Social Work, MSW

David Miller, Chair, Master of Social Work Program
mandelschool@case.edu

Degree: Master of Social Work (MSW)

Program Overview

The Master of Social Work (MSW) program prepares students for advanced social work practice in a variety of settings. The master’s curriculum is designed to address the wide range of skills and functions required of a professional social worker. Mandel School students are instructed on the various theories of individual and group behavior as well as community systems theory. The application of this knowledge, along with the appropriate use of practice principles and techniques, is a major educational objective.

The curriculum is divided into two levels: generalist and advanced/specialized. The generalist curriculum (21 credit hours) includes the knowledge, values, processes, and skills essential for the general practice of social work. It consists of generalist courses in social work methods, human development theory, social policy, research methods, and an introductory semester of field education. The advanced and specialized curriculum (39 credit hours) builds on the professional foundation and provides for advanced knowledge and practice skills in the specialization selected by the student. The Mandel School offers two Specializations (Integrated Health & Wellness and Community Practice for Social Change). The Integrated Health & Wellness specialization includes these paths of study:  aging; substance use disorders and recovery; children, youth and families; health; mental health with children and adolescents; mental health with adults. School social work is available as a special emphasis.

On-Campus Weekly Program

The Campus-Based Weekly Program takes four semesters to complete. Students enroll for fall and spring semesters and are scheduled concurrently for classes and fieldwork on a full-time basis. This program is demanding in depth and scope of experience. It is not advisable for students to assume extensive employment during their semesters of enrollment.

Advanced standing may be granted to students who have earned a Bachelor's degree in Social Work (BSW) within the last seven years from an institution accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Students must have earned a B or better in any social work course for which advanced standing is sought.

Part-Time Degree Program

The part-time program may be completed in three years. Students granted advanced standing may complete the program in fewer semesters. Part-time students are required to register for a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester. A student must complete all degree requirements in a maximum of five years.

Part-time students select classes from the full-time weekday schedule. These classes meet once a week for two-three hours. Employed professionals may participate in this program if they can arrange a flexible work schedule.
 

Non-Degree Study

Some designated courses may be taken on a non-degree basis with the permission of the assistant dean of academic affairs and the course instructor. A maximum of 12 credit hours earned on a non-degree basis may be counted toward requirements for the master's degree if the student is subsequently admitted as a degree-seeking candidate. A bachelor's degree is required for enrollment.

Learning Outcomes

  • 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
  • Develop as a Social Work Leader

Ability Based Learning Environment (ABLE)

The MSW program incorporates an ability-based learning environment that enables students to develop and demonstrate mastery of eight core social work abilities. Classroom courses and field education are designed to help students develop each ability and continuously assess their learning throughout the educational experience. Mastery of the abilities is demonstrated in the field practicum and documented in a cumulative learning portfolio.

  • Identify as a Reflective Professional Social Worker:  Students will demonstrate an awareness of the potential influence of their actions and words as a professional social worker upon individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. Students will demonstrate the ability to reflect on practice decisions and activities, using self-correction to assure continual professional development.
  • Advocate for Social, Economic and Environmental Justice: Graduates will advocate for human rights and social and economic justice as one of their primary responsibilities.
  • Apply Social Work Methods: Graduates of the Mandel School's master's program are prepared to function as advanced practitioners in a changing arena of social work and social welfare. They are able to engage clients and client systems, assess client needs and strengths, provide or help arrange needed services and support, weigh intervention alternatives, implement change strategies, and evaluate results.
  • Uphold Social Work Values and Ethics: Students will integrate social work values and ethics into their learning and professional practice.
  • Integrate Cultural, Economic and Global Diversity: Students will integrate into their practice the knowledge, skills, and values needed for understanding and appreciation of a diverse world, and for ongoing development of competence in working with diverse populations and settings.
  • Think Critically About Theory and Research Knowledge: Graduating students will be able to think critically about their practice and its knowledge base, and about the social problems and situations they encounter. Critical thinking in social work includes selecting appropriate theoretical approaches and strategies to apply in practice, using research findings to improve practice, evaluating one's own practice, and making contributions to knowledge in the field.
  • Communicate Effectively: Graduating students will have the oral, written, nonverbal, and information technology skills that will enable them to communicate effectively and appropriately in professional roles and settings.
  • Develop as an Anti-Racist and Anti-Oppressive Social Work Leader:

