Student Resources

Below is a list of documents for MSW students in the traditional (full-time) MSW Program, and links to useful resources.

Field Handbook (BSW & Full-Time MSW) 2024-2025

Full-Time MSW Program Guide 2024-2025 (combines Program Guide and Specialization Handbook)
Full-Time Advanced Standing MSW Program Guide 2024-2025 (combines Program Guide and Specialization Handbook)

Course Equivalency Chart and Course Descriptions
Course Exemption Form and Instructions (2024-2025)

Degree Completion Letters
Graduate School Academic Policies & Procedures
Satisfactory Progress

Below is a list of documents for Part-Time MSW Program students, and links to useful resources.

Part-Time MSW Program Guide 2024-2025 (combines Program Guide and Specialization Handbook)
Part-Time Advanced Standing MSW Program Guide 2024-2025 (combines Program Guide and Specialization Handbook)

Field Handbook (Part-Time MSW) 2024-2025

Course Equivalency Chart and Course Descriptions
Course Exemption Form and Instructions (2024-2025)

Degree completion letters
Graduate School Academic Policies & Procedures
Satisfactory Progress

The table below illustrates the general approach to grading practices in the School. Specific grading criteria for classroom and field course grades and expectations are found in each course syllabus. These may can vary from and supersede the grading rubric in the table below.

MSW GRADING POLICIES

Grades of C are accepted only if they are offset by an equal number of credits of A. Students who receive more than two grades of C or grades of D or F will be dropped from the program. The Graduate School requires that students maintain an overall GPA of 3.0. Grades of Incomplete are not considered satisfactory progress if they are not removed during the next enrolled semester. The Graduate School places any student who receives a grade of BC or C on any 300 level or above course, or has an incomplete on probation until the incomplete is removed or the overall GPA reaches the 3.0 requirement.

Field Grade. As with classroom courses, criteria for the field grade are found in the syllabi for the Field Practice and Integrative Seminars. Students who receive a grade of C in the Field and Integrative Seminar courses may continue only with permission of the faculty and may not offset the grade with a grade of A.

BSW GRADING POLICIES

As with classroom courses, criteria for the field grade are found in the syllabi for the Field Practice and Integrative Seminars (SW 400 and SW 401). BSW students are expected to attain a minimum grade of BC in each field seminar course.

NOTE: For additional important information regarding field grades MSW and BSW students should review the section “Significance of the Field Grade” found in the Field Handbook.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work are committed to providing an accessible, accommodating and supportive teaching and learning environment. The University has programs, resources and policies designed to assist students with disabilities to be successful in their education.

McBurney Disability Resource Center

The McBurney Disability Resource Center is the main UW-Madison campus resource for students who have learning or physical disabilities.  They offer a wide range of services designed to assist students to overcome barriers and to enhance the quality of their educational experience.

Students in need of accommodations should contact the McBurney Disability Resource Center to receive services such as interpreting, captioning, surrogate note-taking, test accommodations or other support.

Russ Portier (portier@wisc.edu), Admin Assc Director and the School’s Access and Accommodation Resource Coordinator, is also available to provide information and assistance to students. If any issues arise in receiving accommodations, please contact him for help with resolution.

Accessing the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work

There is an accessible entrance on the west side of the building adjacent to the Lot 20 parking ramp. An elevator is centrally located in the building.

Other Resources

Accessibility Resources (last updated October 25, 2023)
Social Work Library Adaptive Workstation Applications (last updated October 25, 2023)
Supportive Resources for Students with Diverse Learning Needs (last updated October 25, 2023)

At the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work, we are committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for all. We want to know if you have concerns about your time with us, and we know it can sometimes be hard to figure out who to talk to about both your larger and smaller concerns. But we encourage you to let us know! There are many types of concerns or issues that could arise. Many of these issues can be resolved within the school, and other issues need to be resolved at the college (L&S) or university level (i.e., Office of Student Assistance and Support, Graduate School, Office of Community Conduct and Standards).

The following are some general guidelines for reporting different types of concerns or issues, and you can see more details in your student handbooks. But really, we encourage you to talk to any faculty, staff, or administrator to get support in figuring out next steps.

Concerns about an individual’s behavior (student, staff, or faculty)

If the issue is about sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, dating and domestic violence, or sexual exploitation, you should reach out directly to the Sexual Misconduct Resource and Response Program (formerly called the Title IX Program), which is overseen by the Title IX Coordinator. At UW-Madison, only this program can conduct investigations related to sexual misconduct. While faculty or staff in the school can support you in accessing resources, any information individuals or the school receives about sexual misconduct must be provided to the Sexual Misconduct Resource and Response Program. See more information in your student handbook or on the sexual misconduct web page for more information and a list of supports.

Issues of hate and bias

The University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work are committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for all people. We value a diverse community where all members are able to fully participate in the Wisconsin Experience. Incidents of bias or hate can impact individuals and groups and negatively impact safety, wellbeing, and quality of learning. UW-Madison and the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work take such incidents seriously and will respond to reported or observed incidents of bias or hate. If you experience or observe such an incident, you can start by talking to a faculty member, staff member, or administrator in the school. The university also has a direct way to report Incidents of bias or hate confidentially or anonymously.  UW-Madison takes such incidents seriously and will respond appropriately to reported or observed incidents of bias or hate. The Office of Student Assistance and Support has a form where people can directly report experiences of hate or bias. These reports can be anonymous, but it is easier for them to follow up on the incident if you provide your name for them to reach out to you confidentially.

If you want to talk to someone in the school, you can pick a faculty, staff, or administrator you trust who can point you to the best person to talk to in the school for consultation and support. Generally, these situations will end up being addressed within the school by the Director of the School, Associate Director of the School, Director of the Part-time MSW Program, Director of Field Education, and/or Associate Director of Field Education, and elevated to higher levels in the university as appropriate. In addition to support within the school, the university provides campus-wide resources for additional support including the Office of Student Assistance and Support,  Multicultural Student Center, Gender and Sexuality Campus Center, International Student Services, Office of Conduct and Community Standards, and the Veterans Services and Military Assistance Center.

 Regarding all other types of concerns that might arise with another individual in the school, as a School of Social Work, we believe that it is generally best practice to raise concerns about an individual with that individual first. If a student needs support in bringing a concern to an individual, they can work with their advisors, a faculty member, or the Office of Student Assistance and Support. An example might be a concern about something happening in a classroom, in a student organization, or with an advisor.

However, sometimes a concern is one where you don’t feel safe talking directly with that individual. In this case, students can bring their concern to an advisor for advice on who to talk with or bring their concern to the appropriate school administrator directly.

For most issues, here is a list of the school administrators to talk with about concerns within specific programs (names of current folks in those roles can be found in the Faculty and Staff Directory):

• Doctoral Program: Doctoral Director
• Full-time MSW Program and undergraduate programs: Associate Director
• Full-time MSW Program and BSW Field: Director of Field Education
• Part-Time MSW Program: Director of the Part-Time Program
• Part-Time MSW Program Field: Director of Field Education

If your concern involves one of these administrators, you should reach out to the Director of the School. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, you can reach out to the Office of Student Assistance and Support for consultation and support, or to the Associate Dean for the Social Sciences in L&S.

The university also has an Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

Here you will find forms to report instances of student academic and non-academic misconduct. You can fill out this form directly, or if you talk to someone in the School of Social Work about your concern, they may advise you to fill out this form, depending on the circumstance, to receive additional attention and support regarding the issue. Academic misconduct may involve questions of academic integrity which include honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Some examples of academic misconduct include, plagiarism, cheating, copying homework, and stealing an exam or course materials. Non-academic misconduct includes things like hate, bias, hazing, or other issues that may work against the university’s living and learning environment that is safe and free from violence, harassment, fraud, theft, disruption, and intimidation. If a report is made to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, it is investigated and this office ensures that students receive due process and fair treatment throughout the investigation and hearing process.

Concerns about an issue not related to an individual

Sometimes you might have a concern about the school or program generally, or other concerns not specifically related to an individual.

Generally, here is a list of who to talk with about concerns within specific programs or for specific issues (names of current folks in those roles can be found in the Faculty and Staff Directory):

• Doctoral Program: Doctoral Director
• Full-time MSW Program and undergraduate programs: Associate Director
• Full-time MSW Program and BSW Field: Director of Field Education
• Part-Time MSW Program: Director of the Part-Time Program
• Part-Time MSW Program Field: Director of Field Education
• Concerns about the building: Department Administrator
• Concerns about staff or faculty: Director of the School
• Concerns about the Director of the School: Associate Dean for Social Sciences in L&S

The School of Social Work Academic Grievance Policy and Procedures provides a process for students to address concerns that arise when a student believes they have been treated unfairly academically. Alleged unfair treatment may be related to course grades, field seminar and placement, classroom treatment and other academic concerns.

If you experience a physical or digital accessibility barrier, you can report this to a faculty member in the school, and/or fill out the university’s Accessibility Barrier Reporting Form or go to the Office of Compliance website.

In sum, if you have an issue that arises within the school, we want to know about it! But if you feel uncomfortable talking with someone in the school, you have other avenues, particularly the Office of Student Assistance and Support

SOCIAL MEDIA CONSIDERATIONS FOR SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS

While it is common in our culture to tweet day-to-day experiences, check-in on Facebook throughout the day, and Instagram memorable events, it is easy to get used to openly sharing a great deal of information about daily life. However, as a professional-in-training, your online persona should be managed as carefully as you would mind your actions, speech, and dress in the workplace.

Professional social workers must be mindful of social media use because the information shared on social media platforms can be used by clients, other professionals, and the general public to shape opinions about you and social workers as a whole. Maintaining primary social work values like client privacy and confidentiality is of utmost importance, and upholding one’s reputation is critical to a competent, successful practice.

Social workers’ professional behavior is guided by the National Association for Social Worker’s Code of Ethics, the State of Wisconsin Conduct Statutes found in the Marriage & Family Therapy, Counseling and Social Worker Administrative Code (Chapter MPSW 20), and general business practices. As closely as possible, students in the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work are expected to model professional standards of behavior as they conduct themselves in any public forum, whether it be online or off. Students are also expected to abide by the School of Social Work’s Student Rights and Responsibilities.

We have distilled those standards down to a few key practices that should be kept in mind when using social media or dating websites. The following guidelines can be used to help protect yourself and the clients who seek your services, along with your reputation and future livelihood as a social worker:

• Assume that anything said or done online is public. Do not post any content that you would be uncomfortable sharing with the entire world. There have been instances where private user data has become unintentionally visible to all users during a service upgrade or change. Users have also reported the reappearance of deleted data on some sites.
• Negative comments about clients, your field placement, or the work environment are inappropriate and disrespectful.
• Discussions about clients are always off-limits, even when speaking generally. Such discussions are a breach of confidentiality, a primary professional value of social workers. Additionally, your group of friends could easily include an acquaintance of your client, especially in our increasingly interconnected world.
• Avoid posting photographs or content that imply unprofessional behavior, such as photographs that could suggest to the viewer binge drinking, gambling, sexual behavior, etc.
• Avoid using social media during class or in field settings, unless part of the curriculum.

Privacy is also of the utmost importance when using social media as a professional. It is highly recommended that students who choose to utilize social media sites take precautions to keep personal information private, out of a concern for both professionalism and personal safety. Precautions can include:

• Limit social media account settings to share content with only vetted friends and family.
• Never “friend” or add a client to your network; Avoid digital communication with clients outside of the workplace.
• Use a pseudonym for online accounts to mask your identity.
• Refrain from listing personal information, such as a home address, cell phone number, or intimate details about your personal life.
• Turn off automatic location information on social media posts.
• Limit or avoid check-in platforms like that make it easy to find a person’s location.

Following these guidelines can help to avoid consequences ranging from a negative impact on the reputation and career of individual students to undermining the reputation of the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work or public trust in social workers.