Coordinator,  Dual Degree Program  in Sociology and Social Welfare

                              S.U.N.Y. at New Paltz    &    S.U.N.Y at Albany

                          Office:  JFT 606          Phone: 257-3035/ 257-3505
 
 
 

Courses Taught at S.U.N.Y. New Paltz:

 Human Behavior in Social Environment, part 1 (Fall)                    Register through Albany
 Human Behavior in Social Environment, part 2 (Spring)                Register through Albany
 Fieldwork (liason) September-May, annually                                 Register through Albany
 Sexual Assault in Contemporary Society, Summer Session 2          Register through New Paltz
 

Why a Masters' Degree in Social Work?

Social Work is an expanding profession, due to various social trends including the aging of our population, the expansion of managed care, and the increase in divorcing  and reconstituted families. Because Social Work is often agency-based and requires the ability to interface with multiple systems, it is increasingly relevant to our complex and increasingly beaurocratized world. The Social Work profession's concern with issues of minority and disenfranchised citizens is important to those who fear oppression at the hands of institutions. Social Workers are trained to view their agency practice sites and the larger society, in addition to their clients, as targets of social change.

 While Psychology prepares its scholars to evaluate individuals and families, it places less of an emphasis on social institutions affecting the well-being and functioning of  clients. In addition, being a terminal degree, the M.S.W. affords its recipient the eventual ability to collect third party reimbursement for services without having to earn a doctorate. While a graduate degree in School Counseling is faster to attain and school employment is relatively well-paid, that degree does not confer the flexibility that the M.S.W. afffords. For students graduating with Bachelors' degrees in Womens' Studies, Black Studies, or other programs concerned with social justice, Social Work may be a field whose values resonate with your own. It is important to consider your own personality and career goals in selecting a professional degree program, and the best choice for an individual is always a personal matter. However, for many the M.S.W. is a practical, as well as an  ideologically meaningful, choice.

 Why Sociology and Social Work?

 Sociology study equips students with critical analytical skills to utilize in evaluating social trends. By viewing selected social problems through a a sociological lens, one can become more aware of the broader scope and implications of  the issues being observed. The focus of the discipline on race, class and gender as these relate to the definition of, and proposed solutions to, social problems is invaluable to the practice of Social Work.  Sociological analysis of institutional behaviors and norms is relevant to professionals working within agency contexts. Social Work has historical roots in  neighborhood and community activism;  sociologists' analytical and research skills have been useful in documenting and theorizing about the sources of social ills. Thus, the fields of Sociology and Social Work fit together like a "hand in glove".
 

Social Work Values and Ethics

   In order to evaluate whether Social Work is the field for you, it is important to consider the profession's ethics and values. While there is a written Code of Ethics for the Social Work profession, here are a few of its salient points:

 1-Client self-determination: Clients, to the best of the worker's ability, and barring an imminent danger to self or others, must be allowed to exercise free will and to make their own decisions.Sometimes this means  the client must be allowed to behave in ways that are at variance with the personal values and choices of the professional, or that do not appear to be in his or her own best interests.

2-Confidentiality: Barring imminent danger to self or others, client communications to the worker are considered confidential and cannot be disclosed without his or her consent and foreknowledge.

3-Professional Boundaries:  Social Workers are neither friends, nor lovers, of their clients. "Dual relationships", involving physical contact, exchange of goods and services other than professional fees, and disclosures about the worker's personal life are generally considered inappropriate. Some behaviors of this nature constitute grounds for disciplinary/legal action or the revocation of the practitioner's license.

4-Agencies as clients: The larger social systems in which clients attempt to function, including the agency of a Social Worker's employment, may be legitemate foci of intervention. A  Social Worker's primary obligation is to the individual client, as well as to society at large.

5-Abandonment/Termination: It is considered unethical to abandon a client through sudden, unanticipated termination of services without a transitional period or transfer to another worker.

 6-Commitment to underserved and disenfranchised populations: The profession of Social Work emerged as a result of the awarenesss that certain segments of the population suffer from a disproportionate amount of distress. Therefore it has been viewed as an obligation of practitioners not to abandon those with fewer resources to care exclusively for those with greater access to wealth, education, status etc.

7-Respect for Diversity: While Social Workers cannot be expected to master the intricacies of each and every cultural variation, they are assumed  to be receptive to the values and practices of other cultural groups, particularly as these involve norms about disease, healing, family structure, and social life. Other "cultures" can include racial and ethnic groups, as well as norms within gay and lesbian communities.

    Sound like a lot? Well.... it is!  But members of the profession who strive to maintain these values are those who are the most in demand. Social Work is a true "discipline"! Social Workers need to engage in self-care to stay in "tip top shape", in order to provide the high level of service their clients require.
 

    What Does the Dual Degree Program Entail?

  The M.S.W. program requires 60 credits, and the Sociology Degree requires 36. Therefore, to take each seperately would involve taking 96 credits.Yet, so closely do the two disciplines dovetail  that it is possible, through a special arrangement between the campuses, to earn both degrees by taking only 72 credits--or four classes in addition to the 60 required to earn the M.S.W. alone.

  How this works is that, if you are matriculated into the Dual Degree program, several courses offered in the Sociology program at New Paltz qualify as requirements or electives within the M.S.W. program at Albany. If you are not YET matriculated, you can still take 12 credits, or four classes, at New Paltz in the hopes of gaining admission to Albany. In the meantime, you can be working towards obtaining admission to the Sociology program or gaining your Sociology degree.For more information about the Sociology Program, please contact Peter Kaufman, Graduate Coordinator, at 257-3503, or Margaret Jensen, Sociology Department Secretary, at 257-3505.

    Human Behavior 1, Human Behavior 2, Research Methods in Sociology, and Sociological Statistics will transfer into ANY School of Social Work, such as Fordham or Adelphi. Therefore if you are not accepted to S.U.N.Y at Albany's M.S.W. program, you still have other options in pursuing a Social Work degree. However, it is important not to take more courses than you can successfully transfer into any given program.

    If  matriculated into the program, you may attend full time (15 credits per semester, plus 2 summers, for two years) or part time (6 credits per semester, for 5-6 years). In either case, you wiill be required to complete 2 seperate Fieldwork internships, at 2 different agencies, before earning your M.S.W. These will each involve 2 days a week (16 hours) over a 9-month period. These placements involve supervision by a trained M.S.W. clinician, and are considered 7-credit "courses". There are many fieldwork placements in the Mid-Hudson Valley, which means that travel to Albany for these credits is unnecessary. For further information, please contact the Graduate Field Education Office at S.U. N.Y. Albany, at (518) 442-5321

    Matriculated students will, however, need to travel to S.U.N.Y. at Albany up to two days per week to take the courses that are offered only at that location. (The only formal "Social Work"  courses offered at S.U.N.Y. New Paltz are Human Behavior 1 and Human Behavior 2.)  A total of 8 courses, or 24 credits, MUST be taken at Albany by Dual Degree students. However, the other 11 courses, or 33 credits, can be taken at New Paltz in addition to the Fieldwork experiences which are in local agencies. Since most students become acquainted in the Human Behavior courses at New Paltz, (as a result of their small size and interactive nature), carpooling to Albany is quite common. For information specific only to the M.S.W. program at  S.U.N.Y. Albany,  please contact (518) 442-5322.

    Students in the Dual Degree program must sequence their courses carefully, as several courses  are offered in only the Fall or the Spring semester, and some have prerequisites.Therefore it is important to speak with your advisor (for Dual Degree students, this is myself) each semester before registering for classes.
 

