Strategic Plan
Background
Describe your unit’s educational programs, including an assessment of robustness of each program
Master of Social Work (MSW) Program
SSW offers full- and part-time programs leading to the MSW degree that include 2-, 3- and 4-year programs on campus and part-time, weekend, three-year programs in Northeastern MA (Tyngsboro) in Southeastern MA (Fall River and Cape Cod), as well as an advanced standing program for graduates of BSW programs. This curriculum (developed in accordance with the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of the Council on Social Work Education) prepares activist practitioners who apply their knowledge and skills in a range of settings and systems levels, with emphasis on those in underserved urban areas. Students take required courses in human behavior in the social environment, social welfare policy, research, and ethics and concentrate in either Clinical Practice (working with individuals, families, and groups) or Macro Practice (community organization, human services management, and planning). A degree candidate must complete 65 credits, taking a total of 8 foundation courses plus fieldwork and 9 advanced courses plus fieldwork. Foundation coursework is multi-method based, whereas in the advanced curriculum students select one method—either clinical or macro. Students’ field education placements are taken concurrently with social work practice courses to maximize opportunities for integration of classroom and field practicum learning. An integrative field seminar provides the theoretical and conceptual support that enables students to engage in beginning level practice from the outset of the practicum. The advanced field education component provides more specialized in-depth practice experiences.
Off-Campus Programs (OCP)
SSW has over 20 years of off-campus teaching experience using the cohort model of graduate education. The Southeastern Massachusetts Program SEMA) at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth was initiated in 1982 and is currently housed at the UMass-Dartmouth campus in Fall River. In 2002, a second SEMA site was added at Cape Cod Community College in Barnstable. The Northeastern Massachusetts Program (NEMA) launched in 1987 is currently located at the Boston University Corporate Education Center in Tyngsboro. Our Off-Campus Programs were developed in collaborations with public institutions to provide graduate education in the social work to underserved areas of Lowell, Lawrence, New Bedford, Fall River and most recently, in Cape Cod. Partnering with public academic institutions (U Mass, Cape Cod Community College), these programs offer accessible, more affordable graduate education to local students. Despite increased competition due to the proliferation of new MSW programs in the area, SSW has maintained its status as a premier program in these communities. Our off-campus programs offer a graduate clinical social work education in a non-traditional structure. Students complete the program in three years while attending classes on weekends, taking one course at a time. Students typically continue working while attending graduate school, and due to the need for MSWs in these outlying underserved areas, students are often employed within their communities by the time they graduate.
Dual degree, specialization, and certificate programs
SSW encourages interdisciplinary learning opportunities through 3 dual degree programs. Our Social Work and Public Health program, established in 1981, is our strongest program with regard to enrollment (48 students for 2005-6) and student academic standing. This 3-year MSW/MPH program is based on the need for skilled social workers in the health care delivery system who take a broader, population-based look at the system. The dual degree program in Social Work and Education, established in 1988, offers either the MSW/EdM or MSW/EdD degrees. Our second most popular program with 19 students currently enrolled, it supports social workers who are also educators deeply involved in addressing the needs of at-risk children and families. The dual degree program in Social Work and Theology, established in 1980, offers three joint degree programs (MSW/MTS, MSW/MDiv or MSW/DMin) with the goal of adding a spiritual, philosophical, and/or pastoral dimension to professional social work practice, and an urban clinical or macro practice dimension to theological studies. Currently, this program has five students enrolled.
Several specialization and certificate programs focus on clinical or macro practice methods and/or populations at risk. Current enrollments are: Group Work (12), Family Therapy (5), Human Services Management (9), Gerontology (7) and a program in Clinical Social Work and Behavioral Medicine (13). Participating students complete all degree requirements for the MSW but use some or all of their electives in a focused plan of study. Students who specialize in Group Work develop expertise in group theories and method, especially for urban contexts. The Family Therapy Certificate Program (FTCP), established in 1989, provides students with specialized knowledge and skills in family-centered practice. The Human Services Management Certificate Program, established in the mid 1980’s, is a unique specialization within Macro Practice to prepare students for management positions in non-profit and public human service agencies and entrepreneurial roles. In 2003, SSW and MED, began offering a new pilot specialty program in Clinical Social Work and Behavioral Medicine (CSWBM). This program enables clinical social work students to study neurosciences, psychopharmacology, health psychology, and behavioral medicine to work effectively in interdisciplinary settings that require synthesis of the sciences of mind, brain, and behavior.
Robustness of MSW Program
In a recent systematic examination of our program during re-accreditation, we sought input from key stakeholders within SSW and in the Boston community to identify program strengths and opportunities for improvements. In addition, the Curriculum Committee recently identified current areas of robustness for each of the MSW program components, including clinical practice, macro practice, field education, dual degree, specialization, and off-campus programs. Based upon these assessments, selected key strengths include:
- Integrated, multi-method curriculum content that prepares students for practice with individuals, families, groups, communities, organizations, and larger macro systems
- Strong emphasis on empowerment of oppressed groups and social and economic justice
- Rich array of program options through specializations, dual degree and certificate programs
- Flexible part-time and off-campus program in three geographical locations
- Highly regarded community-based Field Education program that provides extensive advising and supports for students and field instructors
- Faculty expertise in practice, policy, and research that supports educational programs
- Well-established relationships with the practice community and use of feedback from constituencies to enhance program
- Leadership in the greater Boston region within the social work profession, human services, and local communities that contribute to innovative practice and policies.
