Master of Social Work

Vision

The University of New England (UNE) School of Social Work envisions a world where social workers are at the forefront of advocating with individuals and communities for human dignity and social inclusion by mobilizing efforts to end inequities, exploitation, and violence.

Master of Social Work Mission

The University of New England’s Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) program is dedicated to educating ethical social workers within a Person-in-Environment framework, emphasizing a global perspective and a deep respect for human diversity. Through rigorous scientific inquiry and a strong focus on clinical skills, we envision a future where our alumni not only excel as adept clinicians but also serve as catalysts for meaningful, positive impact in their communities and beyond. We promote an anti-oppressive social work practice that includes an emphasis on social justice, human rights, economic, and environmental equity for all.

UNE’s Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) degree is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Graduates learn to:

• Understand how systems impact human development through a Person-in-Environment lens.
• Develop a strength’s-based perspective when working with individuals, families, groups, and communities.
• Understand the multiple social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental factors influencing the design, development, and evaluation of social policies and service delivery.
• Develop the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out a variety of social work interventions consistent with the program's mission and the profession's ethics.
• Develop practice and intervention strategies that support individuals, families, groups, or communities.

The M.S.W. program prepares graduates to work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in an array of settings and with diverse populations. It offers its students the opportunity to practice generalist and advanced social work skills through mixed learning methods with a focus on person-in-environment, anti-oppressive, and antiracist frameworks.

Program Goals

Prepare competent master-level professional social workers who:

• Create person-centered collaborative and sustainable relationships across communities and practice settings.
• Apply ethical reflection, critical awareness, and shared decision-making grounded in social work values, with attention to global contexts.
• Promote community and belonging and uphold self-determination through a commitment to respecting and valuing diverse identities and experiences.

These goals are integrated into the social work curriculum. Through their presence in courses, practicums, and internal school governance we bring our mission statement to life.

The Master of Social Work program at the University of New England is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

M.S.W. traditional students are required to complete sixty (60) credit hours of graduate course study. Additionally, students are required to complete two (2) separate practicum placements (internships) that consists of four (4) semesters of supervised practice in approved social work settings. Generalist placements will be at least four hundred (400) hours, and specialization will be at least five hundred (500) hours.

M.S.W. Advanced Standing students complete thirty (30) credit hours and one (1) practicum placement consisting of two (2) semesters.

Focus Areas

The program offers focus areas in Trauma-Informed Practice, School Social Work, Medical Social Work, LGTBQIA+ Social Work, Substance Use, and Advanced Clinical Practice. Focus areas are integrated into the M.S.W. degree curriculum and completed within the required credit course structure (see individual focus area pages for more detail).

Generalist Curriculum

Generalist social work courses emphasize an integrated social work perspective involving the social context and its impact on social policy, programs, and the social work profession. Courses include: Anti-Oppression Social Work Practice; Human Behavior and the Social Environment; Social Work Research; Community Engaged Research; Social Work with Substance Use Disorders; Social Work Policy and Advocacy; Social Work Practice I and II; and Integrating Seminar and Practicum I and II. In addition, students spend four-hundred (400) hours in a practicum setting, in social agencies and programs with structured on-site professional supervision.

Specialization Curriculum

Specialization social work courses prepare students for a wide range of advanced practice roles. Students learn clinical skills necessary for advanced social work practice with individuals, families, groups, and communities within their advanced courses, Advanced Social Work Practice I and II; Leadership and Supervision; The DSM: A Social Work Perspective; Seminar and Practicum III and IV, and advanced electives.

Students also have the opportunity to develop skills for self-reflection, self-awareness, and reflexivity, and to broaden and deepen their understanding of social work’s inherent values such as honoring the dignity and worth of each person, clients’ right to self-determination, social justice, honor and cultural humility in social work practice.

Learn more about the Social Work Online Program

Traditional Requirements

Advanced Standing Requirements

Graduation Requirements

Students must successfully complete all courses with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 before graduation and fulfill all curriculum requirements.

Graduates of the UNE SSW will demonstrate knowledge, skills, and leadership in the following:

1. Demonstrates ethical and professional behavior.
2. Advance human rights and social, racial , economic, and environmental justice.
3. Engage in community and belonging in practice.
4. Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
5. Engage in policy practice.
6. Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
7. Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
8. Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
9. Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

UNE’S DSW Academic Standards

The Doctorate in Social Work is a CSWE-aligned program. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) uses a competency-based education framework in its Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) to ensure students can demonstrate essential competencies in practice. This approach emphasizes integrating knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive and affective processes to address practice situations in a culturally responsive, intentional, and professional manner, promoting human and community well-being. Competence is viewed as holistic, multidimensional, and developmental, evolving through continuous learning and adaptation to changing social contexts. The EPAS outlines nine interrelated competencies with component behaviors that guide curriculum design, teaching strategies, and learning activities. Outcome-oriented assessment plays a crucial role, providing evidence of student readiness for professional practice and informing ongoing program improvement. Given the complexity of social work practice, assessment methods may vary but remain essential for evaluating student competence and program effectiveness (CSWE, 2022).

UNE’s social work faculty is committed to fostering relationships with its students that encourage personal and professional growth. Its policies and procedures attempt to reflect this commitment to proactive and supportive communication. At the same time, students must recognize that the primary responsibility for a successful SSW education, both in and out of the classroom, rests with the student.

All students, including students with disabilities, must have the capacity to manage their lives and anticipate their own needs. Situations can arise in which a student's behavior and attitudes resulting from a disability or other personal circumstances present a problem which impairs the student's ability to meet the standards set forth, even after reasonable accommodations have been considered and, if appropriate, made by the program, all students must still meet the requirements set forth by the program.

All applicants, regardless of disability, will be held to the same admission standards. All enrolled students, regardless of disability, will be held to the same academic standards, understanding that all properly submitted requests for reasonable accommodation will be considered.

Academic Program Standards

All students must complete all Social Work program requirements and receive a passing grade in all courses and practicums to be eligible for graduation. DSW students must have a cumulative grade point average of a 3.0 or better to graduate.

Academic Policy

MINIMUM GRADE POINT AVERAGE

Matriculated graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B) or better. Failure to do so will result in academic probation and possible termination from the program. Any student receiving a grade below B- on any individual course has failed that course must re-enroll and repeat the course to achieve a grade of B- or better. Any student who receives a grade of F in two (2) or more courses is dismissed from the program.

GRADUATION

Candidates must fulfill all program requirements and are required to earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 to be eligible to graduate. All students must file an Application to Graduate with the registrar’s office via UNE Compass. Please see the Graduation FAQ for complete instructions and the answers to frequently asked questions.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 p.m. ET of the first week of the A term and B term and Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the AB term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean’s Office.

UNIVERSITY WITHDRAWAL

Matriculated students intending to withdraw from the University must complete the University Withdrawal and LOA Request form online or at the University Registrar’s Office. The form requires signatures from designated academic and administrative personnel.

READMISSION

Students who have been withdrawn from the program for any reason must reapply if they wish to continue their studies. The application procedures, academic policies, and program requirements that are in effect at the time of readmission will apply. Students who re-enroll
following withdrawal will have their previous coursework evaluated for applicability to the existing academic requirements. Coursework that is more than five (5) years old may not be accepted for credit in the program.

Students who have been administratively withdrawn from the program may petition for readmission. The petition letter must provide a justification for re-admission that addresses how past issues have been resolved and will not recur. The letter should be attached in the application portal.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE (ACADEMIC STOP OUT)

Students may stop out of their program for up to two (2) semesters. Students need to coordinate stop-outs in advance with their assigned enrollment and retention counselor, and stop-out time is considered part of the time allotted to complete the academic program. Application for readmission is not necessary if the student returns as planned.

However, the student who does not return at the specified time or who exceeds two (2) semesters of stop out will be administratively withdrawn and will be subject to readmission procedures. Readmitted students are subject to the re-admittance term’s catalog (this may mean that policies and/or program requirements have been changed or updated since previous admission, and should be reviewed for potential impact on degree requirements, time to complete the degree, and degree planning).

