Social Work

When you are ready to apply, you can create an online application. Please plan to spend about 10 - 15 minutes completing the application. You can create the application and return to the platform in the future to submit it if you require additional time. You should be prepared to answer a series of questions pertaining to your biographical information, program of interest, and educational/ work background. Additionally, you will be required to enter the names and contact information for two references. As part of the application process, you will be required to submit all official college transcripts (sent directly from your institutions), two recommendations (submitted directly from your references who will receive a unique email link), a personal statement, resume, and test scores (required for programs leading to state certification). Please note, you may submit the online application prior to submitting the required supplemental materials. For any questions about the online application please contact Fairfield University Graduate Admission.

Employment opportunities for social workers are on the rise in the state of Connecticut and nationally. A master of social work (MSW) from an accredited Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is mandatory to become licensed. Once licensed, both the employment settings and job opportunities expand exponentially. Licensed social workers—in contrast to those with only a BSW—are employed in all of the following settings:

Professional social work is a distinct mental health discipline with a body of research, values, principles, and techniques that are focused on enhancing human well-being, ameliorating discrimination, injustice, oppression, poverty, and promoting social justice and social change. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the professional organization, whose mission is to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, create and maintain professional standards and code of ethics, and advance sound social policies. The MSW degree from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is a requirement for licensure.

The MSW program at Fairfield University is a clinical specialty program. As defined by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), clinical social work is:

A specialty practice area of social work, which focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illness, and emotional and other behavioral disturbances.
(https://www.socialworkers.org)

The state of Connecticut (Chapter 383b; Section 20-195m) specifies in the Connecticut General Statutes, that "clinical social work" is:

The application, by persons trained in social work, of established principles of psychosocial development, behavior, psychopathology, unconscious motivation, interpersonal relationships and environmental stress to the evaluation, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of biopsychosocial dysfunction, disability and impairment, including mental, emotional, behavioral, developmental and addictive disorders, of individuals, couples, families, or groups. Clinical social work includes, but is not limited to, counseling, psychotherapy, behavior modification, and mental health consultation.

Social work is among several mental health disciplines where practitioners are licensed for independent clinical practice at the master’s level. Marriage and family therapy, and professional counseling are among those disciplines. Each profession has a distinct professional organization, code of ethics, methods, conceptual approaches and practice techniques, and parameters or scope of practice that define their professional discipline.

The Connecticut programs that are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), are comparable in their rigor and quality. Each program, though, has its unique emphasis or area(s) of specialization. The MSW at Fairfield University is a clinical specialist program. Students have advanced education, training, and supervision, and develop competence in the provision of therapy to individuals, couples, families, and groups. Students receive in-depth exposure to the models of Motivational Interviewing and Narrative and Solution-Focused Therapy. The MSW program is a low residency program. The academic coursework is offered in a hybrid format (online component coupled with campus-based seminars) that does not require students to be on campus during the traditional workday.

Fairfield University was awarded initial accreditation through 2029 by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), and all students admitted to the two-year or advanced standing program will graduate from a fully vested CSWE accredited program.

Founded in 1952, the CSWE is the national association representing social work education in the United States. Its members include over 800 accredited baccalaureate and master’s degree social work programs, as well as individual social work educators, practitioners, and agencies dedicated to advancing quality social work education. Through its many initiatives, activities, and centers, CSWE supports quality social work education and provides opportunities for leadership and professional development, so that social workers play a central role in achieving the profession’s goals of social and economic justice. CSWE’s Commission on Accreditation is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the United States and its territories.

The MSW program is completed in two to four years depending on whether the student elects a part-time or a full-time course of study. Full-time students move through the program as a cohort and take five courses (15 credits) each semester for four semesters. Part-time programs of student may be completed within 3-4 years.

Students who graduate from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited bachelor of social work program are admitted as advanced standing. The period of study for the advanced standing option is three semesters: summer, fall, and spring, including 650 hours of field instruction. Students admitted for advanced standing will begin in the summer.

The program can be completed on either a part-time or full-time basis. Full-time study enables the student to complete the program in 2 years. Part-time study enables the flexibility fo complete the program in 3 - 4 years.

Licensing of social work practitioners is under the authority of a designated office in each individual state. All 50 states and the District of Columbia require that a social worker sitting for a licensing exam be a graduate of a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited program. Please visit the Association of Social Work Boards to find state-specific contact information for Social Work Regulatory Boards and Colleges.

There are two types or levels of licensed social workers in Connecticut. The licensed master social worker (LMSW) is the entry-level licensure, and the licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) is the independent practice license.

Master Level Social Worker (LMSW)

According to the Practice Act in Connecticut state law, the LMSW may practice clinical social work only under the supervision of a licensed individual, such as a clinical social worker. The person with an LMSW may also provide a mental health diagnosis only if this diagnosis is provided in consultation with a physician, or other licensed professional designated by state law. A person with an LMSW may not be in private practice. To receive this social work license, the individual must have at least a master of social work (MSW) degree and pass the national examination.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

To practice social work at the clinical level, an individual must have an MSW or a doctorate, and experience in social work as well as supervised clinical experience.

