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, 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 inter -professional 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 inte-grative paper or project related to the specialization.
The MSW degree also meets the academic requirements for licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Accreditation is being pursued through the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
Admission
To qualify for the program, students must have earned a bachelor’s degree from a college or univer-sity 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 back-ground check (through the University vendor) prior to beginning classes. This is a mandatory compo-nent 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 QU MSW student may need proof of their criminal background check for field placements, the student will release the infor-mation 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.
Program of Study
Students can choose among three plans of study for the MSW.
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.
Fall Semester, First Year (15 credits)
Course Title Credits
SW 500 Foundation Field Education
Practicum I with seminar 3
SW 501 Social Work Practice I: Individuals
& Families 3
SW 504 Social Welfare Policy 3
SW 505 Social Work Research 3
SW 506 Human Behavior in the Social
Environment I—Theories 3
Spring Semester, First Year (15 credits) SW 502 Foundation Field Education
Practicum II with seminar 3
SW 503 Social Work Practice II: Groups,
Organizations & Communities 3 SW 507 Human Behavior in the Social Environment II
—Issues of Diversity & Oppression 3
SW 508 Psychopathology 3
SW 509 Interprofessional Education (IPE) 3 Fall Semester, Second Year (15 credits)
SW 600 Advanced Field Education Practicum I in Health/Behavioral Health with seminar 4 SW 601 Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice 3
SW 604 Evaluation Research 2
Two electives* 6
Spring Semester, Second Year (15 credits)
SW 602 Advanced Field Education Practicum II in Health/Behavioral Health with seminar 4 SW 603 Advanced Organizational SW Practice:
Program Management, Supervision &
Professional Ethics 3
SW 605 Integrative Seminar/Capstone Project 2
Two electives* 6
*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-part-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.
Fall Semester, First Year (6 credits)
Course Title Credits
SW 505 Social Work Research 3
SW 506 Human Behavior in the Social
Environment I—Theories 3
Spring Semester, First Year (6 credits)
SW 507 Human Behavior in the Social Environment II:
Issues of Diversity & Oppression 3 SW 509 Interprofessional Education (IPE) 3 Fall Semester, Second Year (9 credits)
SW 500 Foundation Field Education
Practicum I with seminar 3
SW 501 Social Work Practice I:
Individuals & Families 3
SW 504 Social Welfare Policy 3
Spring Semester, Second Year (9 credits) SW 502 Foundation Field Education
Practicum II with seminar 3
SW 503 Social Work Practice II: Groups,
Communities & Organizations 3
SW 508 Psychopathology 3
Fall Semester, Third Year (15 credits) SW 600 Advanced Field Education
Practicum I in Health/Behavioral
Health with seminar 4
SW 601 Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice 3
SW 604 Evaluation Research 2
Two electives* 6
Spring Semester, Third Year (15 credits)
SW 602 Advanced Field Education Practicum II in Health/Behavioral Health with seminar 4 SW 603 Advanced Organizational SW
Practice: Program Management,
Supervision & Professional Ethics 3 SW 605 Integrative Seminar/Capstone Project 2
Two electives* 6
*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.
Spring Semester, First Year (6 credits)
Course Title Credits
SW 507 Human Behavior in the Social Environment II:
Issues of Diversity & Oppression 3 SW 509 Interprofessional Education (IPE) 3 Fall Semester, Second Year (15 credits)
SW 500 Foundation Field Education Practicum I
with seminar 3
SW 501 Social Work Practice I: Individuals
& Families 3
SW 504 Social Welfare Policy 3
SW 505 Social Work Research 3
SW 506 Human Behavior in the Social Environment I:
Theories for Practice 3
Spring Semester, Second Year (9 credits)
SW 502 Foundation Field Education Practicum II
with seminar 3
SW 503 Social Work Practice II: Groups,
Communities & Organizations 3
SW 508 Psychopathology 3
Fall Semester, Third Year (15 credits)
SW 600 Advanced Field Education Practicum I in Health/Behavioral Health with seminar 4 SW 601 Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice 3
SW 604 Evaluation Research 2
Two electives* 6
Spring Semester, Third Year (15 credits)
SW 602 Advanced Field Education Practicum II in Health/Behavioral Health with seminar 4 SW 603 Advanced Organizational SW Practice:
Program Management, Supervision &
Professional Ethics 3
SW 605 Integrative Seminar/Capstone Project 2
Two electives* 6
*Of the four elective courses, one must be an advanced clinical course and another must support the chosen specialization.