Curriculum
Revolutionary changes in health, education and welfare systems demand a different kind of social worker.
The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work curriculum is designed to produce social workers prepared for present and future challenges. Students need to have the knowledge, skills and attitudes for emerging 21st century jobs and social work careers.
The school’s recently refreshed curriculum places a stronger emphasis on the science of social work and leadership, and allows for more intensive preparation within the student’s chosen department of study and through various specialization tracks offered. Students also receive valuable hands-on practical experience through required field internships.
The curriculum reflects feedback from employers and alumni, who cite a need for additional training in analyzing results, critical thinking about complex problems, embracing and managing the increasing demand for accountability and data-informed decision-making, budgeting, and effectively collaborating with colleagues across settings and institutions and with professionals trained in other disciplines.
Content incorporates evidence-based and evidence-informed programs, implications of new findings in neuroscience, new directions in prevention and early intervention, as well as best practices used by social workers in a variety of fields.