Program Goals

• Gain an understanding of policies, agencies, and delivery of criminal justice systems and how to effect change to bring about social justice
• Use an interdisciplinary ecological systems approach to understanding crime and the consequences of crime
• Demonstrate ethical and professional use of self
• Demonstrate understanding of and appreciation for differences based on gender, age, ethnicity, religious creed, sexual orientation, class, and physical, mental, and developmental disabilities
• Understand and critically apply theoretical frameworks to individual and social behavior, the interactions among individuals and social systems and their relationships to crime and justice
• Gain an understanding of criminal justice as an applied science where there is an integration of theory, scientific method and practice application
• Understand the use of evidence-based methods and policy for special populations within and affected by criminal justice systems
• Demonstrate the ability to think critically and communicate effectively

Student Learning Outcomes

• Identify ways in which oppression, privilege, discrimination, and social and economic disadvantage contribute to inequalities and injustices within criminal justice systems
• Demonstrate the capacity to design innovative approaches to dealing with social injustices and social harms within criminal justice systems
• Demonstrate an understanding of the origins of criminal behavior, society's response to crime, and the consequences of crime to our society, utilizing multiple perspectives
• Articulate ethical implications of decision making in a professional capacity
• Demonstrate a professional demeanor (e.g. in behavior and communication)
• Develop and demonstrate sufficient critical self-awareness to understand the influence of personal biases and values when interacting with diverse groups
• Recognize and dialogue with others about the role of difference and the multiple intersections of oppression and privilege in shaping a person's identity and life experiences
• Apply theoretical frameworks to understanding the causes and prevention of crime, the processes of criminalization, and crime enforcement
• Understand qualitative and quantitative research methods to collect and analyze data
• Articulate the link between research, theory, and practice
• Understand the dynamics, causes, and treatment programs available for special populations
• Demonstrate writing proficiency
• Demonstrate oral communications skills

Academic Standards/Policies

• Students may be allowed to petition the academic program for additional lower-division credit if it advances them toward a degree. No more than a total of 105 lower-division transfer credits and no more than 30 upper division transfer credits may be applied for Criminal Justice majors. Please see the Criminal Justice academic advisor for details.
• Due to the innovative nature of the Criminal Justice major housed in the School of Social Work and Criminal Justice, the following courses must be taken at UW Tacoma so that the social justice lens can be adequately applied to major content. The courses are T CRIM 361 (5 credits), T CRIM 390 (5 credits), T CRIM 371 (5 credits) and T CRIM 441 (5 credits). If a student believes they have this upper-division content in other transfer course work, an exception may be granted by faculty through a program petition for course substitution process.
• All CJ core or core elective course substitutions must be approved by petition after CJ admission. A maximum of 10 transfer equivalent credits are allowed towards the 65 credit major.
• Satisfactorily complete a statistics course within the last 5 years with a 2.0\C grade or higher before taking T CRIM 390.
• A minimum of 55 credits out of the 65 credits required for the Criminal Justice major must be completed in residence at UW Tacoma.
• Students who have a 100-200 level transfer course that is considered similar in content to a 300-400 level course within the major will not repeat content, however they will be required to select a 300-400 level course from the Criminal Justice major approved elective list. In all cases a program petition for a course substitution will be submitted for formal review and approval.
• A student who earns less than a 2.0 in any required CJ core or core elective course is required to retake the course; this may delay a student’s graduation. With the approval of the program offering the course, a student may repeat a course once. According to UW policy, if a department course is retaken, the grades of the two courses are averaged and credit for the course will be given only once. Veterans receiving benefits must receive approval for the Veterans Coordinator in the Office of Enrollment Services before the course is repeated.
• A student who begins the major and then withdraws from UW Tacoma for more than one quarter will be required to reapply to UW Tacoma as a returning student. If readmitted, the student should meet with an academic advisor to prepare a revised program of study.

Program Goals

• To prepare entry-level baccalaureate social workers for generalist practice in a multicultural context rooted in knowledge and skills for understanding and solving complex social problems within the values of professional social work

• To prepare generalist social workers to become informed and effective leaders able take action against injustice and inequalities

• To foster a comparative and critical examination of social welfare and social work history, policies, research, and practice interventions in the education of social work practitioners

• To prepare students for graduate education in social work related fields

• To provide access to social work education to residents of the south Puget Sound region

Curriculum Objectives

• Keeping in mind the goals of the BASW program, graduates of the program are expected to:

  • Apply entry-level social work practice skills to individuals, families, groups, communities, tribes, and organizations.

  • Demonstrate an ethical and just professional use of self and the ability to use supervision and consultation.

  • Practice effectively within agencies and delivery systems and identify, plan and pursue needed agency and system changes aimed at promoting social and economic justice.

