Part Time Students

Visit Manage your Account for information on how to set up your Albany.edu email. It is the policy of the University at Albany that email is an official means of communication with you. This policy pertains to all students and stipulates that the University can convey relevant academic and administrative information to you using your UAlbany email address.  

You are responsible for checking your email account regularly so as not to miss important, time-sensitive communications.

You will need to set up your Albany.edu email in order to receive your Advisement Verification Number (AVN).

The first 31 credits of the MSW program is generalist and is designed to introduce you to the broad scope of social work practice.  

All part-time MSW students begin by taking the same courses; however, you may select the section you wish to take.  

The generalist courses for the fall semester are

• RSSW 604 Social Justice and Social Work
• RSSW 610 Human Behavior & Social Environment I

These classes are typically offered on Wednesday evening or Thursday. Some course sections will be offered online. You may select sections that are convenient for you but have a backup plan for your courses in case your first choice is closes quickly and you are not able to register for it.
You can search for the class times and modalities via the University at Albany Registrar’s website.

Tips

• If it is important that you schedule classes at specific times, you should register as early as possible beginning at noon on Wednesday, April 1.
• Be sure to identify an alternative class in case your preferred class is closed.

If you have taken one of the courses above as a graduate student or plan to take an exemption exam (see below), please contact the School of Social Welfare ([email protected]) for information regarding transferring credits, adjusting your schedule, or registering for exemption exams. 

The University will provide your PIN and directions for using MyUAlbany. This notice will be sent to the email address listed on your graduate application. The email will be sent one to two weeks after you confirm your acceptance. If you do not receive this email, contact the Information Technology Services Help Desk at 518-442-3700. 

The School of Social Welfare will provide your AVN. The AVN will be emailed to students who have accepted admission into the Part Time MSW program on Wednesday, April 1 at noon. The AVN will be emailed directly to your Albany.edu email address ONLY! 

Please log on to MyUAlbany and familiarize yourself with the system before you register on April 1.  Review the steps for registration. If you have questions about MyUAlbany or your PIN, call the Information Technology Services Help Desk at 518-442-3700 for assistance.

To register, you will need the catalog number (RSSW #),  the course number (four or five digit number) and the course title. If several sections of a course meet at the same time and the first one is closed, register for another section offered at the same time.  

Once you select your sections, you are ready to register. If you are only taking SSW 604 Social Justice and Social Work and SSW 610 Human Behavior and the Social Environment I, you do not need to meet with an academic advisor. Your academic advisor will be assigned at Orientation in the fall. If you have completed some coursework and need an adjusted schedule, you may request a meeting with Assistant to the Dean for Student Services and Retention ([email protected]).    

If you have questions about your AVN or social work courses or have trouble with registration, please contact the School of Social Welfare Help Desk at 518-442-5320 or [email protected]. 

All new MSW students are required to attend the orientation on Thursday, August 20 at 9 a.m. Please monitor your Albany.edu for information about Orientation. 

Newly admitted students are eligible to enroll in RSSW 600 Social Welfare Policy Practice, RSSW 660 ITP IV: Research and Evaluation and/or an elective. To take a summer course, please search the summer schedule for RSSW and contact the Student Services and Student Retention Coordinator for more information ([email protected]).

Please note the number of credits you are eligible to take during the summer may be limited if you have previously taken courses as a non-degree student. Registration is subject to seat availability.

This course is an introduction to the analysis of social policies and programs, based upon frameworks of policy dimensions, values and knowledge.

Objectives include:  

• knowledge of selected social policies and programs in historical and contemporary context
• awareness of differential impact on at-risk oppressed populations
• understanding of political, economic, ideological context and role of social values in social policy formulation, modification, change, monitoring and evaluation
• ability to analyze critical policies and their implications for social work practice including issues of social and economic justice, discrimination and oppression

This is an introductory course that focuses on bio-psycho-social development and the nature and impact of oppression and discrimination as individuals and families transact with their environment through the life cycle.

Objectives include: 

• understanding and evaluating different theoretical perspectives and empirical knowledge about human development
• understanding interactions among human biological, social, psychological, economic, cultural and environmental systems
• understanding factors affecting development of women, people who belong to ethnic and racial minority groups, people who identify as non-heterosexual and non-cisgender, people with disabilities and other emerging and historically oppressed groups
• understanding age-related tasks associated with different life stages as affected by culture, economics, historical time and gender
• understanding the effect of oppression, discrimination, privilege and power

This is an introductory course that focuses on psychosocial dysfunction and multiple determinants of human behavior including biological, psychological, social and environmental factors.

Objectives include: 

• understanding and evaluating different theoretical perspectives and empirical knowledge about psychosocial dysfunction
• understanding interactions among human biological, social, psychological, economic, cultural and environmental systems regarding dysfunctional behavior
• understanding gender, cultural, and racial differences in expressing and ameliorating psychosocial dysfunction
• differentiate between functional and dysfunctional adaptive patterns and coping strategies
• using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
• awareness of levels of interventions appropriate for various psychosocial dysfunction
• identifying areas appropriate for interdisciplinary collaboration
• understanding role of discrimination and oppression in relation to human development

Introduction to research methods in social work is a generalist course that focuses on a variety of methodological techniques with an emphasis on social welfare practice.  

Objectives include:  

• defining social work research problems
• developing and testing hypothesis
• the logic of causal inference, sampling, measurement including reliability and validity
• basic skills in data analysis and research utilization
• ethical considerations
• evaluating quality and relevance of research studies for practice and policy
• understanding the complex relationship between human diversity and the research process
  In addition this course will cover the basic concepts and principles of qualitative methods.

Field education is a major part of the MSW curriculum and is required for completion of the program. You will complete a minimum of 900 hours of field over the course of two academic year field practicums. 

Past work/life experience cannot be applied to field practicum requirements. You will be in field for two full 8-hour days per week, during typical daytime work hours. Field days are typically Mondays and Tuesdays for the first field practicum and Thursdays and Fridays for the second field practicum. This continuity in scheduling is important for student learning, agency operations and consistency of client care. 

The field schedule also coincides with the class schedule each semester. Field occurs in the second and fourth years of study for part-time students. 

The Field Office is responsible for assigning all 1st (Generalist) field practicums. It is important to note that the vast majority of field sites do not offer quality and consistent educational opportunities during evenings and weekends. Because appropriate social work supervision is required during field days, requests for evening and weekend hours are usually not approved. 

Students working full-time are strongly encouraged to discuss with their employer the program requirements and plans so that they are available for field during the week. Additionally, please see ‘Potential Field Options’ below if you wish to consider your employment as fieldwork.

The primary educational objectives for the 1st field assignment is to expose you to a broad range of social work practice within a generalist framework and to help you integrate learning in practice settings different from your past work/volunteer experiences. 

To meet this objectives, you are intentionally placed at agencies that provide a new learning experience that is different from your past work or volunteer experience. Feedback received from graduates indicates that exposure to differential learning opportunities in field has been very applicable to their professional growth and has helped to round out their resumes.

You will be guided by the Field Office to research and select your own 2nd field practicum.  You will have access to a comprehensive database of field sites where you can search for agencies that provide learning opportunities, populations, and/or geographical locations of interest. You will hone learned skills from the 1st field practicum and apply them to advanced learning opportunities in your chosen areas of interest.

Employment Based Field: If you are employed part or full-time at a human services agency, you may request to have one of your two field practicums at your place of employment. Job duties must align with required social work competency development areas and a qualified Field Instructor is required to oversee the practicum. The full set of eligibility requirements and application will be sent to you during the spring semester of Year 1. Not all applications are approved.

Summer Block: If you are eligible, you can apply for approval to complete your second field practicum within one summer, 5 days per week. This option is only available for 2nd field. The full set of eligibility requirements and application will be made available to you during the spring semester of Year 3. Not all applications are approved.

Summer/Fall (Modified) Block: If you are eligible, you can apply for approval to complete your second field practicum during the summer and fall, 2 days per week, and possibly graduate after the fall semester. This option is only available for 2nd field. The full set of eligibility requirements and application will be made available to you during the spring semester of Year 3. Not all applications are approved.

• The Field Office holds orientation and information sessions to assist you in preparing for each stage of your field practicum.
• The Field Office provides you with a MSW Field Education Handbook that references all major field policies and procedures.
• The Field Education Office provides you with a field calendar each year that designates field days, holidays and due dates for required field paperwork.
• You are assigned to a Field Liaison each year. Field liaisons provide a variety of supportive services designed to create cohesive working relationships between students and their field instructors and are available for consultation throughout your field experience.
• The Field Office schedules career workshops and brings in panelists throughout the year, including individual resume reviews, social work licensure, job searching, salary negotiation, etc.
• The Field Office will contact you via your UAlbany email during the spring semester of your first year in the program to begin planning for their entrance into First Field that fall. The Field Education team looks forward to working with you!