School of Social Work

Dean
Edwina Uehara

210 Social Work/Speech and Hearing Sciences

The School of Social Work offers two professional programs, one at the undergraduate level and one at the graduate level, as well as a Ph.D. program. The Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare (B.A.S.W.) program prepares students for entry-level generalist practice. The graduate professional program prepares students for advanced practice within a field of concentration; students earn a Master of Social Work degree. Both the B.A.S.W. and M.S.W. programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The School also offers a Doctor of Philosophy degree in social welfare that prepares students for careers in research and education. Consistent with University policy, no credit is granted on the basis of life experience or previous employment. All three programs are housed in the Social Work/Speech and Hearing Sciences Building, 4101 Fifteenth Avenue Northeast, Seattle, WA 98105-6299.

In addition, the School offers two concurrent degree programs - one with the School of Public Health and Community Medicine leading to the M.S.W. and M.P.H. degrees, and a second with the Evans School of Public Affairs, leading to M.S.W. and M.P.A. degrees.

Undergraduate Program

The School of Social Work offers the following program of study

• The Bachelor of Arts with a major in social welfare

The program includes upper-division courses in social welfare, with prerequisites in human biology, economics, psychology, statistics, and sociology. Students enter at the start of their junior year after completing most of the liberal arts requirements established by the College of Arts and Sciences. Social welfare courses include content on social welfare history, policy and services, human behavior and the social environment, social welfare research, and cultural diversity. These academic courses prepare students for the senior year three-quarter practicum experience, which involves a total of 480 hours of direct social services under the supervision of a practicum instructor approved by the School.

Bachelor of Arts

SOC WF 101, SOC WF 200, SOC WF 201; PSYCH 101; SOC 110; BIOL 100 or BIOL 118; ECON 200 or ECON 201; also courses in American ethnic studies, sociology, psychology, and women studies.

Department Admission Requirements

Approximately 40 juniors are admitted each year. Admission, which is for autumn quarter only, is competitive and completion of the requirements listed below does not guarantee acceptance. May 1 is the application deadline. To be considered for admission to the program applicants must meet the following criteria by the time of application:

1. Completion of a minimum of 65 credits.
2. Completion of the following courses: PSYCH 101 (or PSYCH 102); introductory sociology; ECON 100, ECON 200, or ECON 201; and BIOL 100 or BIOL 118, with a minimum grade of 2.0 in each course.
3. A minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA.
4. Have some paid or volunteer social service experience.
5. Applicants must submit a completed application, admissions essay, resume, and provide copies of their college transcripts.

Application forms and a detailed description of the social welfare major are available at the School's admissions office, 23C Social Work/Speech and Hearing Sciences (SWS), or are mailed upon request, 206-543-5676. A student may discuss the program in person by contacting the Director of Admissions, 206-543-5676, sswadmis@u.washington.edu. Students accepted to the major complete a change-of-college form and transfer their academic file to the School's Student Services Office. Students not accepted may contact the Director of Admissions to discuss alternatives to the social welfare major, or the appeal process.

Major Requirements

63 credits as follows:

• Junior year (34 credits) -- SOC WF 200 (5); SOC WF 310 (3); SOC WF 315 (2, 2, 2); SOC WF 320 (5); SOC WF 402 (5); SOC WF 403 (5); and SOC WF 404 (5).
• Senior year (29 credits) -- SOC WF 311 (3); SOC WF 312 (3); SOC WF 390 (5); SOC WF 405 (3); SOC WF 415 (12); SOC WF 445 (3).

Student Outcomes and Opportunities

• Learning Objectives and Expected Outcomes: The B.A.S.W. program produces beginning-level social work practitioners and is accredited by the Council on Social Works Education. Students become generalist social work professionals able to work with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations in enhancing the health, well being, and empowerment of disadvantaged communities across the lifespan. Graduates may pursue social work practice jobs, or graduate education in social work, or a range of other fields (e.g., law, medicine, public policy, international development). Students receive an interdisciplinary liberal arts education, drawing on a range of social science courses which prepare them to promote human welfare and deal with complex social problems. Students are involved in both academic coursework (gaining intellectual knowledge and critical thinking skills) and a field placement experience ("lived" or "on the ground" experience).

