The School of Social Work offers two graduate degrees: A Master of Social Work (MSW) and a Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work (PhD).
MSW Degree: Our MSW program prepares students who are passionate about helping others to promote social, racial, and economic justice, and to advocate for improved social policies and services. MSW students gain foundational and specialized knowledge from a wide range of innovative courses. A minimum of 60 credits are required for the degree, 42 of which are obtained in courses and 18 of which are in the form of field education. Courses and fieldwork are taken concurrently through an integrated sequence of foundation and advanced content. Students must complete their MSW degree with a specialized advanced concentration in one of the following areas, Community Organizing (CORG), Individuals, Groups, and Families (IGFP), or Policy Practice (POPR).
Courses are offered in a variety of modalities, from online to in-person, with flexibility in scheduling and time completion for all three concentrations. Our fully online program, classes available in synchronous and asynchronous formats, is available to students in the Individual, Groups, and Families concentration. Students accepted into the fully online program are required to take all classes online and have access to reliable internet to access all course material online to complete the program requirements. Field education requirements will remain in person for online students. Agencies will be identified by the Field Education Department in the student’s geographic area.
Master of Social Work Degree Requirements
Foundation courses:
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| BASC 5300 | Human Oppression: The African-American and Puerto Rican Perspective | 3 |
| BASC 5333 | Research Methods for Social Work Practice | 3 |
| BASC 5350 | Analysis of Social Welfare Policy and Social Service Delivery Systems | 3 |
| BASC 5362 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment: Macro and Micro Theories | 3 |
| BASC 5390 | Macro Foundation Practice | 3 |
| BASC 5391 | Micro Foundation Practice | 3 |
| FED 5301 | Field Education Seminar I | 0 |
| FED 5302 | Field Seminar II | 1 |
| FED 5351 | Field Education Foundation I | 4 |
| FED 5352 | Field Education Foundation II | 4 |
| Total Credits | 27 |
Community Organizing Concentration Requirements
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| CORG 5300 | Advanced Macro Practice | 3 |
| CORG 5301 | Essential Theory and Intervention Practice in Community Organization | 3 |
| CORG 5353 | Field Education in Community Organization III | 4 |
| CORG 5354 | Field Education in Community Organization IV | 4 |
| CORG 5370 | Grassroots Organizing | 3 |
| FED 5310 | Field Education Seminar III | 0 |
| FED 5311 | Field Education Seminar IV | 1 |
| POPR 5310 | Program Planning, Development, and Evaluation | 3 |
| POPR 5312 | Political Advocacy | 3 |
| RSCH 5341 | Advanced Research: Program Evaluation | 3 |
| or RSCH 5342 | Advanced Research Topics: Variable Topics |
| 1 | 6 |
| Total Credits | 33 |
Individuals, Groups and Families Concentration Requirements
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| FED 5310 | Field Education Seminar III | 0 |
| FED 5311 | Field Education Seminar IV | 1 |
| IGFP 5301 | Practice with Individuals, Groups and Families | 3 |
| IGFP 5302 | Advanced Practice with Individuals, Groups and Families: Theoretical Approaches | 3 |
| IGFP 5303 | Advanced Practice with Individuals, Groups and Families, Across Settings and Populations | 3 |
| 3 |
| Clinical Conditions with Groups | |
| Clinical Conditions with Families | |
| Clinical Conditions with Children and Adolescents | |
| Clinical Conditions with Adults and Older Adults | |
| IGFP 5353 | Advanced Field Education III | 4 |
| IGFP 5354 | Advanced Field Education IV | 4 |
| RSCH 5341 | Advanced Research: Program Evaluation | 3 |
| or RSCH 5342 | Advanced Research Topics: Variable Topics |
| 1 | 9 |
| Total Credits | 33 |
Policy Practice Concentration Requirements
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| FED 5310 | Field Education Seminar III | 0 |
| FED 5311 | Field Education Seminar IV | 1 |
| POPR 5300 | Advanced Macro Practice | 3 |
| POPR 5301 | Policy Practice: Process and Finances | 3 |
| POPR 5302 | Policy Practice: Careers, Contexts, and Quantitative Analysis | 3 |
| POPR 5310 | Program Planning, Development, and Evaluation | 3 |
| POPR 5312 | Political Advocacy | 3 |
| POPR 5353 | Field Education in Policy Practice III | 4 |
| POPR 5354 | Field Education in Policy Practice IV | 4 |
| RSCH 5341 | Advanced Research: Program Evaluation | 3 |
| or RSCH 5342 | Advanced Research Topics: Variable Topics |
| 1 | 6 |
| Total Credits | 33 |
MSW Advanced Standing
Advanced Standing is a study option for students who want to accelerate their education and career as a social worker. To qualify, the student must have received a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree within the last six years from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Advanced standing students complete 35 credits as full-time (summer session and fall and spring semester) or part-time (summer session, fall, spring, and fall semester). The program begins in mid-July when a total of five credits are completed. After completion of the summer courses, students complete their field education and field seminar as part of the advanced year curriculum with the concurrent coursework. Based on how a student chooses to complete their program, they will take the research and elective courses in the appropriate semesters. This program is not an option for the fully online program.
Community Organizing Concentration Advanced Standing Requirements
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| BASC 5301 | Special Populations | 1 |
| CORG 5300 | Advanced Macro Practice | 3 |
| CORG 5301 | Essential Theory and Intervention Practice in Community Organization | 3 |
| CORG 5340 | Advanced Macro Practice Skills Laboratory | 1 |
| CORG 5353 | Field Education in Community Organization III | 4 |
| CORG 5354 | Field Education in Community Organization IV | 4 |
| CORG 5370 | Grassroots Organizing | 3 |
| FED 5310 | Field Education Seminar III | 0 |
| FED 5311 | Field Education Seminar IV | 1 |
| POPR 5310 | Program Planning, Development, and Evaluation | 3 |
| POPR 5312 | Political Advocacy | 3 |
| RSCH 5341 | Advanced Research: Program Evaluation | 3 |
| or RSCH 5342 | Advanced Research Topics: Variable Topics |
| 1 | 6 |
Individuals, Groups, and Families Concentration Advanced Standing Requirements
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| BASC 5301 | Special Populations | 1 |
| FED 5310 | Field Education Seminar III | 0 |
| FED 5311 | Field Education Seminar IV | 1 |
| IGFP 5301 | Practice with Individuals, Groups and Families | 3 |
| IGFP 5340 | Skills Lab | 1 |
| IGFP 5302 | Advanced Practice with Individuals, Groups and Families: Theoretical Approaches | 3 |
| IGFP 5303 | Advanced Practice with Individuals, Groups and Families, Across Settings and Populations | 3 |
| IGFP 5353 | Advanced Field Education III | 4 |
| IGFP 5354 | Advanced Field Education IV | 4 |
| |
| Clinical Conditions with Groups | |
| Clinical Conditions with Families | |
| Clinical Conditions with Children and Adolescents | |
| Clinical Conditions with Adults and Older Adults | |
| RSCH 5341 | Advanced Research: Program Evaluation | 3 |
| or RSCH 5342 | Advanced Research Topics: Variable Topics |
| 1 | 9 |
Policy Practice Concentration Advanced Standing Requirements
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| BASC 5301 | Special Populations | 1 |
| FED 5310 | Field Education Seminar III | 0 |
| FED 5311 | Field Education Seminar IV | 1 |
| POPR 5300 | Advanced Macro Practice | 3 |
| POPR 5301 | Policy Practice: Process and Finances | 3 |
| POPR 5302 | Policy Practice: Careers, Contexts, and Quantitative Analysis | 3 |
| POPR 5310 | Program Planning, Development, and Evaluation | 3 |
| POPR 5312 | Political Advocacy | 3 |
| POPR 5353 | Field Education in Policy Practice III | 4 |
| POPR 5354 | Field Education in Policy Practice IV | 4 |
| RSCH 5341 | Advanced Research: Program Evaluation | 3 |
| or RSCH 5342 | Advanced Research Topics: Variable Topics |
| POPR 5340 | Advanced Macro Practice Skills Laboratory | 1 |
| 1 | 6 |
Advanced Standing Courses Waived
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| BASC 5300 | Human Oppression: The African-American and Puerto Rican Perspective | 3 |
| BASC 5333 | Research Methods for Social Work Practice | 3 |
| BASC 5350 | Analysis of Social Welfare Policy and Social Service Delivery Systems | 3 |
| BASC 5362 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment: Macro and Micro Theories | 3 |
| BASC 5390 | Macro Foundation Practice | 3 |
| BASC 5391 | Micro Foundation Practice | 3 |
| FED 5301 | Field Education Seminar I | 0 |
| FED 5302 | Field Seminar II | 1 |
| FED 5351 | Field Education Foundation I | 4 |
| FED 5352 | Field Education Foundation II | 4 |
Bachelor of Social Work Exemption
Students who received a Bachelor of Social Work degree (BSW) accredited by the Council on Social Work Education within six years from the date of application will be automatically exempt from up to six courses if a grade of “B” or better was earned and course content is equivalent. MSW students who do not apply or are not accepted to advanced standing will be considered for BSW exemptions.
Joint Program with Yale Divinity School
In conjunction with the Yale University Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut, the School of Social Work offers a program in which students may earn the MSW degree from UConn and the M.Div. degree from Yale in four years instead of the five years required when these programs are taken separately. Yale University will accept up to nine elective credits earned in UConn’s MSW program. Students in the joint program will have their MSW elective credits waived (six credits for CO and POPR students and nine credits for IGFP students), thereby reducing the required MSW credits from 60 to 54 for CORG and POPR students and from 60 to 51 for IGFP students. Students should consult with the School of Social Work Joint Degree liaison to discuss the approval of their Yale elective coursework. Students must be enrolled concurrently in both schools and earn both degrees simultaneously to benefit from this arrangement.
Doctor of Philosophy Requirements
The course of study for the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Social Work consists of 56 graduate credits. Eleven required courses totaling 35 credits provide the students with competency in advanced research methods and statistics, and social science theories. The remaining courses include two elective courses totaling six credits in related disciplines and 15 credits of dissertation research.
Doctor of Philosophy Required Courses
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| SSW 6410 | Research l: Research Design and Knowledge Generation | 3 |
| SSW 6411 | Research II: Survey Research Methods | 3 |
| SSW 6412 | Research III: Multivariate Statistics I | 4 |
| SSW 6413 | Research IV: Multivariate Statistics II | 4 |
| SSW 6414 | Research V: Qualitative Research Methods | 3 |
| SSW 6415 | Topics in Advanced Social Work Research | 3 |
| SSW 6420 | Critical Analysis of Historical and Philosophical Themes of the Profession | 3 |
| SSW 6425 | Social Welfare Policy Seminar | 3 |
| SSW 6435 | Social and Behavioral Science: Knowledge Base for Social Work Practice with Smaller Target Systems | 3 |
| SSW 6445 | Social and Behavioral Science: Knowledge Base for Practice with Large Target Systems | 3 |
| SSW 6460 | Teaching and Learning in Social Work Education: Roles and Contexts | 3 |
| Total Credits | 35 |
