Department of Social Work

Graduate Elective Options

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Appalachian’s MSW Program of Study includes completion of two graduate electives (5000 level courses and above) that can be selected from any department or program at ASU.  Courses numbered below 5000 may not count toward the minimum hours required for a graduate degree or certificate program of study. Most MSW students complete these graduate electives while completing courses in their designated concentration and their designated “cross-over” courses from the opposite concentration.

 For these graduate electives, there are a few options:

  1. Some MSW students may decide to complete all four courses from the opposite concentration. If they elect this option, two of those courses will “count” as their “cross-over” courses and two will “count” as their graduate electives;
  2. Some MSW students may decide to complete two graduate social work elective courses.  These are SW 5270: School Social Work, SW 5245: Social Work Practice in Health Care, study abroad courses in social work, and SW 5530-5549: Special Topics courses in social work, and; 
  3. Some MSW students decide to complete two graduate electives from other ASU departments or programs that will complement their MSW coursework. 
  4. Some MSW students may be interested in pursuing School Social Work Licensure. Those interested must take the Social Work elective SW 5270: School Social Work and one Graduate Education course which includes SPE 5595: Individual Differences OR SPE 5045: Advanced Topics in Diversity, or a pre-approved substitution. Those students will also need to complete an approved field placement in a public school system.
  5. Some MSW students may be interested in Child Welfare. Those interested must take SW 5002: Competencies for Child Welfare  and SW 5730: Advanced Social Work Practice with Children and Adolescents prior to, or concurrent with, a field placement in a Child Welfare setting during their concentration year. In addition, those interested will need to apply to and be accepted by the Child Welfare Education Collaborative. 

Please see our suggested electives document (PDF) as well as the document for possible online graduate electives (PDF).

Additionally, students may be interested in taking graduate courses as electives from one of the following certificate programs: