MSW Curriculum Design

The MSW program at UTC prepares students for advanced social work practice. Students are trained and equipped for advanced social work practice with individuals, families, groups, and communities as they age through the life course. Graduates of the program will be prepared for employment as social workers in numerous fields and agencies and are eligible to apply for and obtain licensure.

Program Mission Statement

The mission of the MSW-UTC program is to equip students to meet the growing need for advanced social work practitioners to serve individuals, families, groups, and communities in the Southeast Region of Tennessee as they age through the life course. As advanced practitioners, graduates will have a common body of social work knowledge, values, and skills, as well as specialized knowledge and skills to serve aging adults and their families. Graduates will be prepared for practice informed by the principles outlined in the NASW Code of Ethics and transferable among diverse human service settings and population groups. 

Student Learning Outcomes

The MSW program at UTC is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and is built upon the accreditation standards as developed by the CSWE Board of Accreditation (BOA) that define competent social work education. The competency-based learning outcomes are outlined in the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) 2022. These standards include the following student learning outcomes:

1. Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior - Make ethical decision by applying standards of the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision making, ethical conduct of research; and additional codes of ethics within the profession as appropriate to the context; Demonstrate professional demeanor in the behavior, appearance, and communication; Use technology ethically and appropriately to facilitate practice outcomes; and Use supervision and consultation to guide professional judgement and behavior.
2. Engage in Diversity and Difference in Practice - Advocate for human rights at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community system levels; and Engage in practices that advance human rights to promote social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.
3. Engage in Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice – Demonstrate anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work practice at the individual, family, group, organizational, community, research, and policy levels; and Demonstrate cultural humility by applying critical reflection, self-awareness, and self-regulation to manage the influence of bias, power, privilege, and values in working with clients and constituencies, acknowledging them as experts of their own lived experiences.
4. Engage in Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice – Apply research findings to inform and improve practice, policy, and programs; and Identify ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive strategies that address inherent biases for use in quantitative and qualitative research methods to advance the purpose of social work.
5. Engage in Policy Practice – use social justice, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive lenses to assess how social welfare policies affect the diversity of and access to social services; and Apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.
6. Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities -  Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, to engage with clients and constituencies; and use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to engage in culturally responsive practice with clients and constituencies.
7. Assess with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities – Apply theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as other culturally responsive and interprofessional conceptual frameworks, when assessing clients and constituencies; and Demonstrate respect for client self-determination during the assessment process by collaborating with clients and constituencies in developing a mutually agreed-upon plan.
8. Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities – Engage with clients and constituencies to critically choose and implement culturally responsive, evidence-informed interventions to achieve client and constituency goals; and incorporate culturally responsive methods to negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on behalf of clients and constituencies.
9. Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities- Select and use culturally responsive methods for evaluation of outcomes; and Critically analyze outcomes and apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Requirements

The admission requirements are consistent with those of existing Master’s Degree Programs offered at UT Chattanooga as described in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Graduate Catalog. View the full program requirements in the 2025-2026 UTC Graduate Catalog: MSW Program.