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UCLA Graduate Programs

Program Requirements for Social Welfare

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2023-2024 academic year.

Social Welfare

UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Social Welfare offers the Master of Social Welfare (M.S.W.) degree and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

On entering the program, students are assigned an academic adviser whose responsibility is to counsel them concerning their program of study and progress toward the fulfillment of the degree requirements. Students may request a change in academic advisers at any time during the course of study by submitting a request directly to the chair, or to the chair through their current academic adviser.

Each quarter, upon request, a written summary of the student’s grades in Social Welfare is provided by the Graduate Adviser. Since no official grade is entered for the practicum course until spring quarter each year, quarterly field evaluations and performance contracts are maintained within the department to effect action to help achieve graduate standards. The overall assessment of progress is monitored by the Graduate Adviser.

Students are expected to meet with their academic advisers twice each quarter and more frequently if they are experiencing difficulties in their course work or if situations in their personal life are affecting their studies. Faculty working with the student may enter in the student’s departmental academic file written evaluations or other information relevant to the student’s academic progress, including specific recommendations for advising or remedial action. For students whose grade-point average falls below the 3.00 required by the University to be in good academic standing, a faculty committee consisting of the student’s academic adviser and at least two other faculty members is convened to recommend appropriate action to the Dean.

Areas of Study

Social work practice in social and economic justice; health and mental health across the lifespan; child and family well-being.

Foreign Language Requirement

Course Requirements

A total of 91 units of course work in the department is required. Students must select an area of concentration spring quarter of their first year: social and economic justice, health and mental health across the life span, or child and family well-being. Specific course requirements for each concentration are outlined below; all areas of concentration require eight units of M.S.W. elective course work to meet the minimum unit requirement for the degree. Appropriate substitutions or waivers may be requested. With the consent of the chair, students may take courses in other professional graduate schools or academic programs of the University in fulfillment of course requirements for the degree. There is no notation of area of concentration on the student’s academic record.

With the consent of the instructor and chair, tutorial studies of comparable material in the 500-series may be substituted for either required or elective courses. A maximum of four units of 500-series courses may be applied toward the entire graduate course requirement for the degree.

While no University-approved specific thesis is required for the M.S.W. degree, the curriculum requires theoretical courses in research methodology. Students will complete and present an applied research project as their capstone for the program.

Social Welfare, M.S.W., Social and Economic Justice:

• 3 Courses in Generalist Social Work Practice: SW 210A, SW 210B, and SW 210C
• 3 Courses in Theory: SW 211A, SW 211B, and SW 212
• 1 Course in Social Welfare Policy: SW 214A
• 2 Courses in Research and Statistics: SW 213A and SW 213B
• 1 Area of Concentration Social and Economic Justice Core: SW 252
• 1 Required Advanced Practice course within the Social and Economic Justice Area of Concentration: SW 241J
• 1 Elective Advanced Practice Course (1 required, 2 recommended): SW 241K, SW M241E, or SW 241H
• 1 Advanced Policy Course within the AOC: SW M290L or SW 290D
• 1 Elective Advanced Policy Course (1 required; 2 may be chosen)
• 3 Courses in Research Capstone: SW 260 ABC
• 6 Courses in Field Education – First year: SW401 ABC; Second year: SW402 ABC

Social Welfare, M.S.W., Health and Mental Health Across the Life Span:

• • 1 Course in Social Welfare Policy: SW 214A
• 1 Area of Concentration Health and Mental Health Across the Life Span Core: SW 232
• 1 Required Advanced Practice Course: SW 231K or SW 231M
• 1 Elective Advanced Practice Course: SW 231A, SW 231Q, SW 231F, SW 231G, SW 231P, SW or 251A
• 1 Advanced Policy Course: SW M290K or SW M290M
• 1 Advanced Policy Elective: any SW 290 course

Social Welfare, M.S.W., Child and Family Well-Being:

• 1 Area of Concentration Child and Family Well-Being Core: SW 242
• 1 Required Human Behavior and Social Environment Course: SW 202B
• 1 Required Advanced Practice Course: SW 231A, SW 231N, or SW 231S
• 1 Advanced Policy Elective within the AOC: SW M290N or SW M290J
• 1 Outside Course: course must be outside of AOC or may be outside the Department with permission

Social Welfare, M.S.W./Law, J.D.

The equivalent of 4 quarter units of law course work may be applied to the M.S.W. degree. The equivalent of 12 semester units of Social Welfare course work may be applied to the J.D. degree.

Students complete a total of 87 quarter units in Social Welfare and 75 semester units in Law to achieve both M.S.W and J.D. degrees. Students must qualify for graduation in both Law and Social Welfare to get either degree. Students completing the M.S.W./J.D. program may choose either the research project capstone or the comprehensive exam capstone for the M.S.W. program.

All M.S.W./J.D. concurrent degree students must enroll and complete the second year field placement (SW 402 A, B, C) during the summer between their second and third year of the program. Students enroll through UCLA Summer Session; UCLA Summer Session fees are additional.

