Program Overview

Social Work (M.S.W.) Program

The Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) program at Nebraska Wesleyan University is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in social work, preparing them for careers in a variety of settings.

MSW Curriculum

The program's curriculum is split into a generalist curriculum and a specialized curriculum. The generalist curriculum consists of 32 credit hours, including the completion of a 400-hour practicum experience. Once students have completed the generalist curriculum, they will be allowed to progress to the specialized curriculum, which consists of 34 credit hours of advanced coursework, including a minimum of 500 hours of practicum experience.

Admissions Criteria

To be admitted to the M.S.W. program, students must meet the following criteria:

• Undergraduate Degree (3.0 GPA) from an Accredited College/University with previous coursework in statistics as well as at least 9 credit hours of coursework in the social sciences, to include sociology, psychology, political science, and similar disciplines.
• Submission of a resume documenting previous volunteer, internship, and/ or work experience.
• 2 references (1 academic reference from previous faculty member [if possible]).
• Writing sample formatted in APA style with the use of citations. The sample should demonstrate sufficient writing skill needed for graduate level coursework. The writing sample should be no more than 5 pages of writing with a title page and reference page (no more than 7 pages total). Applicants will be provided with prompts that should guide their response.

Determination of Advanced Standing

Students who have earned an undergraduate degree in social work from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited educational institution or program recognized through its International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Service, or covered under a memorandum of understanding with international social work accreditors, may apply for the Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) program and enter into advanced standing. Applicants must have received the undergraduate social work degree within 5 years prior to applying at Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Advanced Standing Admissions Criteria

To be admitted to the M.S.W. program with advanced standing, students must meet the following criteria:

• Undergraduate degree in social work from a CSWE Accredited Program (3.0 GPA) from a college/university, accredited by a recognized regional accrediting association with previous coursework in statistics as well as at least 9 credit hours of coursework in the social sciences, to include sociology, psychology, political science, and similar disciplines.
• Degree must have been obtained within the past 5 years. For candidates who do not meet this criteria, applications will be reviewed and considered on a case-by-case basis.
• NWU MSW Program may require students to complete courses prior to admittance into the program.
• For students who have completed an Undergraduate Degree in social work within the last 5 years, a practicum evaluation must be provided.
• Submission of a resume documenting previous volunteer, internship, and/ or work experience.
• 2 references (1 academic reference from previous faculty member [if possible]).
• Writing sample formatted in APA style with the use of citations. The sample should demonstrate sufficient writing skill needed for graduate level coursework. The writing sample should be no more than 5 pages of writing with a title page and reference page (no more than 7 pages total). Applicants will be provided with prompts that should guide their response.

Curriculum Details

The M.S.W. program consists of 66 hours, including:

• Generalist Curriculum: 32 hours
  • SOCWK 5000 Social Work Purpose, Values and Ethics (3 hours)
  • SOCWK 5010 Human Behavior In Social Environment (3 hours)
  • SOCWK 5100 Anti-oppressive Socwk Pract (3 hours)
  • SOCWK 5110 Social Welfare Policy, Serv, Delivery (3 hours)
  • SOCWK 5200 Micro Practice (3 hours)
  • SOCWK 5210 Family and Group Practice (3 hours)
  • SOCWK 5220 Macro Practice: Comm Org, Plan, Admin (3 hours)
  • SOCWK 5230 Research Informed Practice (3 hours)
  • SOCWK 5270 Generalist Field Practicum (8 hours)
• Specialist Curriculum: 34 hours
  • SOCWK 5300 Nature of Trauma and Traumatic Experience (3 hours)
  • SOCWK 5310 Clinical Assessment with Individuals and Families (3 hours)
  • SOCWK 5320 Advanced Practice With Groups (3 hours)
  • SOCWK 5330 Clinical Interventions with Individuals and Families (3 hours)
  • SOCWK 5340 Social Advocacy in Social Work (3 hours)
  • SOCWK 5450 Professional Ethics and Leadership in Social Work (3 hours)
  • SOCWK 5460 Trauma Conscious Social Work Admin (3 hours)
  • SOCWK 5580 Advanced Integrative Capstone (3 hours)
  • SOCWK 5570 Advanced Field Practicum (10 hours)

Pre-Field Placement Consultation

A Pre-Field Placement Consultation is required before students are enrolled in SOCWK 5270 Generalist Field Practicum or SOCWK 5570 Advanced Field Practicum. Prerequisites for the Pre-Field Placement Consultation are:

• Completion of Practicum Orientation.
• Completion of an application to enter field.
• Completion of required asynchronous content.

Accreditation

Nebraska Wesleyan University's MSW Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education's (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA). Accreditation of a baccalaureate or master's social work program by the BOA indicates that it meets or exceeds standards of program quality evaluated through a peer review accreditation process. An accredited program has sufficient resources to meet its mission and goals and the BOA has verified that it demonstrates compliance with all sections of the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS).