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The Master of Science Program The Master of Science program recognizes that students bring a diversity of career goals to the School and that social workers function in a wide range of roles within agencies and other social institutions. Thus, CUSSW has designed a curriculum that, through concurrent study in the classroom and in the field, not only instills in students an understanding of the scientific principles, the practice methods, and the ethical and social values of professional social work, but also allows them to focus their second year of study on a specific method concentration and field of practice. All students are required to complete courses in human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policy and services, research, social work practice, and field education. These requirements are consistent with the standards of the School’s accrediting body, the Council on Social Work Education, and promote social and economic justice, competent practice with diverse populations, and the profession’s values and ethics. Typically, students earn the 60 points required for the M.S. in Social Work degree by completing four consecutive terms of full-time study. Alternative structures for completing the M.S. degree requirements are offered in our Advanced Standing, Extended, Reduced Residency, 16-Month and Transfer programs. The advanced concentration curriculum (typically completed during the second year) provides the opportunity for in-depth study of one of four advanced social work practice methods and focused study in one of seven fields of practice. Students may further individualize their studies through one of nine dual degree programs or one of four minors. All requirements for the degree must be completed within four years of matriculation into the program. Two-Year Master of Science Program Most students follow the full-time Master of Science degree program structure (60 points earned during four consecutive terms of full-time study). Students usually take three or four classroom courses each term in addition to field education, spending two days in the classroom and three days (21 hours) at their field education site each week. In the first year of the program, referred to as the Foundation year, most students complete
During the second year, also called the Advanced Concentration year, the curriculum includes field education, two required advanced practice courses, a field of practice course, an advanced research course, and electives. 16-Month ProgramAn alternative to the Two-Year program is the full-time 16-Month Program. This program allows students to begin full-time study in January and complete the requirements for the Master of Science in Social Work degree in May of the following year. Students must attend class and field during the Summer session to complete their requirements in this program. The curriculum and field education offerings of the 16-Month Program replicate those of the Two-Year program that begins each September, with few exceptions. The Law Minor option is not available to 16-Month Program students. The 16-Month Program is not available to international applicants. Individuals who are currently working for a human social services organization, and who have been working for such an organization for at least two years full-time or four years part-time, may apply to the Reduced Residency program, where they may earn the Master of Science degree through a combination of part-time and full-time study. This program requires a minimum of five terms of study, and must be completed within four years. Only students enrolled in the Reduced Residency program may qualify to use their place of employment as their field placement site. However, this is not guaranteed; all Reduced Residency sites must meet the CUSSW Field Education Department criteria as outlined in the Field Education Manual. The Reduced Residency Program is divided into two periods of study: pre-residency and residency. During the part-time pre-residency period, students must register for a minimum of one course each term while they continue to work full-time at their agencies. In the first year of the program, Reduced Residency students usually complete the required background courses (see above). During the Fall and Spring terms of their second part-time year, students take the required foundation practice courses and the Reduced Residency Field Education Seminar (T6011). In their final year (the residency period), students study full-time. During this phase, some students choose to spend four days a week in field placement, thereby completing the required 900 hours of field education in two terms. Others elect to earn the same credit over three terms (Fall, Spring, and Summer). Both field options are accompanied by one or two days a week in class. Another program option that offers some flexibility is the Extended Program, which combines part-time and full-time study. Students earn the same 60 points and meet all the course and field education requirements of the two-year M.S. Program, but may complete their study in three or four years. The Extended Program is divided into three periods of study with a variety of options: pre-field, field, and post-field education. Students must register for a minimum of one course each term while in the Extended Program. A maximum of five courses (15 points) may be completed prior to entering field education. Students usually take the required background courses (see above) and one elective during their pre-field education period. During the field education period, students will be expected to fulfill a placement at a work site that provides social work services three days per week. They then take the foundation practice courses during the two-year field education period, and may choose to fulfill the remaining elective requirement in either the field education or post-field education phase. In consultation with the program advisor, the student selects a plan of study at the time of entry into the program. Advanced Standing Program for B.S.W. Graduates The Advanced Standing program offers graduates of CSWE-accredited B.S.W. programs in the United States the opportunity accelerate their pursuit of the Master of Science degree. Advanced Standing students may receive up to 27 transfer credits and matriculate at the School