Master of Social Work

Admission to Program

Applicants must first meet the general university requirements pertaining to the admission of graduate students. In addition, applicants must demonstrate an academic and professional commitment to Social Work and the values and philosophical foundations of the School’s mission. To be considered for admission into the MSW Program, prospective students must apply and be admitted to both Graduate Studies and the School of Social Work. Admission to the MSW Program is highly competitive. To apply, visit www2.calstate.edu/apply where the two-step application is available. Step One: Complete the SF State Graduate Studies application. Step Two: Complete the School of Social Work MSW application. For additional information about the application process, please visit the School of Social Work website, MSW Admissions page. Applications for the Title IV–E Child Welfare Training Program are also available on the website.

School admission decisions are based on several criteria, including but not limited to, potential for professional practice as demonstrated by previous employment/volunteer experiences; value congruence to the School’s mission; knowledge, experience, and relationship of the applicant to oppressed, underserved and underrepresented individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities; and previous academic performance. To qualify for admission to the MSW program, applicants must have attained a GPA of at least 3.0 in a baccalaureate degree or a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 in their last 60 units. The significance of a baccalaureate degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program in Social Work is recognized, yet SF State University School of Social Work does not have an advanced standing program. In the event that a student with a BASW degree from a CSWE-accredited institution is admitted into the MSW program, a thorough transcript review will take place and a determination made about if and which course(s) may be waived. In the event that a course is waived, credits must be obtained in elective courses to meet graduation requirements and to ensure an adequate number of credits are met to graduate.

Program Learning Outcomes

The Master of Social Work (MSW) curriculum prepares its graduates for advanced practice through mastery of the core competencies supplemented by knowledge and behaviors specific to advanced social work practice and advanced social work competencies. Only a full-time program is offered. The program requires four academic semesters or two years of full-time study to complete.

Competency-based social work education is an outcome performance approach to the curriculum and includes measurable behaviors for each competency that are comprised of knowledge, values, skills, and affective and cognitive processes. Our program learning outcomes are to teach students to demonstrate the integration and application of social work competencies in practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

The program learning outcomes (PLOs) of the MSW program are defined by the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The EPAS lists nine core competencies that social work students ought to have at the end of their programs. Each core competency further lists observable behaviors and learning outcomes expected at the graduate level:

Level One Written English Proficiency Requirement

The University has a requirement for written English proficiency that is to be assessed at two different points in a student's program.

The School of Social Work is committed to enhancing all students’ ability to communicate in an effective and professional manner, both orally and in writing. Further, the School promotes efforts to ensure that all forms of communication are culturally sensitive and appropriate.

To prepare practitioners for the challenges and responsibilities of advocacy within professional settings, the School of Social Work pursues a rigorous writing proficiency standard. Formal writing assignments are integrated into the structure of classes with the expectation that students progressively expand and refine their mastery of organizing ideas and expressing purposeful thinking. Written communication is a core competency in both the BASW and MSW degree programs.

The level one written English proficiency assessment requirement is conducted during the applicant's completion of the MSW supplemental application. One of the application questions is specifically referenced as such.

Level Two Written English Proficiency

The culmination of student writing is completed when graduate students write their final culminating experience project for the MSW degree. They choose either a professional practice project or a thesis. The final projects typically include, as a minimum, the following sections:

Advancement to Candidacy

Besides meeting all general requirements for advancement to candidacy, the school maintains the following additional requirements:

MSW Internship Information: The Internship Coordinator works with all students to help them locate an appropriate and rigorous internship for the 1^st and 2^nd year of the MSW program. MSW students must complete a total of 1100 internship hours (450 hours during the first year and 650 hours during the second year).

Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program

Principal Investigator: Sonja Lenz-Rashid
Project Coordinator: Sandy Vaughn

In collaboration with the Bay Area Schools of Social Work, the California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC) has granted stipends to second-year MSW students committed to working in the field of integrated behavioral health (IBH). We refer to this grant as the San Francisco Bay Area Integrated Behavioral Health MSW Stipend Program. During the second semester of the first year of MSW study, interested students would apply for this competitive grant program. Students must meet all core MSW program requirements, intern at an IBH qualified site (as determined by the Principal Investigator, Project Coordinator, and Internship Coordinator), and participate in all grant-specified requirements. The stipend award is for second-year MSW students only and is $10,000 for the academic year.

Title IV–E Child Welfare Training Stipend Program

Principal Investigator: Sonja Lenz-Rashid
Project Coordinator: Lucy Fuentes

For information about the Title IV-E Stipend Program, please visit the program page on our School of Social Work website for full details.

Pupil Personnel Services Credential: School Social Work Designation

PPSC Coordinator: Sandy Vaughn

The School offers a Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPSC) program to graduate social work students who are simultaneously pursuing their MSW degree. This additional program is available only if resources permit. If offered, students in the PPSC Program are required to enroll in all courses in the Individual, Families, and Groups (IFG) emphasis and do an internship placement in a public school (K-12), supervised by an individual with a PPSC credential. The PPSC internship placement and specialized coursework are designed to be completed in the second year of MSW preparation.

Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior.
1. Make ethical decisions by applying the standards of the NASW Code of Ethics, laws, and regulations, models for ethical decision making, ethical conduct of research, and additional codes of ethics as appropriate to context.
2. Use reflection and self-regulation to manage personal values and maintain professionalism in practice situations.
3. Demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior; appearance; and oral, written, and electronic communication.
4. Use technology ethically and appropriately to facilitate practice outcomes.
5. Use supervision and consultation to guide professional judgement and behavior.
6. Effectively engages in productive problem-solving and appropriate conflict resolution and utilizes open communication.
7. Demonstrates ability to distinguish between personal and professional values in practice context and exhibit understanding of ways personal experience and affective reactions can influence professional judgement and behavior.
8. Engages with those from professions other than social work.
9. Exhibits knowledge of emerging forms of technology and ethical use of technology in social work practice.
Advance human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.
1. Apply understanding of social, racial, economic, and environmental justice to advocate for human rights at the individual and system level.
2. Engage in practices that advance social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.
3. Articulate ways in which a person, regardless of position in society, deserves fundamental human rights such as freedom, safety, privacy, adequate standard of living, healthcare, and education.
4. Engage in micro, mezzo, macro, and global practices that address human rights concerns.
Engage anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) in practice.
1. Identify ways in which diversity and difference shape life experiences in practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and are critical to formation of identity.
2. Present as learning and engage clients and constituents as experts of their own experience.
3. Apply self-awareness and self-regulation to manage the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse clients.
4. Identify forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination, including social, economic, political, and cultural exclusions that may marginalize, alienate, and/or contribute to power and privilege.
5. Identify ways of addressing power and control factors that affect the experiences of diverse populations and modifies intervention methods based on these evaluations.
6. Employ methods that will reflect cultural humility and sensitivity in relationships with clients and communities.
Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
1. Use practice experience and theory to inform scientific inquiry and research
2. Apply critical thinking to engage analysis of research methods and research findings.
3. Use and translate research evidence to inform and improve practice, policy, and service delivery.
4. Engages in research that is inclusive of clients, communities, and organizations involved and that incorporates their participation in all aspects of the research process.
Engage in policy practice.
1. Identify social policy at the local, state, and federal level that impacts wellbeing, service delivery, and access to social services.
2. Assess how social welfare and economic policies impact the delivery of and access to social services.
3. Apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.
4. Create alternative policy solutions and interventions to social issues that are culturally relevant, appropriate, and sensitive to diverse populations affected by the policies.
5. Effectively engage action systems to achieve desired policy changes.
6. Evaluate impact of change efforts, activist agendas, and practice results.
Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
1. Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks to engage with clients and constituents
2. Use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to effectively engage diverse clients and constituents.
3. Identify ways that personal experience and affective reactions may impact the ability to effectively engage with diversity of clients and constituents.
Assess with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
1. Collect and organize data, and apply critical thinking to interpret information from clients and constituents
2. Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the analysis of assessment data from clients and constituents.
3. Develop mutually agreed upon intervention goals and objectives base on the critical assessment of strengths, needs, and challenges within clients and constituents.
4. Select appropriate intervention strategies based on the assessment, research, knowledge, and values and preferences of clients and constituents.
5. Critically analyze differential diagnostic and assessment criteria including developmental and cultural considerations, as well as impact of assessment methods on client and community self-determination and empowerment.
6. Engage with IFGOC in ways that reflect cultural humility in assessing and analyzing their strengths and needs.
7. Exhibit understanding of ways in which person experiences and affective reactions may affect assessment and decision-making.
Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
1. Critically choose and implement interventions to achieve practice goals and enhance capacities of clients and constituents.
2. Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in interventions with clients and constituents.
3. Use inter-professional collaboration as appropriate to achieve beneficial practice outcomes
4. Use inter-disciplinary, inter-professional, and inter-generational collaboration in the processing to negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on behalf of diverse clients and constituents.
5. Facilitate effective transitions and endings that advance mutually agreed on goals.
6. Plan with IFG to apply interventions through a variety of methods and strategies as appropriate to their context and needs for change.
7. Collaborate with clients in addressing long-term developmental goals and addressing obstacles that may be presented by institutional settings and operational practices.
8. Create innovative therapeutic modalities contributing to culturally affirmative and individualized development and advocacy.
9. Facilitate growth and realization of full potential among clients and constituents.

Evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Select and use appropriate methods for evaluation of outcomes.
Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the evaluation of outcomes.
Critically analyze, monitor, and evaluation intervention and program processes and outcomes.
Apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
Identify evidence of change and development upon termination

Identification of the issues or problems that are the focus of the project or thesis;
Description, foundation, discussion, comprehension, and analysis of the presenting problems or issues;
Review of the literature relevant to the project subjects;
Application and syntheses of the literature, principles, theories, and practice areas;
Assessment;
Evaluation;
Implications for social work practice, policies, and/or programs.

The following are to be taken in the first year prior to other courses, 4 units of S W 740, and 2 units of S W 741. S W 740 is graded CR/NC only.

Course List
Code	Title	Units
S W 700	History and Philosophy of Social Welfare	3
S W 710	Human Behavior and the Social Environment	3
S W 720	Research Methods in Social Work	3
S W 730	Social Work Practice Methods	3
S W 770	Ethnic and Cultural Concept and Principles I	3
S W 780	Global Poverty	3
S W 855	Social Work Education, Professionalism, and Practice	1
S W 810	Health, Illness, and Disordered Behavior	3
S W 830	Seminar: Social Casework	3

Maintenance of a 3.0-grade point average in graduate study.

Master of Social Work — 60 Units Minimum

Core Requirements (34 units)

Course List
Code	Title	Units
S W 700	History and Philosophy of Social Welfare	3
S W 701	Social Policy Analysis	3
S W 710	Human Behavior and the Social Environment	3
S W 720	Research Methods in Social Work	3
Select one:		3
S W 721	Seminar: Evaluative Research in Social Work
S W 820	Seminar: Advanced Research Methodology in Social Work
S W 730	Social Work Practice Methods	3
S W 740 & S W 741	Fieldwork Instruction and Graduate Fieldwork Seminar (taken concurrently each semester)	6
S W 770	Ethnic and Cultural Concept and Principles I	3
S W 780	Global Poverty	3
S W 855	Social Work Education, Professionalism, and Practice	1
Select one:		3
S W 895	Research Projects in Social Work
S W 898	Master's Thesis

Individuals, Families, and Groups Program (IFG) - 26 Units

Social work practice with individuals, families, and groups is grounded in a bio-psychosocial approach to direct service. The social worker functions as a multi-role practitioner including the following: caseworker, case manager, leader, facilitator, broker, advocate, counselor, educator, or resource specialist. The practice methods emphasize the importance of promoting the strengths of individuals, rather than focusing on deficits or pathology. The goal of IFG practice is to ameliorate stressors within a life-course context of human development and functioning. The practitioner’s attention is directed toward enhancing the coping abilities of individuals, families, and groups in dealing with aspects of their interpersonal environment through empowering processes. Recognition of issues of diversity is fundamental to culturally competent IFG practice.

