THE RESEARCH
REQUIREMENT
Place of Research
in the Curriculum
The School of Social
Welfare recognizes that the prime function of its master's program is
to graduate practitioners whose role will be to address individual and
social problems. Conducting research will not be the primary professional
function of most graduates. However, the social work profession requires
practitioners who understand the role and character of social welfare
research and who can cooperate with research personnel and social scientists
in both research and practice settings. The school, therefore, has a
mandate to make research methods an essential part of the preparation
for careers in social welfare. The objective of the research portion
of the curriculum is to convey an understanding of the nature of scientific
inquiry, the relationship of science to practice, and an appreciation
of the potential contribution of research to the profession.
Students can complete
their research requirement in one of two ways.
The Lecture-Seminar
Alternative ( 6 units)
The primary method
of fulfilling the research requirement, chosen by the vast majority
of MSW students, is to enroll in the three semester sequence, SW 280,
Introduction to Social Welfare Research and SW 282 AB, Seminar
in Social Welfare Research. SW 280, offered in the second semester,
is a lecture course providing an introduction to the theory and practice
of social work research. It includes a 1-hour a week discussion section.
SW 282 AB, offered in the third and fourth semesters, is a 2-hour a
week seminar focusing on research formulation, design and implementation,
and data analysis methods. The SW 282 AB course is taught in multiple
sections.
The Individual
Thesis Alternative for Advanced Students (6 units)
Students with a
specific research interests who possess significant knowledge of research
methods and statistics can pursue an independent investigation as an
alternative to taking SW 280 and SW 282AB. Most MSW students do not
have a research background sufficient to qualify for this alternative.
Those who feel they do should start planning their research project
in the first year by
reviewing the MSW Individual Thesis Alternative for Advanced Students,
available from Barbara Haden.
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