  • Demonstrate knowledge of and commitment to social work values and ethics through effective social work practice.

  • Demonstrate understanding of and appreciation for differences based on gender, ethnicity, race, religious creed, sexual orientation, class and physical and developmental disabilities.

  • Identify the ways in which oppression, colonization, privilege, discrimination, and social and economic disadvantage contributed to complex human welfare problems.

  • Understand the strengths and empowerment perspectives in practice, policy and research in order to promote social and economic justice.

  • Understand and describe the comparative history of social welfare and social work systems in the United States as well as the emergence of social work as a profession.

  • Understand the growing prevalence of economic inequality, the distribution of poverty and societal remedies to resolve these problems.

  • Analyze the impact of social policies on people (both clients and workers), agencies, communities, service systems and nations including American Indian and Alaska Tribal nations.

  • Understand and critically apply theoretical frameworks to understand individual development and behavior across the lifespan and the interactions among individuals and between individuals and social systems (i.e., families, groups, organizations, tribes and communities).

  • Demonstrate knowledge and skills in social work research methods used to develop and evaluate interventions and social service delivery systems.

  • Understand, use and promote evidence-based methods in generalist social work practice.

  • Use effective oral and written communication skills with a variety of client populations, colleagues and members of the community.

BASW Program Evaluation Competency Benchmarks

• All Council on Social Work Education programs measure and report student learning outcomes. Students are assessed on their mastery of the competencies that comprise the accreditation standards of the Council on Social Work Education. These competencies are dimensions of social work practice that all social workers are expected to master during their professional training. A measurement benchmark is set by the social work programs for each competency. An assessment score at or above that benchmark is considered by the program to represent mastery of that particular competency.

Full or Part-Time

• Students may pursue a full-time or part-time program of study. A full-time track allows students to finish all major coursework within a 2 year period. Due to sequencing, a part-time track will take 3 or more years to complete. Students should meet with their advisor to determine which option best meets their needs.

Advising

• There are three sources of advisement for students in the social welfare major, academic advising, faculty advising and practicum advising. All advising roles offer a different educational focus and are highly invested in student success.
• The BASW Academic Advisor can assist you with information on registration, course scheduling, graduation requirements and connect you to various campus resources. Students are encouraged to meet with the BASW Academic Advisor at least once a quarter for course planning and to apply to graduate. If you have any questions regarding your records, registration, or need clarification on BASW Program or University policies, requirements and/or procedures, please consult your advisor. To make an appointment, visit https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/swcj/advising.
• Faculty Advisors are best used as mentors when students need assistance with educational and professional career choices or in circumstances when students experience personal difficulties that are affecting their progress in the program. All students are randomly assigned a Faculty Advisor whom they should meet with on a periodic basis. In addition to their assigned faculty advisor, students can turn to any faculty member regarding specific issues. For instance, you may choose to meet with a faculty who is doing research or practice in an area of common interest. Such “informal advising” is common and highly encouraged.
• As faculty have a range of teaching, research and community service responsibilities, we encourage you to set up a time to meet with your faculty advisor. To facilitate contact please make a note of their room number, telephone number or email address. If you would like to change to another faculty advisor, contact the School of Social Work and Criminal Justice office for more information.
• The Field Coordinator is responsible for the management of field education, advisement and approval of students for practicum placements. The Coordinator also is responsible for liaison and problem solving with agencies if there are difficulties in the placements, and assignment of grades for the practicum courses.

Field Education

• Practicum instruction is an integral component of social work education. Practicum teaching is a partnership between the School of Social Work and Criminal Justice and social service organizations who work together to help students integrate theory and practice. It is conducted in the field by professional social work practitioners selected by community agencies and approved by the faculty of the School of Social Work and Criminal Justice and the School of Social Work.
• "Practicum" is an educational/learning experience required for academic credit.
• One of the many purposes of Field Education is to provide a “practicum” experience for social work students that prepares them for autonomous professional social work practice/leadership. Field Education is the central pedagogy of social work education and is structured around a classroom experience. The integration of theory and practice is central to social work education and students are required as part of their academic program to have supervised field learning experience/s (practicum/s) where required competencies and practice behaviors are mastered. These learning experiences are under the supervision of a Field Instructor from the agency of placement and a Field Faculty member from the School of Social Work and Criminal Justice.
• These learning experiences are not work opportunities or job experience; on the contrary, they are supervised educational/learning experiences. Students do not have independent responsibility/decision making authority and must receive their assignments/guidance/plan for learning from the Field Instructor and/or Field Faculty.
• Students are required to engage in the development of a Learning Contract with the Field Instructor and Field Faculty member from the School of Social Work and Criminal Justice. The Learning Contract spells out specific learning activities for the academic year. Students and Field Instructors meet weekly at a minimum to discuss learning activities from a social work perspective and to evaluate learning/mastery of the competencies.
• Clear expectations are provided to students while they are in placement for their field education learning experience. This learning experience is educational in nature and based on articulated competencies and practice behaviors and is attached to academic credit. It is anticipated/expected students cooperate with the School of Social Work and Criminal Justice/their assigned Field Faculty to ensure at all times they are engaged in a supervised learning/educational experience. This experience is not a job/work nor should it be viewed at any time as taking the place of agency staff or workload mitigation.

