Social Work, MSW

The School of Social Work offers a program of classroom study and fieldwork that leads to the master of social work (MSW) degree. The program is based on a relational perspective for advanced professional practice, leadership, and innovation in service delivery. A single concentration, Clinical Community Social Work, is offered which is augmented and focused through elective courses selected by the student in consultation with his or her faculty advisor. Paramount to this perspective is a commitment to economic and social justice. The curriculum leading to the MSW degree is built on a liberal arts perspective. The MSW program at East Carolina University has been developed in accordance with the policies and guidelines provided by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

The School of Social Work offers two curriculum options: regular track and advanced standing. The regular track program is designed as a two year course of study that requires the completion of a minimum of 60 semester hours. The initial year, referred to as the foundation year, is comprised of 30 semester hours focusing on developing the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to become professional social workers. This foundation is applicable across different practice settings, problem areas, and population groups. The foundation curriculum includes material on populations-at-risk, human diversity, and social and economic justice, and is provided in courses addressing the areas of human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policy and services, social work practice, and social work research. In addition, a foundation practicum provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and values taught in the first year in a supervised practice setting.

The second year of the regular track program

Generally referred to as the advanced year, builds upon the foundation year and provides more thorough knowledge of complex policies, practice skills, evaluation skills, human behavior and the social environment, and field education. While the foundation curriculum introduces Clinical-Community Social Work, the advanced curriculum enhances the students’ understanding of the perspective and further develops their skills for practice.

In addition to 9 semester hours of electives, regular track students will complete the following courses:

Students who have graduated from a CSWE accredited bachelor of social work (BSW) program

May apply for admission to the advanced standing MSW program of study. Those accepted into this program attain the MSW degree after the completion of a minimum of forty-two semester hours over the course of one calendar year. Full time advanced students enroll in the summer, completing 12 semester hours (SOCW 6110 , SOCW 6111 , SOCW 6701 , SOCW 6711 ). The remaining 30 semester hours are completed within the context of the advanced year curriculum. A field practicum is required for both semesters of the advanced year.

In addition to 9 semester hours of electives, the advanced standing students will complete the following courses:

Students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in foundation and advanced content through the successful completion of a comprehensive assessment.

For the MSW degree, the successful completion of SOCW 6550 serves as the comprehensive assessment.