To apply for the LCSW, the candidate needs to acquire experience in social work. A minimum of 3,000 hours of documented, post-master’s experience in social work is required by the Department of Public Health. A minimum of 100 hours of documented, supervised experience by a licensed clinical or certified independent social worker is also required.

Graduates of a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited undergraduate social work program, who graduated within the past six years, may apply to be admitted into the specialized practice year (second year) of the two-year program. Students who enter with advanced standing will complete 45 credits to receive the master of social work (MSW) clinical specialist degree rather than the 60-hour, two-year program.

The period of study for advanced standing is three semesters: summer, fall, and spring, including 650 hours of field instruction. Students admitted for advanced standing will begin in the summer, are enrolled on a full-time basis, and move through the program as a cohort. The bachelor of social work (BSW) degree must be conferred prior to the beginning of the advanced standing summer session. Applicants for advanced standing will apply in their senior year. The advanced standing curriculum does not duplicate any courses or content areas already mastered in the accredited BSW program.

BSW applicants that hold an international degree must verify that their social work credentials are comparable to those of accredited BSW programs in the United States. Candidates are required to obtain verification from the International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Service.

The minimum qualifications for advanced standing include:

• Undergraduate BSW degree conferred from a CSWE accredited program
• Overall GPA of 2.67 or higher
• Completion of the BSW degree was within the last six years

Students are placed in agency or institutional settings that have contractual arrangements with the Department of Family Therapy and Social Work. Each student is placed with a field instructor who provides on-site supervision. The student also participates in bi-monthly professional supervisory seminars on campus with the faculty supervisor. The bi-monthly field professional supervisory seminars combine readings, discussions, ethical consultations, process recordings, and personal reflection, as a means for students to critically analyze and evaluate practice theories and concepts. Students may not be placed in field sites in which they are employed.

Students are in the field placement 16 hours per week and accrue 450 hours of field experience in the first year and 450 hours of specialized clinical practice experience in the second year, totaling 900 field experience hours.

First year placements begin in mid-September, following orientation conducted by the master of social work (MSW) clinical director, and end in May.

In the second year, students are placed in clinical settings where they provide therapy to individuals, couples, families, and groups. Students apply clinical models and interventions in their work with clients of all ages.

Advanced standing students will complete 650 hours of field experience over the course of three semesters. Advanced standing students begin their advanced clinical field placements in May for one year.

The master of social work (MSW) is a low residency program. Courses are offered partially or fully online with some face-to-face seminar requirements. On-site fieldwork is required 16 hours per week. Students in the MSW program may be able to work, if their jobs offer sufficient flexibility to participate in the required seminars, and are able to complete their field placements. Employment is not an excuse for absence from required seminars or fieldwork.

Professional staff from the Office of Financial Aid is available to work individually with students to help explore options of financing their education. Some of the financial options that may be available are detailed below.

Loan Programs
Under the federal program, graduate students may apply for up to $20,500 per academic year in federal student loans, depending on their educational costs and eligibility. In addition, there are several alternative, credit-based loans to help with financing.

Graduate Assistantships
A limited number of part and full-time graduate assistantships are available across campus. Graduate assistantships typically provide a minimum of 10 hours a week of employment at Fairfield University to offset tuition costs. Graduate assistants provide services such as administrative support, research, and faculty support. In return, selected students may be eligible to receive a tuition waiver, and in some cases, a stipend.

Many graduate departments and programs at Fairfield University offer assistantships to their graduate students. Students should contact the Office of the Dean in the School of Education and Human Development for current information and opportunities concerning assistantships. The availability of graduate assistantships varies by department, semester, and academic year.

Several MSW courses are offered online. As this is an advanced clinical degree, to ensure high quality, intensive clinical training, several courses are hybrid (online and in-person seminars) and therefore have a low residency component. Students are required to participate in 10 seminar hours which take place over several long weekends. All fieldwork requires students be present on-site and be engaged in clinical social work practice. Fieldwork is fundamental to social work education and training, and provides the opportunity for students to integrate the theoretical and conceptual learning in the classroom with clinical practice. Field experiences enable students to gain clinical competency, while providing clinical services to clients and communities in need.

The advanced practice clinical specialist is a particularly desirable area of specialization. Many social workers will seek to engage in private clinical practice; therefore a bachelor of social work (BSW) generalist degree provides little opportunity to develop clinical skills and expertise as a therapist. Private practice is a growing field and clinicians in private practice are earning substantially more than those in agencies and social service settings. The focused training and supervision of this program enables the graduate to have competency as a therapist.

Clinical social workers have specialized knowledge and skills in the prevention, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of emotional, mental, and behavioral health problems. Clinical social work builds on professional values, ethics, principles, practice methods, and the person-in-environment perspective of the profession. It reflects the profession’s mission to promote social and economic justice on behalf of clients who experience oppression or vulnerability. Clinical social work requires the professional use of self to restore, maintain, and enhance the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual functioning of individuals, families, and groups. The practice of clinical social work requires the application of advanced clinical knowledge and clinical skills in multidimensional assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.