BASW Independent Study

• Independent study elective courses that offer students the opportunity to work one-on-one with faculty in an area of shared scholarship. Employers and graduate schools like to see this experience in your college education because it develops your initiative, responsibility and creativity.
• Students must adhere to the Independent Study Contract Guidelines when submitting a contract plan for approval. The student is responsible for approaching faculty with an idea for independent study. All forms must be typed and can be found online at http://www.tacoma.uw.edu/social-work/basw-independent-study.

Course of Study

• The required core curriculum must be taken in sequence over a two-year period. The Social Welfare curriculum consists of a 68-credit program comprised of these major areas:

  • Foundation courses

  • Social work practice courses

  • Practicum combined with practicum seminars

  • Social welfare electives

• Students will be required to complete 10 credits of social welfare upper-division electives.

Model Program of Study Effective 2016

• To help prospective students understand the sequencing of the Social Welfare curriculum, the model program of study shows the typical progression to complete the degree. UW Tacoma requires a total of 180 credits for graduation that includes the credits required for the BASW degree. Information provided in this table gives an overview of the two-year curriculum.
• In the freshman and sophomore years, students should fulfill as many of the general education requirements as possible. Those requirements consist of language skills (English composition and world language), reasoning and writing skills, and areas of inquiry. Completion of all general education requirements is not required for admission to the BASW program; however, students with deficiencies must meet with the program advisor to discuss completion of these requirements prior to graduation.
• Social Welfare majors who are pursuing the minor in Criminal Justice may not double count TSOCWF 300-400 level courses as approved Social Welfare electives and as electives for the minor in Criminal Justice. The TSOCWF 300-400 level course(s) may satisfy one distribution area or another, but not both.

Students admitted autumn 2016 and beyond:

NOTE: Statistics is a required course for the BASW program; if a statistics course has not been completed with a 2.0 (or C) grade or better within the last five years, students must take it prior to TSOCWF 390.

* Social Welfare electives and general electives may be taken at times other than those designated above, schedule permitting. Based upon sample plan, enrollment in 12 credits during summer is suggested.

** Total may vary based on the number of college level credits applied toward the degree.

*** W indicates that the course meets the University's Writing Intensive Criteria.

Academic Standards/Policies

• To maintain satisfactory progress in the Social Welfare program, an admitted student must meet the following criteria:

  • Maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA in required Social Welfare courses and a 2.0 cumulative UW Tacoma GPA.A student whose Social Welfare cumulative GPA falls below a 2.5 at the end of any quarter will be required to attend a meeting with their faculty advisor and the Social Work advisor. If the student continues to earn less than a 2.5 cumulative Social Welfare GPA in subsequent quarters, they may be referred to the Professional Standards Committee.

    A student is removed from probation at the end of the quarter in which a Social Welfare GPA of 2.5 or better is achieved and a UW Tacoma cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better is reached, and any conditions for reinstatement and satisfactory progress have been met.

  • Earn a minimum 2.0 grade (or credit in courses taken CR/NC) in each required Social Welfare course.A student who earns a grade of less than 2.0 in any required Social Welfare course will be placed on academic probation for one or more quarters. A student placed on probation may be asked to retake a required course the next time it is offered. This may delay the student’s practicum by one year. With the approval of the program offering the course, a student may repeat a course once. Both the original grade and the second grade will be computed in the student’s GPA, but credit will be given only once.

    Effective Autumn 2016, the required Social Welfare courses are TSOCWF 300, 301, 310, 311, 312, 320, 390, 402, 404, 405, 406, 414 and 415.

  • Satisfactorily complete the first year required courses before proceeding into the practicum and practicum seminar.To begin the practicum (TSOCWF 415), the student must be cleared for placement as outlined in the Social Work and Criminal Justice Program Policy for Assessing Students’ Readiness for Field Education.

  • Complete the program within four years after admission.A student who does not complete the program within four years of admission may be removed from the program and placed in pre-major status.

• A student who begins the program and then withdraws from UW Tacoma for more than one year will have to re-apply to the program to be admitted. If re-admitted, the student must meet with the program advisor to prepare a revised program of study. The advisor (in consultation with the BASW Director) will determine which courses may or may not be applicable to the current curriculum and which courses must be completed for the degree.

