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Home » Master of Science in Social Work » M.S.S.W. General Degree Requirements


M.S.S.W. General Degree Requirements

Students must meet the following requirements for the M.S.S.W. degree:

  1. All graduate and University requirements as stated in The University of Tennessee Graduate Catalog (available from the Graduate School).
  2. A minimum of 60 semester credit-hours, which includes the following:
    1. foundation courses and field practice (30 hours) and
    2. course work and field practice in the Clinical Social Work Practice concentration or the Social Welfare Management and Community Practice concentration (30 hours).
  3. A comprehensive examination or successful defense of a thesis.
  4. An overall GPA of 3.0 or better on all graded courses and satisfactory performance in field. A grade of C or higher must be obtained in all required courses. Required courses may not be repeated in order to receive a higher grade.
  5. Professional conduct appropriate for a social worker at all times in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers.
    The Graduate Catalog in effect the year of graduation should be consulted for any revisions in requirements.

M.S.S.W. Thesis

When faculty resources are available, a student may elect to write a thesis as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the M.S.S.W. degree. A thesis involves planning and conducting an original research project on a social work topic. It carries 6 hours of credit, which are applied as elective hours. Interested students need to make a decision about writing a thesis shortly after entering the College. A student should notify both his or her major professor and the SW 506, Social Work Research, instructor of interest in developing a thesis. A thesis student will be expected to have a GPA of 3.8 or higher upon completion of the foundation year.

Comprehensive Exam

All second-year students who do not develop and defend a thesis must take a written comprehensive examination. Students take the examination during the last semester of their year of concentration study. The exam is compiled by the social work faculty and given twice a year, in the fall and spring semesters. Students are provided, in advance, with sample questions and some parameters of what to expect on the examination.