Criminal Justice Specialization (MSW) Program
The Criminal Justice Specialization educates Master of Social Work (MSW) students to provide culturally competent clinical and macro social work services to people involved with and impacted by the criminal justice system by understanding the historic and contemporary context of mass incarceration, criminal justice, and reentry.
Students develop a broader understanding of the uneasy alliance between social work and criminal justice, and the variety of interventions and programs that work to improve the criminal justice system and the lives of the individuals therein. Students will receive multidisciplinary instruction to better comprehend the intersecting issues connected with mass incarceration. Practicum placement will focus on skill development to enable students to work effectively with individuals, communities, and systems while developing strategies for productive policy and programmatic change within the criminal justice field. Students will utilize classroom and practicum learning opportunities in local, state, and federal courts, corrections, and supervision; non-profit criminal justice service agencies; and criminal justice policy organizations.
The goals of the specialization are to:
- Integrate macro and clinical social work across the field of criminal justice, including juvenile and adult corrections, courts, reentry, probation/parole, mental health, substance use organizations, social service agencies, and alternatives to incarceration;
- Train future social workers to become familiar with and maneuver through various sectors of the criminal justice system; and
- Incorporate social work into a broader, multidisciplinary context focusing on criminal justice.
The Criminal Justice Specialization is open to all MSW students (full-time, part-time, and advanced standing).
Faculty
The Criminal Justice faculty are leading researchers and practitioners in their fields. The faculty will work closely with specialization students to mentor and advise them, both academically and professionally.
Part-time Students
Part-time students should be aware that Criminal Justice specialization courses can be scheduled at any time, and it is possible that none of the courses required for the specialization will be offered in the evening hours.
Specialization Requirements
To earn the specialization, students complete the following requirements:
- Practicum Placement in a criminal justice-focused setting. The practicum placement requirement can be completed in either the Foundation or Advanced year. If students complete a criminal justice placement in the foundation year, they do not also need a criminal justice placement in the advanced year.
- SWRK 7850: Criminal Justice Policies: Implications for Social Work. This course fulfills the MSW Policy Option requirement. SWRK 7850 is offered in the spring semester.
- Completion of an approved elective. This elective must be focused mainly on criminal justice. Students may choose from the pre-approved electives listed below or receive permission from the Director of the Specialization for a course that is not on this list.
Pre-approved Electives
- SWRK 7280: Taking Down the Prison Industrial Complex
- NPLD 7880: Social Impact Entrepreneurship Meets Mass Incarceration
- EDUC 5439 Examining the School to Prison Pipeline: Implications of History, Policy and Race
- GSWS xxxx/NURS xxxx: Women and Incarceration (formerly GSWS 555/NURS 555)
- LAW 6960: Constitutional Criminal Procedure
- LAW 9980: Juvenile Justice Seminar
- CRIM 6001: Pro-Seminar in Criminal Justice
Although these courses are pre-approved by SP2 to count towards the Criminal Justice Specialization, students must receive permission from their academic advisor before enrolling in a course outside of SP2. In addition, courses outside of SP2 may require permission from the department offering the course before a student may enroll.
Courses not on the list above, either at SP2 or in other schools at the University, may be approved towards the specialization on an individual basis. Students should contact the specialization director for permission.
Completion
There is no application for the Criminal Justice Specialization. Students who have met the requirements for the specialization will note on their SP2 graduation application that they are completing the Criminal Justice Specialization. Completion of requirements will be verified by the MSW program before the specialization is noted on completers’ transcripts.
It is the student’s responsibility to register for and complete the correct course and practicum placement requirements. Classes and practicum placements are based on availability.
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