Offered through: School of Social Science and Human Services (SSHS)

The MSW Program at Ramapo College is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Attaining Professional Licensure: Complete all academic requirements necessary to take the ASWB licensing examination for the LSW in NJ and LMSW in NY.

The MSW Program is offered as a full-time hybrid program two nights a week or as a part-time hybrid program one night a week for the first two years, then two nights per week for the final year. Two courses meet 2 hours each night – Monday and Thursday – with 30 minutes of online work weekly. Students enrolled in the full-time program will complete in two years; students enrolled in the part-time program will complete in 3 years. The Advanced Standing Program is a one-year program for students who have graduated from a CSWE-accredited BSW program. 1200 hours of field internship are required for the Traditional MSW Program and 600 for the Advanced Standing Program.

Program Mission:

The mission of the Master of Social Work Program is to prepare competent, compassionate, and research-informed social work professionals who advocate for social and economic justice and human well-being while honoring diversity within the context of the social environment. An emphasis on caring human relationships and freedom from all forms of oppression while supporting strengths, empowerment, and enhancing the quality of life will be the focus of practice. As advanced generalist practitioners, students will become influential leaders through planning and problem-solving, multi-system and interdisciplinary collaboration, and excellence in service to individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations all from a global perspective. Following the greater mission of Ramapo College, the MSW program emphasizes individual attention to students and promote diversity, inclusiveness, sustainability, student engagement, community involvement through interdisciplinary and experiential learning, and international and intercultural understanding.

Program Goals:

The goals of the MSW program are derived from the program’s mission as follows:

To prepare competent social work professionals for advanced generalist practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in an ever-changing and diverse context, locally and internationally.
To educate social workers effectively with the knowledge, values, and skills of the profession at the advanced practice level.
To advance social justice by preparing leaders to effectively advocate for the development of social policies and social service delivery systems that improve the well-being of client systems.
To prepare social workers who are life-long learners and who will advocate, personally and professionally, for the alleviation and eradication of social problems and the promotion of global social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

The preparation of students for advanced generalist practice is based on a person-in-environment perspective that is global and dynamic, respect for human diversity, advocacy for human rights, a strengths perspective, and scientific inquiry. The program’s aim is to equip students for practice in an ever-changing world fraught with infinite variation and persistent obstacles to justice. Excellent advanced generalist practice results from understanding and acknowledging the transitory nature of human interaction and the incremental development of services necessary to respond with a client-centered approach, whether that client is an individual, family, group, community, or organization.

The central means to accomplish the MSW program’s mission and goals is through an integrated learning process that values classroom and field learning equally. The classroom integrates on-site learning in agency field internships with knowledge, values, and skills. Field internships are arranged through the Social Work Office of Field Education. Each student completes 600 hours of field internship per year in qualified agencies under qualified field instructors to graduate.

Social Work MSW

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Requirements

Faculty

Program Description and Learning Outcomes