MSW Advanced Standing Specializations
Advanced Standing students are admitted directly to a specialization. To assist in choosing a path that best aligns with your goals, review these specialization descriptions. All courses are available as electives to students outside the specialization on a space-available and schedule-permitting basis.
Administration and Policy Practice
Prepares social workers to take on leadership roles in human services organizations and policy arenas. Practitioners learn how to define social problems, analyze policy and create program alternatives, influence policy decisions and lead diverse organizations in program planning, design, implementation, evaluation and change. Students may also choose to build skills in resource development, fiscal management, legislative advocacy or community-based evaluation. Learn more.
Community-Centered Integrative Practice
Prepares practitioners to be partners and leaders in transformative social work practice across micro-, mezzo- and macro-levels of practice. Skills include intergroup dialogue, social justice group work, constructive engagement of difference, conflict and inequality, community planning, partnership and organizing, just policy analysis and advocacy, grant writing, and mental health assessment and practice skills within diverse and marginalized communities both local and global, including traumatic effects of violence. Learn more.
Clinical Social Work
Prepares students for direct practice with individuals, families and small groups. Students develop comprehensive engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation skills to enhance the well-being and empowerment of clients across the lifespan. This specialization equips students with the theoretical and applied learning needed to work effectively with a diverse clientele in a variety of settings — such as in mental health, schools, hospitals, child welfare and youth justice, aging services, addiction facilities, hospice, shelters, community centers and agencies, and more. Learn more.
Clinical Social Work
Prepares students for direct practice with individuals of all ages, families and small groups. Students develop comprehensive engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation skills to enhance the well-being and empowerment of clients across the lifespan. This specialization equips students with the theoretical and applied learning needed to work effectively with a diverse clientele across the lifespan and in a variety of settings — such as in mental health, schools, hospitals, child welfare and youth justice, aging services, addiction facilities, hospice, shelters, community centers and agencies, and more. Learn more.