Social Work - MSW
The MSW program faculty is dedicated to the development of highly competent clinical social workers and leaders in behavioral health. The program strives to improve the behavioral health and wellness of all populations and contribute culturally sensitive social work professionals to the behavioral health workforce in the state of California.
Department Chair
Dr. Rose Wong
Field Education Director
Hanna Bales, MSW, LCSW
Department Manager
Tyler Takata, MPH
Master of Social Work
The mission of the program is to prepare competent and ethical advanced clinical social work practitioners and leaders for roles in behavioral health services with an emphasis on culturally informed care, application of evidence-informed interventions, and care for underserved and vulnerable populations. The program is committed to the core values of social work and promotes the purpose of the profession to eliminate poverty, enhance quality of life for all persons, prevent conditions that limit human rights, and advocate for social, racial, economic, and environmental justice for diverse individuals and communities with consideration of the context of their environment locally and globally. The program strives to meet the evolving behavioral health needs of people residing in urban and rural regions of California through the ongoing renewal of curriculum and pedagogies to include new technologies and emerging ideas, knowledge, and practices.
Students can complete their courses through a distance learning format with several Friday through Sunday on-campus immersion residencies each year and in-person field education experiences.
Degree Requirements
In order to graduate, students must successfully complete at least 88 quarter units of study. Advanced Standing students must successfully complete 56 units of study. All students complete courses designed to meet program requirements specified by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS).
Field Education Hours
In addition to the 88 quarter units required for degree completion, students must complete at least 900 hours of field education (or internship) through two 450-hour field placements during the program. Advanced Standing students must complete at least 450 hours of internship through one field placement during the program. Students interested in pursuing the Pupil Personnel Services Credential for School Social Work with an embedded authorization in Child Welfare and Attendance in California after graduation must complete a total of 1,000 hours of internship, including 600 hours in the public school system.
Specialization and Tracks
The MSW program offers one specialization, Culturally Informed Behavioral Health Practice (CIBH), and two tracks which allow students to sub-specialize, Practice with Children and Youth in School and Community Settings (“CY Track”) and Practice with Adults in Public Behavioral Health Settings (“PBH Track”). Students must choose only one of the two tracks.
Licensed Clinical Social Work
The MSW program fulfills State of California requirements for licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) once the program is awarded initial full accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education. Upon graduation, students are eligible to register as an Associate Clinical Social Worker (ASW) with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS). In California, ASW’s are required to complete a total of 3,000 supervised clinical hours, pass the California law and ethics exam and complete other requirements, and pass the licensing exam to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
The MSW program may fulfill the educational requirements for students seeking licensure in many other states and territories. Students who plan to seek LCSW licensure in another state or territory besides California should research their region's specific laws and regulations before enrolling.
Summary of Units
|
Course Area
|
Course Units
|
|
|
|
|
|
Generalist Courses
|
|
|
Required
|
40.5
|
|
CIBH Specialization Courses
|
|
|
Required
|
37.5
|
|
Electives – CY or PBH Track
|
8
|
|
Electives
|
2
|
|
Total
|
88
|
|
Optional Language Course Electives
|
1-2
|
Summary of Units – Advanced Standing Students
|
Course Area
|
Course Units
|
|
Generalist
|
|
|
Required (BBS courses)
|
8.5
|
|
CIBH Specialization Courses
|
|
