Division of Social Work

Health Sciences Building, (307) 766‑6112
FAX: (307) 766-6839
Web site: www.uwyo.edu/socialwork
Division of Social Work Director: Valerie Thompson-Ebanks, Ph.D., MSW

Associate Professors:

NEELY MAHAPATRA, B.Sc. Utka l University, India 1991; M.Sc. 1993; M.S.S.W. University of Texas-Austin 2003; Ph.D. 2008; Associate Professor of Social Work 2016.

VALERIE THOMPSON-EBANKS, B.Sc. University of the West Indies 2002; M.S.W. 2007; Ph.D. Colorado State University 2012; Associate Professor of Social Work 2018.

Assistant Professors:

MARGARET HOLLAND, B.S.W. Mississippi College 2012; M.S.W. University of South Carolina 2013; Ph.D. Florida State University 2021; Assistant Professor of Social Work 2022.

SANDY LEOTTI, B.A. Prescott College 2002; M.S.W. University of Montana 2006; Ph.D. Portland State University 2019; Assistant Professor of Social Work 2019.

SUKYUNG YOON, B.A. Chung-Ang University 2002; M.S.W. Yonsei University 2008; Ph.D. University of Tennessee 2019; Assistant Professor of Social Work 2019.

Assistant Lecturers:

BILLIE CHAPMAN, B.A. University of Wyoming 2005; M.S.W. 2008; Assistant Lecturer of Social Work 2018.

BETHANY CUTTS, B.S.W. University of Wyoming 2003; M.S.W. 2005; Assistant Lecturer of Social Work 2023.

SARAH S. GREEN, B.A. University of Wyoming 2015; M.S.W. 2019; Assistant Lecturer 2021.

CHRISTINE VENCILL, B.S.W. University of Wyoming 2013; M.S.W. 2016; Assistant Lecturer of Social Work 2023.

Social workers are uniquely qualified to help people in their own environments by looking at different aspects of their lives and cultures. We work to ensure the client’s personal well-being, prevent crises, counsel individuals, support families, and strengthen communities. We make sure people get the help they need, with the best resources available.

For more than 100 years, social workers have cared for people in every stage of life. Social workers help others overcome life’s most difficult challenges and manage the troubles of everyday living, including the troubles that exist due to poverty, stress, addiction, abuse, unemployment, mental illness, family change, and social violence. Social workers advocate for social justice.

Undergraduate Study

The Division of Social Work prepares students for entry-level generalist social work practice. Two locations offer the social work program: the Laramie campus and the University of Wyoming-Casper campus. Graduates receive a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and are prepared to work as generalist social work practitioners with individuals, groups, families, organizations, communities, and institutions to achieve more effective and efficient social functioning.

Our program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The curriculum is designed to help students acquire important knowledge and skills in the areas of values and ethics, diversity, social and economic justice, human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policy and services, social work practice, and research. A competency-based curriculum prepares students to meet an “initial level” of competence in nine core areas (CSWE, 2015). Students also select elective courses in areas such as aging, child and adolescent services, health and mental health, and disability services. The program culminates in a 450-hour supervised field practicum, which allows students to work as social workers in one of Wyoming’s many human service agencies.

Social Work Major

Social work is a professional degree program. Prior to admission to the professional degree program, students who are working to complete program prerequisites and most University Studies courses are “Social Work-Pre-Admit” majors. Students must be accepted into the BSW program as an admitted “Social Work” major in order to proceed in the program and enroll in professional degree courses beginning in the fall semester (usually of the junior year). Application for Admitted Major status are due in the middle of the Spring semester or in the middle of the Fall semester. Students should apply during the semester they are completing all social work prerequisite courses. Acceptance to Admitted Major (professional degree program) is competitive and requires an application. Please see application requirements on the Division of Social Work website. Students accepted into the professional degree program are expected to complete their degree in a timely manner. Students who have not completed social work classes for one year or more must reapply for Admitted Major and submit a plan for readiness to continue in the social work degree program. A plan may include, but is not limited to, repeating or auditing a course taken at an earlier point in the student’s academic experience, completing an independent study that may provide updated social work content for the student, demonstrating knowledge or practice skills. Readmission is not guaranteed.

Criteria for Admission as an Admitted Major

The admissions process is competitive. Students must meet the following minimum criteria to be considered for Admitted Major status.

1. Students must earn a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.50000 on all UW coursework as well as all coursework transferred into the University of Wyoming from other acadmemic institutions.

