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Pathways – Advanced Generalist

The UW-Stevens Point MSW Program offers an Advanced Generalist area of specialization for all students. This means that all students take the same core courses, choose from a variety of electives, and have field placement options in a range of practice settings. Within core courses, students gain expertise pertaining to the unique considerations for social work practice in small towns and rural communities.  Students can select from established clinical, medical, or school pathways, or design their own pathway to work towards their unique career goals.

Where do you want to make an impact?

Designed to comply with the State of Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services requirements for Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) preparation, students in this pathway complete SW 763—Clinical Social Work and SW 764—Clinical Social Work with Children and Adolescents. All MSW students are required to complete SW 732—Psychopathology in Social Work Practice, which additionally helps meet the state’s requirements for the LCSW. Students in this pathway fulfill their advanced year field placement requirements in a clinical setting.

Designed to prepare students for practice in hospital, clinic, hospice, palliative care, home care, nursing home, and other health care settings, students in this pathway complete SW 788—Social Work in Health Care Settings and SW 789—Death, Dying, Loss, and Grief. Students in this pathway fulfill their advanced year field placement requirements a medical setting.

Designed to prepare students for practice in educational settings, students in this pathway complete SW 775—DPI Standards and Policies, SW 776—Social Work Practice in the Schools, and SW 777—School Social Work: The Exceptional Individual. Students in this pathway fulfill their advanced year field placement requirements in a school setting.

 

This pathway is ideal for students whose career goals are outside of the specialty pathways offered by the MSW Program as well as for students who are want to become advanced generalists but are uncertain of their desired area of social work practice.  They may take any combination of elective courses offered within the MSW Program, including SW 801—Student-Directed Project. This course allows students to work with a faculty member to design their own project with the intent of investigating an issue of importance to their career aspirations.

Students in this pathway fulfill their advanced year field placement requirements in settings that align with their unique career goals, with options in a range of practice settings and opportunities to engage in direct practice, administration and leadership, community change efforts, policy practice, and/or social justice efforts.