EXXAT and APPROVE.
EXXAT is the clinical tracking and assessment program used by the School of Health Sciences. Cost: one-time payment of $150 per student enrolled in the MSW program (students are responsible for this cost).
APPROVE is the program within EXXAT that tracks all student health and safety records, provides documentation to prospective clinical sites, and provides notification of impending expiration dates. Cost: $35 - first year, after which it is $10 per year.
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
Phone: 703-683-8080
Fax: 703-683-8099
Email: info@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.
