Program Goals

Four program goals reflect the mission of the Joint Master of Social Work program in three complementary areas: the provision of a quality master’s level social work curriculum, service to the people of North Carolina, and scholarship.

• Create an intentional learning community which recognizes, understands, supports, and honors diversity and difference, especially for students from oppressed groups.
• Prepare graduates to engage in culturally-competent, effective, ethical, multiculturally-competent clinical practice.
• Collaborate with consumers and colleagues to promote social and economic justice and improve the lives of the people of North Carolina and beyond.
• Conduct and disseminate community-engaged scholarship which contributes to the knowledge base of the profession and promotes effective social work practice.

Curriculum Plan

The Joint Master of Social Work program with the Department of Sociology and Social Work at NCA&TSU offers two-year and advanced standing program options. Students in the full-time two-year option complete 60 credit hours of course work. The advanced standing option requires 42 credit hours in one calendar year. All students must complete courses in the prescribed sequence to progress successfully to completion of the degree program.

The curriculum design of the program provides students with a theoretical and applied education in social work to enhance and promote multicultural clinical social work practice. The program is organized to insure that all students, as advanced social work practitioners, will be prepared to independently engage in clinical social work practice with individuals, families, and small groups, and to work effectively within organizations and communities around issues of social justice and access to services.

Generalist Year Curriculum

In the generalist curriculum, students complete 30 credits of course work. Students complete courses in social work and social welfare policy, social work practice and human diversity, social work practice with individuals, social work practice with groups, and family theory and intervention. Students also complete courses on foundations of clinical social work practice, social work and social justice, social work research methods, and two generalist field instruction and seminar courses. The purpose of the generalist course work is to prepare students for the specialization curriculum.

Specialization Curriculum

In the specialization curriculum, students complete an additional 30 credits of course work. Students complete two courses in advanced social work clinical practice, an advanced research course, and a course on organizational practice from a clinical perspective. They also complete two semesters of advanced field instruction and field seminar. Students also complete two graduate-level electives, which must be approved by the student’s educational advisor.

Advanced Standing Option

Advanced Standing students have been admitted into Advanced Standing with a B.S.W. degree and complete 42 credits of graduate course work to obtain the M.S.W. They begin their graduate course work in the summer taking 12 credits of course work. This course work builds a content bridge between B.S.W. course work and the specialization year curriculum of the M.S.W. program.

School Social Work Licensure

Students intending to become licensed at the graduate level for school social work by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction need to complete the Licensure Program, which has been developed with the School of Education.

In addition to completing the requirements for the JMSW Program, the student must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program and successfully complete SWK 651 Advanced School Social Work . The advanced year field instruction (SWK 640 Field Instruction III and SWK 647 Field Instruction IV ) must be taken in a school social work setting. Graduate licensure in school social work is granted by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Students interested in school social work licensure should contact the school social work coordinator in the Department of Social Work.

For information regarding deadlines and requirements for admission, please see https://grs.uncg.edu/programs/.

A Joint Admissions Committee comprised of faculty members from UNC Greensboro and NCA&TSU review applications and recommend applicants for admission. The review process ensures a consistent and fair evaluation of applicants.

In addition to the application materials required by The Graduate School, applicants must submit a personal statement, a case analysis, a Volunteer/Work Experience form, and show evidence of a liberal arts foundation that includes 18 credits of Social and Behavioral Sciences (political science, psychology, anthropology, economics, ethnic/global studies, history and sociology); 6 credits of Humanities; 3 credits of Human Biology or Human Development; and 3 credits of Statistics.

Applicants must demonstrate intellectual and personal qualifications considered essential to the successful practice of social work, such as sensitivity and responsiveness in relationships, concern for the needs of others, adaptability, good judgment, creativity, integrity, and skill in oral and written communication.

The M.S.W. program does not grant academic credit for life or work experience. Only students who have been admitted to the program may take social work courses. Specific policies governing student progression in the program may be found in the JMSW Student Handbook and in the JMSW Field Instruction Manual.

Applicants to the Advanced Standing option must have earned a Bachelor of Social Work degree from a Council on Social Work Education accredited program within the past 10 years, have a GPA in social work courses of 3.5 or better, and provide a recommendation from his/her B.S.W. field supervisor (as one of the three recommendations required).

Degree Program Requirements

Required: 60 credit hours (42 credit hours for the Advanced Standing Option)

Two-Year Option

Year One: Generalist Courses

Year Two: Specialization Curriculum

Plan of Study Grid

Year One
First Semester		Credit Hours
SWK 600	Field Instruction and Seminar I	3
SWK 621	Foundations of Social Work and Social Policy	3
SWK 622	Social Work Practice with Individuals	3
SWK 623	Social Work with Groups	3
SWK 624	Social Work Practice and Human Diversity	3
	Credit Hours	15
Second Semester
SWK 608	Field Instruction and Seminar II	3
SWK 609	Family Theory and Intervention	3
SWK 618	Social Work and Social Justice	3
SWK 619	Foundations of Clinical Social Work Practice	3
SWK 626	Social Work Research Methods	3
	Credit Hours	15
Year Two
First Semester
SWK 634	Research Designs and Data Analysis for Social Work Practice	3
SWK 640	Field Instruction III	5
SWK 641	Field Seminar III	1
SWK 652	Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice I	3
Select one elective course (3 credits)		3
	Credit Hours	15
Second Semester
SWK 644	Organizational Context of Clinical Social Work Practice	3
SWK 647	Field Instruction IV	5
SWK 648	Field Seminar IV	1
SWK 653	Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice II	3
Select one elective course (3 credits)		3
	Credit Hours	15
	Total Credit Hours	60

Advanced Standing Option

The 42 credit hour Advanced Standing Option is designed to allow highly qualified students to earn the Master of Social Work degree in one calendar year by building on knowledge and skills previously attained through Bachelor of Social Work course work.

Required Summer Bridge Courses

Plan of Study Grid

Summer Session I		Credit Hours
SWK 624	Social Work Practice and Human Diversity	3
SWK 632	Social Work with Families and Groups	3
	Credit Hours	6
Summer Session II
SWK 626	Social Work Research Methods	3
SWK 631	Social Work with Individuals: Theory and Practice	3
	Credit Hours	6
	Total Credit Hours	12

Upon successful completion of the above courses during the summer, Advanced Standing students admitted during summer will join the ongoing M.S.W. full-time two-year class in Year 2: Specialization Year Curriculum. At that time Advanced Standing students will take the following courses:

Specialization Curriculum

Plan of Study Grid

Year Two
First Semester		Credit Hours
SWK 634	Research Designs and Data Analysis for Social Work Practice	3
SWK 640	Field Instruction III	5
SWK 641	Field Seminar III	1
SWK 652	Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice I	3
Select one elective course (3 credits)		3
	Credit Hours	15
Second Semester
SWK 648	Field Seminar IV	1
SWK 644	Organizational Context of Clinical Social Work Practice	3
SWK 647	Field Instruction IV	5
SWK 653	Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice II	3
Select one elective course (3 credits)		3
	Credit Hours	15
	Total Credit Hours	30

School Social Work Licensure

Students intending to become licensed at the graduate level for school social work by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction need to complete the Licensure Program, which has been developed with the School of Education.

In addition to completing the requirements for the JMSW Program, the student must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program and successfully complete SWK 651 Advanced School Social Work . The advanced year field instruction (SWK 640 Field Instruction III and SWK 647 Field Instruction IV ) must be taken in a school social work setting. Graduate licensure in school social work is granted by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Students interested in school social work licensure should contact the school social work coordinator in the Department of Social Work.