Office of Programs and Academic Assessment (MC 103)
2630 University Hall
601 South Morgan Street
Chicago, IL 60607
January 7, 2013
TO:
Ilene Harris, Chair
Senate Committee on Educational Policy
FROM:
Dana Wright, Director for Academic Program Development
I am submitting for the information of the Senate Committee on Educational Policy the attached
Proposal to Revise the Joint Master of Social Work (MSW)/Master of Public Health (MPH).The proposal to establish the joint degree (PR-12.53) was approved by the Senate on April 19,
2012 and by the Illinois Board of Higher Education in September 2012 (effective Spring 2013).
The original proposal included only three of four concentrations in social work. The fourth was
excluded because the college was concerned about the potential for a curricular revision to the
School Social Work Concentration to be initiated by the Illinois State Board of Higher Education
– which issues the Type 73 Social Work credential. This curricular revision never came to pass.
The current proposal seeks to include the School Social Work Concentration into the joint
degree. The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs has confirmed that neither the
Board of Trustees nor IBHE will need to approve or be notified of the inclusion, as the joint
degree
has already been approved. As such the proposal is being presented to SCEP as an
information item.
The proposal was approved by the Educational Policy Committee of the Jane Addams College of
Social Work on February 4, 2013 and the JACSW faculty on February 13, 2013. The proposal
was also approved by the School of Public Health’s Committee on Educational Programs on
November 12, 2013 and the SPH Executive Committee on December 2, 2013.
Title:
Proposal to Revise the Joint Master of Social Work (MSW)/Master of Public Health (MPH)
Sponsor: Jane Addams College of Social Work (JACSW) and School of Public Health.
Executive Summary:
This proposal seeks to amend the IBHE-approved MSW/MPH joint degree program (see PR-12.53,approved by the UIC Senate on April 19, 2012) to enable students in the school social work concentration within the MSW to be eligible. Currently only students in the three remaining concentrations--mental health, child and family, and community health and urban development--are eligible. When the initial proposal was submitted, the curriculum for the school social work concentration was undergoing potentially significant revision in response to changes initiated by the IL State Board of Education (ISBE). The school social work concentration prepares students to meet the MSW requirements as well as the requirements to qualify for the ISBE-issued the Type 73 School Social Work credential. As a result, with uncertainly about the curriculum, the JACSW faculty decided that at that time the school social work students should not be eligible for the joint degree. The faculty members were concerned that problems would arise if school social work concentration students were eligible for the joint degree but then were unable to pursue the option because the curriculum was too rigid. In fall 2012 it became clear that the curriculum was not going to change as dramatically as anticipated and that interested school social work students could benefit from the joint degree and should be eligible.
Description: The modification will allow students in the school social work concentration to pursue the MSW/MPH joint degree which was approved by the Senate and acknowledged by the Illinois Board of Higher Education effective Spring 2013.
MSW students in the school social work concentration (like the other 3 concentrations) will be able to pursue the MPH and select among four public health concentrations: Community Health Sciences (CHS), Epidemiology (EPID), Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (EOHS), or Health Policy and Administration (HPA).
The total credit hours are unaffected. With planning, the joint degree can be completed in the following semester hours: MSW/MPH-CHS a minimum of 88 sh; MSW/MPH-EPID a minimum of 95 sh; MSW/MPH-EOHS a minimum of 92 sh; and MSW/MPH-HPA a minimum of 89 sh. The completion of each degree separately would require 104-106 total hours: 62 hours for a Master of Social Work and a minimum of 42-44 hours for a Master in Public Health.
The coursework for the joint degree will include 1) core courses in Social Work (1st year MSW), 2) core courses in Public Health, 3) divisional core courses in either Community Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health, or Health Policy and Administration; 4) concentration courses in Social Work (2nd year MSW), 5) shared electives; 6) field work, optimally at a site which allows the student to integrate his or her training in social work and public health, and 7) a capstone project reflecting the integration of the student’s public health and social work training.
Required coursework for the MSW school social work concentration is the same as for the other three MSW concentrations, and includes: SocW430 Practice I: Generalist Practice with Individuals, Families & Groups, SocW410 Human Behavior and the Social Environment, SocW460 Research I: Social Work Research, SocW570, Field Instruction I, SocW431 Practice II: Generalist Practice with Task Groups, Organizations, & Communities, SocW411 Social Work in a Multicultural Society, SocW420 Policy I: Social Welfare Policy & Services, and SocW571 Field Instruction II.
In addition, 34 sh of advanced coursework in the specific concentration:
School Social Work Concentration Requirements: SocW 588 Practice III: School social work, SocW 555: Policy II: School social work, SPED 410 Survey of characteristics of learners with disabilities, SocW 572 Field III: School social work, SocW 589 Practice IV: School social work, SocW 565 Research II: School social work, SocW 573 Field IV: School social work, and 3 sh of electives.