                             Tuition Payment and  Financial Aid
 

    For matriculated Dual Degree students, payment for  a full-time semester at both campuses will not exceed the cost of attending ONE campus, with the exception of campus use fees. Because you will be entitled to use of the gymnasiums, cafeterias, libraries, and computers at both campuses, you will be required to pay two sets of campus use  fees.You will pay tuition first at Albany, and then bring your bill to New Paltz.
    Financial aid information is contained within your application packet. Any aid received is generally from the campus at which the majority of your courses are being taken.Some graduate assistantships are available at S.U.N.Y. Albany, but these are awarded on a competitive basis.Unfortunately, in order to receive financial aid, you must be taking 6 credits within a single program---so if you are not matriculated as a Dual Degree student and wish to take a course at each campus, you will not be eligible for the finanacial aid. For additional questions regarding payment/ financial aid, please contact Rick Taster, Financial Aid Officer at S.U.N.Y. Albany, at (518) 442-5480 or Diane Lucchesi, Financial Aid Officer at S.U.N.Y. New Paltz,  at (845) 257-3159.
 

                            Applying To The Programs
 

   To apply to the Dual Degree program, only one application package is necessary; however, two application fees will be required. The cover letter will apply to both programs, and so will your enclosed personal statement of goals and objectives. It is important that you be sure to mention your reasons for seeking to pursue EACH ONE of the two degrees being offered, since each campus needs to make a decision about your admission!

    For Fall (September) admission to the Dual Degree program, applications must be received no later than February 15th. There are no admisions to this program during the Spring Semester. However, the Graduate program in Sociology does admit students twice a year--deadlines are in April and October.

    Applications for both the Dual Degree program and the Sociology Masters' Degree program can be obtained only through the S.U.N.Y at New Paltz Graduate Office, at 257-3285.  If interested, please call directly and request that the appropriate application packet be mailed to you.

    Each November S.U.N.Y at New Paltz hosts an information seminar for potential applicants to the programs. Representatives from both S.U.N.Y Albany's M.S.W. program and S.U.N.Y New Paltz's Sociology M. A. program are available to answer your questions about application procedures, program contents, advantages of the degrees, and criteria for admission. In addition, current students or recent graduates often attend. For information regarding the next information session, please contact the Sociology Department Secretary at 257-3505 in October.
 

                Criteria For Admission

   So what does it take to get accepted to these programs? First, be aware that admission is competitive, meaning that your chances for admsission vary depending upon the quantity and quality of other applicants at the time you apply.In general, your chances of admission are excellent if you meet each of the following criteria:

    Academic  Achievement: You have at least a "B" or  or 3.0, average in all graduate and/or undergraduate courses you have taken.If your graduate grades meet his criterion but your undergraduate grades do not, you can make the argument that something about you (maturity, motivation, economic well-being) has changed and that the later grades more accurately reflect your current ability.

Professional Experience: You have some paid, full-time work experience in  Human Services. If not, you have excellent references from part time or volunteer work supervisors. For applicants to the Social Work program, it is necesary to convince the admissions committee that you have realistic expectations of what work within the human services field entails.

 Academic and Professional References: You have three or four excellent letters of recommendation from professional supervisors and professors from whom you have taken classes.You should not submit references from friends, relatives, counselors or others not in a position to be able to objectively evaluate your performance and potential.

Emotional Maturity/ Capacity for Self Evaluation/ Motivation:  Social Work practitioners need to be aware of their own motivations and reactions when working with clients. Similarly, scholars within most fields must consider whether they can dedicate themselves to the rigor and time commitment involved in academic work. Your 2-4 page "Personal Statement" of goals and objectives should reflect  your careful consideration  of how your  personal attributes adequately prepare you for graduate work at this time. These attributes may include:personal growth over the years, insight into society's need for practitioners, the time and resources to devote energy to graduate work, etc. Gaps in your work history, periods of poor academic performance, etc. which will be noticed by the admissions committee, should be addressed in this narrative. It is acceptable for you to mention personal troubles that have obstructed your readiness until the current time, but  you should explain how and why these have been mitigated or overcome in order to free you up to pursue your present goals.

     Capacity For Written Expression:   The Personal Statement is a sample of your capacity for written expression, including the ability to organize and present your ideas; as such it should have no errors in grammar, punctuation, paragraph structure, etc.