Frequently Asked Questions

Field Placements

There are a variety of field placement opportunities. These include schools, hospitals, nursing homes, mental health facilities, community health centers, community-based organizations, and others.

No, a student’s work experience cannot count for field practicum hours.

Students may complete their hours at their place of employment, but it must be preapproved by the field office. The field hours must be completed in a different department from their paid employment position and must meet the learning expectations per the Council on Social Work Education.

Students should contact the Field Office during the semester prior to entering field practicum. Students will need to attend a scheduled field preparation meeting to ensure that all field requirements are met.

Students in the 63-hour program are required to complete two field placements:

  • The first practicum requires 400 hours, and it is completed at the end of the first year.

  • The second practicum requires 500 hours, and it is completed at the end of the second year.

Students in the 33-hour program (Advanced Standing) are only required to complete the latter, 500 hours at the end of the second year, as they have already completed a practicum in their respective Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) programs.

Students should begin to work with their employer to accommodate work schedules needed to meet the required field practicum hours between 8:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m.

Our Office of Field Education personnel work diligently to secure field placements in many different areas of the country. Students who are out of state, or in Texas but outside the Rio Grande Valley region, are asked to explore potential field sites within their area and provide the Field Office with the names and contact information of three (3) agencies they have an interest in. The Office of Field Education will then work with the student to secure the placement.

Field instructors must have a Master’s in Social Work (e.g., MSW or MSSW) from a CSWE-accredited program plus a minimum of 2 years post-MSW experience.

Courses and Course Schedules

Many of our students work full-time. We offer all of our graduate courses in the evenings. Additionally, some courses in our traditional program are offered online. In the Traditional Online Program (TOP), all courses are online.

Students can take any basic undergraduate statistics course to fulfill this requirement. This includes courses offered through the departments of Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Criminal Justice, Mathematics, etc.

No. Research courses typically focus on research methods, not on statistical analyses.

We recognize many of our students bring valuable work experience to our programs. These work experiences enrich the student’s work and the discussions in class. However, we are not able to substitute work experience for coursework because it is not allowed by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), social work program’s accrediting body.

No. The foundation year of the 63-hour program is intended to provide students with a strong understanding of generalist social work. These courses are like the ones in most bachelor’s social work programs. This program is available for students with a non-social work undergraduate degree.

With approval from the Program Director, you can transfer up to 9 hours from another institution. The courses must be equivalent or similar in content, and they cannot be more than 7 years old by the time the student is scheduled to graduate.

Students are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA. If the GPA falls below a 3.0, the student will be placed on academic probation.

A student can earn no more than two Cs in the program to remain in good standing. A third C will result in automatic dismissal from the program.

Licensing in Social Work

In the state of Texas, the MSSW/MSW is a pathway for licensing. After graduation, students must pass the Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) exam. Then the individual must complete two years post-graduate work in a clinical setting under the supervision of a board approved supervisor and pass the LCSW exam. While most states have similar requirements, we encourage applicants in other states to check with their respective social work state boards.