The Department of Social Work offers a two-year and a three-year professional program leading to a Master of Social Work. The goal of the Master of Social Work program is to prepare students to enter professional, multicultural social work practice. Students also learn to practice as professional social workers with persons and groups representing the range of human diversity and with all size systems (individuals, families groups, communities and institutions). In addition, students are prepared for advanced, specialized practice in concentrations of Children, Youth and Families or Older Adults and Families.
The master's program emphasizes ecological systems, a perspective that focuses on the interaction of a person or system in relation to their environments. Within this perspective, knowledge, values and skills are used in a change-oriented process within a multicultural context to help individuals and social units achieve improved quality of life and social participation. The program includes a focus on advocacy for non-profit institutions and equitable access to opportunities and resources for the disenfranchised.
The field work sequence plays an integral role in the Master of Social Work curriculum. The field experience offers an opportunity for students to integrate and apply theoretical knowledge and social work practice and intervention skills in a community agency setting, under the supervision of a qualified field instructor.
Each Master of Social Work student has two field placements during their course of study. Each placement involves 500 hours in a community agency setting and attendance at a weekly mandatory field work seminar. The Department of Social Work field faculty designate approved placement sites, make student placement assignments, and monitor student progress throughout the field work placement periods.
The application deadline for Fall 2009 admission to our MSW program has now passed. We will again be accepting applications for our Fall 2010 program starting in October 2009.
Thank you for your interest in the CSULB Department of Social Work.
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