Mandel School Anti-racist and Anti-oppressive Leadership

​Social workers understand that proficiency in the first nine competencies provide the required foundation for achieving the tenth competency of developing as an Antiracist and Anti-oppressive Social Work Leader, and for assuming leadership roles within the profession. Antiracist and anti-oppressive leaders recognize and value the need for radical social change at all levels of social work policy and practice. They are committed to driving self-reflexive change within themselves, their organizations, and society as a whole. These leaders are committed to antiracist and anti-oppressive work as an ongoing personal and collective responsibility to uncover and disrupt colonialism, white supremacy, and intersectional structures of oppression. They are compelled to engage in ongoing learning to understand their roles in perpetuating racism, and intersectional structures of oppression, in order to dismantle it in pursuit of social justice, equity, and belonging.  

Antiracist and anti-oppressive leaders develop a critical understanding of how racism is inextricably linked to other systems of oppression, e.g. classism, sexism, cisgenderism, heteronormativity and ableism. Therefore, antiracist leadership by its definition must include critical awareness of how historical and contemporary manifestations of racism are interconnected with other systems of oppression. To do this, antiracist and anti-oppressive leaders at the generalist level work to develop knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive and affective processes in three core areas: Developing a commitment to ongoing education; systems thinking; and centering those most impacted. 

Developing a Commitment to Ongoing Education

Antiracist and anti-oppressive leaders value the importance of self-education and building awareness of issues of racism and intersectional oppressions at the micro-, mezzo-, and macro-levels of practice. They actively work to educate self and others, challenging stereotypes and promoting understanding. They are developing awareness of how social data may reflect discrimination in larger society and may be misused to perpetuate inequality. In addition, they are developing an early awareness of how data are being utilized across levels of practice and the importance of the integration of community knowledge and lived experience into research and practice.  Finally, antiracist and anti-oppressive leaders are developing awareness of how their own positionalities are informed by their social identities and lived experiences.

Systems Thinking

Antiracist and anti-oppressive leaders adopt a systems thinking approach to understand complex social problems, and disrupt and dismantle systems of oppression. This involves moving beyond an individual action or isolated incidents perspective to a systems-thinking perspective. At the generalist level, social workers are developing the cognitive and affective skills necessary to understand how systems replicate inequities and starting to question how social workers might intervene to change systems for the advancement of equity, social justice, and belonging. 

Centering Those Most Impacted 

Antiracist and anti-oppressive leaders recognize the importance of developing shared power to advance social justice, equity, and belonging. These leaders value centering the lived experiences of those most impacted by racism and intersectional systems of oppression in all efforts to disrupt and dismantle these systems. To do this, antiracist and anti-oppressive leaders are developing the cognitive and affective skills necessary to understand how to use their own positional advantages to serve in the disruption and dismantling of systems of oppression while centering the voices, experiences, and knowledge of minoritized and marginalized communities. They are developing awareness of how leadership styles may vary by culture, context, and place, and are developing the skills to be adaptive to these factors. 

 Social Workers:

  • Demonstrate the ability to identify the organization's antiracist and anti-oppressive statements, structures, policies, and leadership strategies.

  • Demonstrate the ability to assess the organization's leadership actions/commitment to address racism and oppression.

Mandel School faculty place a high priority on the integration of theory with practice. To facilitate this integration, fieldwork is done concurrently with coursework. Through field education, students have the opportunity to acquire new skills and apply their classroom learning in their practice setting. The school is affiliated with over 1,000 agencies throughout the United States, creating a vast network of field education as well as employment opportunities. Students are required to complete a minimum of 900 clock hours of field education.

The school and the affiliated agency or field setting agree on the content and conditions of field education, including the qualifications of social workers who serve as field instructors. Field placement decisions are based on educational criteria, with student interests and career objectives taken into consideration.