MSW Degree Requirements and Program-Specific Policies
Full-time, Part-Time, and Reduced Residency Program
All courses in the MSW program are grouped according to five content areas or sequences: American Racism, Human Behavior in the Social Environment (HBSE), Research, Social Policy, and Social Work Practice. With the exception of students in the advanced standing program, students are required to take eight foundation courses (SWRK 601, 602, 603, 604, 611, 612, 613, and 614). The 600-level courses must be completed before the student may move into the advanced core practice courses (SWRK 704 and SWRK 708). After completing the 600-level courses, students select a concentration (clinical or macro practice). All students are required to take:
- One required research course (SWRK 715) and one research elective.
- Two required advanced clinical (SWRK 704 & SWRK 714) or macro (SWRK 708 & SWRK 718) practice courses.
- Four electives: one of which must be a practice elective in the student’s area of concentration, and one of which must be a free elective. The other two electives may be either free or practice electives. An additional research elective may be taken in place of one of the free electives.
Advanced Standing Program
Students in the full-time advanced standing program begin classes and field placement in the summer, followed by two semesters of full-time study during the academic year. In order to enroll in fall classes and field placement, students must satisfactorily complete the two (2) required summer courses (SWRK611 and research elective), and achieve satisfactory performance in the Integrative Practice Seminar and field placement. In addition, advanced standing students are required to take the following courses: SWRK 613; two required advanced clinical (SWRK 704 & SWRK 714) or macro (SWRK 708 & SWRK 718) practice courses; four electives, one of which must be a practice elective in the student’s area of concentration, and one of which must be a free elective (the other two electives may be either free or practice electives). An additional research elective may be taken in place of one of the free electives.
Students in the part-time advanced standing program begin classes in the fall, and complete the remainder of their classes along with the field placement during the second year of the program, beginning in the summer. In order to move forward into the second year of course work and field placement, students must achieve satisfactory performance in the Integrative Practice Seminar, which is taken in the summer between their first and second years.
Required Non-Credit Courses
Advanced Standing Integrative Practice Seminar
All advanced standing students are required to take the Integrative Seminar in the summer immediately preceding their first year of field placement. The seminar meets weekly during the second summer session. In order to enroll in the fall, students must achieve satisfactory performance in the Integrative Practice Seminar and summer field placement.
Reduced Residency Supervision Class (Field Lab)
Reduced Residency students are required to take the Reduced Residency Class in the fall and spring terms of their second year of study. The class meets every-other-week.
Macro Concentration Supervision Class
In a limited number of cases, macro practice students may be placed in agencies where there is no available MSW field instructor. In such instances, the student is required to attend the Macro Supervision Class, which meets every-other week during the academic year (fall and spring semesters). Students who attend the Macro Supervision Class will be given 1 ½ hours of compensatory time off from their field placement every other week.
Academic Advising
An educational advisor will be assigned to each student. The advisor is available to help plan the student’s course of study, assist in course selection, provide consultation on academically related concerns, and monitor academic performance and progress. Group advising conferences with students may be held during the academic year and students will be notified of the dates and times. Students may also request individual advising conferences.
Transfer Credits
Students who transfer from an accredited social work program having completed a full year within the last five years may be granted credit for up to one year's work. To adjust for different curricular patterns in different schools it may be necessary to develop an individualized educational plan for the second year course of study. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs are authorized to make these individual plans.
Students entering with an accredited masters degree in a related field may be granted up to a maximum of six credits based on the overlap of the courses they have taken with the courses in our curriculum. However, a student may receive credit for no more than two in policy, two in HBSE, one in racism, one in research, and two electives. The Associate Deans are authorized to make these individual adjustments.
Students who have completed some graduate work within the past five years but do not have a Masters Degree may be given up to a maximum of four credits for courses that have a high degree of overlap with our courses. The Associate Deans are authorized to determine how many of these credits can be transferred.
Taking Courses in other Penn Departments
SP2 MSW students are permitted to take up to two free electives in other Penn schools and departments. Courses taken in other schools or departments may not be counted as practice electives. Courses must be approved by the student’s educational advisor as relevant to the student’s educational plan.