of Social Work as second year students, enabling them to earn their degree in three terms. Advanced Standing Program students begin their program with an intensive four-week program in early August. During this time, the students take two courses: T6012 (Advanced Standing Field Education Seminar) and T7102 (Direct Practice with Individuals, Families & Groups). They complete all other course work and field education requirements during the subsequent Fall and Spring terms. Working with the Field Education Department, Advanced Standing students choose an advanced practice method concentration area and a field of practice. Advanced Standing students are permitted to pursue some minor programs (additional course work may be required); they are not permitted to pursue a dual degree. Advanced Standing Students are not required to take the Seminar in Professional Identity (T6015). Transfer Program for Students from CSWE-Accredited Schools Students who have completed a full year of field and course work at another CSWE-accredited graduate school of social work in the United States within five years of the term for which they are applying may apply to CUSSW’s Transfer Program. Up to 30 transfer points may be granted toward the M.S. degree. Students who are accepted into this Program can expect to complete their studies within one year. At least 30 points must be completed at CUSSW, including 9 points in field education and 21 points in social work classroom courses. Transfer Program students are not required to take the Seminar in Professional Identity (T6015). The Professional Option Program A limited number of highly qualified undergraduate students in the Columbia University School of General Studies may apply for admission to the Master of Science program at CUSSW after the completion of the junior undergraduate year. At the end of the first year of graduate study, the student earns the bachelor’s degree; after successful completion of the second year of graduate study, the student earns the Master of Science in Social Work. General Studies students interested in this option should contact a pre-professional advisor at that school early in the junior year. All students must complete 60 graduate points to earn the Master of Science degree. No academic credit is given for life experience or previous work experience, in whole or in part, in lieu of field education or academic courses. Master of Science Program (includes Two-Year Program, Extended Program, 16-month Program, and Reduced Residency Program): Students complete a minimum of 45 points in classroom courses and 15 points in field education. Transfer Program: Students transfer into CUSSW with up to 30 transfer credits from previous CSWE-accredited program. Students then complete a minimum of 9 field points and 21 classroom points while in residency at CUSSW, thereby fulfilling the required 45 points in classroom courses and 15 points in field education. Advanced Standing Program for B.S.W. graduates: In addition to a maximum of 27 credits in advanced standing granted from a CSWE-accredited program, students must earn a minimum of 21 points in classroom courses and 12 points in Field Education while in residency at CUSSW. Dual Degree programs: Student must complete a minimum of 45 points at CUSSW; the remaining 15 points are completed at the participating institution, and are used to fulfill CUSSW elective requirements. (See Dual Degree Programs and Minors for more information on Dual Degrees and Participating Institutions.) Students Entering in Academic Year 2008-2009 CUSSW program requirements are consistent with the standards of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the profession’s accrediting body. CSWE requires all social work programs to provide foundation content in values and ethics; diversity; populations-at-risk and social and economic justice; human behavior and the social environment; social welfare policy and service; social work practice; research; and field education. In addition, CSWE requires that master’s degree programs prepare graduates for advanced social work practice in an area of concentration. In the second year, the CUSSW curriculum integrates and builds on the foundation content and provides greater depth, breadth, and specificity in a conceptualization of advanced practice that is based on advanced social work methods and fields of practice. Required Courses First-year required courses:
Second-year required courses:
Waiver Examinations If a course is waived by examination, an elective for the same number of points must be taken. Eligible students are therefore encouraged to seek the appropriate waivers and to broaden their knowledge base by taking electives in areas that represent new content for them. The following courses may be waived by successfully passing an examination: T6501 (Social Work Research), T6502 (Quantitative Methods for Social Work), and T6801 (Social Welfare Policy). All waiver exams are offered five times per year: during Introduction to CUSSW sessions held in June, July and August; during Fall orientation; and again in early January. Students may sit for each waiver exam only once; they will be notified by e-mail whether they have passed. Please see the Student Handbook for more information. Field Education is a central component of the total educational program of the School. Students typically spend 21 hours/week in their field placements, where practice experiences promote the integration of theoretical content from the classroom and the development of knowledge, skills and values for social work practice. Students learn to work within agency structure and function as they are afforded opportunities to develop the skills of the clinician, planner, organizer, researcher, supervisor, or administrator. Each student receives individual, weekly supervisory conferences from a field instructor with a Master’s Degree in Social Work at their agency. An extensive network of more than 400 public and voluntary agencies and organizations in New York City and the greater metropolitan area is available to CUSSW students for field education. This network includes, for example, medical and psychiatric hospitals, mental health clinics, family agencies, services and facilities for older adults, community programs, courts, unions, employee assistance programs, corporations, schools, child welfare programs, and