The faculty in the School of Social Work offer programs leading to the Master of Social Work degree and the Ph.D. degree in Social Work.

MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK

The professional program leading to the Master of Social Work degree prepares social workers for advanced direct practice, administration, and community practice. The program is designed to prepare social workers capable of responding effectively to the needs of special populations in the Southwest—the ethnic groups of the region; the aged; urban and rural poor; children at risk; the disabled; and women who are victims of poverty, discrimination, and violence—in its curriculum and its practicum assignments. The Master of Social Work degree program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Regular Admission. In addition to the requirements in “Admission,” the school also requires one of the following:

1. a liberal arts undergraduate degree;
2. a B.S.W. from a Council on Social Work Education accredited school of social work; or
3. another undergraduate degree, with 30 semester hours in liberal arts courses at the undergraduate or graduate level.

The 30 semester hours described in item three above must include course work from the social/behavioral sciences, natural sciences, and humanities. The distribution should approximate the current policy for the B.S.W. program: 18 hours in social and behavioral sciences, six hours in natural sciences with at least one course in human biology, and six hours in humanities.

All students are required to successfully complete a course in human biology prior to enrollment in the graduate program. Additionally, all students must have successfully completed a course in statistics prior to admission. If the statistics requirement has not been met, then an equivalent course must either be successfully completed by December 31 or prior to registering for SWG 519.

Waiver Exams. Waiver policy is in place for all foundation-level courses except Practicum. See “Exemptions and Waiver Examinations.”

Application Procedures. Students applying to the graduate program in Social Work must follow the procedures for admission to the Graduate College. In addition the applicant must submit the following:

1. application to the graduate Social Work program,
2. statement of educational and career goals in sufficient detail to indicate compatibility with the educational objectives and capabilities of the School of Social Work,
3. three letters of reference that must use the reference letter forms provided by the School of Social Work, and
4. test scores from either the Graduate Record Examination or the Miller Analogies Test.

This information must be sent to

School of Social Work

Academic Services

Arizona State University

PO Box 871802

Tempe AZ 85287–1802

See “Master of Social Work” for details on the M.S.W. program.

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

The program seeks to prepare future social work scholars who are cognizant of the importance of practice-oriented and evaluative research in applied agency and community settings, who are involved in the development and application of theories in social work practice, and who plan to enhance social work knowledge through its communication and translation in the classroom and field settings.

The program introduces students to the complex range of roles and responsibilities of faculty leadership, to the challenging expectations of critical thinking and creativity in research and teaching, and to the multiple ways of integrating the tripartite demands of research, teaching, and service in the social work profession.

The Social Work faculty advocate for and support the human potential in the distinct experiences and perspectives of the Southwest region. The cultural and economic diversity of the Southwest makes it possible for faculty and students to engage in many issues in their community-based research and practice. Social Work graduates play key roles in creatively and ethically integrating their professional applied activities with local, state, tribal, and regional interests in the realm of social welfare.

Admission. Admission decisions are made biennially. There will be no admissions for academic year 1998–99. Applicants must hold an M.S.W. degree from an accredited school of social work, preferably have a minimum of two years of post-M.S.W. professional social work paid employment, and apply to both the ASU Graduate College and the School of Social Work.

Admission to the Ph.D. program requires completion of all admission requirements and procedures set forth by the Graduate College and test scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (verbal, quantitative, and analytical). Applications are accepted up to March 1 preceding the fall semester to which the applicant is seeking admission. Students are admitted only in the fall semester of the biennial year.

Application Procedure. The following should be submitted to

Admissions Office

Graduate College

Arizona State University

PO Box 871003

Tempe AZ 85287–1003

1. the application for admission to the Graduate College,
2. two official transcripts from each institution the applicant has attended previously, and
3. test scores from the GRE.

The following should be submitted to

Academic Services

School of Social Work

Arizona State University

PO Box 871802

Tempe AZ 85287–1802

1. application to the Ph.D. program in Social Work,
2. completed essay questions, and
3. four letters of reference that must use the reference letter forms provided by the School of Social Work.

Program of Study. Students must demonstrate scholarly competencies in several broad areas identified during the mentoring and advising process. These areas must include: micro/macro theories and perspectives on critical issues in social work and social welfare (24 semester hours), quantitative/qualitative research methodologies (12 semester hours), and professoriate training and mentoring in research, teaching, and service. The program requires a minimum of 36 semester hours beyond the M.S.W. degree and 84 semester hours beyond the baccalaureate degree. Because students must achieve competency requirements, they may need to take additional course work to achieve these competencies.

The program emphasizes enhancement of scholarship through:

1. applied social work research in diverse community settings and populations of the Southwest;
2. teaching, from syllabus development to classroom teaching across the professional continuum;
3. participation in collegial decision making; and
4. participation in field education and community services.

Students are expected to participate fully in research, teaching, and field liaison activities during their course of studies.

Advisement. The individualized plan for becoming a social work scholar and for learning associated faculty roles is developed by students and their advisors over time.

Residency. Students should expect to complete the equivalent of four semesters of course work. The minimum residency requirement for the Ph.D. program is 18 semester hours in courses relating to the program of study, exclusive of dissertation. The residency must be completed in two consecutive semesters, not including summer sessions.

Foreign Language Requirements. None.

Comprehensive Examinations. Upon completion of course work and the substantive paper, but before beginning dissertation research, the student is given a written examination covering research, theory, and methods in the substantive area. If the student should fail one or more components of the examination, a reexamination may be administered no sooner than three months and no later than one year from the date of the original examination. Approval of the reexamination must be obtained from the supervisory committee and the dean of the Graduate College.

Dissertation Requirements. Each candidate must register for a minimum of 24 semester hours of credit for research and dissertation. The final copy of the dissertation must be received by the supervisory committee and the dean of the Graduate College at least three weeks before the degree conferral date.

Final Examinations. The final oral examination in defense of the dissertation is scheduled and conducted by the student’s dissertation committee. A candidate must pass the final examination within five years after completing the comprehensive examination.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Tucson Component. The School of Social Work offers a part-time, cohort driven M.S.W. Program in Tucson in conjunction with the College of Extended Education. See “Tucson Component” for more information.

RESEARCH ACTIVITY

The School of Social Work offers excellent opportunities for empirical research on social, community, and individual problems and issues. Computer facilities and research support are available to faculty and students. Research is carried out in diverse community settings in conjunction with social agencies, as well as with public and private institutions. The faculty and students are engaged in a number of projects of local, regional, and national significance.

The areas of study for typical faculty research in any given year might include such topics as child abuse, adoption, foster care, reconstituted families, minority aging, chemical dependency, mental health, social welfare planning, social service agency administration, and community practice.

Omnibus Graduate Courses: See omnibus graduate courses that may be offered.

1998–99 Graduate Catalog Table of Contents

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