Required coursework for all MPH students remains the same and includes: CHSC 400, BSTT 400, HPA 400, EPID 403 or EPID 400 depending on the student’s division, EOHS 400, IPHS 698, IPHS 650. Remaining courses and their distribution depend on the specific area within the Master of Public Health chosen. The School of Public Health offers five areas in which students can earn MPHs within their four divisions (Community Health Sciences, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Health Policy and Administration). The further required coursework for these degrees are:
Community Health Sciences Core Requirements: MPH
Students in Community Health Sciences must complete CHSC 431, CHSC 433, CHSC 446 and CHSC 480. In addition, students must select one of the following: CHSC 430, CHSC 527, CHSC 543 or HPA 430.
Environmental and Occupational Health Core Requirements: MPH
Students in EOHS must complete: Select one of the following Exposure Assessment courses: EOHS 411 Water Quality Management, EOHS 421 Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene, OR EOHS 432 Air Quality Management. Select one of the following Health Assessment Courses: EOHS 455 Toxicology OR EOHS 551 Occupational Diseases. Along with these divisional requirements, students in the joint MSW/MPH program would also be required to complete EOHS 480 Environmental and Occupational Health Policy. In addition students must complete up to 9 semester hours of electives in consultation with their advisor.
Epidemiology Core Requirements: MPH
EPID 591 and BSTT 401.
Health Policy and Administration Core Requirements: MPH
All students must complete a minimum of 19 semester hours of electives, at least half of which must be HPA courses.
Joint Degree Shared Semester Hours for School Social Work Concentration students:
Since School Social Work concentration students must take SPED 410 as a part of their required concentration-specific coursework, they only have 3 sh of electives instead of the 6 sh of electives in the other MSW concentrations.) As a result, the maximum allowable number of shared credit hours is 17 semester hours. This is unique to the School Social Work Concentration as the other three concentrations allow for a maximum of 20 semester hours.
Shared Elective Hours
All students may reduce the number of MSW credit hours by three, counting three semester hours of public health coursework toward the MSW course electives. Depending on the student’s MPH concentration, the joint program may be reduced by an additional 1 to 9 semester hours by counting advisor-approved social work courses toward MPH elective hours. Available elective hours by MPH concentration: 2 sh CHS; 1 sh Epidemiology; up to 3 sh (one pre-approved SocW course) EOHS; 9 sh HPA].
Shared Field Work/ Field Instruction Hours
With proper planning and approval of the SPH advisor, the joint program may be reduced by an additional three to five semester hours by incorporating a significant public health experience into the Social Work Field Instruction (SocW 570-573).
Shared Didactic Course Hours
Students in the Community Health Sciences Division may count the following required Social Work courses as satisfying CHS divisional requirements, further reducing their program of study by up to six semester hours: SocW 460 Research I: Social Work Research + SocW Research II course (SocW 563, 565, or 567) may substitute for CHSC 446 Research Methods in Community Health; and SocW 420 Policy I: Social Welfare Policy and Services may substitute for the CHSC policy/advocacy selective (CHSC 430, CHSC 527, CHSC 543 or HPA 430). Similarly, MSW students have the option of taking CHSC 446 in lieu of SocW 460.
Maximum Permissible Shared Hours for School Social Work Concentration Students:
The maximum allowable number of shared credit hours is 17 semester hours. This is unique to the School Social Work Concentration as the other three concentrations allow for a maximum of 20 semester hours. The actual number of shared credit hours that will be permitted is dependent upon the student’s division and advisor approval.
Justification: As previously noted, this modification is requested to enable MSW students in the school social work concentration to participate in the MSW/MPH joint degree. School social work concentration students were initially ineligible because of
concerns about anticipated curriculum changes. These changes did not occur and are not anticipated in the foreseeable future. Given that public schools increasingly address the health needs of students (e.g. school-based health clinics, health education), the MSW/MPH joint degree will provide the requisite knowledge, values and skills of both social work and public health to prepare graduates to provide leadership in school and public health settings.
Catalog Statement:
The Graduate Catalog does not include content for either the MSW or MPH. As such joint degree content is also not included. Joint degree requirements are posted on the SPH website as part of the Student Handbook at
http://publichealth.uic.edu/academics/jointdegrees/ and on the JACSW website at
http://www.uic.edu/jaddams/college/programs/joint_degree_program.html. The colleges will take responsibility for modifying this information as outlined above. Minority Impact
Statement: None.
Budgetary and Staff Implications:
None.
Library Resource Implications:
It is anticipated that there will be no additional or exceptional library resources expected from the UIC library and staff.
Space Implications:
None. Unit (e.g.
department) approval date: College
(educational policy committee, faculty) approval dates:
Jane Addams College of Social Work Educational Policy Committee Approval: February 4, 2013
Jane Addams College of Social Work Full Faculty Approval: February 13, 2013.
School of Public Health Committee on Educational Programs Approval: November 12, 2013.
School of Public Health Executive Committee Approval: December 2, 2013.
Contact Person: Jane Addams College of Social Work contact: Christopher G. Mitchell, PhD, LCSW, Associate Dean for Doctoral Studies and Academic Programs at 312-996-8509. School of Public Health contact: Babette Neuberger, JD, MPH Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at: 312-996-5381.
Proposed Effective Date/Term:
