Binghamton University’s College of Community and Public Affairs (CCPA) provides an array of programs for undergraduate and graduate students preparing graduates to work with individuals, communities and organizations for the public good focusing specifically on social services, local government, and non-profit organizations.
The Department of Human Development offers undergraduate programs leading to a BA and BS in human development.
The Department of Public Administration offers a graduate program leading to the master of public administration (MPA) degree.
The Department of Social Work offers both full-time and part-time graduate programs leading to the master of social work (MSW) degree.
The program in student affairs administration offers a graduate program leading to the master of science in student affairs administration.
The MASS program is no longer accepting applications for admissions effective fall 2008. All students who started the program in spring 2008 or prior will be allowed to continue their course of study under the terms of the graduate catalog in effect the year of their enrollment in the MASS program.
The mission of the Department of Public Administration is to develop individual and institutional capacity for community-based public practice.
The master of public administration (MPA) program is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). The MPA is a 42-hour professional degree (40 hours for some in-career students) and may be completed on either a full- or part-time basis. MPA students must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 and must receive a B or higher grade in all required courses to graduate. Courses may be retaken one time provided the original grade was B– or lower.
The MPA program consists of six “core” or required courses, one additional core course selected from a list of public administration electives, eight elective credits, a two-credit internship and a four-credit capstone seminar. The program may require conditionally admitted students, or students with identified skill deficiencies, to complete courses in professional writing, basic computing skills and/or administrative systems as prerequisites to further MPA coursework. Credits for three courses: PAFF 501, Introduction to Professional Writing; PAFF 502, Basic Computer Skills; and PAFF 503, Introduction to Administrative Systems do not count toward the MPA degree.
Two courses, PAFF 510 and PAFF 521, are prerequisites for the balance of the MPA curriculum. Core courses include:
Students must take one course from the following list of public administration electives:
Students who wish to have a non-profit specialization should enroll in the following courses:
One of the following:
Upon completion of 24 MPA credits (or with approval of the program), students complete a 300-hour internship. Internships are usually done within the area of concentration with a governmental, not-for-profit or, on occasion, for-profit organization. In-career students such as program managers, caseworkers with supervisory experience or executive directors with significant professional, policy or administrative experience may waive the internship with approval from the program.
Students enroll in the capstone seminar after completing the program’s core courses and the internship (unless waived). Completion of the capstone project requires the approval of the project paper proposal and an oral defense of the completed project before a three-person committee composed of two faculty members and the internship supervisor, or an appropriate organizational representative.
Following the student’s satisfactory completion of coursework (including any required prerequisites) and the capstone project, the program recommends to the Graduate School that the candidate be awarded the master of public administration.
Students may earn 1-12 credits for approved study-abroad experiences. Contact the Department of Public Administration office for further information.
Consideration for admission to the MPA program is open to all individuals with a BA or a BS degree from a recognized college or university, and who meet the admissions requirements of Binghamton University’s Graduate School. The Graduate School can be contacted via its webpage: ; mail: Graduate School, Binghamton University, PO Box 6000, Binghamton, New York 13902-6000; or e-mail: .
All students applying to the MPA program must submit their application materials through the Graduate School. Application materials include an application form, official transcripts, two letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and a resume. An admissions committee consisting of three faculty members reviews application materials. Each application is given a score by each committee member, and those scores are averaged for a final score. Those wishing to be considered for a graduate assistantship must submit their applications by the January deadline. Applications are considered on a rolling basis until the April deadline; and any applications received after April are accommodated on a space-available basis or are deferred until the next semester. Applications are accepted for both fall and spring semesters.
Each applicant receives a score based on his/her undergraduate GPA, letters of recommendation, personal statement, and work experience. GREs or other standardized tests are not used in the admissions process in order to encourage applications from in-career students. For regular admission, a student must receive an adjusted score of 3.3 or greater. Students with scores of 2.9 to <3.3 may be admitted conditionally to the program based on space availability. In addition to the reasons stated above for conditional admission, students may also be admitted conditionally if deficiencies in writing, computer skills or knowledge of American government are present. In the case of the former, students are moved to regular status once they have completed their first 12 credits of coursework toward their MPA degree. In the case of the latter deficiencies, students are required to successfully complete one or more of our basic skills courses before moving to regular status. Basic skills courses do not count toward the MPA degree.
The Department of Public Administration offers several graduate certificates that may be completed independently, as part of MPA studies or in conjunction with another graduate degree. Graduate certificates may require separate applications to the host department.
The 14-credit Graduate Certificate in Non-Profit Administration prepares students for service in the non-profit sector, specifically professional management positions and volunteer board and community leadership activities. Students are required to complete:
Students with sufficient graduate coursework in research methods and financial management will be waived from PAFF 559B.
Students interested in Asian and Asian American Studies can complete a graduate certificate while earning their MPA degree. In order to complete the AAAS certificate while earning the MPA with the normal 42-credit hour requirement, students must:
Because the AAAS program is global in perspective, students are required to have both Asian and Asian-American components in their programs of study. This means that if students should take one course in Asian and Asian American Studies, or if students take both courses in Asian studies, their internships and/or capstone should be in Asian-American studies. A maximum of one independent-study course with appropriate program faculty may count toward the certificate.
Other graduate-level certificate programs on campus include:
Students interested in any of these graduate certificates should contact the Director of Graduate Studies to discuss their programs of study.
The Department of Public Administration offers several combined-degree programs to allow exceptional undergraduate students to complete a baccalaureate degree and MPA in five years of full-time study. To be eligible for admission to a combined-degree program, students must possess academic qualifications at the end of their junior year that allow conditional admission into the master’s program. Students should begin the application process early in the junior year by submitting the materials required for the standard application for admission to the MPA program. Because of the challenging nature of combined-degree programs, only highly qualified students are admitted. During the senior year, students apply formally to the Graduate School. All admissions to combined-degree programs are conditional due to the nature of the program; regular admission status as a graduate student is only granted after the senior/fourth year is completed satisfactorily.
The Department of Public Administration offers the following combined degrees:
The College of Community and Public Affairs provides students with an opportunity to simultaneously pursue the Master of Public Administration (MPA) and the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. The MPA/MSW prepares students for administrative positions in social service agencies. Increasingly, social workers must possess management and administrative skills to be competent in addressing the challenges of their positions as supervisors, administrators and agency heads. Similarly, public administration practitioners recognize the need for specialized knowledge and skills to respond to an environment of increasing policy and organizational complexity within social welfare agencies. The degree is designed to ensure that students acquire both management and social work skills necessary to excel in this environment.
By allowing students to use electives, methods courses and internship placements to fulfill requirements in both programs, studentsare able to complete the dual degree in 93 credit hours as opposed to 42 for the MPA plus 64 for the MSW (106 credits total).
Students interested in the dual degree should apply to both programs at the same time. Acceptance into both programs is required.
The College of Community and Public Affairs and the Decker School of Nursing collaborate to provide students with an opportunity to simultaneously pursue the Master of Public Administration (MPA) and the Master of Science in Nursing (MS Nursing) degree for students interested in Community Health Administration. The MPA/MS Nursing prepares students for nursing administrator positions in hospitals, health care facilities, nursing homes and community health agencies. The program ensures that students not only advance their professional nursing credentials, but also develop knowledge and skills for effective management.
By allowing students to use electives and carefully sequencing courses, the dual degree program allows students to complete the two degrees in 68 credit hours, as opposed to 90 if the two degrees were completed separately.
Students interested in the dual degree should apply to both programs at the same time. Acceptance into both programs is required.
The mission of the master of social work program is to prepare social workers for autonomous, knowledge-based, advanced generalist practice within an integrated community of scholars, practitioners and learners.
The principles that guide the program are:
This is a 64-credit-hour program that may be completed on either a full- or part-time basis. The full-time program may be completed in two traditional academic years (four semesters). The part-time program takes three and a half years to complete and requires taking summer classes.
The curriculum is divided into two levels: the professional foundation and the advanced generalist concentration.
|
Professional Foundation Coursework |
32 credits |
|
Advanced Generalist Practice Concentration |
32 credits |
Field instruction is a pivotal and integral part of the MSW curriculum. In the field, students acquire practice experience, developing competence in the skills that will help them attain their personal and professional goals within a framework of social work values and ethics.
The program requires 930 hours of field placement.
All students are required to complete an integrative project that is submitted and evaluated by faculty prior to graduation. This project takes the form of a professional social work portfolio.
Successful performance in graduate social work education requires maturity, emotional stability, sensitivity and responsiveness in relationships, capacity for self-awareness, a concern for the needs of others, ability in abstract reasoning, conceptual and critical thinking, and strong communication skills. These attributes are crucial to practice ethically and competently. These are the attributes that will be assessed in the admissions process. Applicants should also evidence a genuine interest in working with disenfranchised people and a readiness to assume professional responsibilities.
Academic requirements are:
Applicants will be required to participate in group or individual interviews.
Note: Students will be admitted to either the full-time or part-time program. The number and sequencing of courses is not negotiable; students may not transfer between full-time and part-time enrollment except in extenuating circumstances. See curriculum for full-time and part-time students below.
The College of Community and Public Affairs provides students with an opportunity to simultaneously pursue the Master of Public Administration (MPA) and the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree (for further details, see above under MPA program).
Binghamton University offers an advanced standing option for graduates of an undergraduate social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The BSW degree must have been received within seven years of beginning the MSW program. Advanced-standing students will be given credit for up to 32 hours of coursework, if they can demonstrate that they received comparable educational content in BSW courses for which they received a grade of B or better. Students accepted into the advanced standing program will enroll and complete the advanced standing seminar (SW 575) the summer before they matriculate into the program.
The courses for which students may request credit are:
Students requesting advanced standing will need to submit class syllabi for the courses they took in their BSW programs that they believe provided them with similar content to that found in the above listed courses. The director of admissions and students services, in conjunction with the program committee, will review the syllabi for comparability to Binghamton University MSW courses and make a decision as to how many hours of advanced placement will be granted to the student.
Graduate courses successfully completed at another institution’s CSWE-accredited MSW program may be accepted for credit toward the MSW degree, in lieu of any of the required courses, provided such courses covered content similar to that taught in Binghamton University’s required courses.
A minimum grade of B is required for transfer credit. Graduate courses for which transfer credit is sought must have been taken within the last five years in order to be considered.
Request for Transfer Credit Forms are available from the MSW Department Office. Course syllabi must be submitted with the form to the department office for consideration.
Academic credit is not given for life experience or previous work experience.
Year 1
Foundation (32 hours)
Fall
SW 501. Human Behavior in the Social Environment I
SW 510. Generalist Practice I
SW 515. Social Welfare Policy and Programs
SW 500. Research Methods in Social Work
SW 591. Field Instruction I
Spring
SW 502. Human Behavior in the Social Environment II
SW 511. Generalist Practice II
SW 512. Generalist Practice III
SW 503. Diversity and Oppression
SW 592. Field Instruction II
Year 2
Advanced Concentration (32 hours)
Fall
SW 521. Advanced Social Work Practice with Individuals
SW 522. Advanced Social Work Practice with Organizations
SW 523. Advanced Social Work Practice with Groups
SW XXX Elective
SW 593. Field Instruction III
Spring
SW 520. Evaluation of Social Work Practice
SW 524. Advanced Social Work Practice with Families
SW 525. Advanced Social Work Practice with Communities
SW XXX Elective
SW 594. Field Instruction IV
Year 1
Foundation (32 hours)
Fall
SW 501. Human Behavior in the Social Environment I
SW 510. Generalist Social Work Practice I
Spring
SW 502. Human Behavior in the Social Environment II
SW 500. Research Methods in Social Work
Summer
SW 515. Social Welfare Policy and Programs
SW 511. Generalist Social Work Practice II
Year 2
Fall
SW 503. Diversity and Oppression
SW 591. Field Instruction I
Spring
SW 512. Generalist Social Work Practice III
SW 592. Field Instruction II
Advanced Concentration (32 hours)
Summer
SW 524. Advanced Social Work Practice with Families
SW 523. Advanced Social Work Practice with Groups
Year 3
Fall
SW 521. Advanced Social Work Practice with Individuals
SW 522. Advanced Social Work Practice with Organizations
Spring
SW XXX. Elective
SW 525. Advanced Social Work Practice with Communities
Summer
SW XXX. Elective
SW 593. Field Instruction III
Year 4
Fall
SW 520. Evaluation of Social Work Practice
SW 594. Field Instruction IV
Purpose of Advancement:
The faculty and staff of the Binghamton University Department of Social Work are responsible for creating an educational environment that fosters student growth, academic success and professional development. When students apply to the program they sign an academic contract agreeing to advance their professional development and to have it assessed by social work faculty and staff throughout their time in the program. Our department Advancement policy supports this responsibility by addressing criteria including professional and ethical conduct (e.g., being respectful; displaying integrity and honesty; addressing concerns in a clear and constructive manner; responding to evaluation and criticism with appropriate self-reflection and modification of behavior), ensuring that graduates of the program have the necessary professional conduct to effectively serve clients. When there are concerns about a student’s professional conduct, the department may institute the Advancement policy as a way to address such behavior.
The nature of the social work profession demands that practitioners use sound professional judgment and exercise professional and ethical conduct in all aspects of their work. When there is evidence of unprofessional behavior e.g., cheating, plagiarism, misuse of university property, verbally or physically abusive behavior, behavior that is counter to the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics or other unprofessional conduct, the social work department has the right to terminate enrollment of the student. Alternatively any student, who, at any time in the program is determined by the department faculty and administration to have engaged in unprofessional behavior may be required to participate in the social work Advancement process to assess and support their professional readiness. Students will not be approved for graduation if they have unexecuted/unresolved concern(s) in relation to the Advancement policy on file.
Process and Procedure:
Students will advance automatically from semester to semester unless they are informed otherwise. Problems in professional and/or ethical behavior may be identified at any point in the semester by faculty (full-time and adjunct), field instructors or staff.
Any faculty (full-time or adjunct), field instructor, or staff who identifies a concern regarding a student’s professional behaviors will confer with the department chair to see if the behavior can be handled inside of the class/field structure. If not, the concerned party/ies will put their concerns in writing and share them with the academic advisor and student.
The Advancement Committee will consider the concern(s) as explained by the academic advisor and person(s) identifying the concerns(s) and the response of the student. The student may be accompanied at the Advancement Committee meeting by an advocate who is permitted to communicate directly with the student but who is not allowed to directly address the committee.
At the culmination of the meeting, the Advancement Committee may choose to:
If further questions need to be answered prior to making a final determination, the committee has the right to question the student and/or others involved in putting forward the concern(s) after the meeting. The Advancement Committee shall write a report that summarizes their deliberations and decisions and send it to the student, the Social Work Dept. Chair, the student’s academic advisor, those raising concerns and the Dean of the College of Community and Public Affairs. The report shall be delivered to the student via certified mail within 20 working days of the Advancement Committee meeting.
Appeal Process:
If the student, the academic advisor and/or individual(s) expressing the concern(s) is/are dissatisfied with the decision of the committee or if the committee is unable to reach consensus, the matter can be appealed to the Department Chair. In the case of disagreement with the decision, the advisor, instructor or student must put in writing the reasons why they believe that the decision should be re-examined. This must be submitted via e-mail within (10) business days of receiving notice from the Advancement Committee. The final decision regarding the student’s advancement rests with the Social Work Department Chair.
As noted in the College of Community and Public Affairs (CCPA) by-laws, in order to pursue and be granted an appeal beyond the Social Work Department Chair, with the Dean of CCPA, there must be submitted a “written claim of abrogation of due process and/or new information”. In such cases as an appeal goes to the Dean, and as cited from the CCPA by-laws, “there will be no further recourse after the Dean’s decision.
a) The student’s academic adviser is exempt from serving on the ad hoc committee.
b) If the grade appeal concerns a grade for a field class, the student’s field liaison and the director of field placement are exempt from serving on the ad hoc committee.
c) If the grade appeal concerns a grade for a non-field class, the student’s instructor (who gave the grade being appealed) is exempt from serving on the ad hoc committee.
Withdrawal
It is the policy of the Department of Social Work that students who are considering withdrawing from the program meet their advisers to discuss the challenges they are facing and explore options that may help support their continuing in the program.
Any students wishing to withdraw from the program should take the following steps:
I agree to the following academic contract:
Social workers serve a wide variety of client systems that could include the poor, victims, as well as perpetrators of abuse, people with different sexual orientations, those with racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, people of all ages, persons from diverse religious, spiritual and cultural backgrounds and many other aspects of human diversity. Social work services should be provided without prejudice and/or imposition of the worker’s values on clients.
I understand that although I am admitted to the MSW program, if my professional development is not deemed satisfactory by the social work faculty, the MSW program has the right and responsibility to request reassessment of my suitability for the program. The social work faculty, in turn, will provide academic instruction and professional advising to assist with the learning and professional development process.
Student
Date
The mission of the master of science in student affairs administration program is to prepare student service practitioners and administrators for career opportunities in two- and four-year colleges and universities.
The program is grounded in both student development theory and the concept of theory-to-practice-to-theory. In performing the responsibilities of their selected roles, we want our graduates to be comfortable discussing relevant research in their work in student affairs and to feel qualified to contribute to knowledge production at a level appropriate to their experience. Thus, an underlying goal of the program is to prepare professionals who have working knowledge of how student development theory is used in practice, and how practice serves to inform future theory development. A secondary goal of the program is to prepare administrative leaders and personnel who are comfortable working with people of diverse backgrounds in positions that require decision-makers to respond to department/unit situations while taking into consideration how their decisions impact other systems (i.e., departments and/or divisions) within the institution.
The program will also facilitate opportunities for students to work with faculty and student affairs professionals on special topics of interest and/or research projects. It is anticipated that students will be actively engaged in their own professional development through conference presentations, research and writing opportunities.