Social Welfare, M.S.W./Law, J.D., Social and Economic Justice:

• 1 Course in Research and Statistics: SW 213A or SW 213B
• 3 Courses in Research Capstone: SW 260 ABC or 8 units of MSW elective courses or other graduate level elective units to be approved by the Department Chair

Social Welfare, M.S.W./Law, J.D., Health and Mental Health Across the Life Span:

• 1 Elective Advanced Practice Course (Choose 1 or more courses): SW 231A, SW 231Q, SW 231F, SW 231G, SW 231P, or SW 251A

Social Welfare, M.S.W./Law, J.D., Child and Family Well-Being:

Social Welfare, M.S.W./Asian American Studies, M.A.

A maximum of eight units of course work in Social Welfare may be applied toward both the M.A. degree in Asian American Studies and the M.S.W. degree. Students who pursue this concurrent degree program must complete a total of 83 quarter units of Social Welfare course work . The remaining eight units of the regular 91-unit requirement for the M.S.W. degree are fulfilled through research and statistics courses taken for the M.A. degree and are applied toward the M.S.W. program through a pro forma petition to the Graduate Division upon application for advancement to candidacy. All Areas of Concentration require eight units of elective course work to meet the minimum unit requirement. Students completing the M.S.W./M.A. program and are completing a thesis in Asian American Studies may choose either the research project capstone or the comprehensive exam capstone for the M.S.W. program.

Social Welfare, M.S.W./Asian American Studies, M.A., Social and Economic Justice:

• 3 Courses in Generalist Social Work Practice: SW 210A, SW 210B, SW 210C
• 3 Courses in Theory: SW 211A, SW 211B, SW 212
• 1 Elective Advanced Practice Course (1 required, 2 recommended): SW 241K, SW M241E, SW 241H
• 1 Advanced Policy Course within the AOC: SW MM290L, SW 290D

Social Welfare, M.S.W./Asian American Studies, M.A., Health and Mental Health Across the Life Span:

• 1 Courses in Social Welfare Policy: SW 214A

Social Welfare, M.S.W./Asian American Studies, M.A., Child and Family Well-Being:

Social Welfare, M.S.W./Public Health, M.P.H.

Students who pursue the concurrent degree program with the Department of Community Health Sciences must complete a total of 83 quarter units of Social Welfare course work and 52 units of Public Health course work. The remaining eight units of the regular 91-unit requirement for the M.S.W. degree are fulfilled through research and policy courses taken for the M.P.H. degree and are applied toward the M.S.W. program through a  pro forma  petition to the Graduate Division upon application for advancement to candidacy. A maximum of eight units of Social Welfare course work may be applied to the M.P.H. degree. All areas of concentration require eight units of elective course work to meet the minimum unit requirement for the degree.

Social Welfare, M.S.W./Public Health, M.P.H., Social and Economic Justice:

Social Welfare, M.S.W./Public Health, M.P.H., Health and Mental Health Across the Life Span:

• 6 Courses in Field Education – First year: SW401 ABC and Second year: SW402 ABC

Social Welfare, M.S.W./Public Health, M.P.H., Child and Family Well-Being:

• 1 Course1 in Social Welfare Policy: SW 214A

Social Welfare, M.S.W./Public Policy, M.P.P.

Students who pursue the concurrent degree program with the Department of Public Policy complete a total of 83 units in Social Welfare. The remaining eight units of course requirements are fulfilled through policy studies courses taken for the M.P.P. program and are applied toward the M.S.W. degree through a pro forma petition to the Graduate Division upon application for advancement to candidacy. All areas of concentration require eight units of elective course work to meet the minimum unit requirement for the degree. Students in this program select one applied research project in the department of their choice and will complete the comprehensive exam capstone in the alternate department.

Due to scheduling constraints, students selecting the APP Project for their research capstone must enroll and complete the second year field placement (SW 402 A,B,C) during the summer. Students enroll through UCLA Summer Session, UCLA Summer Session fees are additional.

Social Welfare, M.S.W./Public Policy, M.P.P., Social and Economic Justice:

• 1 Advanced Policy Course within the AOC:SW M290L or SW 290D

Social Welfare, M.S.W./Public Policy, M.P.P., Health and Mental Health Across the Life Span:

• 1 Elective Advanced Practice Course: SW 231A, SW 231Q, SW 231F, SW 231G, SW 231P, or SW 251A
• 1 Advanced Policy Course: SW MM290K or SW M290M

Social Welfare, M.S.W./Public Policy, M.P.P., Child and Family Well-Being:

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Practicum Requirements: There is a concurrent field placement in each of the two years. Time spent in placement may vary according to the academic year calendar, holidays, and guidelines established by the program or placement setting. The overall time requirement is approximately 1,200 hours of which approximately 550 hours are completed in the first year and 650 hours are completed in the second year of the program. Field experience in the M.S.W. program earns course credit via enrollment in SW 401A (3 units) in the fall of the first year, SW 401B (3 units) in winter, and SW 401C (3 units) in the spring; and SW 402A (4 units) in the fall of the second year, SW 402B (4 units) in the winter, and SW 402C (4 units) in the spring. Field placement is graded and recorded as in progress until spring quarter when full credit for the academic year is received.