planning and coordinating councils. The School assesses field education sites and field instructors to ensure that they meet expectations and standards for student learning. New field instructors are required to attend a 12-session seminar at Columbia that is designed to orient them to the School’s educational program and train them in student supervision. Each student is also assigned a faculty field advisor who serves as a vital link among student, placement and school. The advisor meets with the student on a regular basis to assist with and discuss all aspects of the field experience. Advisors also meet on-site with field instructors to ensure the quality of students’ field education. For a detailed discussion of field education requirements and policy, refer to the Field Education Manual or visit the Field Education Web site at www.columbia.edu/cu/ssw/field. Advanced Practice Method Concentrations and Fields of Practice Prior to the second year, students select one of four advanced practice method concentrations and one of seven fields of practice. This student-directed individualization of study allows students to structure a program of study that enables them to acquire advanced knowledge and skills for practice in their particular areas of interest. Advanced Practice Method Concentrations Students choose from among four method concentrations: Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice, Advanced Generalist Practice and Programming, Policy Practice, and Social Enterprise Administration. The choice of the advanced practice method concentration determines the type of second field placement and the series of second-year practice courses, including the research course, for which students will register. Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice This method concentration is designed for students interested in working directly with individuals, families, and groups. An ecological perspective — the assessment of individuals, families, and groups in relation to their environments — provides a framework within which students learn to conceptualize and develop clinical practice interventions. The required second-year practice method courses are T7113 (Advanced Clinical Practice in a Field of Practice) and T7114 (Advanced Clinical Practice with Populations, Modalities, and Professional Practice Issues). The advanced research course for this practice method is T7501 (Clinical Practice Evaluation). Advanced Generalist Practice and Programming The AGPP curriculum seeks to develop professionals who are skilled in direct practice and are able to assess how organizational settings and the contexts in which clients live and work facilitate and hinder clients’ welfare. Emphasis is on the development of a range of skills, including those related to direct practice, community and population-focused needs assessment, program planning and evaluation, supervision of volunteers and paid staff, community outreach, and group leadership. The required second-year practice method courses are T7133 and T7134 (Advanced Generalist Practice and Programming I and II). The advanced research course for this practice method is T6416 (Program Evaluation). Policy Practice This concentration method draws on the resources of CUSSW and Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs to prepare students to practice as policy analysts and advocates. A two-term advanced practice seminar (T7143-T7144 Seminar in Policy Practice I & II) links policy analysis skills, the policy tasks of the field, and policy content. Students are also required to take T7811 (Microeconomics and Policy Analysis I), which fulfills the second research course requirement, and T7812 (Microeconomics and Policy Analysis II). Policy students who pursue the International Social Welfare field of practice are required to take T7815-T7816 Economics for International Affairs, in lieu of T7811-7812. Social Enterprise Administration This method is designed for students interested in acquiring administrative and planning skills. The curriculum prepares the graduate to administer an agency or a program or to work as a planner in the development of social services. The required courses address contemporary technical and substantive issues in the management of human service organizations, emphasizing organizational behavior, social planning, fiscal and personnel management, and evaluation strategies. The two required practice method courses are T7122 (Social Planning and Program Development) and T7124 (Community Development and Practice). Students are also required to take T7123 (Human Resources Management and Supervision); T7125 (Financial Management); and T7126 (Special Topics in SEA). The advanced research course for this practice method is T6416 (Program Evaluation). Sample Programs for Each Practice Method In addition to choosing an advanced practice method, students select from among seven fields of practice:
Specializing in a field of practice ensures that students acquire advanced knowledge and skills for practice with a particular target population, problem area, or specialized setting. The specialized field of practice course is normally taken in the Fall term of the second year. In this course, students learn to apply an analytic framework for advanced practice that includes:
Aging This field of practice focuses on the developmental, social, health, mental health, and service needs of older adults and their families. The emerging service system of this field includes services to middle-aged adults (pre-retirement planning, family treatment, lifelong learning); to healthy older adults (re-socialization, crisis intervention, advocacy, functional assessment, post-retirement planning); to the frail elderly (specialized housing, congregate care, long-term care, community outreach, and information and referral); and to dying older persons and their families. The required field of practice course T6930 (Aging: Issues, Policies, Research and Programs), covers demographic trends, developmental perspectives, national policies and trends, family and intergenerational relations and service systems. Students learn the skills needed to work effectively with multigenerational networks on problems of the aging. Contemporary Social Issues Contemporary Social Issues (CSI) is designed to be responsive to new issues as they emerge. Current core issues are