Master of Social Work (Advanced Standing) in Child and Family Wellbeing

California State University - Long Beach

The Child and Family Wellbeing specialization prepares students to use strength-based and evidence-based approaches to promote positive child and family functioning across diverse populations. Through coursework and field placements, students will acquire and enhance their skills to effectively engage, assess and intervene with children and families both preventively and with those experiencing challenges. Students will also gain knowledge of the policies most salient to the lives of children and families and skills to effectively influence such policies. This specialization provides a solid framework for students interested in working in child protective services, schools and other public agencies or community-based non-profits.Our MSW degree requires the completion of 60-semester units over the course of a 2-year or 3-year program plan. We also offer an Advanced Standing option for applicants with an undergraduate degree in social work. Field education is an integral part of the MSW curriculum, providing students the opportunity to apply their knowledge, social work practice and intervention skills in a community agency setting under the supervision of qualified field instructors during two 500-hour placements.Since 2005, our Advanced Standing program has offered students with an undergraduate degree in Social Work from a CSWE-accredited program the opportunity to obtain their MSW degree within 12 months (one summer, one fall & one spring semester). Upon successful completion of an intensive Summer Bridge Program, Advanced Standing MSW students complete 30 units of advanced coursework in the fall and spring semesters. Advanced Standing MSW students attend classes on Mondays and Fridays during the daytime (with additional days in the summer) and complete one 660-hour field internship that starts in June and ends the following May. Students complete 16 hours of field placement each week (Tuesday through Thursday) in either two 8-hour weekdays, or one 8-hour weekday & two 4-hour weekday periods.