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One-Year Residency for Working Professionals (Reduced Residency) Curriculum

During the pre-residency phases, students in this pathway will take foundational courses on a part-time schedule. Once they enter the residency phase, they become full-time students, taking more specialized courses and completing their practicum.


First Year (Pre-Residency Phase) – Part-Time

*Courses marked with an asterisk may be waived by examination. Please review our waiver exam information page for details.

Fall Term

In this course, students acquire the language of statistics and learn the basics of descriptive and inferential statistics. The emphasis of the course is on a conceptual understanding of basic concepts to aid in interpretation. Specific topics include descriptive statistics, standard errors, type I and type II errors, t-test, chi-spare, and analysis of variance.

This is a 0-credit, pass/fail course taken in the second half of the term

Students are required to complete six credits in the Human Behavior and Social Environment area. This first course adopts a developmental life-course and social systems framework in an examination of environmental and historical influences, current social movements, societal belief systems, social structures, and political processes affect bio-psycho- social aspects of human development. The course focuses on the application of these theories in tandem with a scholarly examination of social forces that shape human agency, opportunity, health, and behavior.

See T660B and T660C Human Behavior and the Social Environment – II for the second course.

Social Welfare Policy*

This course provides students with an overview and assessment of current domestic social welfare policies and programs, and the factors that influence their development. Special attention is given to income maintenance, personal social services, and in-kind benefits.

Social Work Research*

Students will understand and appreciate a scientific, analytic approach to building knowledge for practice and for evaluating service delivery in all areas of practice.

Different theoretical bases and methodological procedures for social work research are addressed, as are basic statistical procedures and technological advances in quantitative and qualitative designs. Ethical standards of scientific inquiry are emphasized with attention to protecting and promoting the well-being of vulnerable and oppressed populations.

Ultimately, students are expected to be able to access, critically evaluate, and appropriately use empirical research to inform and evaluate their practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Spring Term

This second-semester Human Behavior and the Social Environment course is split into two “mini” courses. Students must select two 7-week courses on a range of topics, all of which have a pronounced focus on issues of power, privilege, oppression, identity, and social justice.

Social Welfare Policy*

This course provides students with an overview and assessment of current domestic social welfare policies and programs, and the factors that influence their development. Special attention is given to income maintenance, personal social services, and in-kind benefits.

Social Work Research*

Students will understand and appreciate a scientific, analytic approach to building knowledge for practice and for evaluating service delivery in all areas of practice.

Different theoretical bases and methodological procedures for social work research are addressed, as are basic statistical procedures and technological advances in quantitative and qualitative designs. Ethical standards of scientific inquiry are emphasized with attention to protecting and promoting the well-being of vulnerable and oppressed populations.

Ultimately, students are expected to be able to access, critically evaluate, and appropriately use empirical research to inform and evaluate their practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.


Second Year (Pre-Residency Phase) – Part-Time

Fall Term

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, person-centered form of guiding to elicit and strengthen motivation for change. MI has been implemented in local, state, national, and international social welfare and health care settings.

The methods are specifiable and verifiable, grounded in testable theory, generalizable and transportable across problem areas and diverse groups. They are complementary or adaptable to other methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy, as well as employed as a stand-alone approach in certain kinds of settings. Moreover, there are evidence-based methods of learning MI.

To obtain proficiency in MI, you need opportunities to practice skills and obtain feedback. This course provides hands-on experience to practice and evaluate MI skills. The goal of this course is to give students an understanding of the basic principles of MI and to become fluent in a few key skills of this method.

Students also will learn to contrast MI with other therapeutic methods, and some common myths associated with it. Finally, students will be examining some of the research concerning the effectiveness of MI and the hypothesized mechanisms that explain its usefulness.

This is a 0-credit, pass/fail course taken in the first half of the semester

T6011 is taken for 1.5 credits each term for two terms, fall and spring.

This course is taken in conjunction with T7100 Foundations of Social Work Practice, T7102 Direct Practice, and T7103 Advocacy in Social Work Practice.

