Mar 29, 2024  
2021/2022 University Catalog 
    
2021/2022 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Social Work


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OFFICE: Hepner Hall 119
TELEPHONE: 619-594-6865

Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Faculty

Director: Jong Won Min, Professor of Social Work (Ph.D.)

Associate Director: Dahlia Fuentes, Lecturer (Ph.D.)


Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty:

David W. Engstrom, Professor of Social Work (Ph.D.)

Mario D. Garrett, Professor of Social Work (Ph.D.)

Mark B. Reed, Professor of Social Work, Associate Dean of the College of Health and Human Services (Ph.D.)

Maria L. Zuñiga, Professor of Social Work (Ph.D.)

Eunjeong Ko, Associate Professor of Social Work (Ph.D.)

Yawen Li, Associate Professor of Social Work (Ph.D.)

Eileen Pitpitan, Associate Professor of Social Work (Ph.D.)

Lucinda A. Rasmussen, Associate Professor of Social Work (Ph.D.)

Dianne Ciro, Assistant Professor of Social Work (Ph.D.)

Frances Nedjat-Haiem, Assistant Professor of Social Work (Ph.D.)

Lianne Urada, Assistant Professor of Social Work (Ph.D.)

Margarita Villagrana, Assistant Professor of Social Work (Ph.D.)

Lauren Willner, Assistant Professor of Social Work (Ph.D.)


Lecturers:

Silvia Barragán

Jennifer Cosio

Amanda Lee

Marci Siegel
 

Emeritus:

Ajemian

Archuletta

Baily

Butler

Carrilio

Davis

Dean

DeGennaro

Daniel J. Finnegan, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Social Work

Griffin

Guidry

Harbert

Harris

Haworth

Hohman

Hughes

Ishikawa

Loring P. Jones, D.S.W., Professor of Social Work

Kahn

Kelley

Landsverk

Sally G. Mathiesen, Ph.D., Professor of Social Work

Thomas R. Packard, D.S.W., Professor of Social Work

Raymer

Reilly

Shillington

Siman

Stanford

Sucato

Valle

Woodruff
 

Undergraduate Information

Gerontology  

Social Work

The Major

The profession of social work is deeply committed to the relief of human distress and inequality, and to the assistance of people in the meeting of their social, psychological, and economic needs. The social work major prepares graduates who function effectively as entry-level professionals in beginning social work practice with client systems of various sizes and types; who demonstrate sensitivity to the diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural mix of the Southern California border region and are able to work effectively in a variety of roles in a range of agencies to meet the needs of the region’s varied communities; who understand and use social work values and ethics throughout their professional practice; who can identify, evaluate and apply existing research evidence to guide their practice decision-making; who understand the contexts and purposes of social work practice, the changing nature of those contexts, and the nature and the dynamics of organizational behavior; and who are committed to lifelong professional growth and learning.

The social work major is designed to apply to a wide variety of social work practice settings. Preparatory coursework for the major includes a basis in the liberal arts and sciences. The upper division curriculum is intensive, encompassing coursework in cultural pluralism, human behavior, social policy, social work practice, and social work research. Required field experience is an integral part of the program.

The B.A. degree prepares students for immediate employment in those social work positions which do not require graduate level preparation, as well as providing the foundation for graduate study.

Retention Policy

The College of Health and Human Services expects that all social work majors will make reasonable academic progress towards the degree. Social work premajors who have completed major preparatory courses, earned 60 units, but have less than a 2.70 GPA may be removed from the premajor and placed in undeclared.

Impacted Program

The social work major is an impacted program. To be admitted to the social work major, students must meet the following criteria:

  1. Complete 21 to 23 units with a minimum GPA of 2.50 and a grade of C (2.0) or better: SWORK 110 , SWORK 120 ; BIOL 100 , BIOL 101 , BIOL 204 , or BIOL 261 ; ECON 101  or ECON 102 ; PSY 101 ; SOC 101 ; PSY 280  or SOC 201  or STAT 250 . These courses cannot be taken for credit/no credit (Cr/NC);
  2. Complete a minimum of 60 transferable semester units;
  3. Have a cumulative GPA of 2.70 or better;
  4. To be admitted to the specialization in community corrections case management, students must, in addition to satisfying the criteria above, be a declared social work major, have an overall GPA of 3.0 or better, be able to pass a background check, and submit an approved application to the undergraduate coordinator.

To complete the major, students must fulfill the degree requirements for the major described in the catalog in effect at the time they are accepted into the premajor at SDSU (assuming continuous enrollment).

Major Academic Plans (MAPs)

Visit http://www.sdsu.edu/mymap for the recommended courses needed to fulfill your major requirements. The MAPs website was created to help students navigate the course requirements for their majors and to identify which General Education course will also fulfill a major preparation course requirement.


Graduate Information

Admission to Graduate Study

Students applying for admission should electronically submit the university application available at http://www.calstate.edu/apply along with the application fee.

All applicants must submit admissions materials separately to SDSU Graduate Admissions and to the School of Social Work.

Graduate Admissions

The following materials should be submitted as a complete package directly to:

Graduate Admissions

Enrollment Services
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA 92182-7416

  1. Official transcripts (in sealed envelopes or electronically) from all postsecondary institutions attended;
    • Students who attended SDSU need only submit transcripts for work completed since last attendance.
    • Students with international coursework must submit both the official transcript and proof of degree. If documents are in a language other than English, they must be accompanied by a certified English translation.
  2. GRE scores (http://www.ets.org SDSU institution code 4682);
  3. English language score, if medium of instruction was in a language other than English (http://www.ets.org SDSU institution code 4682).
Master of Social Work Degree

The following admissions materials must be submitted electronically:

  1. Department application;
  2. Letters of recommendation;
  3. Personal statement.

For information regarding the admissions process, visit the school website at http://socialwork.sdsu.edu.

Master of Social Work Degree and Juris Doctor Degree

The following admissions materials must be submitted electronically:

  1. Department application;
  2. Letters of recommendation;
  3. Personal statement;
  4. Contact the Office of Admissions at California Western School of Law at 619-525-1463 for a separate application.

For information regarding the admissions process, visit the school website at http://socialwork.sdsu.edu.

Master of Social Work Degree and Master of Public Health Degree

The following admissions materials must be submitted electronically:

  1. Department application;
  2. Personal statement;
  3. Three letters of recommendation.

Students must also complete the SOPHAS application found on the public health website at https://publichealth.sdsu.edu/programs/mph/admissions-mph-ms. Applications for the concurrent program are reviewed by the School of Public Health and School of Social Work.

Section II. Doctoral Program

https://chhs.sdsu.edu/irsu/

Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Interdisciplinary Research on Substance Use

General Information

The School of Social Work at San Diego State University and the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at the University of California, San Diego, offer a joint doctoral program in interdisciplinary research on substance use. This program is designed to prepare the next generation of leaders in substance use research with the knowledge and skills to improve health and develop substance use interventions, policies, and programs that are relevant to impacted populations and reduce suffering related to addiction and substance use.

The program focuses on interdisciplinary approaches to address the use and misuse of substances and the social and health consequences of such use and related policies. Interdisciplinary training opportunities draw from a variety of disciplines including anthropology, economics, global health, Latin American studies, neuroscience, pharmacology, political science, psychology and psychiatry, public health, and social work. The program includes a prevention research orientation focusing on the development and evaluation of disease prevention and health promotion recommendations and public health policies and programs. A harm reduction research perspective is emphasized to reduce health problems associated with drug use and co-occurring disorders. Students acquire advanced skills and knowledge in these areas, building on a solid foundation of current and emerging theory, research methods, and analytic approaches related to scientific and cultural understanding of substance use and related problems. Using a socio-ecological perspective, students will gain critical understanding of the etiology and epidemiology of substance use, and its related problems, as well as the effectiveness of interventions, policies, and programs designed to ameliorate such problems. Graduates of the program will be prepared to take leadership roles in areas such as academics, clinical practice, governmental and non-governmental agencies, policy, and research.

Admission to the Degree Curriculum

Applicants must hold a master’s degree from an accredited (U.S. or equivalent) college or university from a related social/behavioral science or professional program (e.g., social work, public health, psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics). It is expected that applicants will have minimum grade point averages of 3.2 (undergraduate) and 3.5 (graduate) or better, and sufficient research experience (e.g., peer-reviewed publication record, prior coursework in graduate-level statistics, and research methodology) to successfully complete degree requirements in a timely manner. Minimum acceptable GRE scores are at the 55th percentile. Students who speak English as a second language will be required to demonstrate proficiency in spoken and written English through the TOEFL examination, TOEFL scores must be submitted to SDSU, Institution Code 4682, http://www.ets.org.


Imperial Valley

In cooperation with the San Diego campus, SDSU Imperial Valley and the School of Social Work offer the Master of Social Work (MSW) program. The program accepts students every three years and is run as a cohort. The focus is direct practice/clinical practice in the areas of children/youth/families, health/aging, and mental health. The SDSU-IV program includes summer classes and two years of internship (total of 60 units).

For more information, visit the SDSU School of Social Work website at http://socialwork.sdsu.edu or contact Ernie L. Zuñiga, site/field coordinator and field education faculty, SDSU School of Social Work, 760-768-5526 or ezuniga@sdsu.edu.

Programs

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