MSW/Certificate Programs
Penn MSW/Home-School Visitor Certification Program
Do you want to be a school social worker? In Pennsylvania, school social work is called "Home-School Visitor Certification." Students seeking the Home and School/Visitor Social Worker Certification (MSW/HSV) provide professional social work services in a variety of K-12 educational institutions. Students interested in this certification should consult with their educational advisor and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs when planning the advanced portion of their program.
Penn MSW/Home-School Visitor Application Procedure (PDF)
Penn MSW/Home-School Visitor Certification Content (PDF)
Penn MSW/Home-School Visitor Certification Requirements (PDF)
Penn MSW/Home-School Visitor Certification Application (PDF)
MSW/Certificate in Jewish Communal Services
Students enrolled in the certificate program can earn both a Master of Social Work degree and a Certificate in Jewish Communal Services. In preparing for social work careers in Jewish communal services, students have the opportunity to gain knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas: direct counseling services, planning and administration, group work, fundraising, and community relations. Graduates can expect to find jobs within the Jewish community in family services, children's agencies, day care centers, geriatric services, hospitals, community centers, Federations, immigration services, synagogue youth and adult activity centers, Jewish schools, and the Hillel Foundation.
The University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice offers a wide range of field placements to prepare for careers in Jewish communal services. Special stipends may be available for this program.
(Students must apply to Gratz College at 7605 Old York Road, Melrose Park, Pa 19126, where additional information on the certificate program is available.)
MSW/Certificate in Catholic Social Ministry
The Religious Studies Division of Saint Charles Seminary and the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice offer a special certificate program designed to educate social work professionals in Catholic social thought, values and practice for careers in Catholic social services. The program consists of six graduate level courses leading to the Certificate in Catholic Social Ministry, to be awarded by the Seminary upon successful completion of eighteen credits.
Students complete the certificate program using the summer between the two years of the MSW program and the summer following its completion. Students are expected to complete one field placement in a Catholic social agency. (Students may apply to St. Charles Seminary, Division of Religious Studies at 1000 E. Wynnewood Road, Overbrook, PA 19096, for additional information on the certificate program.) Special student stipends may be available.
MSW/Certificate in Lutheran Social Ministry or Certificate in Christian Social Ministry
Students enrolled in the certificate program between the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice and the Lutheran Theological Seminary can earn both a Master of Social Work degree and a Certificate in either Lutheran Social Ministry or Christian Social Ministry. In preparing for a career in Lutheran or other Christian social service agencies, students in the MSW/Certificate program have the opportunity to gain knowledge and experience in direct counseling, program planning and administration, group work, fund raising, and community relations. Students are expected to complete one field placement in an approved Lutheran agency. Individual course plans are crafted in conjunction with both programs; summer courses are generally necessary for degree completion. (Students should apply to Office of the Registrar, Lutheran Theological Seminary, 7301 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19119.