Admissions to this program have been suspended effective July 2020.
This dual masters-level program provides students the opportunity to combine a Master of Social Work (with a Direct Practice concentration) offered by the University at Albany with a Master of Science in Bioethics offered by the Center for Medical Ethics at Albany Medical College and the Center for Bioethics and Clinical Leadership of Clarkson University Capital Region Campus. This unique combination gives bioethics a strong clinical application and social workers the in-depth education needed to make informed decisions and the credentials needed to become leaders in bioethics in health care.
The dual jointly registered degree program requires completion of 88 credits. Students take 16 of the 19 courses required of the M.S.W. degree (51 credits) and 11 of the 12 required M.S. Bioethics degree (37 credits). Both degrees count courses in the other program as meeting elective courses. Students attend the University at Albany campus for the social work courses. Most Bioethics courses will be offered online (with some on-site options) and three intensive sessions are to be attended in person on the Albany Medical College campus. This program is a Council on Social Work Education accredited M.S.W. program under the School of Social Welfare’s current accreditation.
Applicants to the dual program must submit a complete application package and application fee to both the University at Albany and Albany Medical College/Clarkson University Capital Region Campus. Students must be accepted through the admissions process set forth by each program and must be eligible to matriculate in both programs. Admission into one program does not guarantee admission into the other program.
Master of Social Work and Master of Science in Bioethics – 88 Credits
Social Work Courses (Albany) – 51 credits
- Ssw 600 Social Welfare Policy Practice
- Ssw 610 Human Behavior and Social Environment I
- Ssw 611 Human Behavior and Social Environment II
- Ssw 620 Micro Practice in Social Work I
- Ssw 621 Micro Practice in Social Work II
- Ssw 630 Macro Practice in Social Work I
- Ssw 631 Macro Practice in Social Work II
- Ssw 650 Field Instruction I
- Ssw 651 Field Instruction II
- Ssw 660 Introductory Research Methodology
- Ssw 661 Evaluation of Clinical Practice OR Ssw 665 Research Methods in Social Work Management
- Ssw 752 Field Instruction III
- Ssw 753 Field Instruction IV
- Ssw 7xx Advanced Practice (2 courses)
- Ssw 7xx Advanced Behavior (1 course)
Bioethics Courses (Albany Medical College and Clarkson University Capital Region Campus) - 37 credits
- Med 202 Clinical Ethics
- Med 206 Research Ethics: Scientific Integrity
- Med 246 Proseminar in Health and Human Values
- Med 274 Biomedical Ethics
- Med 281 Health Care Policy
- Med 284 Bioethics and the Law
- Med 301 Practicum I – Clinical Ethics
- Med 302 Practicum II – Online Practicum
- Med 391 Masters Project I
- Med 392 Masters Project II
- Med 399 Capstone in Clinical Ethics
Please note: This program requires an internship, field experience, study abroad component, or clinical experience requirement. Students who have previously been convicted of a felony are advised that their prior criminal history may impede their ability to complete the requirements of certain academic programs and/or to meet licensure requirements for certain professions. If you have concerns about this matter please contact the Dean’s Office of your intended academic program.
Federal Licensure/Certification Disclosure
Effective July 1, 2024, federal regulation requires institutions of higher education to make a determination whether a Title IV eligible academic program that leads to professional licensure or certification meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification in the U.S. State where the institution is located and the U.S. States where “distance education” students are located at the time of initial enrollment in the program, as well as U.S. States where the program is advertised as meeting such requirements, and if applicable, the U.S. State where students attest they intend to be licensed/certified.
The Social Work MSW program at the University at Albany is registered by the New York State Education Department and thus meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification for New York State. Through a good faith effort, and for the purpose of complying with the federal regulation, we have determined that Social Work MSW program at the University at Albany meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification in the additional following U.S. States: none.
It is important to note that the University at Albany is not the licensure/certification authority in other U.S. States and cannot assess whether an individual candidate will be issued a license/certificate in other U.S. States and instead it is incumbent on each individual candidate to contact the licensure/certification authority in the applicable U.S. State for any further guidance on the requirements for licensure/certification requirements and application processes.