Social Work

The MSW program is a unique collaboration between Nazareth College of Rochester and SUNY College at Brockport, both having a long history of social work education in Rochester.

The primary goals of the program are:

to enhance the quality of life for individuals within the Rochester community through social work teaching, research, scholarship, and service, and
to prepare practitioners who can analyze, intervene, and evaluate in ways that are highly differentiated, discriminating, and self-critical which promote empowerment and collaboration in service of all client systems.

The program’s commitment is to prepare social workers for advanced integrated practice within an interdisciplinary and community collaborative context. Students will be taught to facilitate individual, family, group, organizational, and community change that improves the lives of people, particularly those that have been oppressed and/or disempowered. The program provides opportunities for students to be on the cutting edge of new directions for social work practice.

Within the advanced integrated perspective of the program, students focus on one of two concentrations: Family and Community Practice, or Interdisciplinary Health Care. The two concentrations prepare students to work within a community collaborative based practice approach that involves interdisciplinary and inter-agency cooperative efforts. The focus of intervention in the community context provides opportunities to assimilate and integrate cultural diversity into change efforts.
The program was accredited by the Council on Social Work Education in November 2003, and is registered with the New York State Education Department.

For further information, call: (585) 327-7450
e-mail: grcmsw@brockport.edu
Website address: www.brockport.edu/grcmsw/main.html

Entry Requirements

Completion of a baccalaureate degree at an accredited institution with a cumulative index of 3.0.
Presentation of official transcripts. The academic record should reflect a strong liberal arts perspective. The following are required: one (3 credit) course in Human Biology; one (3 credit) course in Statistics; three (3 credit) courses in the Social Sciences (including one in psychology, one in sociology, and a third in another discipline); three (3 credit) courses in the Humanities; one additional (3 credit) course in the Physical Sciences, Mathematics, or Computer Science. All courses must have a grade of “C” or better. (Note: If an applicant is currently enrolled in a prerequisite course, he/she may still file the application. The prerequisite course must be completed before the applicant begins matriculating into the program.
Three reference forms and accompanying letters of recommendation.
Application and fee.
Completion of the personal-professional statement as described on the application form.
Preference is given to applicants with prior paid or volunteer experience with relevance to social work, though it is not required.

Advanced Standing Admission

Students who have graduated within the past eight years from a CSWE accredited baccalaureate social work program are eligible to apply for admission to the MSW Advanced Standing Program. Additional minimum admission requirements are:

A cumulative grade point average of 3.0.
A copy of the applicant’s BSW field practicum evaluations.
Three reference forms and accompanying letters of recommendation, including one from a social work faculty member who can attest to the candidate’s ability to do graduate level work, and one from a social work supervisor who can attest to the candidate’s ability to engage in graduate level practice.

Application Deadlines

January 15 for Advanced Standing Admission to Summer Term
March 15 for Regular Admission to Fall Term

General Program Requirements and Curriculum Foundation Year Courses: (30 credits)

Foundation courses are designed to provide a generalist perspective. The following courses are required during the first year:

SWK 501 - Social Work Practice I Credits: 3
SWK 502 - Social Work Practice II Credits: 3
SWK 504 - Field Practicum I and Seminar I Credits: 3
SWK 505 - Field Practicum II and Field Seminar II Credits: 3
SWK 506 - Human Behavior and Social Environment I Credits: 3
SWK 507 - Human Behavior and Social Environment II Credits: 3
SWK 520 - Social Welfare Policy and Services Credits: 3
SWK 524 - Social Work Practice and Cultural Diversity Credits: 3
SWK 530 - Social Work Research I Credits: 3
SWK 531 - Social Work Research II: Data Analysis Design Credits: 3

Concentration Year Courses: (21 credits)

The second-year curriculum is designed to provide the framework for advanced integrated practice and consists of two concentrations: Family and Community Practice and Interdisciplinary Health Care Practice. Students choose a concentration at the time of application. The following courses are required for both concentrations.

SWK 610 - Field Practicum III & IV Credits: 4
SWK 611 - Field Seminar III and IV Credits: 5
SWK 630 - Master’s Project Development Credits: 3
SWK 631 - Master’s Project Implementation Credits: 3
SWK Electives Credits / Units: 6

Family and Community Practice: (9 credits)

The Family and Community Practice concentration prepares students to plan, develop, and implement family-focused services from a collaborative, community-based perspective. The following are required courses in the concentration:

Interdisciplinary Health Care: (9 credits)

The Interdisciplinary Health Care Practice concentration prepares students for practice in diverse health care settings. A public health model of community intervention is emphasized. The following are required courses in the concentration:

Part-time and Advanced Standing Options:

The MSW Program has full-time and part-time options for the regular 60-credit hour program. Full-time students finish the course of study over four semesters, and part-time students in nine semesters. Applicants who have graduated from a CSWE accredited BSW program are eligible to apply for the 39-credit Advanced Standing program, full-time or part-time. The Advanced Standing full-time option is completed in three semesters, the part-time option in six semesters.