continuing
education/
....certificate programs
research
and
....special projects
- general - foundation - advanced - field - electives -
General
The University of Maine School of Social Work educates social
workers from a generalist perspective of social work practice.
The MSW curriculum of the school has been developed to both
reflect and promote the advances in contemporary advanced
social work practice. Curriculum design and materials
incorporate theory and practice approaches that have been
developed throughout the country as well as those that have
been created by faculty and practitioners to meet rural state
and local needs. Upon graduation, students are prepared to
deal with a wide variety of current and emerging human
problems using a generalist approach to practice that allows the social
worker to select and apply the appropriate intervention.
In addition, students develop competence in working in a
specific field of practice areas so that they graduate from the
program with the specific knowledge and skills necessary for
advanced practice in a particular field of service. The
curriculum consists of foundation and advanced year courses,
field practicum, and electives. top
Foundation
Curriculum
The foundation courses present
an orientation to social work
practice and provide the necessary base upon which to build
the more advanced body of knowledge, practice and skills
offered in the advanced year field of practice. The foundation is
designed to provide an integrated system of courses that
collectively introduce the student to the elements of the
profession. There is emphasis on social work as a diversified
profession with many functions and a variety of approaches.
The foundation courses present content in human behavior and
the social environment, social welfare policies and services,
research, social work practice, and field practicum. The student
thus completes the foundation courses prepared to intervene at
the individual, family, group, organization, and community levels.
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The advanced curriculum is
organized around two fields of
practice: health/mental health, and child and family services.
We are in the process of developing a field of practice in
gerontology. Students select a field of practice by the end of
their first year. The advanced curriculum includes advanced
social work practice courses related to a specific field of
practice, one year of field practicum, and the opportunity for
research and policy analysis in the field of practice area.
The field practicum is an integral
part of the school's total
education program and provides each student with the
opportunity to apply concepts, principles and theories learned
in the classroom to practice. The major focus in the field
practicum is on the student's acquisition of practice knowledge,
skills, values, and attitudes in working with diverse client
systems within a service setting. Students in the full program
engage in two field practica: the foundation year internship is
400 clock hours (approximately 16 hours per week) over the
course of the academic year, plus a two hour weekly seminar,
and the advanced year internship is 500 clock hours
(approximately 20 hours per week). Advanced standing
students complete only the advanced year field practicum.
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Electives
In addition to the required
courses in the foundation and
advanced year curriculum, the school has developed a number
of elective courses to provide knowledge in a range of areas
relevant to social work practice. Electives have included
courses such as Family Treatment in Social Work Practice,
Social Work Practice with Groups; Social Work Practice with
Children and Adolescents, Grant Writing, Alcoholism and
Substance Abuse, and Group Work in Health and Mental Health
Settings. Electives are also available in other University
departments.