Master of Social Work Program

The mission of the University of Northern Iowa Masters of Social Work Program is to provide students with a trauma-informed foundation that prepares them to identify, evaluate, and address the personal, social, and systemic conditions that perpetuate individual, family, organizational and community-based trauma using evidence-informed interventions. Our curriculum is based on the perspective that effective change within this paradigm requires upholding the dignity and worth of the individual, advocating for human rights and social and economic justice, challenging oppression, promoting human relationships, practicing multi-cultural responsiveness, and identifying factors that mitigate the effects of trauma and enhance strengths, competencies, and resilience. Students obtain an in-depth understanding of these values and practices through in-person and online coursework and instruction that promotes critical thinking, self-reflection, and ethical decision making, along with intensive experiential learning through local, state, national, and international field placements. 

What does that mean for our students?

Our curriculum is based on the perspective that social workers are change-makers.  Social workers follow a professional code of ethics from the National Association of Social Workers (a copy of which can be found here). 

Ethically, we believe it is our responsibility as social workers to:

• Treat every person with dignity and worth
• Advocate for human rights, along with social and economic justice
• Challenge oppression, in all its forms
• Promote human relationships
• Recognize and address our own biases
• Practice multi-cultural responsiveness
• Address factors to reduce the effects of trauma
• Recognize the strengths and assets in our clients
• Help clients build resilience

Our curriculum is based on these ethical principles.  Through our courses, we want students to develop skills in:

• Critical thinking
• Self-reflection
• Ethical decision-making