MSW

Our innovative and holistic program provides two areas for MSW students to specialize. Students will choose from a specialization in Community or Clinical Practice. The clinical specialization is designed for those who wish to work one-on-one with clients, families, and groups, providing case management, counseling, mental health care, and more. The community specialization prepares students for macro social work practice with organizations and communities. Students in both specializations have unique internship experiences supporting their chosen specialization.

Clinical practice specialization - this specialization prepares students for advanced social work practice in multiple clinical settings, often working with interdisciplinary teams. This specialization is designed for those who wish to work one-on-one with clients, families, and groups, providing case management, counseling, mental health care, and more. Students apply evidence-based practice theories and models in advanced clinical practice settings. Students who choose this track often move on to careers in healthcare, schools, behavioral health organizations, trauma intervention, advanced case management, work with children and families, and more.

• For more information about the Clinical Practice Specialization, please watch this video.
• Clinical Practice Competencies and Practice Behaviors
   

Community practice specialization - this specialization prepares students for working with public and/or nonprofit organizations, communities, congregations, and religiously affiliated agencies. Students learn to apply evidence-informed and asset-based community practice frameworks and methods of intervention to develop responsive human resource systems, sustainable physical and social environments, and just public and institutional policies. 

• For more information about the Community Practice Specialization, please watch this video.
• Community Practice Competencies and Practice Behaviors

We know students value a curriculum that prepares them for social work practice and allows them to customize their learning experience. In addition to the two practice specializations, we offer students the opportunity to tailor their learning through concentration options. The GSSW offers three unique concentrations that reflect the best practices in the social work profession. Concentrations in Organizational Leadership, Trauma-Informed Practice & Diversity, Equity & Inclusion provide students with optional and deeper learning experiences.  Students who choose a concentration are given a learning plan and mentorship opportunities to complete during their advanced coursework. Students who complete their learning plan receive a concentration designation on their final transcript in addition to their chosen specialization.

Organizational Leadership Concentration
Students who wish to pursue a concentration in organizational leadership are interested in leading and developing organizations, particularly those focused on the not-for-profit and social service sectors. They are committed to creating healthy and thriving organizations emphasizing DEIB and anti-oppressive leadership practices. Students can further focus and develop their learning and practice in leadership and management.

Trauma Informed Practice Concentration
The Trauma Informed Practice Concentration develops a student's knowledge base more comprehensively in trauma-informed social work practice. The concentration will focus on crisis response, trauma, and recovery in social work practice with implementation considerations at micro, mezzo, and macro levels.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Concentration
The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Concentration allows students to focus on content and activities that increase intersectional social awareness and promote anti-oppressive practices. Students should complete the selected assignments below with an emphasis on diversity-informed and anti-oppressive social work practices.

For a complete list of requirements for each of the concentration options. please download and review the full Concentration Options handout.

Students completing the MSW Program foundation year will be able to: 

• Apply generalist social work knowledge and skills in practice using a strengths-oriented, ecological systems perspective that demonstrates respect for human diversity and cultures.
• Use critical thinking skills in applying knowledge and ethical principles to social work practice and in evaluating scientific inquiry including practice-based research.
• Demonstrate a developing social work identity that includes self-awareness, professional use of self, use of supervision and consultation, and an appreciation of the profession’s values and history. 
• Use conceptual frameworks to understand development and behavior across the life course, the interactions among individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and larger systems.
• Understand the forms and mechanisms of privilege and oppression, and apply strategies of advocacy and social change that advance social and economic justice globally.
• Demonstrate skills and knowledge for social work practice that are spiritually informed and that recognize religious contexts.

Students completing the specialized year will be able to practice the foundation goals at an advanced level and, in addition, within one’s area of specialization, they will be able to:

• Discover, compare, apply, and evaluate conceptual perspectives, models, and research that guide advanced practice.
• Demonstrate competence in advanced practice skills and the evaluation of advanced practice skills.
• Demonstrate competence in both working autonomously and working collaboratively.
• Know, evaluate, integrate and use literature in decision-making in advanced practice.