Social Work

The Master of Social Work requires 60 s.h. of graduate credit; the requirement is 48 s.h. for students who hold an undergraduate degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Beginning summer 2015, students who have earned an undergraduate degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and who meet other entrance criteria, can satisfy M.S.W. requirements with a 41 s.h. option.

The degree is offered with or without thesis. While students are not required to declare a field of practice, opportunities to specialize are available in fields such as aging, end-of-life care, school social work, child-welfare, trauma informed practice, social work in health and mental health settings, and many others.

The goals of the M.S.W. program are to:

• prepare students to shape the profession\'s future by providing education in family-based, community-based, and culturally competent practice approaches using the person-in-environment framework; and
• prepare competent professionals for autonomous practice and leadership within the professional community; autonomous practice and leadership include advanced interventions at multiple system levels, supervision, program development, program administration, training, evaluation of practice, dissemination of new models of practice, and policy development.

The school offers the M.S.W. program on the University\'s Iowa City campus and at three off-campus sites: Des Moines and Sioux City, Iowa, and the Quad Cities area of Iowa and Illinois (see "M.S.W. Off Campus" below). Each site provides the required structured sequence of courses and includes opportunities for students to individualize their plans of study. All sites give students access to the resources of an RU/VH Research University.

Requirements for the M.S.W. include 27 s.h. in foundation-level courses and 33 s.h. in advanced courses. All students must earn a minimum of 36 s.h. after admission to the M.S.W. program. Credit toward the M.S.W. may be applied from previous graduate course work if specific criteria are met.

All M.S.W. students follow a structured sequence of courses. They must obtain permission to revise their plan, and they must complete the degree within a maximum of four years. Students must maintain a cumulative g.p.a. of at least 3.00 and they must be in compliance with the school\'s student advancement policy.

The full-time M.S.W. program must be completed in five semesters, beginning in fall and including a summer session. Full-time students complete the degree in the spring semester of their second year. Students whose degree requirement is 48 s.h. may enroll full-time or part-time their first semester, following the sequenced plan.

Full-time study and a four-year part-time program are available in Iowa City and Des Moines. A three-year sequence of courses is available at all sites, although the Sioux City and Quad Cities sites admit new entering classes only on a three-year cycle.