homelessness, interpersonal and community violence, and substance abuse; issues related to the criminal justice system are also included. CSI focuses on some of the most vulnerable and marginalized populations served by social workers. While homelessness, violence, substance abuse, and other issues are discrete problems, there is substantial confluence among them. Since the underlying concept of the field is work with new and emerging issues, students will develop a framework for moving into other less well-defined areas as social work practice evolves. Courses, including the required T6970 (Contemporary Social Issues: Issues, Policies, Research and Programs), focus on issues and practices related to each problem and also to their convergence. Family, Youth, and Children's Services This field of practice addresses the special needs of families, youth, and children. The required course, T6920 (Family and Children’s Services: Issues, Policies, Research, and Programs), focuses on changing family composition, special needs related to ethnicity, legislative and regulatory framework for service delivery and implications for research and family policy. Students are introduced to agencies that are primarily concerned with the social problems of this population: family services (family counseling, advocacy, and education); child guidance and child care services (day-care and homemaker programs); services to single parents; protective services; schools; and substitute care or placement services (foster care, group homes, residential treatment, and adoption centers). Major content areas are life span development; tasks, crises, and disruptions in family life; family conflict and violence; the impact of separation on family members; remarriage; behavioral problems of children and adolescents; child neglect and abuse; and adolescent pregnancy. Other courses focus on the skills needed for clinical practice with families and children, and for programmatic and advocacy activities on their behalf. Health, Mental Health, and Disabilities The Health, Mental Health, and Disabilities field of practice gives students an overview of the health delivery system in the United States. The required course, T6910 (The Health-care System: Issues, Policies, Research and Programs), focuses on the organizational structures, legislation, and health policies that determine how health services are delivered and affect social work practice. Elective courses with various health and mental health content are offered to meet students’ specific needs. Content also includes the health practices and social stressors that affect clients; identified risk factors and their application to program development and evaluation; fiscal, legal, and organizational sanctions and influences, including managed care; and assessment of system entry points for client care and advocacy. International Social Welfare and Services to Immigrants and Refugees International Social Welfare covers activities of intergovernmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations (voluntary agencies) operating cross-nationally, and national governments in their interactions with other governments regarding social policies, programs, and practices. These activities include standard-setting, technical assistance, exchange of ideas, personnel, and information, and cross-national research. The direct service element of the concentration focuses on immigration and refugee programs, programs in response to natural and human-made disasters, and inter-country adoptions. The required course, T6925 (International Social Welfare Services and Services to Immigrants and Refugees), introduces students to the field and exposes them to the workings of the major international organizations, the programs of voluntary agencies working internationally, the major international trends in social policies and programs, and the nature of social work practice and training in other countries. Enrollment in this Field of Practice is limited, and preference will be given to those fluent in a second language. Students who select this field must have at least 9 months experience working, volunteering or interning either outside of the students’ country of origin; or working, volunteering or interning primarily with immigrants and refugees in this country. School-Based and School-Linked Services The focus of this field of practice is on the delivery of social work services to school-aged children, adolescents, and their families. The required course, T6960 (Services in Schools: Issues, Policies, Research, and Programs), examines social service and educational systems in terms of their interrelationships and combined potential for improving the lives of at-risk children and their families. Through specialized courses and field placements, students gain the knowledge, values, and skills needed for effective practice in a range of educational settings – preschool, elementary, middle, and high school; regular education and special education; and alternative educational systems. Traditional and emergent service delivery frameworks are examined in depth. World of Work Work, workers, and work organizations are the focus of this field of practice. The required course, T6950 (Organization and Delivery of Social Services to Workers), addresses aspects of social work in the work place, including the needs and help-seeking behavior of workers and implications for social service practice and delivery system design. A wide variety of settings—trade unions, corporate headquarters, employee health programs, mental health centers, family and rehabilitation agencies—provide sites for students to carry out clinical service delivery, research, program development, training, and administrative roles. The links between work and health, mental health, family well-being, and aging are apparent in the range of problems that students encounter in this field: developmental crises, alcohol and drug abuse, marital and family problems, job jeopardy, retirement adjustment, credit and other legal matters. Attention is also devoted to work organizations and their policies as they affect individuals and families. A systems approach to universal services within the functional community of work allows students to develop expertise in preventive, therapeutic, and rehabilitative interventions. |
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