MSW Specializations
With the use of elective courses, students can choose to develop additional skills by declaring a focused specialization that can be used in combination with any concentration. Specialization options include the following:
- Management
- Older Adults and Aging Societies
- Policy
- Research
- Sexual Health and Education
- Social Entrepreneurship
- System Dynamics
- Violence and Injury Prevention
All specializations require students to complete one of their five concentration practicum credits (120 hours) on their specialization-related tasks and activities. Students must work with their field advisor and field instructor to ensure relevant content.
Management
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| SWPM 6038 Leading and Managing Employees, Volunteers and Teams | 3 | |
| SWPM 6039 Financial Management | 3 | |
| SWPM 6043 Leadership and Management of Human Service Organizations | 3 | |
| Other Notes: | ||
Students take SWTH 6012 Human Service Organizations: Theory, Concepts, Issues for their Leadership and Management requirement. | ||
Students may choose to take SWEV 6002 Human Services: Design and Evaluation for Impact for their Evaluation requirement. | ||
| Total Units | 9 | |
Older Adults and Aging Societies
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| SWTH 6002 Contemporary Perspectives on Aging | 3 | |
| SWSP 6004 Social Policies, Services and Programs in Aging | 3 | |
| One of the following is required: | 3 | |
| SWPM 6008 Principles of Clinical Interventions in Behavioral Health | ||
or SWPM 6009 Principles and Practices of Differential Diagnosis | ||
or SWPM 6018 Principles, Practices and Services in Substance Use Disorder Treatment | ||
or SWPM 6010 Harm Reduction Community Practice | ||
or SWPM 6078 Social Work Practice Across Systems Serving Children, Youth and Families | ||
or SWPM 6012 Contemporary Family Therapy | ||
or SWPM 6003 Clinical Interventions in Health and Integrated Health Settings | ||
or SWPM 6004 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy | ||
or SWPM 6007 Applied Group Work Practice | ||
or SWPM 6049 Developing Programs in Health and Social Service Settings | ||
or SWPM 6026 Sex, Society and Social Work: Issues and Interventions | ||
or SWPM 6027 Sexual Health Across the Life Course | ||
or SWPM 6029 Designing Sexual Health Education Curriculum | ||
or SWPM 6001 Addressing and Preventing Intimate Partner Violence in Practice | ||
or SWPM 6035 Core Components and Skills for Trauma-Informed Practice | ||
| Total Units | 9 | |
Policy
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| SWSP 6013 Local and Municipal Policy and Advocacy | 3 | |
| SWPM 6053 State Level Lobbying | 3 | |
| An additional 3 credits of Policy coursework are required. We suggest one of the following for the most robust Policy experience: | 3 | |
| SPGN 6021 Economics of Social Welfare | ||
or SPGN 6014 Policy and Advocacy in the Three Branches of Government | ||
or SWSP 6017 Washington D.C. Lab: Advocacy in the Federal Ecosystem | ||
or SPGN 6009 Public Administration, Finance, and Government Budgeting | ||
| Other Notes: | ||
| Total Units | 9 | |
Research
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHFN 5001 Biostatistics (through the Bursky School of Public Health) | 3 | |
| PHRS 6001 Applied Linear Modeling (through the Bursky School of Public Health) | 3 | |
| SWSL 6046 MSW Research Seminar I | 1 | |
| SWSL 6047 MSW Research Seminar II | 2 | |
| Total Units | 9 | |
Sexual Health and Education
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| SWPM 6026 Sex, Society and Social Work: Issues and Interventions | 3 | |
| Two of the following are required: | 6 | |
| SWPM 6027 Sexual Health Across the Life Course | ||
or SWPM 6029 Designing Sexual Health Education Curriculum | ||
or SWSP 6005 Regulating Sex: Law, Policy and Advocacy | ||
| Total Units | 9 | |
Social Entrepreneurship
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| SWPM 6039 Financial Management | 3 | |
| SWPM 6044 Social Entrepreneurship | 3 | |
| MGT 5240 Business Planning for the New Enterprises: The Hatchery (through Olin Business School) | ||
| Other Notes: | ||
Students take SWTH 6012 Human Service Organizations: Theory, Concepts, Issues for their Leadership and Management requirement. | ||
Students may choose to take SWEV 6002 Human Services: Design and Evaluation for Impact for their Evaluation requirement. | ||
| Total Units | 6 | |
System Dynamics
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| One of the following is required: | 1 | |
| SWSL 6031 System Dynamics Applied Practice I: Designing Responsive Community Based System Dynamics Approaches | ||
or SWSL 6034 Introduction to System Dynamics for Advancing Equity | ||
| Required: | ||
| SWPM 6074 Community Based System Dynamics | 3 | |
| SWPM 6077 System Dynamics Modeling for Strategic Design | 3 | |
| SWSL 6032 System Dynamics Applied Practice II: Simulation Model Translation and Adaptation | 1 | |
| SWSL 6033 System Dynamics Applied Practice III: Developing Interactive Model Interfaces | 1 | |
| Total Units | 9 | |
Violence and Injury Prevention
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| SWTH 6001 Theoretical Approaches to Interpersonal Violence Across Life Course | 3 | |
| Two of the following are required: | 6 | |
| SWPM 6001 Addressing and Preventing Intimate Partner Violence in Practice | ||
or SWPM 6002 Child Maltreatment Prevention | ||
or SWPM 6017 International Child Welfare | ||
or SWPM 6035 Core Components and Skills for Trauma-Informed Practice | ||
| Total Units | 9 | |