Required Credit Hours/Tuition and Fees
- Regular Standing: 60
- Advanced Standing: 30
- Visit the Paying for College website for detailed tuition information
Curriculum
The Department of Social Work offers a curriculum leading to the master of social work (MSW) with a focus on advanced generalist practice. The program at SIUE is accredited by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE).
The program of study in the MSW program is divided into two consecutive groups of courses: Generalist and Specialized Curricula. Generalist courses provide intro-level knowledge on social work history, theoretical framing, values, ethics, basic skills, and practice orientations. The specialized courses focus on more advanced theoretical application, practice skills, policy analysis, and evaluation.
For students who have regular-standing status, the MSW Program includes both Generalist and Specialized Curricula. This requires a two-year, full-time course of study in which students enroll in six consecutive semesters, including summer terms, for a total of 60 credit hours. There is a regular-standing part-time option, which takes four years.
Students who have completed a BSW degree from a CSWE accredited program within the past seven years qualify for advanced standing status. Advanced standing students are only required to complete the Specialized Curriculum. This requires a one-year, full-time course of study in which students enroll in three consecutive semesters, including one summer term, for a total of 30 credit hours. Part-time advance standing students can finish in two years.
Social work students do not receive academic credit for life experience or previous work experience.
Courses may be offered in traditional on campus face-to-face and hybrid online format. Courses offered in hybrid online include a combination of on-campus and off-campus online class content.
Upon graduation, MSW students are eligible to take licensure exams for a social work practice license. Requirements vary by state. The Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) requirements typically include 3,000 hours of supervised clinical practice after completion of the MSW degree.
Foundation Courses-30 hours
SOCW 501 - Generalist Practice: Individuals and Families (3)
SOCW 502 - Generalist Practice with Organizations, and Communities (3)
SOCW 503 - Counseling Skills Development (3)
SOCW 504 - Social Welfare Policy (3)
SOCW 505 - Generalist Practice with Groups (3)
SOCW 506 - Research Methods and Data Analysis (3)
SOCW 507 - Human Behavior in the Social Environment (3)
SOCW 508 - Diversity, Values, Ethics, and Social Justice Principles & Practice (3)
SOCW 526 - Field Instruction I (3)
and
SOCW 527 - Field Instruction II (3)
or
SOCW 531 - Block Field Instruction I (6)
Concentration Courses (30 hours)
SOCW 550 - Advanced Micro Practice (3)
SOCW 551 – Advanced Policy (3)
SOCW 552 - Advanced Macro Practice (3)
SOCW 546 - Applied Social Science Research (3)
SOCW 528 - Advanced Field Instruction III (3)
and
SOCW 529 - Advanced Field Instruction IV (3)
or
SOCW 532 - Block Field Instruction II (6)
SOCW 565 - Capstone (3)
Additionally, students are also required to take three elective courses (9 hours). One elective can be from outside of the Department of Social Work with permission from the MSW Committee.