Independent Study
Criteria: Independent studies provide a flexible opportunity for standing faculty and students to work together in pursuing a topic of special interest that is not sufficiently covered by other courses in the curriculum. The content of independent studies is highly specialized and, as such, requires a plan of study developed jointly by the student(s) and the supervising standing faculty member. Part-time faculty members are not eligible to offer independent studies.
Plans for independent study should include: a statement of the issues(s) to be studied; a rationale for why the identified issue(s) should be pursued via an independent study; a statement of how the independent study fits into the student’s overall educational plan; a summary of the independent study’s major learning objectives; the methods to be used in carrying out the study; a workable plan; the educational “products” that will result from the study (normally a written report or paper); and the expected date by which the independent study will be completed.
The process for arranging an independent study requires approval of both the student’s educational advisor and a standing faculty member who has agreed to conduct the independent study. The procedures to be followed are:
- The student discusses interest in doing an independent study with the academic advisor.
- If the advisor concurs with the student’s submission, the advisor and student will discuss potential standing faculty sponsors.
- If a standing faculty sponsor can be located, the student and standing faculty sponsor would craft the specific plan, including learning objectives, content, and structure for the course.
- The educational advisor informs the registrar that an independent study for the student has been approved.
On the rare occasions that a student is unable to schedule a regular School course, the educational advisor makes a recommendation to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs who will try to identify a standing or adjunct faculty member able to supervise the course delivered as an independent study.
Class and Field Attendance
Courses meet once a week. Classroom learning is a fundamental component of professional education. If a student is unable to attend either class or field for other reasons, he/she should notify your class instructors and/or field instructor.
Waiver Examinations
All entering students are eligible to take waiver examinations for SWRK601 History and Philosophy of Social Work and Social Welfare, and SWRK602 Human Behavior in the Social Environment (see course descriptions below).
The waiver exams offer the opportunity for enrolling students who believe they have already covered foundation content in History and Philosophy of Social Work and Social Welfare (SWRK601) and Human Behavior in the Social Environment (SWRK602) an opportunity to place-out of these courses. You must, however, take another (free) elective course should you place-out of SW601 or SW602.
You will need to pre-register for the exam(s). To pre-register, Contact Barbara Boyd-Williams via e-mail: barb@sp2.upenn.edu or by phone: (215) 898- 5516 by Thursday, August 14, 2008.
Waiver Exam: Human Behavior in the Social Environment SWRK602Thursday, August 21, 10:00 - 12:30pm, School of Social Policy & Practice, Caster Building
Waiver Exam: History and Philosophy of Social Welfare SWRK601Thursday, August 21, 1:30 - 2:30pm, School of Social Policy & Practice, Caster Building
Professional Performance Standards (MSW Program)
All students must meet required standards of behavior for professional social work practice. The following standards, along with related skill areas and required behaviors for each, are delineated in the SP2 Student Handbook.