Focusing on the body of knowledge, skills, and values that underpin and parallel course work, this seminar addresses the particular needs of the Reduced Residency student by integrating course concepts with practicum experience, emphasizing the socialization of the student toward the profession, and increasing their understanding of the societal and organizational contexts of the work.

The format encourages learning flexibility, maximum student participation, and student support system development.

In this foundations course, participants will learn generalist and justice-based frameworks and skills for social work intervention. Emphasis is placed on an analysis of power, race, oppression, and privilege; the impact systems of oppression have at the micro-, mezzo-, and macro-levels; and how these systems may influence social work practice. Coursework focuses on anti-Black racism and covers the intersectionality of anti-Black racism and issues concerning LBGTQ+ rights, genderism, Indigenous People/First Nations People and land rights, Latin-x representation, xenophobia, Islamophobia, undocumented immigrants, Japanese internment camps, indigent White communities (Appalachia), and anti-Semitism.

All coursework aims to foster self-awareness and develop mindfulness practices; increase capacity to mitigate oppressive systems in social work agencies and organizations; provide skills for community building within and outside the classroom. Social work skills for anti-oppressive practice are developed through the use of experiential exercises and feedback. Practice is integrated into classroom content and discussion.

(Must be taken concurrently with T6011 Reduced Residency Practicum Education Seminar.)

Spring Term

T6011 is taken for 1.5 credits each term for two terms, fall and spring.

This course is taken in conjunction with T7100 Foundations of Social Work Practice, T7102 Direct Practice, and T7103 Advocacy in Social Work Practice.

Focusing on the body of knowledge, skills, and values that underpin and parallel course work, this seminar addresses the particular needs of the Reduced Residency student by integrating course concepts with practicum experience, emphasizing the socialization of the student toward the profession, and increasing their understanding of the societal and organizational contexts of the work.

The format encourages learning flexibility, maximum student participation, and student support system development.

Prerequisite: T7100

This course builds upon the knowledge and skills acquired in T7100 Foundations of Social Work Practice: Decolonizing Social Work.

Students learn to critically examine, select, apply, and evaluate major theoretical models of direct social work practice with individuals, families, and groups in a culturally competent manner. Particular emphasis is placed on the linkage between assessment and intervention, the critical evaluation of self in one’s own practice, and the use of empirical knowledge to guide practice decisions.

(Must be taken concurrently with T6011 Reduced Residency Practicum Education Seminar.)

Prerequisites: T7100, T6801.

This course builds on the knowledge, values, and skills provided in Decolonizing Social Work. Coursework focuses on better understanding and applying a justice-based framework to mezzo- and macro- social work practice within organizational, community and political systems. The intersections of white supremacy, institutionalized power, anti-Black racism, oppression, and privilege will be discussed.

Participants will learn to critically analyze and assess organizations, communities, social policies and political systems; develop interventions, advocate for, and work collaboratively to achieve change and build capacity in organizations and communities and to influence social policies and political processes; extend their understanding of distributive justice, human and civil rights and the dynamics of oppression, and the role of advocacy and social change action in pursuing social and economic justice

(Must be taken concurrently with Must be taken concurrently with T6011 Reduced Residency Practicum Education Seminar and T7102 Direct Practice with Individuals, Families & Groups.)


Residency Phase

During their final year, all students are enrolled full-time, regardless of their status during the pre-residency phase. The residency year is when students complete their practicum placement in addition to their remaining coursework.

Students may choose between dedicating three days per week or four days per week to their practicum placement. In the three-day model, they complete their practicum placement over three terms (fall, spring, and summer). In the four-day model, they complete their practicum placement over two terms (fall and spring).

Use the links below to see example study plans for each method specialization. The examples are based on the four-day practicum work model.

Electives

A wide range of elective courses makes it possible for you to develop additional expertise in areas such as family or group interventions; treatment of children, adolescents, and young adults; responding to trauma; working with veterans and their families; or managing a nonprofit agency.

The number of electives required depends on your method specialization. Please note that this is just the minimum number of electives you must take to complete your degree and specialization requirements.

Method Specialization Total Electives Total Points
Advanced Clinical Practice 4 12
Integrated Practice and Programming 4 12
Policy Practice 3 9
Leadership, Management, and Entrepreneurship for Social Justice 1 3

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