|
Required
|
37.5
|
|
Electives – CY or PBH Track
|
8
|
|
Electives
|
2
|
|
Total
|
56
|
|
Optional Language Course Electives
|
1-2
|
Curriculum
Requirements List-Generalist
| SOCW600 | Human Behavior in the Social Enviroment | 3 |
| SOCW601 | Anti-Racism and Culture-Building Practice | 3 |
| SOCW602A | Clinical Social Work Practice I | 1 |
| SOCW602B | Clinical Social Work Practice II | 2 |
| SOCW602C | Clinical Social Work Practice III | 2 |
| SOCW603A | Social Work Practice Lab I | 1 |
| SOCW603B | Social Work Practice Lab II | 2 |
| SOCW603C | Social Work Practice Lab III | 2 |
| SOCW604 | Organizational & Community Practice | 2 |
| SOCW605 | Social Welfare Policy & Services | 2 |
| SOCW606 | Research Methods For Evidence- Informed Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SOCW609 | Generalist Field Internship | 3 |
| SOCW610A | Introduction to California Law & Ethics for Clinical Social Work | 0.5 |
| SOCW610B | Child Abuse Assessment & Reporting | 1 |
| SOCW610C | Aging Long-Term Care & Elder/ Dependent Adult Abuse | 1 |
| SOCW610D | Spousal/Partner Abuse Detection & Intervention | 2 |
| SOCW610E | Human Sexuality | 1 |
| SOCW610F | Alcoholism & Chemical Substance Abuse & Dependency | 2 |
| SOCW610G | HIV/AIDS | 1 |
Required CIBH Specialization Courses
| SOCW620 | Behavioral Health Policy for Organizations & Systems | 2 |
| SOCW621 | Behavioral Health Program Planning & Evaluation | 2 |
| SOCW622 | Culturally Informed Behavioral Practice with Bipoc Communities | 3 |
| SOCW623A | Culturally Informed Behavioral Health Practice I | 2 |
| SOCW623B | Culturally Informed Behavioral Health Practice II | 2 |
| SOCW623C | Culturally Informed Behavioral Health Practice III | 2 |
| SOCW623D | Culturally Informed Behavioral Health Practice IV | 2 |
| SOCW624 | Culturally Informed Beh HealthPractice with Immigrant Communities | 2 |
| SOCW625A | Capstone Project I | 0.5 |
| SOCW625B | Capstone Project II | 2 |
| SOCW625C | Capstone Project III | 2.5 |
| SOCW626 | Culturally Informed Behavioral HtlhPrac with Refugee Communities | 2 |
| SOCW627 | Culturally Informed Behavioral HlthPrac with People with Disabilities | 2 |
| SOCW628 | Culturally Informed Behavioral HlthPrac with LGBTQ+ Communities | 2 |
| SOCW629 | Culturally Informed Behavioral Health Prac Field Internship | 3 |
| SOCW610H | California Law & Ethics for Clinical Social Work | 0.5 |
Elective CIBH Specialization Track Courses Practice with Children and Youth in Schools and Community Track
| SOCW630 | Social Work Practice in SchoolSettings - CY Track | 2 |
| SOCW631 | Legal Issues in Child & FamilySocial Work Practice - CY Track | 3 |
| SOCW632 | Behavioral Hlth Social Work Prac with Children & Youth- CY Track | 3 |
Elective CIBH Specialization Track Courses Practice with Adults in Public Behavioral Health Settings Track
| SOCW640 | Public Behavioral Health Social Work Practice I - PBH Track | 2 |
| SOCW641 | Public Behavioral Health Social WorkPractice II - PBH Track | 3 |
| SOCW642 | Public Behavioral Health Social Work Practice III - PBH Track | 3 |
Electives Courses
| SOCW650 | Behavioral Health Social Work Practice in Health Settings | 2 |
| SOCW651 | Loss Grief and Growth | 2 |
| SOCW652 | Behavioral Health Social Work Prac with People Who Are Unhoused | 2 |
| SOCW659 | Special Topics in Behavioral Health Social Work Practice | 2 |
Optional Elective Courses in Medi Cal Threshold Languages
| SOCW611A | Behavioral Health Practice in Arabic | 1 |
| SOCW611C | Behavioral Health Practice in Chinese | 1 |
| SOCW611E | Behavioral Health Practice in Armenian | 1 |
| SOCW611F | Behavioral Health Practice in Farsi | 1 |
| SOCW611G | Behavioral Health Practice in Hmong | 1 |
| SOCW611H | Behavioral Health Practice in Hindi | 1 |
| SOCW611J | Behavioral Health Practice in Japanese | 1 |
| SOCW611K | Behavioral Health Practice in Korean | 1 |
| SOCW611L | Behavioral Health Practice in Laotian | 1 |
| SOCW611M | Behavioral Health Practice in Hmer | 1 |
| SOCW611N | Behavioral Health Practice in Mien | 1 |
| SOCW611P | Behavioral Health Practice in Punjabi | 1 |
| SOCW611R | Behavioral Health Practice in Russian | 1 |
| SOCW611S | Behavioral Health Practice in Spanish | 1 |
| SOCW611T | Behavioral Health Practice in Tagalog | 1 |
| SOCW611U | Behavioral Health Practice in Ukranian | 1 |
| SOCW611V | Behavioral Health Practice in Vietnamese | 1 |