  The following outcomes define the B.A.S.W. program:

  1. Preparation of entry-level baccalaureate social workers for generalist practice in a multicultural context.
  2. Education and training of generalist social workers who are informed, engaged, and responsive practitioners, able to understand and take action in enhancing human welfare and in promoting social and economic justice.
  3. Education of students within the context of an interdisciplinary liberal arts education, to foster a comparative and critical examination of social welfare and social work through the study of its history, policies, research, and practice interventions.
  4. Preparation for graduate education.

• Instructional and Research Facilities:

  The School of Social Work houses a number of centers and projects. For more information on these research activities, visit depts.washington.edu/sswweb/centers_proj.html.

• Honors Options Available: None offered.

• Research, Internships, and Service Learning: Contact the adviser for information.

• Department Scholarships: A limited number of financial-aid opportunities are available to students. Applicants are urged to apply for assistance through the Office of Student Financial Aid by February 15. Completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required for consideration for any departmental funding. Inquiries may be directed to the Chair of the Scholarship Committee, School of Social Work.

• Student Organizations/Associations: Organization of Student Social Workers (OSSW)

Graduate Program

Graduate Program Coordinator
Box 354900
206-543-8617
sswstsrv@u.washington.edu

Master of Social Work

The School of Social Work offers a Master of Social Work degree with four options for completion: a two-year full-time program; a one-year advanced standing program for qualified students with a degree in social work/social welfare from an accredited undergraduate program; a three-year Evening Degree program; and a three-year M.S.W. outreach program.

All program options prepare students for advanced professional practice with a culturally diverse range of at-risk populations in publicly funded social services. The curriculum encompasses two distinct but interconnected areas: the beginning content or professional foundation, and opportunities for advanced content in areas of policy, services, and methods.

The professional foundation provides instruction in the basic knowledge and skills required for effective, generalist social work practice, as well as socialization to the profession, its value orientation, ethics, and history.

The advanced curriculum provides in-depth knowledge and skills needed for advanced practice in the social work profession. The advanced curriculum is being revised. Please check the School's Web site for the most current information.

Students in the Evening Degree and weekend options may also select from courses in advanced policy services and methods. Elective offerings are determined by a vote of students in the cohort.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the M.S.W. program requires formal admission to the Graduate School as well as to the School of Social Work. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree, a strong academic background, and social-service experience. Applicants must submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, references, application forms, Graduate Record Examination scores, resume, and an admission essay to be considered for autumn-quarter entry. January 15 is the closing date for receipt of applications and materials. Admission is competitive and selection is based on a review of the applicant's submitted materials. Current application materials can be obtained from the School's Admissions Office, 23 Social Work/Speech and Hearing Sciences Building, or by calling 206-543-5676 in Seattle or 1-800-558-8703.

Degree Requirements

• M.S.W. program requirements include completion of required professional foundation and advanced curriculum credits and demonstrated competence in both academic and field practicum work.

• Human Biology Requirements: BIOL 100, BIOL 101-, BIOL 118, BIOL 161, NUTR 300, or GENOME 261 (or equivalent), taken within ten years before or during the M.S.W. program. Course must be completed before beginning the advanced year (including practicum). Credit may not be applied to the M.S.W. degree. Courses in nutrition, psychobiology of women, and biology of aging also fulfill this requirement.

• Basic Statistics Requirement: An introductory course in statistics (any discipline) is a prerequisite for SOC W 505.

• Professional Foundation Courses Required for the Day and Extended Degree Program: SOC W 500 (3), SOC W 501 (3), SOC W 504 (1-3), SOC W 505 (3), SOC W 506 (3), SOC W 510 (3), SOC W 511 (3), SOC W 512 (3), SOC W 513 (3), SOC W 514 (3), SOC W 523 (1), SOC W 524 (8). All foundation courses must be completed before beginning the advanced curriculum.