The 45 credit-hour program will serve the needs of professionals who desire to pursue graduate studies in either full- or part-time formats. The curriculum once approved will include 27 credit hours of student affairs-related coursework, 12 credit hours in a cognate area, a 3-credit hour research methods course, and a minimum 3-credit hour internship. Full-time students should be able to complete the coursework and finish a qualifying examination or thesis in two years of study. The exact duration for part-time students will depend on whether they choose to take at least 6 credit hours per semester and attend classes during the summer. The program curriculum was designed to meet the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Professional Preparation Commission Standards. An outline of the proposed program is as follows:
Introduction to Student Personnel Services
College Student Development: Theory, Research, and Practice
Culture of the College Student
Organization and Administration of Higher Education
Law in Higher Education
Program Requirement - 12 credit hours (select one of the following options):
Comprehensive examination option and additional student affairs electives
Or
Master' s Thesis Option
Note: In consultation with the faculty adviser, students are given the option to complete either a comprehensive examination and additional student affairs elective courses or a master' s thesis. In both cases, the comprehensive examination or master' s thesis will represent a synthesis of the student' s overall understanding of the discipline area required over the course of the program.
Recommended Cognate Areas - 12 credit hours
(3 courses, 4 credit hours each)
Business Management (courses in MBA)
LEAD 551, Foundations in Leadership Development
LEAD 552, Leadership Groups and Teams
LEAD 553, Leadership in Organizations
Public Administration (courses in MPA)
PAFF 521 (required), Introduction to Public Management
PAFF 525 (required), Public Ethics
Students may select one of the following:
PAFF 530, 531, 534, 537, 551
Public Budgeting, Administrative Law, Personnel
Administration, Organizational Behavior, Introduction to Not-for-Profit
Student Affairs Focus
Students may select from a list of electives
Required Internship Experience (minimum 3 credit hours)
Students will be permitted to register for the internship experience only after they have fully matriculated into the program in student affairs administration, completed the 15 credit-hour student affairs core curriculum, obtained a grade-point average of B or better, and submitted a completed Internship Proposal with signatures indicating approval by the site supervisor where they intend to work and their faculty adviser. The internship format options are as follows:
1. Full-time for one semester of the academic year (minimum 15 weeks)
2. Half-time for the full academic year
3. Half-time for one semester of the academic year plus full-time (minimum 6 weeks) summer.
While the time equivalents are the basis for these options, the intent here is to afford students who may be working and attending school simultaneously flexibility in their scheduling options. The final product for the internship experience will be a written report outlining aspects of the student' s learning experience based on the objectives identified in the Internship Proposal. Additionally, students who have professional experience in student affairs (i.e., 3 to 5 years) may be exempt from having to complete the internship at the discretion of the faculty adviser. They will be required to take an additional course in the major area of study as a replacement.
Note: Full-time = minimum 6-hour block of time during regular student school day, plus work along with site supervisor beyond regular school hours, as appropriate. Half-time = minimum 3-hour block of time during regular student school day, plus work along with site supervisor beyond regular school hours, as appropriate.
Consideration for admission into the master of science in student affairs administration will be selective and applicants will be expected to have an academic record and informed interest in pursuing the program consistent with Binghamton University' s norms for graduate study. The program will be demanding intellectually and students will be expected to contribute to knowledge production by drawing upon their past experiences and existing knowledge. Prior work experience in student affairs and academic preparation are beneficial, but not essential. The program curriculum will provide the necessary competencies. However, students must meet admission guidelines established by the Graduate School at Binghamton University and possess a bachelor' s degree from an accredited college or university before admission into the program will be granted. The Graduate School admission requirements can be accessed via the Web at ; via mail sent to Graduate School, Binghamton University, PO Box 6000, Binghamton, New York 13902-6000; via telephone, 607-777-2151; or via e-mail, .
The following materials must be submitted for consideration:
• the Graduate School application
• the application payment form
• a personal statement as part of the Graduate School application. The statement should address the student' s interest in the program, career goals, and current skills and experiences relative to their current or intended career in student affairs
• official academic transcripts of all prior college study
• two letters of recommendation from instructors or professors who can attest to your academic ability. This could include a reference from a faculty member or student affairs professional who has sponsored you in an internship. Applicants who have been out of college for at least three years may submit current letters of reference from employment supervisors or others affiliated with their employment who can attest to their ability to perform successfully in college.
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores may be submitted but are not required for admission into the student affairs administration program.
Students will be permitted to transfer up to six credit hours of prior graduate-level student affairs-related coursework into the proposed program, but only at the discretion of and with approval by director of the program. Consideration will be given for courses taken within the last five years in which a B or higher was earned.