St. Ambrose University Master of Social Work Brochure

MASTER OF social work

{ goal } enriching lives

{ reality } advocate for a just society

“ The MSW program helped me see things at a community-wide level. I learned that social work is not just a job, it’s a commitment to making a change.”

Kathleen Lemburg, MSW ’08 Supervisor, Family Case Management Rock Island County Health Department

WHY ST. AMBROSE?

Rooted in St. Ambrose’s values-based tradition and commitment to social justice, the Master of Social Work program prepares students with the knowledge, skills and ethical standards to become dedicated social work practitioners. Our program emphasizes advanced empowerment social work practice with vulnerable populations—looking not at a person’s limitations but at their strengths, and building upon those abilities. Working collaboratively with diverse clients, our students learn to promote self-advocacy by enabling individuals to build skills to better their lives.

Flexible formats and accessible faculty allow both working professionals and full-time students to pursue a degree that is highly respected in the field.

practice matters

Students choose agency-

based field experience practicums from more than 400 social service agencies throughout the region. Our faculty members are integral to both field and classroom experiences, ensuring theory and practice are mutually reinforcing. The practicum experience prepares students for generalist social work practice, developing their ability to select and use multiple approaches in working with individuals, families and groups.

MSW students work with a faculty of

internationally known empowerment scholars who have published and presented— and continue to practice—within the

profession.

OVERVIEW > The St. Ambrose Master of Social Work program’s advanced empowerment practice approach focuses on clients’ competencies, not deficits, and promotes the development of skills and resources to remove social barriers for individuals and communities. > The MSW curriculum is designed so that students take classes concurrently with field experience, mutually reinforcing the practice of empowerment. Because faculty also collaborate on integrating the curriculum, all of the different courses and field experiences students take fit together, creating a multi-level understanding of the practice of empowerment. > The program recognizes the importance and necessity of effective advocacy, and weaves those skills—such as reaching out to legislators—into the curriculum. As a result, students learn how to influence policymaking as well as day-to-day issues in the lives of their clients. > Financial aid, including scholarships, loans and a limited number of assistantships, is available, and we work with you to make your education affordable.

outcomes oriented > Approximately 90 percent of Ambrose graduates pass the Master of Social Work licensure exam on their first attempt. > The St. Ambrose MSW program prepares interested graduates for practice as a public school social worker in Illinois or Iowa. > According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, social work is one of the fastest growing careers in the United States. The profession is expected to grow 30 percent by 2010.

Explore our program > Full-time, part-time and advanced standing offered > Saturday classes available www.sau.edu/msw

{what’s Next?} Chat with us or schedule a campus visit to experience Ambrose firsthand Email msw@sau.edu or call 563/333-6379 Graduate Student Recruitment Office 563/333-6354 Apply online www.sau.edu/apply

our community

Just as students learn to empower their clients,

we empower our students through focusing on their available strengths, resilience and resources to achieve their goals. The Master of Social Work Student Government Association (MSW-SGA) assists students in their development as professional social workers, providing opportunities for social justice action within the campus and larger communities. MSW students have the opportunity to be involved in organizing and presenting at the School of Social Work’s annual Social Justice Conference on global topics such as human rights, immigration reform, and the U.N.’s millennium development goals. The School of Social Work’s reputation for preparing graduates to be leaders in their professions adds value to your degree, and lifelong learning opportunities support alumni long after graduation.

Jabari Woods { goal } become empowered { reality } empower others “ My social work professors all had a way of presenting empowerment, of getting out there to make a difference with integrity. I learned that standing for something means doing something about it. I’m big on dreams, so I try to inspire kids to make an impact in their community right now. ”

Jabari Woods ’02, MSW ’05 School Social Worker Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency

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more profiles

from degree to career

www.sau.edu/msw

Our graduates are able to measure the

return on their educational investment not only through their own career advancement, but perhaps even more importantly by their client’s ability to effectively find and confidently use the resources available to them.

Master of Social Work alumni work in

> schools

> mental health and substance abuse

> family support

> community advocacy

> adoption and foster care

> child and family services

> homelessness prevention and outreach

Only at

Ambrose

> Drawn by our program’s reputation, and the success of our alumni, Master of Social Work students graduate equipped with a comprehensive knowledge base, practice competencies and ethical standards for professional practice. > Students learn and network through both urban and rural field placements with a range of agencies and organizations in the Quad Cities and surrounding area. When possible, field placements can be arranged close to the student’s place of residence. > Students experience a spirit of cooperation and generosity in our program and on campus, which reflects the quality of life in the Quad Cities. They share classes with peers from the area who appreciate the convenience and flexibility we offer local residents, as well as with students who come here from locations such as Des Moines and Springfield. > Our Master of Social Work faculty members lead and serve numerous community agency initiatives in such areas as community development, child welfare, mental health and health care.

{ goal } work with individuals

{ reality } consider the bigger picture read more: www.sau.edu/msw

Meredith Chance, MSW ’09, Rockford, Illinois. �The Social Policy course really got my

classmates fired up. Before, we saw social work practice as one-on-one with clients. Now we can see how it works on the macro level—how governmental policy-making and legislation impact practices.�

The St. Ambrose University Master of Social Work Program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Our Mission St. Ambrose University— independent, diocesan, and Catholic—enables its students to develop intellectually, spiritually, ethically, socially, artistically and physically to enrich their

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www.sau.edu/msw

518 West Locust Street Davenport, Iowa 52803

own lives and the lives of others.