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Advanced study in social work and mental health is available through a dual degree and certificate program sponsored by the School of Social Work.
The program allows students to earn a Master of Social Work and a Certificate in Mental Health with a minimum of 63 credits rather than the 72 credits necessary if the two degrees were pursued separately. This efficiency lowers the overall cost of tuition while also reducing time to earning both degrees.
Program goals
The objectives of this dual degree and certificate program are to:
- Provide graduates with an advanced knowledge base that informs and supports trauma-informed practice in a mental health-based model
- Provide graduates with a foundation in the most current evidence-based treatments for complex clinical disorders including Schizophrenia, Treatment-Resistant Depression and Bipolar Disorder—while synthesizing psychodynamic insights with anti-racist and culturally responsive practice models
- Prepare graduates to work with individuals and families navigating complex mental health challenges across diverse organizational and community settings
- Prepare graduates to understand systemic barriers and advocate for equitable policy reform to promote social justice on micro, mezzo and macro levels
Among the many benefits offered by participation in the dual degree and certificate program is the following:
-
Prepares graduates to become culturally competent and anti-racist clinical social workers providing services working with individuals, families and communities
-
Provides advanced clinical expertise and prepares graduates for high-demand roles in community mental health
The diplomas for this dual degree and certificate program may be awarded simultaneously. However, students must complete a separate graduation check out for each program.
Student learning outcomes
See the individual program pages for student learning outcomes.
Admission requirements
See the individual program pages for admission deadlines and other requirements. Students must meet the admission requirements for each program. Admission into one program does not guarantee admission into the other.
The Certificate in Mental Health program is open to qualified students who have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university or the equivalent and who have met all general admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School.
The admissions requirements for the M.S.W. are posted on the School of Social Work website.
Application procedure
Applicants may apply at any time after acceptance into the M.S.W. program.
Students may contact VCU Graduate Admissions to have their transcripts and letters of recommendation from the M.S.W. application attached to their certificate application. A new personal statement is required.
Dual degree and certificate requirements
As standalone programs, the M.S.W. comprises 60 credits while the certificate requires 12 credits. The dual degree and certificate program allows students to share three credits, therefore decreasing total credits to completion from 72 to 63.
Based on the equivalent knowledge acquired by successfully completing one of the concentration courses in social work (SLWK 709, SLWK 793, SLWK 794 or SLWK 795), the elective is satisfied in the certificate curriculum.
Curriculum requirements
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| M.S.W. requirements | ||
| • Generalist courses | ||
| SLWK 601 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment I | 3 |
| SLWK 602 | Policy, Community and Organizational Practice I | 3 |
| SLWK 603 | Power, Privilege and Oppression | 3 |
| SLWK 604 | Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families and Groups I | 3 |
| SLWK 605 | Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families and Groups II | 3 |
| SLWK 606 | Policy, Community and Organizational Practice II | 3 |
| SLWK 609 | Foundations of Research for Social Work Interventions and Services | 3 |
| SLWK 610 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment II | 3 |
| Field instruction (select one option) | 6 | |
| Generalist Field Instruction I and Generalist Field Instruction II | ||
| Block Generalist Field Instruction | ||
| • Concentration requirements (select one concentration) | 15 | |
Administration, planning and policy practice | ||
| Specialization Research for Understanding and Assessing Social Work Interventions and Services | ||
| Concentration Social Policy (satisfied by HCPR 601) | ||
| Strategies for Social Work Planning and Administrative Practice | ||
| Social Work Planning and Administrative Practice I | ||
| Social Work Planning and Administrative Practice II | ||
Clinical practice concentration | ||
| Psychopathology | ||
| Clinical Social Work Practice I | ||
| Clinical Social Work Practice II | ||
| Specialization Research for Understanding and Assessing Social Work Interventions and Services | ||
| Concentration Social Policy | ||
| • Field instruction (required for either concentration; select one option) | 6 | |
| Specialization Field Instruction I and Specialization Field Instruction II | ||
| Specialization Block Field Instruction | ||
| Specialization Field Instruction Extended Semesters I and Specialization Field Instruction Extended Semesters II and Specialization Field Instruction Extended Semesters III | ||
| • Electives | 9 | |
| Certificate requirements | ||
| SLWK 727 | Trauma and Social Work Practice: Theory, Assessment and Intervention | 3 |
| SLWK 762 | Treatment of SMI (Serious Mental Illness) Through a Trauma-Informed and Evidence-Based Perspective | 3 |
| SLWK 763 | Neurobiology and Social Work | 3 |
| SLWK 764 | Mental Health Practice | 3 |
| Total Hours | 63 | |
The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this dual program is 63.
Contact
Qasarah Bey Spencer, Ed.D.
Director, M.S.W. program
beyqd@vcu.edu
(804) 828-2007
Additional contacts
Cassie DeSena Jacobs, DSW, LCSW, CCTP-II, MBA
Assistant professor, director of mental health initiatives and M.S.W. clinical content coordinator
jacobsc2@vcu.edu
Sarah Burton-Everette, M.Ed.
Assistant director of M.S.W. program administration and director of dual degrees, certificates and credentialing
severette2@vcu.edu