Capstone Plan

Applied Research Project. All students in their second year will engage in a year-long research project directed by their capstone course consisting of eight units over three quarters (S/U grading).  

Thesis Plan

Time-to-Degree

Students are expected to be in full-time attendance and to work without interruption toward the degree. The requirements for the M.S.W. degree should be met ordinarily within two consecutive academic years (six academic quarters). Course scheduling is predicated on this understanding. In special cases, at the discretion of the department, students may be admitted for study on a part-time basis which permits completion of the academic courses and field instruction over a period of three academic years.

Doctoral Degree

On entering the program, students are assigned an individual adviser. To the extent possible, the student’s interest and background are considered in the assignment of the adviser. The assignment is made by the chair, in consultation with the doctoral program committee. Students are sent written notification of their assignment of adviser prior to entering the program. Students ordinarily continue with the initial adviser until successful completion of the written qualifying examinations and until they choose a dissertation chair, usually in the second year. Students may request a change in advisers at any time during the course of study by submitting a request directly to the chair, or to the chair through the current adviser. Once the doctoral committee has been appointed by the Graduate Division, consent and approval of the committee, department, and Graduate Division are necessary for any change in committee structure, including a change in chair.

The student and the adviser establish a schedule of meetings that includes a conference at the beginning of each quarter regarding the student’s program of courses. The adviser’s written approval is prerequisite to enrollment in all courses. The student and the adviser are expected to meet regularly to review the student’s progress.

Each quarter, upon request, a written summary of the student’s grades in Social Welfare is provided by the Graduate Adviser. In addition, the adviser or instructors may present a written report to the student, if necessary. Overall progress of doctoral students is reviewed regularly by the doctoral program committee.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

The program trains research-oriented scholars to advance the field of social welfare through research and knowledge development, and to assume leadership roles in academic, policy, and practice settings. The curriculum is organized into three major areas: (1) specialization in a substantive area of social welfare, (2) integration of social and behavioral science knowledge into social welfare, and (3) research methods. Programs of study are planned in relation to the special and individual needs and interests of students.

There is a minimum core of required courses which includes: a three-quarter sequence of seminars on the craft of social welfare scholarship; a three-quarter sequence of seminars on the foundations of scientific inquiry; two graduate-level courses in statistics: and a three-quarter sequence of research mentorship.  In addition, students are required to take (1) at least three graduate-level courses in the social and behavioral sciences outside the department related to their specialization in social welfare; (2) a combination of at least four additional courses in advanced research methods and statistics; and (3) three quarters of research internship and a two-quarter dissertation seminar. All courses with the exception of Independent Study, Examination Preparation and Dissertation Writing (SW 596-599) must be taken for a letter grade to count toward doctoral coursework requirements.

Every effort is made to individualize the curriculum around a student’s area of interest and plans for the dissertation. In order to achieve this goal, a variety of patterns is utilized, including tutorials, small seminar groups, special courses in the M.S.W. program, and courses in other departments and schools of the University.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution .

The written qualifying examination consists of two sections:

(1) An examination in social welfare policy and practice, reviewing current theory and research. The examination consists of an oral exam with a written submission to provide foundation and context for the exam questions and is administered at the end of the third quarter of the first year. This examination is evaluated by the student’s adviser and two members of the Senate faculty. Upon Doctoral Committee approval, students are allowed to retake the exam if they fail the first administration. Students must successfully pass this section of the written qualifying exam by the end of Fall quarter of their second year.

(2) A major publishable scholarly paper on a social welfare topic, demonstrating the student’s mastery of social science theory and methods of scientific inquiry. The paper will be evaluated by a three-member committee appointed by the Chair of the Doctoral Committee. The paper is due no later than the final review period of the third year of study. Revisions will be accepted according to policy within three quarters of first submission.

The qualifying examinations are graded on a pass/fail basis for the first section of the examination and pass/revise/fail for the major publishable scholarly paper. Passing both exams is a prerequisite for pursuing the dissertation. Students who fail either section of the examinations are reviewed by the departmental Doctoral Committee, which makes a decision about whether the student is allowed to continue in the program and retake the examination. Students permitted to retake the examinations must develop a written remedial work plan with their adviser and have it approved by the Chair of the Doctoral Program.

Advancement to doctoral candidacy follows successful completion of both the written qualifying examination and subsequently the required University Oral Qualifying Examination, which covers the dissertation proposal and related areas. It is administered by a doctoral committee requested by the student and approved by UCLA Graduate Division.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Not required for all students in the program. The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the doctoral committee.

Normative time-to-degree is eighteen academic quarters. Time for completion of the degree cannot exceed seven years (21 academic quarters). Students are expected to complete all course requirements, defend their dissertation proposal and be advanced to candidacy within three years (nine quarters). Time for completion of the dissertation varies from two to six quarters after advancement to candidacy. A student who has not completed the degree requirements within the maximum seven-year (21 academic quarters) limit is not allowed to continue in the program without the permission of the departmental Doctoral Committee.

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification from graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing academic disqualification of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA .