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Social Work Curriculum and Field Education

The Plymouth State University Social Work Department offers an undergraduate degree that builds on a liberal arts foundation and prepares students for a variety of social work careers as well as for graduate study in social work. Students are prepared for generalist, entry-level social work practice.

The faculty of the Social Work Department has established the following educational outcomes (program learning objectives) for students who complete the program:

Students should develop the following knowledge, skills and professional values:

1. apply critical thinking skills within the context of professional social work practice;
2. apply the values and ethics of social work in professional practice;
3. practice without discrimination and with respect for human diversity;
4. understand forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination in the U.S. and other parts of the world and strategies of change that advance social and economic justice;
5. understand and interpret the history of social work and contemporary structures and issues of social welfare;
6. apply the knowledge and skills of generalist practice with systems of all sizes;
7. use theoretical frameworks to understand human development and behavior across the lifespan and interactions between people and their environments (social systems);
8. analyze the impact of social policies on clients, practitioners, and agencies and influence social policies through professional social work practice;
9. evaluate research studies and apply findings to practice and, under supervision, evaluate their own practice interventions;
10. communicate and collaborate with clients, colleagues, and members of the community;
11. use supervision appropriate to generalist practice;
12. function within the structure of organizations and service delivery systems, and, under supervision, seek necessary organizational change.

In addition to the required classroom courses, a major component of the program is the block field placement or Practicum which is completed in the spring semester of the student’s senior year. Students are placed in a variety of social service agencies, residential facilities or institutions throughout New Hampshire, though primarily in Grafton and Belknap Counties. (In special cases, students may be placed out of state.)

Each student is required to complete 12 credit hours of Practicum or 450 field hours during the spring semester. Each student is also required to participate in a concurrent field seminar taken with other students placed in the field and taught by the Director of Field Education.

Finally, in addition to the core curriculum and field education, the program offers five Options in Child and Family Services, Aging Services, Health Services, Mental Health Services and the Spanish Language.