| Standards | Skill Areas | Required Student Behavior |
Professional Ethics: |
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| Conduct conforms to values and ethics of the social work profession as codified in the NASW Code of Ethics | Adheres to legal and ethical standards in all practice and academic roles and settings. Demonstrates integrity in all dealings with clients, agency and collateral staff, faculty, and student colleagues. Understands and follows all laws pertaining to client confidentiality. Demonstrates willingness to work with and advocate on behalf of vulnerable populations. Demonstrates awareness and respect for diversity |
Does not engage in social relationships with clients; maintains appropriate boundaries with clients. Makes appropriate use of supervision and refers client when needed services are beyond his/her competence. Keeps commitments to clients, colleagues, and faculty. Disguises clients’ identity in class discussions and academic papers. Accepts responsibility for working with vulnerable populations, and participates in advocacy activities on behalf of clients. Willingly accepts and works with a diverse client caseload. |
| Professional Comportment and Conduct: |
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| Demonstrates responsible, accountable professional behavior, protecting peers, colleagues, clients and others from the adverse consequences of personal performance problems and misconduct. | Explores and identifies strengths and weaknesses related to professional practice. Solicits and makes use of feedback regarding performance. Works to correct performance problems through the development of goals and strategies for professional growth. |
Makes productive use of supervision sessions and/or other forms of professional and academic advising and mentorship. Actively participates in field supervision. Seeks professional mental help and self improvement services and consultation when necessary. |
| Professional Relationships: | ||
| All professional interactions reflect respect, integrity, collaboration and accountability, as well as awareness of appropriate professional role, authority and boundaries. | Develops and maintains solid professional working alliances with clients, colleagues, superiors, peers, students, agency personnel, faculty, school staff, advisors, and field educators. Actively and constructively participles in academic and agency affairs. Engages, sustains and appropriately ends professional relationships with clients and colleagues. |
Provides feedback and constructive criticism to field instructor and other agency personnel that is respectful and in accordance with agency protocol. Informs field instructor, field liaison and academic adviser of problems that arise in field and works in a professional, way to address these issues. Follows through on verbal and written agreements. Ends services responsibly with clients and field agency, including proper notification of all relevant parties (clients, field instructor, field liaison and/or practice faculty). |
Communication: |
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| Verbal, non-verbal and written communications with client, faculty, colleagues and others encountered in student role conform to established legal and professional standards. | Receives and responds appropriately to verbal, non-verbal and written forms of communication with a wide range of client systems and persons regardless of differences related to class, age, culture, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and physical or mental abilities. Demonstrates timely response to, and documentation of communication with school and agency contacts. |
Verbal, non-verbal and written communications to clients, colleagues, faculty, school staff, field staff, students and others are delivered with in a respectful, sensitive manner.. Follows agency rules and protocols for record keeping. Responds in a timely manner to all correspondence from clients, agency staff, faculty, and others encountered in student role. |
Professional Performance Standards: Procedures for Corrective Action (MSW Program)
As outlined in the SP2 Student Handbook, the Corrective Action Plan is a written document that describes how the student’s professional behavior violates one or more Core Professional Performance Standards, and identifies corrective action to be taken time frame for completion by the student, faculty member and/or field liaison, field instructor, academic advisor. The problematic behaviors must be behaviorally described, using examples.
Procedures:
- Depending on the nature of the problem(s), the academic advisor or field liaison develops the Corrective Action Plan.
- The Corrective Action Plan is submitted to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs for review and signature. The Associate Dean fro Student Affairs returns the signed form to the originating individual (academic advisor or field liaison).
- It is the responsibility of the academic advisor or field liaison to closely monitor the student’s performance and evaluate the student’s compliance at the end of the specified period.
- If the student satisfactorily improves, the plan is signed by all respective parties at the end of the specified period and forwarded to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
- The Associate Dean for Student Affairs may arrange a consultation with the academic advisor or field liaison and student before rendering a recommendation regarding the student’s continued matriculation in the program. It is the responsibility of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs to ensure that the student has had access to due process throughout the review process.
- The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs reviews the recommendation, makes a determination and informs the Associate Dean for Student Affairs of the decision.
- It is the responsibility of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs to ensure that all related documents are made a part of the student’s file.
Exceptions to the Corrective Action Plan Procedure
- The student’s behavior poses an imminent danger to clients, other students, faculty/staff, and/or self and others (e.g., abuse of clients and/or colleagues, violence or threat of violence).
- The student’s behavior represents an egregious breach of the core performance standards and ethics (e.g., drugs on the premises, theft, bizarre and/or disruptive behavior)
- The student receives a failing grade in a core practice class or in two other classes. In such cases the policy governing dismissal from the program for failure to meet academic requirements supercedes the corrective action plan procedure.
- The University decides to place the student on an involuntary leave of absence with conditions specified for return to the program, according to the conditions and procedures described in the Pennbook. The University may place a student on an involuntary leave of absence or require conditions for continued attendance under the following circumstances when the student exhibits behavior resulting from a psychological, psychiatric, or other medical condition that: harms or threatens to harm the health or safety of the student or others; causes or threatens to cause significant property damage; or significantly disrupts the educational and other activities of the University community.