Learning Outcomes

• Gain an understanding of the origins of criminal behavior, society’s responses to crime and delinquency and the consequences of crime for our society.
• Become sensitized to the human impacts of criminal justice policies including differential impacts of race/ethnicity, social class, age, and gender.
• Be grounded in theoretical and empirical knowledge, values and skills related to criminal justice as they develop into competent professionals.
• Recognize the multiple needs of the victims of criminal behavior, including crisis and trauma interventions.
• Become knowledgeable about special populations in the criminal justice system including sex offenders, the chemically dependent, and individuals with mental illness.

Program Goals

The MSW curriculum has been developed to enhance both breadth and depth in professional education and to respond to changing social work practice needs. The curriculum reflects the faculty’s commitment to a set of core MSW Curriculum values and principles. The program’s curriculum is framed by a set of core values, which flow directly from its mission. Primary among these is the School’s commitment to social justice.

Corollary values include commitments to multiculturalism, to social change, and to collaboration and empowerment. Further, the program is dedicated to bringing these commitments to life in its curriculum through pedagogical strategies that recognize the essential synergy between knowledge and action, and that provide opportunities for generative learning.

The MSW Program has these over-arching goals:

The MSW curriculum is organized around these core principles and builds upon the Curriculum Goals.

• To prepare students for generalist practice including basic knowledge and skills for understanding and solving complex social problems within the values of professional social work.
• To prepare students for professional practice in an area of specialization in a way that fosters social work leadership, effective social interventions, a commitment to a just and human diverse society, and a commitment to public service.
• To provide access to social work education to residents of the south Puget Sound region.

Curriculum Competencies

The primary goal of the curriculum is to provide social work students with the critical skills, value base and knowledge to advance social justice, multiculturalism, social change, collaboration and empowerment in their professional roles. This goal is operationalized through 9 core competencies:

1. Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
2. Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
3. Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
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

MSW Program Evaluation Competency Benchmarks

All Council on Social Work Education programs measure and report student learning outcomes. Students are assessed on their mastery of the competencies, which comprise the accreditation standards of the Council on Social Work Education. These competencies are dimensions of social work practice, which all social workers are expected to master during their professional training. A measurement benchmark is set by the social work programs for each competency. An assessment score at or above that benchmark is considered by the program to represent mastery of that particular competency.

Part-time Program of Study

The MSW program offers a 3-year, part-time, evening study cohort program option as well as a part-time, evening Advanced Standing, 18-month program option. All Advanced Standing applicants must meet specific criteria to be eligible for admission consideration. There are no full-time MSW study options available at UW Tacoma.

Satisfactory Progress

Continuation in the Master of Social Work program at the University of Washington Tacoma occurs only if students maintain satisfactory performance and progress toward degree completion. These minimum standards consist of the following:

• Complete 75-credits for the MSW (3-year) degree or 45-credits for the Advanced Standing MSW degree.
• Maintain a minimum cumulative University grade point average of 3.00 for all 400- and 500-level graded courses.
• Students must complete, and pass all required Social Work classes with a minimum grade of a 2.7 or higher or Satisfactory “S” or Credit “CR.”
• Maintain continuous enrollment or apply for a Leave of Absence with the Graduate School.
• Meet the requirements found in the University of Washington Student Conduct Code as amplified in the Essential Skills, Values and Standards of Professional Conduct.

Non-Satisfactory Progress

• Failure to maintain a cumulative or quarterly grade point average of 3.00 or to earn at least a 2.7 or “S” or “CR” in a required class is considered low scholarship. Low scholarship may lead to a change-in-status action by the Graduate School, including Warning, Probation, Final Probation, or Drop.
• Students who accumulate more than two incomplete “I” grades on their transcripts or carry incompletes beyond one quarter will be reviewed for satisfactory progress.
• A student who receives a failing grade in a required course for the MSW degree will be allowed to repeat that course one time.
• No student with a failed grade in a required social work curriculum course will be eligible for field placement until that course has been made up with a satisfactory grade.
• Both the Generalist (T SOCW 524) and Specialization (T SOCW 525) level Field Education placement (also known as “practicum”) must be successfully completed with a grade of “credit” for each quarter to graduate from the MSW program.

Immunizations - Health Sciences Immunization Program (HSIP)

Students are required to meet the immunization requirements set by University of Washington Health Sciences Immunization Program (HSIP). The School of Social Work and Criminal Justice and UW Tacoma MSW Program does not accept or grant requests for waivers to the immunization requirements. Information about Health Science requirements, procedures, and fees may be found on the follow web site: https://www.ehs.washington.edu/workplace/health-sciences-immunizationprogram-hsip.

Students in the UW Tacoma MSW Program may access assistance with immunizations through their personal healthcare provider, or through UW Tacoma Student Health Services. For additional assistance with questions and requirements you can contact HSIP at myshots@uw.edu.