Note: It is the responsibility of the student to contact the Enrollment and Retention Counselor and Student Financial Services to indicate a change of plans; stop-out time can affect financial aid eligibility and repayment.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy. Failure to act, for any reason, is not
acceptable.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
3. Action that destroys or alters the work of another student.
4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one (1) course without permission of each instructor.
5. Plagiarism, is the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the program director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. The appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in The College of Professional Studies Student Handbook.

STUDENT ACCESS CENTER

The Student Access Center works to ensure that the University promotes respect for individual differences and that no person who meets the academic and technical standards needed for admission and continued enrollment at UNE is denied benefits or subjected to discrimination due to a disability. Toward this end, and in conjunction with federal and state laws, the University provides reasonable accommodations for qualified students.

Petitions for transfer credits for graduate social work courses to be submitted at the time of acceptance to the School of Social Work:

• Up to nine (9) credits may be transferred for courses completed with a minimum grade of B.
• P/F courses will not be accepted for transfer credit.

Applicants petitioning for transfer credits must include the following:

• A syllabus, with detailed readings and assignment descriptions, for each course being submitted for transfer credit.
• Transcript indicating the final grade earned.
• For students who were in matriculated social work programs elsewhere:
  • A professional statement that  includes reasons for requesting transfer to the University of New England School of Social Work.
  • A letter of good standing from either their previous M.S.W. program’s Director/Chair or the associated Dean.

Students transferring credits are required to adhere to the degree-requirement progression plan in effect at the time of your admission (Note: Individualized provisions may, at times, increase the total credit hours required for graduation from the School of Social Work).

Consideration of transfer credit beyond nine (9) credits, as well as courses outside of social work may be considered on a case-by-case basis at the time of admission.

EXPERIENTIAL CREDIT

Per CSWE, academic credit is not given for life experiences or previous work experience.

Admission Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree or above from a regionally accredited institution or its equivalent. See International Admissions for details regarding evaluation of international degrees for grade and degree equivalency.
• Applications are reviewed holistically as a determination of academic readiness. The admissions committee values previous academic performance as indicated on transcripts and considers it as part of the review process.
• Computer with Internet connection, including the hardware and software requirements described on the Technical Requirements page. Applicants must also possess sufficient computer skills to navigate the Internet as all classes are accessed 100% online.

Application Process

• Completed online application: http://go.une.edu/apply.
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae.
• Goal Statement.
• Official transcripts reflecting conferral of a bachelor’s degree or above from a regionally accredited institution.

The Master of Social Work – Advanced Standing requires the following additional materials for admission:

• Conferral of a Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) degree from a CSWE-accredited B.S.W. program.
• Completion of coursework equivalent to UNE’s Foundation courses at the undergraduate level with a B or better is strongly preferred.

Procedures and Policies

• Applications for admission are accepted through UNE’s online application only. Detailed instructions are included in the online application.
• Official transcripts, as well as other documents to support the application, must be submitted to the College of Professional Studies, either electronically or sent to 716 Stevens Ave, Portland, ME, 04103.
• International applicants and applicants with international degrees must have their transcripts evaluated for degree and grade equivalency to that of a regionally accredited US institution. See International Admissions.
• All applicants to UNE must be able to understand and communicate in English to be admitted to the university. UNE accepts several methods of English Proficiency, see International Admissions.
• If an applicant cannot prove English Proficiency in another way, scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) are required and must be submitted as a part of the completed application.
• All materials submitted as part of the application become the property of UNE and will not be returned or released to anyone, including the applicant. This policy includes letters of reference, primary and secondary applications, personal statements, transcripts, and other supporting materials.

For additional information on the admissions process and requirements, please access the Master of Social Work website.

Policy Exceptions

The Master of Social Work program and the Master of Social Work Admissions Committee in collaboration with the College of Professional Studies reserve the right to make exceptions to the admissions criteria and to make changes or exceptions to policies and procedures, on a case-by-case basis, when it deems such a decision is necessary and appropriate.

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.