To assist with developing your learning plan, specializations (formerly known as "concentrations") are described below. To learn more about the required courses, faculty contacts, and potential practicum placements for each specialization, please click on the righthand sidebar to be taken to each specialization's page. 

SPECIALIZATION AREAS

MSW Day students may choose one of three specializations for their Advanced Standing or second year in the MSW curriculum: Administration and Policy Practice, Community-Centered Integrative Practice, and Clinical Social Work. Please see descriptions for each specialization below. Current students: please see your Canvas site for existing specialization information.

MSW specialization offerings, course sequencing and schedule options may vary from year to year.

  • Administration and Policy Practice

    Prepares social workers to take on leadership roles in human service 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.

  • Community-Centered Integrative Practice

    Prepares practitioners to be partners and leaders in transformative social work practice across micro-, meso- 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.

  • 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. To learn more about individualized pathways within the CSW specialization, please click on the righthand sidebar to be taken to the specialization's page.