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Vision

The University of New England (ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ) School of Social Work envisions a world where social workers are at the forefront of advocating with individuals and communities for human dignity and social inclusion by mobilizing efforts to end inequities, exploitation, and violence.

School of Social Work Mission

The mission of the School of Social Work is to provide transformative and collaborative learning that embraces the values of social inclusion and promotes enhanced quality of life for individuals and communities.

Master of Social Work Mission

The University of New England’s Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) program is dedicated to educating ethical social workers within a Person-in-Environment framework, emphasizing a global perspective and a deep respect for human diversity. Through rigorous scientific inquiry and a strong focus on clinical skills we envision a future where our alumni not only excel as adept clinicians but also serve as catalysts for meaningful, positive impact in their communities and beyond. We promote an anti-oppressive social work practice that includes an emphasis on social justice, human rights, economic, and environmental equity for all.

ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ’s Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) degree is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Graduates learn to:

• Understand how systems impact human development through a Person-in-Environment lens.
• Develop a strength’s-based perspective when working with individuals, families, groups, and communities. 
• Understand the multiple social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental factors influencing the design, development, and evaluation of social policies and service delivery.
• Develop the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out a variety of social work interventions consistent with the program's mission and the profession's ethics.
• Develop practice and intervention strategies that support individuals, families, groups, or communities.

The M.S.W. program prepares graduates to work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in an array of settings and with diverse populations. It offers its students the opportunity to practice generalist and advanced social work skills through mixed learning methods with a focus on person-in-environment, anti-oppressive, and antiracist frameworks.

Program Goals

Prepare competent master-level professional social workers who:

• Promote social inclusion and self determination.
• Create person-centered collaborative and sustainable relationships across diverse communities and practice settings.
• Develop and apply ethical reflection, critical consciousness, and shared decision-making based on social work values and with consideration of the broader contexts of the world in which we live. 

These goals are integrated into the social work curriculum. Through their presence in courses, fieldwork internships, and internal school governance we bring our mission statement to life.

The Master of Social Work program at the University of New England is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

M.S.W. traditional students are required to complete sixty (60) credit hours of graduate course study. Additionally, students are required to complete two (2) separate practicum placements (internships) that consists of four (4) semesters of supervised practice in approved social work settings. Generalist placements will be at least four hundred (400) hours and specialization will be at least five hundred (500) hours.

M.S.W. Advanced Standing students complete thirty (30) credit hours and one (1) practicum placement consisting of two (2) semesters. Students coming from programs outside of ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ are required to take SSWO 526 as a requirement of the M.S.W. program. Students coming directly from ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ’s B.S.W. program are exempt from taking SSWO 526 and must take an additional elective in its place.

Focus Areas

The program offers focus areas in Trauma-Informed Practice, School Social Work, Medical Social Work, LGTBQIA+ Social Work, Substance Use, and Advanced Clinical Practice. Focus areas are integrated into the M.S.W. degree curriculum and completed within the required credit course structure (see individual focus area pages for more detail).

Generalist Curriculum

Generalist social work courses emphasize an integrated social work perspective involving the social context and its impact on social policy, programs, and the social work profession. Courses include: Anti-Oppression Social Work Practice; Human Behavior and the Social Environment; Social Work Research; Community Engaged Research; Social Work Practice with Substance Use Disorders; Social Work Policy and Advocacy; Social Work Practice I and II; and Integrating Seminar and Practicum I and II. In addition, students spend four-hundred (400) hours in a practicum setting, in social agencies and programs with structured on-site professional supervision.

Specialization Curriculum

Specialization social work courses prepare students for a wide range of advanced practice roles. Students learn clinical skills necessary for advanced social work practice with individuals, families, groups, and communities within their advanced courses, Advanced Social Work Practice I and II; Leadership and Supervision; The DSM: A Social Work Perspective; Seminar and Practicum III and IV, and advanced electives.

Students also have the opportunity to develop skills for self-reflection, self-awareness, and reflexivity, and to broaden and deepen their understanding of social work’s inherent values such as honoring the dignity and worth of each person, clients’ right to self-determination, social justice, equity and inclusion, honor and respect for diversity, and cultural humility in social work practice.

Traditional Requirements

*Advanced Standing curriculum is the Specialization year required curriculum with the addition of SSWO 526 Integrating Clinical/Community Practice Frameworks (for non-ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ BSW students), and three (3) electives.

Advanced Standing Requirements

**This course is only taken by non-ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ B.S.W. students. ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ B.S.W. students take an additional elective in its place.

Graduation Requirements

Students must successfully complete all courses with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 prior to graduation and fulfill all curriculum requirements.

Graduates of the ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ SSW will demonstrate knowledge, skills, and leadership in the following:

1. Demonstrates ethical and professional behavior.
2. Advance human rights and social, racial , economic, and environmental justice.
3. Engage in anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) in practice.
4. Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
5. Engage in policy practice.
6. Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
7. Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
8. Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
9. Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Principles

Social work education requires simultaneous acquisition of theory and social work practice skills and is a competency-based education that rests upon a shared and accepted view of the nature of competence in professional practice. Social work competence is the ability to integrate and apply social work knowledge, values, and skills to practice situations in a purposeful, intentional, and professional manner to promote human and community well-being. (Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards, Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), 2015).

The essential technical standards presented are required for subsequent promotion from year-to-year, and ultimately graduating from the University of New England (ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ) with either a Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) or a Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) degree. These standards pertain to all students enrolled in either the online or on-campus M.S.W. program at ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ.

ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ’s social work faculty is committed to fostering relationships with its students that encourage personal and professional growth. Its policies and procedures attempt to reflect this commitment to proactive and supportive communication. At the same time, it is imperative that all students recognize that the primary responsibility for a successful Social Work education, both in and out of the classroom, rests with