Social Work, M.S.W.

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Standard students must complete a two-semester foundation field practicum with a total of 410 clock hours, 205 per semester, plus 36 seminar hours. Both Standard and Advanced Standing students must complete a two-semester concentration field practicum with a total of 600 clock hours, 300 per semester, plus 36 seminar hours. Students wishing to seek clinical licensure in Virginia must complete at least 600 hours in a clinical field practicum under the supervision of a field instructor with a minimum of three years of experience post-MSW degree; licensure requirements may vary in other states. Field practica are an integral part of the educational program and are expected to be completed concurrently with classroom courses. Students develop plans for their field practicum in consultation with the field coordinators and must receive permission from a field coordinator before contacting any agencies about field practicum arrangements.

Requirements for field practicum include: approved field application (available on the School of Social Work website), successful interviews with field coordinator and proposed field site; good academic standing; and proof of liability insurance meeting specified requirements. More specific information may be obtained from the Field Director.

Students are required to complete the field practicum with a grade of B or better. If a student earns a B- or C, and this is the first unsatisfactory grade earned in the program, the remediation plan will minimally include repeating the course.

Standard Program Requirements 61 hrs.

Elective Emphasis Areas

Students select elective courses according to their interests and abilities. All electives must be approved by the student’s advisor and the MSW Coordinator. Students may select one of the elective emphasis areas described below, or they may individualize their program of study through their choice of electives. The following elective emphasis areas represent cohesive programs in one of three areas of practice: child welfare, mental health, and school social work. The elective emphasis areas available to Standard students include:

Mental Health (emphasis in mental health, preparation for licensure): SOWK 615 , SOWK 710 , open elective.
School Social Work Certification: SOWK 720 , EDSP 651 , one elective selected from the following: SOWK 680 , SOWK 615 , SOWK 613 , SOWK 625 . Requires at least one field placement in a primary or secondary school. If a field placement is not completed in the schools, also take EDSP 622 .

Advanced Standing Status

Students who are admitted with Advanced Standing status begin the program in the summer, when SOWK 678 and SOWK 679 , the Advanced Standing Bridge Courses, are required. The course acts as the bridge between the student’s undergraduate social work curriculum and Radford University’s special conceptual emphasis, preparatory to entering the Concentration year. Following successful completion of SOWK 678 and SOWK 679 , Advanced Standing students follow the same curriculum as offered to all concentration-level students in the full-time or part-time program.

Retention in the Program

A graduate student shall be terminated from the M.S.W. program if any of the following occurs:

Receipt of a grade of C or lower in any two courses post matriculation to the Graduate College;
Receipt of a grade below a C in any single graduate course;
Failure to adhere to the Radford University Honor Code, the Radford University Standards of Student Conduct, or the Waldron College Standards for Professional Practice Education; or
Failure to adhere to the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers.

Comprehensive Examination

Students are required to complete a comprehensive exam. The exam is included as part of the Integrative Seminar course (SOWK 785) which is taken at the end of the program of study for the MSW degree. Students are eligible to take the course in the semester they complete all degree requirements or with only six or fewer hours of elective credits (i.e., no required courses) remaining for degree completion. The exam allows each student to focus on a chosen topic in order to demonstrate an integration of the academic curriculum and the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities of an autonomous practitioner of social work. More specific information may be accessed in the MSW Program Student Manual.

Field Practicum

Standard students must complete a two-semester foundation field placement with a total of 480 clock hours. Both Standard and Advanced Standing students must complete a concentration field placement, consisting of two consecutive semesters of 300 clock hours each. Students wishing to seek licensure in Virginia must complete at least 600 hours in a clinical field placement; licensure requirements may vary in other states. Field practicum is an integral part of the educational program and field placements are expected to be completed concurrently with classroom courses. Requirements for field placement include: approved field application (available on the School of Social Work’s website), interview with field coordinator and proposed field site; student is in good academic standing; and student obtains individual liability insurance meeting specified requirements. Students develop plans for their field placement in consultation with the field coordinators and must receive permission from a field coordinator before contacting any agencies about field placement arrangements. More information is available from the field coordinators.