The Policy Leadership Certificate provides advanced education and training in skills that help direct-practice social workers to impact social welfare policy decisions, including increased social policy knowledge and skills in advocacy, program evaluation and administration.

WHAT ARE SOME COURSES I WOULD TAKE?

• 5320: Advanced Administration
• 5324: Social Work Supervision
• 5325: Budgeting and Financial Management (Course Descriptions 5321: Advanced Community Practice)
• 5326: Seminar in Grant Proposal Development
• 5328: Advocacy and Social Policy (Course Descriptions 5312: Community & Administrative Practice 5320: 5324)

FOR WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DOES THIS PREPARE ME?

If current students obtain the skills taught in this certificate program while earning their degree, they will be ahead of their colleagues when it comes to being prepared for management jobs in their organizations. If non-degree seeking students have already graduated, this certificate will allow them a way to obtain these skills quickly and pave the way for continued promotions.
(Examples of positions available to graduates with this certificate can include Social and Community Service Managers, First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, or Public Relations and Fundraising Managers.)

 

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

For students in the MSW program at the time of enrollment for the Certificate, the Admission requirement will be to be in good standing, as defined by the MSW program, which includes having a GPA of 3.0 or higher. 

For non-degree seeking students who wish to enroll in the Certificate Program, a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or a Bachelor’s degree and two years of related professional experience, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher is required.

Advanced Administrative Practice Policy
This certificate is for students who specialize in direct practice (clinical) social work but want to know how to impact their communities. Certificate students will be equipped to mobilize communities and groups to solve human problems, write grants for community purposes, and to impact the policy-making process. Students with this knowledge can be expected to provide advanced community practice skills to groups and organizations seeking greater levels of social justice outcomes for communities and clients.
(Examples of positions available to graduates with this certificate can include Constituent Organizing Manager, Community Engagement Specialist, or Economic Development Stakeholder Coordinator.)

This certificate prepares direct practice students to move into leadership roles within their organizations. Program creation, direction, and staff supervision are key in effective program leadership. (Examples of positions include Program Director, Services Coordinator, or Agency Director. Social Work Supervision Course Descriptions 5320: Advanced Administration 5323: decisions, including increased social policy knowledge and skills in advocacy, program evaluation and administration.)

5320: 
Advanced Administration

5323: 
Program Evaluation

5328: 
Advocacy and Social Policy

This certificate allows students to gain understanding of how to impact policy-making, direct programs, and conduct evaluations enhances policy-impacting skills for direct service social workers that will help them to create programs, evaluate them, and create political support for them.  Examples of positions available to graduates with this certificate can include Human Service Program Manager, Social Service Program Evaluator, or Advocacy Coordinator.

For students in the MSW program at the time of enrollment for the Certificate, the Admission requirement will be to be in good standing, as defined by the MSW program, which includes having a GPA of 3.0 or higher.  For non-degree seeking students who wish to enroll in the Certificate Program, a bachelor’s degree in Social Work or a bachelor’s degree and two-years of related professional experience, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher is required.