The MSW curriculum is designed to provide students, who enter with a liberal arts perspective, a professional education that includes both breadth and depth of knowledge and skills development. The Generalist Curriculum addresses the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and values that comprise the generalist social work perspective.
Upon this common foundation rests the curricula for the two advanced Skill Specializations:
- Direct Practice with Individuals, Families, and Small Groups » (Direct Practice)
- Community, Organization, and Social Action » (COSA)
Employees of public child welfare agencies interested pursuing an MSW degree should visit the CWEL home page.
Those interested in working with older adults should visit the Aging Initiatives & Programs page.
The MSW degree requires completion of a minimum of 60 credits—42 class and 18 field practicum. Both the class and field requirements include foundation and skill concentration curricula. Please refer to the MSW Student Handbook (PDF) to obtain more detailed information on course of study plans for the various MSW curricula options.
Field education is an important component of the MSW educational experience. Students complete both a foundation and a concentration-specific placement as part of their MSW studies.
The School of Social Work offers seven joint degree options for master's level students. Learn more about these dual, joint and cooperative degree program options.
Interested in learning how to apply for admission to the MSW Program?
Want to find out about University tuition and fees or financial aid?
MSW Courses
See a complete list of course schedules and descriptions.
Subject Course # Course Title
Required Foundation Courses
SWRES 2021 Foundation Social Work Research
SWGEN 2034 Foundations Social Work Practice w/Diverse Pop
SWBEH 2063 Human Behavior in the Social Environment
SWWEL 2081 Social Welfare
SWGEN 2098 Generalist Foundations Social Work Practice
SWGEN 2099 Foundation Fieldwork
Required COSA Courses
SWCOSA 2084 Intro to Social Administration (Admin Specialization)
SWCOSA 2088 Community Organizing & Planning (CO Specialization)
SWCOSA 2099 COSA Fieldwork
Required Direct Practice Courses
SWINT 2082 Models of Intervention
SWINT 2031 Adv Direct Practice:Cognitive/Behavioral
SWINT 2032 Adv Direct Practice:Social Systems
SWINT 2033 Adv. Direct Practice: Psychodynamic
SWINT 2099 Direct Practice Fieldwork
Required 2nd-Level Behavior Courses—COSA
SWBEH 2008 Human Behavior:Urban Environment
Required 2nd-Level Behavior Courses—Direct Practice
SWBEH 2062 Human Beh:Children & Families at Risk
SWBEH 2065 Human Behavior:Mental Health
SWBEH 2066 Human Behavior:Health
SWBEH 2077 Human Behavior:Adult Development Aging
Required 2nd-Level Research Courses
SWRES 2009 Organiztnal&CommunDevelpmnt Res(Admin Spec)
SWRES 2047 Community BasedParticipatoryRes(CO Specializtn)
SWRES 2033 Evaluative Research in Social Services
SWRES 2045 Qualitative Research
SWRES 2051 Single Subject Research
Required 2nd-Level Welfare Courses—COSA
SWWEL 2087 Organizations & Public Policy
Required 2nd-Level Welfare Courses—Direct Practice
SWWEL 2039 Social Policy & Gerontology
SWWEL 2056 Health Systems & Public Policy
SWWEL 2057 Mental Health & Public Policy
SWWEL 2059 Child & Family Policy
COSA Skill Electives
SWCOSA 2038 Human Resource Management & Supervision
SWCOSA 2040 Grant Proposal Writing
SWCOSA 2054 Leadership & Teams
SWCOSA 2085 Financial Managment Human Service Institutions
SWCOSA 2090 Wrkng w/Group & Intergrp Relatns:Facil,Negot,Mediat
SWCOSA 2096 Community Planning and Development
Direct Practice Skill Electives
SWINT 2004 Grief & Loss
SWINT 2007 Intro Psychopharmacology in SW Practice
SWINT 2009 Family Group Decision Making
SWINT 2011 Social Work Practice w/Families
SWINT 2016 Interpersonal Psychotherapy
SWINT 2018 Clinical Skills Psychopathology
SWINT 2025 Adv SW Practice in Integrated Healthcare
SWINT 2030 Direct Practice w/Elderly
SWINT 2035 Intimate Partner Violence
SWINT 2042 Social Work in Drug & Alcohol Abuse
SWINT 2046 Planned Short Term Treatment
SWINT 2047 Child Permanency
SWINT 2049 Direct Practice w/Children
SWINT 2050 Couples Therapy: Theory & Techniques
SWINT 2053 Social Work Practice with Groups
SWINT 2058 Social Work in Educational Settings
SWINT 2063 Issues in Child Maltreatment
SWINT 2076 Human Sexuality
SWINT 2096 Clinical SW w/African-American Families
General Electives
SWGEN 2007 Social Work and the Law
SWWEL 2020 Child & Family Advocacy
SWWEL 2035 Global Perspectives in Social Work
SWWEL 2051 Economics and Social Work
SWGEN 2058 Feminist Social Work
SWGEN 2062 Advocacy & Lobbying
SWGEN 2080 Race and Social Problems