If you have completed an accredited BSW program within the last five years, you can apply to Wheelock's MSW Advanced Standing program, which waives you out of your Foundation Year MSW requirements and allows you to complete your MSW degree in one full-time academic year.

At Wheelock, we make sure you will succeed in our Master's program by providing you with additional, carefully constructed, intense practice experience and course work prior starting the advanced curriculum.

All incoming Advanced Standing students must successfully complete the MSW Advanced Standing Summer Program prior to beginning their concentration year. This 6-credit summer course is designed to immerse you in Wheelock's justice-based philosophy and the curricular themes that are foundational to our courses and field work. It builds on your knowledge, skills, and values through a two-month an intensive course and field-based experience.

Through the program, you will complete 100 hours in your field placement, as well as take part in courses two to three evenings a week. The primary content of this course includes: orientation to social work graduate education and the Wheelock College program objectives; deep exposure to our curricular themes, particularly the strengths perspective, and human rights and justice-based social work; intensive work on the dynamics of oppression and discrimination, as well as multicultural social work assessment, and application of the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; field seminar; and professional writing and critical thinking support.

Content	Teaching and Learning Goals	Complementary Learning Methods
Program Objectives -> CY Objectives	Orientation to graduate studies & role of advising Distinguishing foundation from advanced Focus of study (focus, electives, field placement)	Meet with advisors (1-2 times) Learning style exercises Drafts of focus Choose electives
Strengths Perspective	Learn and apply	Saleeby & selected articles Discussion, vignettes, case narratives
Curricular Themes	Learn and apply	Discussion, vignettes, case narratives
Review of FY Coursework	FY course objectives, sample readings, sample assignments Research/statistics	Meet with FY students Mini-Community Exploration Project Use the Wheelock Library (learn databases, etc.)
Dynamics of Discrimination & Oppression	Analyze economic & political foundations of organizational & societal oppression/discrimination Explore implications for personal and professional development as reflective, culturally competent practitioner	Craft emerging personal and professional action plan
Assessment: Framework & DSM	Assessment framework development DSM overview and application Develop philosophy of justice-based social work practice	Pomeroy & Wambach - readings and practice cases
Field Component	Begin placement hours (100) Learn the Field Manual, develop a Learning Contract, apply strengths perspective and curricular themes	Mini-Seminar
Writing Evaluation Graduate Study Skills	Jenne Powers/Writing Center Julia Mears	Schedule tutoring for fall