Course List
Code	Title	Units
S W 810	Health, Illness, and Disordered Behavior	3
S W 740 & S W 741	Fieldwork Instruction and Graduate Fieldwork Seminar (taken concurrently each semester)	8
S W 830	Seminar: Social Casework	3
S W 832	Seminar: Social Group Work	3
S W 831	Seminar: Advanced Social Casework	3
Select 6 units of electives on advisement		6

Professional Development Programs

The following programs require students to select specific courses that satisfy the elective requirement for the MSW program.

Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Program

The School of Social Work is part of a consortium of graduate social work programs in California to administer the Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Program. This program, administered by the California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC), was created to prepare MSW students for careers in public child welfare service. The full-time program provides a number of student stipends ($18,500 per year) for two years of graduate school. In return for receiving a stipend, students must work in public child welfare for at least two years after they graduate.

The Title IV-E Program is driven by child welfare competencies that were developed by universities and county welfare directors. These competencies are integrated throughout the curriculum and are further enhanced by special workshops on current topics relate to the field. Title IV-E students are expected to complete all core components of the MSW Program and are required to complete the first-year field placement in a county child welfare department or non-profit program serving Title IV-E eligible children and families. The second-year placement must be in a county child welfare department. In addition, Title IV-E students are required to complete two child welfare focused courses in the following order:

S W 843 Child Welfare Practice with Children and Families (3 units) in the spring semester of the first year.

S W 701 Social Policy Analysis (3 units) (Child Welfare-specific section) in the fall semester of the second year.

Students are also required to participate in child welfare trainings and workshops as directed by the Title IV-E Coordinator.

Students who apply to the MSW program are also provided the opportunity to apply for the Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Program simultaneously. Applicants will go through a selection process that includes an in-person interview. Priority is given to applicants who are current employees of county child welfare agencies and applicants who reflect the diversity of clients served by California’s public child welfare agencies. Students who receive the Title IV-E stipend award must attest that they have never been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor crime or any crime involving harm to children that would disqualify them from service in a county public child welfare services agency. All students must submit to Live Scan and criminal background checks via the Child Welfare Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS) for second-year placement. Continuation of this program is subject to funding availability.

Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program

In collaboration with the Bay Area Schools of Social Work, the California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC) has granted stipends to second-year MSW students committed to working in the field of integrated behavioral health (IBH). We refer to this grant as the San Francisco Bay Area Integrated Behavioral Health MSW Stipend Program. During the second semester of the first year of MSW study, interested students would apply for this competitive grant program. Students must meet all core MSW program requirements, intern in an IBH qualified site (as determined by the Principal Investigator and the Field Director), and participate in all grant-specified requirements. The stipend award is for second-year MSW students only and is $10,000 for the academic year.

Pupil Personnel Services Credential: School Social Work Designation

The School offers a Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPSC) program to graduate social work students who are simultaneously pursuing their MSW degree. This additional program is available only if resources permit. If offered, students in the PPSC Program are required to enroll in all courses in the Individual, Families, and Groups (IFG) emphasis and do a field placement in a public school (K-12), supervised by an individual with a PPSC credential.

Non-Roadmap Plan of Study Grid
Second Year
First Semester		Units
S W 740	Fieldwork Instruction (3)	2-3
S W 741	Graduate Fieldwork Seminar (1)	1
S W 865	Social Work Practice in School Settings (3)	3
	Units	6-7
Second Semester
S W 740	Fieldwork Instruction (3)	2-3
S W 741	Graduate Fieldwork Seminar (1)	1
S W 760	Social Work and the Law (3)	3
	Units	6-7
	Total Units	12-14