Programmatic Overview

The Master of Social Work Program at Kutztown University focuses on the needs of the family in its social environment. During their study, MSW students are actively engaged with faculty experts in both exploring and enhancing their knowledge as it related to the strengths and needs of the family in all its diverse forms. Students, faculty and human service providers collaborate to provide service to families at risk, intervene with families in crisis, connect clients to causes and change the social environment to support the families of today and the families of tomorrow.

The length of study is two years for full time study and a maximum of four years for a structured part time study.  Students develop a clear understanding and ability to practice generalist social work in their foundation year of study. The advanced year provides a concentration, developing depth, breadth, and specificity in knowledge on the family in its social environment. Students develop further specialization through elective course offerings and a 960-hour agency-based practicum experience. This specialized program of study is achieved through each student’s choice of six, 1-credit elective courses from a broad range of topics, from therapeutic interventions to agency administration and policy development.

The MSW program at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is commissioned:

1. To produce autonomous generalist practitioners with specialized knowledge able to respond to the needs of the institution of the family so that its members realize their fullest potential for personal fulfillment and social contribution.

2. To promote an effective, efficient and humane social service delivery network in the program service area.

3. To graduate autonomous practitioners with a clear professional identity, including commitment to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) professional Code of Ethics.

Mission

The MSW Program at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is dedicated to elevating the quality of life for Pennsylvania’s families in all their diverse forms and backgrounds. The program is committed to be relevant to the needs of the region’s social service enterprise through a dynamic relationship that produces family-centered autonomous social work practitioners, research and development, and collaborative innovations in practice.

Program Goals and Objectives

Goal 1

To help graduates use critical thinking and integrate liberal arts and professional knowledge, values and skills into the development of a generalist perspective for social work practice with individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations.

Objective 1

Graduates will be able to apply knowledge of bio-psycho-social variables that affect individual development and behavior, and use theoretical frameworks to understand the interactions among development and behavior, and use theoretical frameworks and critical thinking to understand the interactions among individuals and between individuals and social systems at the individual, family, groups, organization, and community levels.

Objective 2

Graduates will be able to apply the problem-solving method and the skills of social work associated with it for social work practice with individuals, groups, families, organizations, and communities.

Objective 3

Graduates will be able to critically evaluate research studies and apply findings to practice and--under supervision--evaluate their own practice interventions and those of other relevant systems.

Objective 4

Graduates will uphold the values and standards of the profession.

Goal 2

To help graduates recognize the value of human diversity, acquire knowledge related to diverse populations for professional practice, and acquire skills for change to redress economic and social injustice.

Objective 1

Graduates will be able to engage in ethnically, racially and spirituality sensitive social work practice, communicating effectively with diverse clients, families, colleagues and communities.

Objective 2

Graduates will recognize the value of human diversity and acquire knowledge related to diverse populations—differing in age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion and/or sexual orientation—in a global society.

Goal 3

To prepare graduates to understand social policy and its impact upon professional practice and to participate in efforts to assure that policy responds to human needs.

Objective 1

Graduates will evaluate the community context of practice.

Objective 2

Graduates will understand institutional oppression and discrimination and will be able to develop strategies for change required to advance social and economic justice.

Objective 3

Graduates will develop an understanding of the history and philosophy of the social work profession and social welfare policies to identify client targets of these policies in the context of contemporary structures and issues.

Objective 4

Graduates will be familiar with the public policy-making process and evaluate the impact of current social policies on services to client systems and society.

Objective 5

Graduates will use the structure of organizations to optimize service delivery systems and seek necessary organizational change to respond to client needs.

Goal 4

To motivate graduates to assume responsibility for continuing professional growth and development.

Objective 1

Graduates will be motivated to assume responsibility for continuing professional growth and development.

Objective 2

Graduates will have a beginning professional identity based on Social Work knowledge, ethics, values and skills.

Objective 3

Graduates will demonstrate responsibility for developing self-awareness and continued professional growth and development in the context of supervised practice.

Advanced Year Goals and Objectives

Goal 5

To produce advanced generalist practitioners with a knowledge concentration in family in environment who are able to respond with multi-level practice to the needs of the institution of the family so that its members realize their fullest potential for personal fulfillment and social contribution.

Objective 1

Graduates will demonstrate an understanding of the family as a pivotal social institution along with comprehensive differential assessment skills informed by a family-centered policy practice model.

Objective 2

Graduates will demonstrate the ability to analyze complex problems from a family centered knowledge base and propose multi-level solutions.

Objective 3

Graduates will demonstrate multi-level intervention skills with and on behalf of families which are based in an eclectic, empirically evaluated knowledge base.

Objective 4

Graduates will demonstrate an ability to articulate an inclusive, relational and contextual definition of family built on the premise that no single family form is by its nature superior to other family forms.

Objective 5

Graduates will demonstrate an ability to refine, evaluate and advance social work knowledge and the quality of their practice as well as the larger social work profession using a critical evaluation of scientific literature and systematic practice evaluation.

Goal 6

To promote an effective, efficient and humane social service delivery network in the program service area through community need-driven, specialized knowledge.

Objective 1

Graduates will function within the structure of organizations and service delivery systems and seek necessary organizational level change.

Objective 2

Graduates will analyze the impact of social policies on client systems, workers and agencies and demonstrate skills for influencing policy formation and change toward preventing and alleviating family dysfunction.

Objective 3

Graduates will develop specialized knowledge consistent with individual and practicum agency goals.

Objective 4

Graduates will conduct family-centered empirical evaluations of program services in the context of the history of social welfare policies and a contemporary service delivery system.

Objective 5

Graduates will understand forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination impacting the family and develop and carry out strategies for change that advance social and economic justice.

Goal 7

To graduate autonomous practitioners with a clear professional identity, including commitment to the NASW Code of Ethics and identified needs for future professional growth.

Objective 1

Graduates will carry out self-directed practice and use supervision and consultation appropriate to autonomous practice grounded in the application of the NASW Code of Ethics.

Objective 2

Graduates will seek continuous growth in the social work knowledge and skills related to family-in-environment.

Objective 3

Graduates will articulate a professional identity consistent with the general scope of the social work profession in the context of individual practice and multidisciplinary settings.

Objective 4

Graduates will demonstrate active participation in the social work profession.