Social Work, Advanced Standing Program, M.S.W.

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(30 UNITS)

The Advanced Standing Program is for Bachelor of Social Work and Bachelor of Arts in Social Work graduates who wish to pursue a Master of Social Work. The program builds on the foundational knowledge attained from the B.S.W. and B.A.S.W. degrees, which focuses on the program’s concentration and specialization curricula, all of which fulfills Council on Social Work Education accreditation standards. Advanced level curriculum is infused with content on social work values and ethics, populations at risk, diversity, and social and economic justice.

The Master of Social Work is the only program in Orange County offered by a public university. It offers foundation and advanced curricula emphasizing a direct service methodology from a multicultural perspective. This approach provides students with foundational social work practice skills for working with client populations from diverse ethnic and social backgrounds, as well as advanced social work practice skills for leadership roles in public, non-profit and voluntary social service agencies. The program prepares students to provide social services in Orange County, as well as, throughout the state, nation, and in global communities. It is accredited by the CSWE and includes three concentrations: aging, child welfare and community mental health.

Admission Requirements

Students must meet the CSU requirements for admission to a master’s degree program. Please consult the Graduate Admissions section in this catalog for complete information. In addition, requirements for admission to conditionally classified standing in the program include:

Graduated from a CSWE-accredited program with a B.S.W. or B.A.S.W. degree within the previous five years.
Maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher in the last 60-semester/90-quarter units of the applicant’s bachelor’s program as documented by official transcript(s) from all higher education institutions attended.
Maintained “good standing” status throughout applicant’s B.S.W./B.A.S.W. program.
A strong liberal arts undergraduate foundation that is similar to the undergraduate graduation requirements from the California State University or University of California systems.
Evidence of language skills and/or cultural experiences appropriate to the diverse communities to be served.
One year of paid or volunteer or internship experience in a human service context or related area.
A personal statement self-assessment essay. Students must respond to essay questions explaining why they would be good candidates for the program, including a description of their experience and/or commitment to social work, evidence of personal qualifications, motivation and potential that shows promise of becoming a successful social worker.
Three letters of reference, including professional references and those from academic instructors.
Completion of an interview.
Two applications - a CSUmentor (Cal State Apply) application and the Department of Social Work application submitted online to the department.
For international students from countries where English is not the official language, a score of 575 on the paper exam is required. A student scoring between 555-574 on the paper exam or 83-88 on the Internet-based TOEFL may be admitted conditionally depending upon an evaluation of the entire application file.
Accessibility Issues - special accommodations for disabled students will be made on an individual student, as-needed basis in compliance with the CSUF Catalog.
The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) may be submitted as an optional form of documentation, but is not required.

Upon admission, students will be required to declare a concentration.

Advisement

Upon admission to the program, each student is assigned to a faculty adviser. Advisers provide academic assistance, help students develop official study plans and monitor their progress throughout the duration of enrollment. Students must consult their adviser on a regular basis.

Classification and Advancement to Candidacy

Advancement to classified standing and candidacy requires students to maintain continued good academic standing in all coursework and field experiences. In the case of unsatisfactory academic performance, the chair of the Social Work department, with the approval of the Office of Graduate Studies, shall recommend remediation or dismissal of a student.

Under special circumstances, a graduate student may be approved for a one-semester leave of absence or, with approval of the Social Work department, for a two-semester leave. For such consideration, the student must be in good academic standing. (See the Graduate Regulations section of this catalog for additional details concerning advancement to classified standing or candidacy.)

Degree Requirements

In addition to all course requirements, students in the Advanced Standing program must commit to a no-credit summer bridge program.

Required (12 units)

Culminating Experience (6 units)

The culminating experience marks the end of a graduate program. It demonstrates mastery of disciplinary materials and meets requirements from Section 40510 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations. Please consult the Culminating Experience section in this catalog for more information.

Electives (6 units)

A minimum of 3 units must be practice-based. Other courses may be chosen with approval from the departmental graduate adviser.

Social Work Concentrations (6 units)

Aging (6 units)

The Aging concentration prepares graduate-level social workers to practice professional social work with aging populations and their families. The curriculum emphasizes multigenerational perspectives within the concentration.

Child Welfare (6 units)

The Child Welfare concentration prepares students for practice in a variety of settings, including child welfare/protective services, health care, mental health, public social services, schools, community-based outpatient agencies, corrections/juvenile justice, residential treatment, programs for persons with developmental disabilities, domestic violence shelters and other specialized programs. The program is also offered through Extension and International Programs at a higher tuition rate.

Community Mental Health (6 units)

The Community Mental Health concentration prepares students for practice in a variety of mental health settings, including psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment, county mental health clinics, correctional institutions, substance abuse treatment and other specialized programs. The program is also offered through Extension and International Programs at a higher tuition rate.