2. Complete the following prerequisites: a. SOC 1000 b. PSYC 1000 c. POLS 1000 d. SOWK 2000 e. Human Biology (PSYC 2080 or KIN/ZOO 2040) f. STAT 2070 g. ECON 1010

3. Students must earn a grade of C or higher in all SOWK prerequisite classes.

4. Complete a Communication 1 (COM1) and Communication 2 (COM2)/2nd level writing course with a C or higher.

5. Students must have at least 60 credit hours at UW or transferrable to UW.

6. Students must adhere to the UW Student Code of Conduct and the NASW Code of Ethics.

7. Students cannot exhibit behavior that will impinge on the student’s present or future ability to fulfill professional responsibilities as a social work professional.

8. All students seeking admission to programs in the College of Health Sciences are required to undergo a background check as specified by college policy. Criminal convictions may result in rejection of the candidate for admission to Admitted Major.

9. Students must submit an application and an application fee. (See UW Fee Book)

10. Applicants to the social work program cannot receive credit for life experience.

Requirements for Admitted Majors

Once admitted, social work students must:

1. Achieve a C or better in all social work courses, including six hours of required social work electives.

2. Social work classes are offered and must be completed in sequential order.

3. Maintain a 2.500 or above GPA overall every semester after admittance to Admitted Major.

4. Maintain a 2.500 or above GPA overall in all social work course work every semester after admittance to Admitted Major.

5. Registration is restricted and students must meet with their advisor each semester for enrollment.

6. Complete SOWK 4990 with a satisfactory grade.

7. Students must adhere to the UW Student Code of Conduct and the NASW Code of Ethics.

Individuals failing to meet any of the above requirements will be reviewed by faculty and one of the following actions may be taken: remediation, probation, sanction, and/or dismissal from the program. Because many social work courses have prerequisite requirements, receiving a grade lower than a C in a social work course may prevent the individual from moving forward in the social work program.

BSW Field Practicum

All students complete a 450-hour (10 credit hours) field practicum experience in a community-based social agency or social program. Field practicum sites exist throughout the state of Wyoming and students may be placed outside Laramie. Students apply for this program the semester before their actual placement. Students must complete a Field Placement Application and meet with the Field Coordinator prior to determining a practicum site (please review Field Practicum Manual). Background checks and drug screenings may be required by some agencies even though the College of Health Sciences has received a background check during admission to the major.

For the practicum, a grade of U is interpreted as performing below expectations and will not be considered satisfactory completion of the practicum, hence of the BSW program. Based on input from the student, the field instructor, and the faculty liaison during the field evaluation, the field coordinator will determine what remediation would be required. The plan will clarify course objectives and professional skills upon which the student needs to improve. A student wishing to continue in the program would need to reapply for a field placement. Upon the field committee’s approval of the request for placement, the student may then repeat the practicum experience. Consistent with University policy, the most recent grade would be the grade calculated into the GPA. The grade of U is interpreted as not meeting minimal requirements of the course; failure to complete the minimum clock hours in the field placement; failure to complete written assignments in a satisfactory manner; violation of one or more of the tenets of the NASW Code of Ethics (see Appendix B and Termination of Practicum section in the practicum manual); and/or failure to withdraw formally or to terminate the course. A student receiving a U in the practicum will be automatically dismissed from the BSW program with no opportunity to reapply or re-enter. Grades and dismissals may be appealed. (See most current BSW Student Handbook for appeal procedures.)

Requirements for Graduation

The program requires 120 credit hours to graduate. Students must have completed all social work requirements, 42 upper-division hours, maintain a 2.500 GPA overall, a 2.500 GPA in social work coursework, and have achieved a grade of C or better in all social work courses. Courses must be taken for a letter grade unless offered for S/U only. USP H and PN courses must be taken outside the major subject but can be cross listed with the major.

BSW Curriculum

Social Work B.S.W. degree plan

Graduate Study

The Master of Social Work (MSW) prepares professional social workers for advanced-level social work practice and leadership positions in frontier and rural human service environments. The Advanced Generalist MSW program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The MSW program graduates practitioners who work within and negotiate complex multi-dimensional problem settings for both clients and practitioners while embracing the profession’s values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, competence, human rights, and scientific inquiry. The MSW full-time, hybrid program, based in Laramie, WY, utilizes a variety of delivery methods to accommodate Standard (2 years) and Advanced Generalist (1 year) students. The MSW part-time program option, based in Casper, WY, offers the same curriculum and model delivery for Standard (3 years) and Advanced Generalist (2 years) students, but provides for greater flexibility of schedule.