• Advanced Curriculum for the M.S.W. Day Program: Specialization in an advanced methods area in combination with a particular population or problem focus. Areas of concentration might include policy practice in health care, clinical practice in transnational communities, administration in mental health settings, or clinical and contextual practice with a focus on low-income children and families. Students enter the second year with an individualized learning plan (developed by winter quarter of their foundation year) that sets out a coherent program of advanced study. Identified in the learning plan is a policy/services course, an advanced methods area, an advanced field practicum, and proposed choices for methods and elective courses that support the student’s overall area of concentration.

  A minimum program of study includes:

  1. One policy/services course (3 credits), consistent with the student’s second year specialization
  2. Two advanced methods (6 credits) in the student’s primary method area or across methods with the approval of the faculty adviser and practicum coordinator
  3. Elective course offerings (9 credits) to include courses related to the policy/services areas, and advanced HBSE and theory courses, with the primary focus on development of knowledge and skills in intervention. Students are encouraged to take one elective course from outside the school. Elective courses range from 1 to 3 credits.
  4. Advanced practicum (SOC W 525, 18 credits) aligns with the student’s policy/services course and with the student’s primary intervention method area.

• Advanced Curriculum for the M.S.W. Extended Degree Program: Consists of an advanced generalist policy/services course, a two-quarter advanced generalist practice sequence, 9 credits of electives, and a 720-hour advanced generalist practicum. Students consult with their adviser and practicum coordinator to determine electives and a practicum appropriate to the student’s career goals. Students graduate with theory, knowledge, and skills to assess, intervene, and evaluate across levels of social work practice -- from micro to mezzo to macro -- and across client populations and practice settings.

• M.S.W. Electives: Courses may be selected from curriculum offerings related to particular fields of practice, intervention theories, intervention modalities, social problems, populations, and research methods. Students may take advanced methods courses in areas other than the student’s primary methods area.and relevant courses in other graduate programs and professional schools of the University. Three credits of external coursework may be included.

Financial Aid

A limited number of financial-aid opportunities are available. Applicants to the M.S.W. program are urged to apply for assistance through the Office of Student Financial Aid by February 15. Completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required for consideration for any departmental funding. Departmental funding is limited. Inquiries may be directed to the Chair of the Scholarship Committee, School of Social Work.

Master of Social Work/Master of Public Health Concurrent Degrees

The concurrent degrees prepare professionals who function at the interface of both fields in practice, research, planning, administration, and policy development. Students develop (1) competence in social work practice in community health; (2) understanding of the organization and functioning of the health and social service delivery systems; and (3) basic analytical skills necessary to conduct research and to perform competently in a variety of public health social work roles. Students also have an opportunity for in-depth study of particular issues related to their special interests and career goals.

Application

Students who matriculate into the full time program in either Social Work or Public Health are eligible. Students admitted to Social Work with advanced standing should apply for both programs simultaneously. Students in the part-time extended degree program in either Social Work or Public Health are not eligible for the program.

1. Students must apply to and be accepted by both schools.

2. Students are strongly encouraged to complete up to one year of studies in Social Work before entering the Public Health program. Applications for entry are due in both schools by January 15. Typically students apply to Social Work in January and enter the M.S.W. program in September. They then apply to Public Health the following January and begin the M.P.H. program the next September. Staggered entry permits students to complete all requirements of both degrees within three years.

Degree Requirements

115-125 credits (depending on number of electives taken)

1. Two separate sets of at least 36 credits each.
2. At least 18 numerically graded credits for each degree in courses numbered 500 through 599. All required courses in the MPH program must be taken for a grade.
3. Up to 12 credits taken in one school may be counted toward the other school's total credit requirements, if approved by both programs. Electives for each department can be fulfilled by taking the required courses of the other department.
4. The M.P.H requires a thesis.

Master of Social Work/Master of Public Affairs Concurrent Degrees

The University of Washington Evans School of Public Affairs and School of Social Work concurrent degree option offers interdisciplinary preparation in the fields of social work and public affairs, leading to the Master of Social Work and Master of Public Administration. Earning degrees in both areas prepares students to be professionals who work at the interface of the two fields in practice, research, planning, administration, and policy development.

Students are able to combine their studies at the Schools of Social Work and Public Affairs to meet the requirements for both degrees in approximately three years.

Admission

Students must apply to and be accepted by both schools. Application decisions are made independently by both schools although students interested in the concurrent degree should indicate that interest in their admission materials.

Current students in either Public Affairs or Social Work who decide in the fall of their first year that they wish to apply to the other school may request a courtesy transfer of some application materials from their current school to the other school’s admissions office. Students are responsible for monitoring the completeness of their own admissions materials.

The concurrent degree option is only available for students in the School of Social Work Policy Practice concentration (day program). Course sequencing and quarters-to-completion information given assumes students pursue the Public Affairs traditional day program.

Program Entry and Foundation Preparation

Given the integrated first-year curriculum in both programs, students complete the first year of foundation study in each program largely without substitution. See the sample plans of study below for greater detail.

The concurrent degree option is flexible enough to allow students who begin in either program to decide during the first year to pursue the concurrent degree. However, students who know at the point of initial application that they will pursue the concurrent option are strongly advised to complete the Social Work foundation in year 1 and the Public Affairs foundation year 2. This allows greater flexibility in scheduling electives and provides a marginally more coherent sequencing of theoretical and research methods content.

Advanced specializations

Students in both programs choose an area of specialization for advanced work and work with an adviser to plan an individual advanced curriculum. Public Affairs students choose one of five gateway areas and outline their advanced work in a plan of study. Advanced concentrations in Social Work consist of a methodological area and practice, or topical, area. The M.S.W./M.P.A. option described here is available to social work students in the policy practice methods concentration. M.S.W./M.P.A. students can pursue any of the social work ‘practice field’ specializations. Social Work students combine their advanced concentration elements into one learning plan.

Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare

The Ph.D. program in social welfare prepares students to contribute to the advancement of knowledge and practice in the field of social welfare and the profession of social work for the promotion of social justice. Students are expected to acquire both the substantive and methodological competence to contribute theoretical formulations and empirical research that inform effective social work practice and advance scholarship in social welfare.

After the first year of required courses, each student's program of study is individually designed and focuses on well-defined substantive and interventive areas of research relevant to the field of social welfare. In the basic core of required courses, which include teaching and research practice, students have an opportunity to pursue their particular interests with faculty members in the School of Social Work and in other schools and departments.

During the first two years, students define and develop the specialized areas that will be the focus of their General Examination and, typically, their subsequent dissertation research. The selected areas must have clear significance for the development of practice, programs, or policies in social work and social welfare.

The General Examination for advancement to candidacy generally occurs at the end of the second year or during the third year. After advancement to candidacy, students devote themselves full time to completion of their dissertation research. The last step before award of the degree is the Final Examination, which serves as the defense of the dissertation. Students are strongly encouraged to remain in residence at the University until the dissertation is accepted. The Ph.D. program takes approximately four years, although academic excellence in learning and performance is always the first criterion for degree progress.

Admission Requirements

Admission is highly selective and students are admitted for autumn-quarter entry only. Applicants must have a master's degree in social work or a closely related field.

The Council on Social Work Education requires that faculty who teach practice courses in accredited programs have two years of supervised practice experience. Thus, obtaining such experience is highly important for those who seek academic positions following graduation.

Applicants selected for admission are those whose scholastic achievements, previous experience, and aptitude for social welfare research, scholarship, and teaching indicate the greatest promise for achieving the objectives of the program. In addition, an effort is made to maintain a balanced student group reflecting the range of concerns in social welfare and of faculty resources. The deadline for receipt of admission material is December 15. For more information, call 206-685-1680, or email phdmhpr@u.washington.edu.