Doctoral Program
Our interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in Sociology and Social Work, with 28 students currently enrolled, is housed within GRS. The program prepares scholars who will assume leadership positions in the social work profession through careers in academia, research, and government. It consists of core and elective courses in social work and sociology, qualifying exams, and dissertation research. Faculty-funded research grants provide opportunities for students to develop scholarly and research skills. Teaching assistantships are available for students who plan to pursue an academic career. Developed in 1980 the program was originally small, recruiting students primarily from within New England. Recent efforts to build the program have resulted in much greater interest from students throughout the U.S. and abroad. Between January 2004 and January 2006 we responded to 392 requests for program materials, leading to 26 applications in 2004 (seven students enrolled) and 25 in 2005 (six students enrolled). Consistent with social work education goals, the program is particularly strong in attracting a racially and ethnically diverse student body. We are now developing revisions to enhance the program’s overall academic quality and competitiveness to enable us to attract, educate, and place the highest caliber of social work scholars and researchers.
Describe student interest in your programs and your primary competitors for the very best students. How has this interest evolved in the last decade? What changes are needed for the continued excellence of each program?
From 1995 to 2003, the number of graduate schools of social work accredited by The Council on Social Work Education increased from 117 to 159 and the number of unduplicated applications to these schools decreased from 42,683 to 32,912. Following this downward trend, between 1995 and 2001 the number of applications to our School decreased from 1,015 to 395. However, we experienced an increase in two of the next three years (2002 and 2004), at the same time there was a continuing decrease in applications nationally. Our applications dipped once again for students entering in fall 2005.
Some other data during this time period are worthy of note:
- The yield (or conversion) factor from the total number of applications to the total number of registered students has improved during this time period—from 31% in 1995 to 36% in 2005.
- While the majority (approximately 75% of the total) of inquiries to the MSW program traditionally have originated outside of Massachusetts, most registered students come from within the state. The School clearly has national appeal, but financing graduate education and the high cost of living in Boston are mitigating factors for out-of-state applicants.
- Historically, the primary competitors for our students have been Boston College, Simmons College, Columbia University, New York University, University of California Berkeley, and the University of Michigan. More recently, Salem State College has emerged as a competitor, probably largely because of its considerably lower tuition cost.
- Discuss the outcomes for students in your programs. To the extent you know, what do your students do after leaving Boston University? Do you envision changes in the programs that will affect these outcomes?
Student Outcomes
One measure of outcomes is retention in the program. Of 812 students who enrolled during 1999-2003, 84% graduated and 16% (n=132) left and did not return from 2001-2005, the period during which these enrolled students would typically have graduated. Seven percent of this departing group were asked to leave for various academic and professional reasons.
The SSW Program Assessment Committee evaluates student outcomes on an ongoing basis. Outcomes are measured for the School’s specified learning objectives, and assessment results form the basis for continuous program improvement activities. SSW has 11 specific learning objectives for MSW students related to knowledge and skills for advanced social work practice in a diverse and multicultural society. Student outcomes related to these learning outcomes are assessed using direct and indirect measures of student learning (course grades, field instructor evaluations of students, exit survey data of graduating students, and alumni survey data). Recent analysis indicates that MSW student outcomes are positive and stable and meet or exceed expectations. The following trends are noted:
- Course grades reflect mastery of content related to each learning objective for foundation and required advanced courses. (Mean course grade in 2004-2005 was 3.58 for foundation courses and 3.67 for required advanced courses).
- Student outcomes are comparable between our main campus and off-campus programs. Moreover, students who complete dual degree or specialized certificate programs demonstrate similar outcomes for MSW program objectives as students who did not participate in a special program.
Each year the School surveys its most recent graduates to determine their employment-seeking experiences. The most recent survey (of 2004 graduates) yielded a 42% response and revealed that nearly 81% of respondents were employed in social work (about 93% in clinical practice and 7% in macro practice positions). Most graduates have remained in Massachusetts (69%), with Maine (8%) and New York (6%) next in order of frequency. The highest percentage of graduates are working in mental health or community mental health settings (37%), followed by the next three highest fields of practice-child welfare (16%), family services (8%), and community organizing (7%). The mean starting salary range of these graduates was $30,000 to $35,000. Thirty percent of those who responded found employment prior to their graduation; another 40% found employment within four months of graduation.
Program Changes
In the immediate future, we hope to expand the multi-disciplinary focus of our doctoral program to include linkages to other GRS departments beyond Sociology (e.g., Psychology, Economics). Another potential area for program change is our approved dual degree program with LAW (leading to the MSW and JD degrees). We have not yet admitted students to due to admissions concerns and administrative problems. This is a potential area for expansion of our MSW program, but is not a high priority at this time.