Program Specific Degree Requirements

All incoming students enter the MSW program in the summer semester of their first year, completing introductory and/or bridge courses as needed for their specific program level. The MSW program is divided into two levels: generalist and advanced generalist. The generalist year of the MSW program prepares students without a BSW degree for the advanced generalist curriculum. Students who have already obtained the BSW degree may apply for the Advanced Generalist MSW program.

Master of Social Work Field Practicum

All students, regardless of status, participate in field practicum experiences. New students submit an initial application for placement, time depending on whether the student is in the full-time or part-time program. Foundation students must complete 900 practicum hours over the course of the Standard curriculum. Advanced Standing students must complete 500 hours over the course of the Advanced Generalist curriculum. All students in practicum must take a corresponding field seminar class.

Grading is done as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Receiving a grade of U is considered a failing grade and can result in termination from the practicum. If the practicum is terminated, the student may be offered a remediation plan to retake the required hours. This opportunity is only offered one time. The student may also be referred to the DOSW faculty for review according to the Student Academic and Professional Performance policy. Specific information and procedures relating to all aspects of the field practicum experience can be found in the Field Practicum Manual located on the Division of Social Work’s website.

Wyoming School Social Work Certification

The Division offers the necessary requirements to obtain Wyoming School Social Work certification. Students in the last year of the MSW Program need to successfully complete SOWK 5810 Working with Children and Families in the Schools and complete their field placement within an approved school setting. Upon graduation, students must apply to the Wyoming Department of Education to obtain formal certification. For the most current certification information go to the PTSB website http://wyomingptsb.com/

Graduate Admissions Requirements

The Division of Social Work’s Graduate Admissions Committee bases recommendations on review of all application materials (applicant’s grades, personal essay, analytic essay, professional references, and any related social service experience) as they reflect the applicant’s commitment to social work, social and economic justice, values and ethics of the social work profession, and applicant’s potential as a graduate student, social work practitioner, colleague and leader in the social work field. The Committee also looks for the intangible qualities that an applicant brings to the classroom and campus environment and to professional social work.

Once the committee recommends admission of an applicant, the Office of Admissions in Academic Affairs makes the final decision of admission.

Requirements for the Standard MSW Program

• A bachelor’s degree with a liberal arts foundation.

• An undergraduate cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.000 or above on a 4-point scale.

Requirements for the Advanced Standing MSW Program

• A bachelor’s degree in Social Work from a Council on Social Work Education accredited social work program;

• An undergraduate social work GPA of 3.250 or above;

• An overall undergraduate GPA of 3.000 or above;

• Received a B or better and/or a Satisfactory grade in BSW Field Education Practicum.

*International students have special requirements for admission to UW. All are encouraged to contact the International Students and Scholars Office for details before applying.

All Applicants

What Application Reviewers Assess When Reading Personal & Analytic Essays

For both the personal essay and the analytic essay, the reviewers will:

Assess students’ preparedness for graduate studies.
Confirm adherence to the formatting instructions for each document.
Validate the use of credible sources cited in the essay that support students’ analysis.
Appraise grammar and spelling skills.
Evaluate students’ ability to think critically and respond in-depth.
Assess students’ ability to write a clear and well-organized response.
Verify that all questions posed have been answered.

Reviewers will read personal essays to assess whether students have:

Expanded beyond the desire to “help people.”
Demonstrated critical self-reflection.
Shown knowledge and understanding of the social work profession.

Reviewers will read analytic essays to assess that students have:

Described a social justice issue and its importance fully and clearly.
Presented a well-thought-out approach to create change around the issue.

All applicants meeting minimum criteria will be considered for admission. Applicants will be required to complete a criminal background check through College of Health Sciences.

Program Specific Degree Requirements

All incoming students enter the MSW program in the summer semester of their first year, completing introductory and/or bridge courses as needed for their specific program phase. The MSW program is divided into two levels: generalist and advanced generalist. The generalist year of the MSW program prepares students without a BSW degree for the advanced generalist curriculum in the second year. Students who have already obtained the BSW degree may apply for Advanced Generalist in the MSW program. These students complete only the second-year courses.

Master of Social Work Field Practicum

All students, regardless of status, participate in a field practicum experience, starting in the fall semester. New students submit an initial application for placement upon acceptance into the program.

Foundation students will complete 900 hours in practicum over the course of their two years of study, 400 and 500 hours respectively. Advanced Standing students will complete 500 hours in their one year of study. All students in practicum will take a corresponding field seminar class each semester.

Specific information and procedures relating to all aspects of the field practicum experience can be found in the Field Practicum Manual located on the Division of Social Work’s website.

Programs

Major

Social Work, B.S.W.

Graduate

Social Work, M.S.W.