Degree Requirements

• Required Courses: All required Ph.D. courses must include content on diverse populations, including the disadvantaged and oppressed. This includes content on people of color, women, gay men and lesbians, and persons with disabilities. The specific type or nature of the content (e.g., readings, exemplars, exercises) and how it is introduced and integrated likely differs across courses. In all cases, content on diversity must be in accord with course objectives and be visibly present in the course syllabus.

  All required coursework (with the exception of the 800 tutorials) must be completed before or during the quarter in which the oral section of the General Examination takes place.

  The following courses are required of all students in the program and must be taken on a graded basis unless only offered as Credit/No Credit Only (i.e., they cannot be taken on a Satisfactory/Non Satisfactory basis).

  1. Introduction to Advanced Research Methods and Design. Two quarters during first year.
  2. Fundamentals of Social Work Statistics. Two quarters during the first year.
  3. Research Issues and Priorities in Social Welfare. Two quarters during the first year.
  4. Social Welfare Policy. Two quarters during the first year (contemporary policy, and international and global policy).
  5. Research Practicum. Two quarters; to be completed by the end of the second year. (Credit/no credit only.)
  6. Teaching Practicum. One quarter; to be taken after successful completion of first year. (Credit/no credit only)
  7. Doctoral Seminars. One-credit seminars in the first year (Credit/no credit only). These focus on professional development issues and skills with emphasis on academic and research careers.
  8. Teaching Preparation. One quarter in the second year.
  9. A minimum of two (3+ credit) courses in advanced graduate research methods (typically 500-level courses offered in other departments) relevant to the student's anticipated research in a substantive or interventive area. Coursework beyond the minimum is encouraged.
  10. A minimum of two (3+ credit) graduate social science theory courses (500 level or above),designed to provide strong theoretical foundations. Students often use these courses to develop a "minor" in one of the social sciences. Offered in the College of Arts and Sciences or in one of the professional schools, these courses are related to the substantive or interventive content of the student's program. Coursework beyond the minimum is encouraged for greater depth of interdisciplinary theoretical training.
  11. Dissertation Tutorials (SOC WL 800). Taken after the student has successfully completed the oral General Examination and has been advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. Students must complete a total of 27 credit hours over at least three quarters to satisfy the Graduate School requirement

• Elective Courses in the School of Social Work
  1. Qualitative Methods in Social Work Research. One or two quarters offered alternate years.
  2. Analytical Perspectives on Social Welfare Policy. One quarter, offered annually.
  3. Advanced Topics in Data Analysis. One quarter offered annually, covering advanced quantitative methods.
  4. Social Movements and Participatory Action Research Methods. One quarter, offered altnerate years.
  5. Psychosocial scale construction and measurement. One quarter, offered alternate years.
  6. Interdisciplinary Prevention Science. One quarter, offered annually.

• Additional Course Expectations: Students may take tutorials (SOC WL 600) with faculty members while completing advanced coursework and writing the integrative paper (prior to the oral General Examination). These tutorials should include one or more written products.

  Students are also encouraged to take additional courses that bear on their substantive areas of interest. Courses may be taken in any department or school of the University but should ordinarily be at the 500 level or above.

• Prevention Research Training Program Courses: (Trainee requirements in addition to all Ph.D. program courses)
  1. Seminar in Prevention Science. One-credit seminars taken autumn, winter, and spring quarters each year of the traineeship. Credit/No Credit Only.
  2. Interdisciplinary Prevention Science: Children and Adolescents. Overview of developmental perspective examining factors that promote or inhibit health development at different stages and during transitions. Three-credit course taken spring of first year in the training program.
  3. Two additional graduate level (500+) courses, one social science theory and one research methods, related to the prevention research area of study.

Financial Aid

All students have some means of financial support during the nine-month school year for the first three years in the program and the School is frequently able to continue support beyond this point. In each of the first three years, the Ph.D. Program Director assists students in obtaining funding from the School, other UW sources, or external federal and private granting agencies. Each year, awards of stipends, fellowships, and research and teaching assistantships are made on the basis of resources available, and they match with areas of student interest. Financial assistance provided is not usually adequate to cover all educational and living expenses. Forms required for financial assistance must be submitted by February 15 by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).