Program & Degree Information

This page will be updated soon to include information about our new Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program. For now, please visit this page.

MSW Program Overview

The Department of Social Work offers graduate study leading to the degree of Master of Social Work (MSW). The program is designed to prepare students for a career in social work, and is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Two concentrations are offered as part of the MSW program: Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) and Community Mental Health (CMH). 

CYF is for students interested in working in traditional child welfare services, family service agencies, adolescent services, family preservation services, etc. Applicants who apply for this concentration can choose to apply to the Title IV-E stipend program, which requires an additional and separate application process, which you can read about here.

CMH is for students interested in working in community mental health agencies, crisis intervention services, case management with the chronically and persistently mentally ill and other mental health services with emphasis on public sector work.


MSW Program Learning Outcomes

Our course objectives are defined around seven program learning outcomes (PLO). These PLO are linked to CSUEB's institutional learning outcomes (ILO).

Values and Ethics 
Demonstrate ethical decision making and behavior guided by the NASW Code of Ethics and other relevant codes.

Professional Use of Self
Apply use of self as an autonomous professional tool of engagement and collaboration, demonstrated by self-awareness, bias-reduction, sound judgment, the ability to integrate supervisory feedback, and a commitment to ongoing learning.

Critical Thinking
Critically analyze and synthesize information related to evidence-informed social work intervention, prevention, assessment, planning, policies, evaluation and research.

Applying Theory 
Apply theoretical material to urban social work practice, grounded in a strength-based, empowering, trauma-informed, and ecological systems perspective.

Advocacy 
Advocate for sustainable well-being, build capacity and advance social justice for clients and communities, and create innovative solutions in complex social contexts.

Diversity 
Engage with diverse populations from positions of cultural humility and respect for identity, embracing a commitment to culturally responsive services; and

Communication
Demonstrate effective written and oral communication across diverse client and social service systems. 

MSW Degree Requirements

The MSW degree program requires completion of 60 semester units, distributed among core courses (32 units), concentration courses (20 units), an elective course (4 units), and a graduate research paper, either a yearlong research project or department or university thesis (4 units). Only graduate-level courses, those numbered 600-699 (or equivalent if taken elsewhere), may be used as part of the 60-unit graduate degree program.

A grade point average of 3.0 must be maintained in the 60 units taken to satisfy the degree requirements. All graduate degree requirements must be completed within the five (5) years prior to graduation. 

See the University Catalog for a full description of degree requirements.

Useful Documents

Curricular Requirements