Social Work M.S.W.

Social Work Major

The Master of Social Work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

The Master’s Degree in Social Work (M.S.W.) is available only on the non-thesis option. The M.S.W. program is designed to prepare students for advanced social work practice with a variety of populations across the practice continuum from direct services to policy work. There are two avenues to the M.S.W. degree: the Foundation program, open to persons with baccalaureate degrees in other fields from an accredited college or university, and the Advanced Standing program, which is available only for qualified students who have graduated from a Council on Social Work Education (C.S.W.E.) accredited baccalaureate social work program. 

Trauma Informed Practice is UNI's M.S.W. specialization. In this specialization students learn an integrated approach to treating both acute and complex forms of psychological trauma. This approach includes elements from various cognitive and body-centered psychotherapies and approaches, including mindfulness, eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), sensorimotor psychotherapy, somatic experiencing therapy, yoga, and tai chi. The Trauma Informed Practice specialization prepares students for direct practice with individuals, groups, families, organizations and communities.

Only graduate courses (course numbers 5000 or above) will apply to a graduate degree, even if the undergraduate course number (4999 or less) is listed. No exceptions will be made.

A minimum of 20 hours of 6000-level course work is required for the two-year and the advanced standing programs.

Any 5000 level social work course or any 6000 level MSW concentration course not required on the degree will apply as an elective to the student's Plan of Study.

The Foundation program requires a minimum of 60 semester hours, which consists of a generalist Foundation Core of 23 semester hours of coursework and field, followed by the trauma informed specialization (37 semester hours) including field practicum/seminar. The program is offered in cohort groups and consists of five consecutive terms of course work and field practicum/seminar. An extended-enrollment option is available to students in the foundation program who can attend classes at times offered (three-hour blocks) and participate in the field practicum at agencies that generally operate during regular business hours. An extended-enrollment distance education option is available for this track as well.

The Advanced Standing program requires a minimum of 37 semester hours. The program consists of three academic terms of concentration courses including field practicum/seminar. An extended enrollment option is available to Advanced Standing students who can attend classes at times offered (three-hour blocks) and participate in the field practicum at agencies that generally operate during regular business hours. An extended-enrollment distance education option is available for this track as well.

Students interested in the foundation or advanced standing program must submit a completed Application for Admission to Graduate Study and should refer to their MyUNIverse Student Center To-Do list or contact the Department of Social Work for any other application requirements. General graduate information and application for graduate admission can be found at  https://admissions.uni.edu/application.

The Graduate Record Examination (General Test) is not required for admission to the program; however, applicants may wish to submit GRE scores in support of their application. 

Admission to the M.S.W. is competitive. Applicants must comply with all of the policies and procedures pertaining to admission to graduate study as set forth in this University Catalog. In addition, applicants are required to submit the following in order to be considered for admission.

1. The Department of Social Work M.S.W. application.
2. Three letters of reference.
3. A personal statement.
4. A resume'.
5. As part of normal admission to graduate study at UNI, official transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended (with the exception of the University of Northern Iowa), must be sent directly from the college or university attended to the Office of Admissions at the University of Northern Iowa.

For information concerning admission or required courses for the M.S.W., contact the Department of Social Work, M.S.W. Program, 235 Sabin, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0405, or phone 319-273-5910, or visit www.uni.edu/csbs/socialwork/msw-graduate-degree.

Required for Foundation Program:

Trauma Informed Practice Specialization:

* Any 5000-level social work course or any 6000-level MSW concentration course not required on the degree will apply as an elective to the student's Plan of Study.

Successful applicants for admission must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale for the foundation MSW program and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.00 scale for the one-year (three-term) Advanced Standing MSW Program. For those students who do not meet this requirement, application materials list criteria that may be considered as an alternative.

Learning Outcomes

Master of Social Work, MSW

1.  Communication

• Goal:  Student will communicate professionally.
  • Outcome:  Use accurate syntax and mechanics of writing in APA format.
  • Outcome:  Clearly and comprehensively, describe a social issue/problem.
  • Outcome:  Demonstrate an understanding of how diversity and difference shape client experiences.

2.  Critical Thinking

• Goal:  Students will critically evaluate how evidence based literature informs practice effectiveness.
  • Outcome:  Identify similarities and differences in evidence-based literature.
  • Outcome:  Draw conclusions about how evidence based literature shapes practice.

3. Program Content Knowledge/Skills

• Goal:  Students will have knowledge and skills essential for advanced social work practice.
  • Outcome:  Demonstrate clinical practice behaviors that can help calm and stabilize clients.  
  • Outcome: Demonstrate clinical practice behaviors that can help client process emotional and somatic traumatic sensations.
  • Outcome: Demonstrate an understanding of when to use specific types of trauma therapy techniques depending on differing levels of trauma.

Related Programs

• Social Work B.S.W.