Carrie Jefferson Smith, Director, 315-443-5562
Sims Hall
Faculty Keith A. Alford, Paul Caldwell, Wan-Yi Chen, Kenneth N. Corvo, Ellen deLara, Alejandro Garcia, Juye Ji, Pamela Johnson, Eric Kingson, Karen E. Kirkhart, Tracey Musarra Marchese, Deborah J. Monahan, Nancy R. Mudrick,Diane Lyden Murphy, Jennifer Propp, Carrie Jefferson Smith
DIRECTOR OF FIELD INSTRUCTION Peg Miller
UNDERGRADUATE
Keith Alford, Baccalaureate Program Director, 315-443-5562.
The undergraduate professional social work program offers a bachelor of science degree. The goals of this program, in order of priority, are as follows:
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To prepare undergraduate social work students for competent entry-level generalist professional practice;
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To prepare undergraduate social work students for graduate education in social work;
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To contribute to the academic preparation of students who will enter professional practice or graduate education in related professional fields; and
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To contribute to the preparation of students for critical and effective participation in the complex community structures of contemporary society.
The social work program is based on the concept of ecological systems, which maintains that the fundamental focus of social work practice is on the transactions of people and their environments, and on the constant state of reciprocity in which each shapes the other. Social work intervention aims to promote the progressive forces and minimize the regressive forces in those transactions. The curriculum incorporates instruction in five professional foundation areas: social welfare policy and services, human behavior in the social environment, research, social work practice, and field practicum. Instruction in these areas builds upon a carefully chosen and strong liberal arts preparation in the humanities, the social and behavioral sciences, and the natural sciences taken within the College of Arts and Sciences.
The program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
GRADUATE
Contact Paul Caldwell, MSW Program Director, 315-443-5562.
The School of Social Work educates practitioners grounded in social work values and evidence-informed practice to foster strengths and to respond to human service needs of local, state, national and global communities. We accomplish this in collaboration with the practice community through teaching, research, scholarship, and service aimed at achieving social and economic justice in a diverse society.
The school offers two graduate programs leading to the master of social work (M.S.W.) degree. The first is a two-year M.S.W. program. The second is an advanced standing program, open only to students who hold a bachelor’s degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Both graduate programs prepare students for advanced social work practice and leadership. The graduate program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
The social work program is based on the concept of ecological systems. This concept maintains that the fundamental focus of social work practice is on the transactions of people and their environments and the constant state of reciprocity in which each shapes the other. Social work intervention aims to promote the progressive forces and minimize the regressive forces in those transactions.
More than 200 social welfare and health agencies in Central New York provide graduate field instruction opportunities. Graduate students in the two-year degree program must complete 1000 hours of field experience concurrent with their academic work, thereby integrating classroom and field learning.
ADMISSION
Students in the two-year M.S.W. program begin full-time study only in the fall semester. Advanced standing students begin study in the second summer session. The awarding of the degree requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all courses required for the degree. All degree requirements must have been completed within seven years prior to the date of the degree award.
Matriculated students who voluntarily interrupt graduate study for more than one academic year and wish to be re-admitted will be evaluated by the MSW Program and Field Office directors. Required reevaluation criteria vary according to individual circumstances. The re-admission process is initiated by a letter to the director of the MSW program in the School of Social Work, outlining circumstances of interruption and plans for completion of graduate study.
TRANSFER CREDIT
Graduate credit earned in another accredited graduate school and carrying a grade of B or higher may be transferred toward the M.S.W. degree, so long as it forms an integral part of the degree program and is approved by the School of Social Work. A maximum of 12 credits from other graduate study may be transferred toward the 60-credit M.S.W. degree requirement. Academic credit is not given for life experience or previous work experience. Advanced standing M.S.W. students may not transfer credits from another college or university.
Decisions regarding credit transfer are made independent of admissions decisions. Matriculation as a transfer student in the School of Social Work requires completion of the formal admissions process.
PART-TIME STUDY
Students unable to enroll full time may complete the program through part-time study. Several options are available. Evening, daytime, and summer courses are offered. Several courses may also be available in one week intensive “minimester” formats.
FINANCIAL AID
A limited number of Syracuse University scholarships and fellowships are available to both first- and second-year graduate students on the basis of need and merit. All financial aid decisions are made independent of and subsequent to decisions on admission.