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Detailed Information

Programs of Study

The New York University (NYU) Silver School of Social Work is widely known for professional education in direct practice with individuals, groups, and families. The School offers B.S., M.S.W., and Ph.D. degrees in social work. The School’s programs are fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

The M.S.W. program is offered in several formats to accommodate the differing circumstances of its highly diverse student body. The Two-Year Program requires four semesters of study. The 16-Month Accelerated Program, an intensive route to a master’s degree, provides a concentrated two-year course of study over four continuous semesters, including summer. The Extended M.S.W. Program allows students to complete their M.S.W. over three to four years, with one year of full-time study. The Extended One-Year Residence Program (typically three to four years, with one year of full-time study) is designed for individuals who are employed in social service agencies. Graduates of an accredited undergraduate social work program may apply for advanced standing admission into the second year of the Two-Year Program. The 32-Month Program for Working Professionals is designed for those who work full-time. This program allows students to earn an M.S.W. over a thirty-two-month period through evening, weekend, and summer study. All programs may be completed at the main Washington Square campus. All M.S.W. programs can be completed at the School’s Rockland County and Westchester County campuses, with the exception of the 16-Month Accelerated Program and the 32-Month Program. Foundation courses may be taken at the School’s Staten Island and Westchester sites.

The School also offers dual-degree programs with the School of Law and the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at NYU, and with Sarah Lawrence College. In addition, a dual-degree M.S.W./M.P.H. in global public health has been approved to begin in fall 2009.

Study for all programs features small classes, articulation of hands-on field placement and academic work, experienced faculty members who practice what they teach, and a uniquely supportive advisement system. The curriculum includes foundation courses that build a knowledge base for work with individuals, families, and groups; an advanced concentration in clinical practice, providing intensive training in human behavior and intervention strategies for direct practice; and a wide selection of electives through which students may pursue individual professional interests. Students in all programs are trained at two or more of the 600 field instruction sites at which the School has arranged experienced on-site supervision.

The Ph.D. program in social work at New York University focuses on practice-informed research and prepares students for leadership in the study, design, and development of clinical social work practice. The program, which is offered on a full- or part-time basis, combines contemporary theory and knowledge related to practice in the urban environment, with content related to diversity, the opportunity for interdisciplinary study, and a global perspective on social work. Graduates of the program are faculty members in social work education, scholars of practice, and/or leaders in policy implementation.

Research Facilities

Bobst Library at NYU is one of the largest open-stack research libraries in the nation, with an extraordinary assemblage of accessible print/video/audio resources, ample reading room and individual study spaces, and long, convenient hours of operation. NYU is a wired university, and students and faculty members alike have free, high-powered access for research and study (from campus or home) to computing resources that include e-mail, the Internet, and major databases. The School itself is home to the widely used international Web site for social work research and education, Information for Practice. The School houses initiatives for research focused on poverty and social services, including the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research. Students participate with faculty members on research and program development projects with community service agencies.

Financial Aid

The School offers a comprehensive program of both merit-based and need-based financial assistance. Nearly 85 percent of eligible M.S.W. students receive School-based scholarships, and 97 percent of M.S.W. students receive some level of financial assistance. Amounts of financial assistance vary by student and are contingent on the availability of funding each academic year.

Cost of Study

Graduate tuition for 2008–09 was $870 per credit plus a $58 nonreturnable registration and services fee, per point, for registration after the first point. There are additional health insurance fees for graduate students, which vary based on coverage.

Living and Housing Costs

Graduate student housing at NYU provides the advantages of apartment-style living, with the convenience, security, activities, and supportive environment of residence hall life. Several types of accommodations are offered to suit different preferences and budgets, including shared studios, double rooms in one- and two-bedroom apartments, and a limited number of private rooms in 2- and 3-person suites. Monthly costs for on-campus housing options range from $950 to $1500. Off-campus housing is also available at market rates. Meal plans are available but not required. For further information, students may contact NYU Housing at 212-998-4600 or visit the Web at http://www.nyu.edu/housing.

Student Group

The School’s commitment to diversity is the governing philosophy that is reflected in every aspect of the student experience. The School’s student body, like its faculty, is composed of individuals of varied ages, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, and interests. Great emphasis is placed on keeping the mix vital.

Student Outcomes

According to the most recent report, more than 92 percent of the School’s graduates have jobs in social work within three months of graduation. They work in all areas of social work, with the greatest proportion going into mental health services. Significant numbers find employment in the areas of aging, school social work, hospital social work, child welfare and adoption services, and AIDS/HIV support services.

Location

NYU is an integral part of the metropolitan community of New York City, an international capital of art, culture, business, and finance and home of the United Nations. Located in historic Washington Square in the heart of Greenwich Village, NYU allows students to have the city’s extraordinary resources at their doorstep. Museums, art galleries, and theaters enrich both academic programs and life experience and contribute to a dynamic environment for study and learning.

The School

The School is, in many respects, an intimate school within the larger University–in its educational philosophy, program structure, and physical setting. Faculty members and students interact in a teaching culture where faculty members are very accessible. Small classes predominate, typically with 25 or fewer students. Three nineteenth-century town houses facing Washington Square Park are the educational and social center of the Silver School, where students gather for classes, seminars, advisement sessions, and informal meetings.

Established in 1953, the School is one of the few in the country to provide a continuum of social work education from undergraduate through doctoral levels. The School maintains affiliations with more than 600 mental health, social services, and health agencies in the tristate area that serve as teaching centers for students in field internships.

Applying

Application forms are available from the School’s Office of Admissions as well as at the School’s Web site and should be returned with a nonrefundable fee of $50. Programs begin in the fall and spring only. The Ph.D. program begins in the fall only. Prospective students should consult the School’s Web site for application deadlines, http://www.socialwork.nyu.edu. International applications are welcomed. All applications should be sent to Office of Social Work Admissions, Graduate Processing Center, New York University, P.O. Box 919, New York, New York 10003-0919.

The Faculty and Their Research

• Theresa Aiello, Associate Professor; Ph.D., NYU. Child and adolescent treatment, object relations theory, history of psychoanalysis and social work, HIV/AIDS.
• Alison Aldrich, Clinical Assistant Professor; M.S.W., Columbia. Harm reduction strategies, disclosure issues in the LGBT and transgender communities, substance abuse in individuals with HIV and AIDS.
• Patti Aldredge, Clinical Associate Professor; Ph.D., Houston. Pedagogy in social work education, field education, drama-based methodologies.
• Jeane W. Anastas, Professor; Ph.D., Brandeis. Women’s issues, mental health and substance-abuse services research, gay and lesbian issues, research methodology.
• Karra Bikson, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., UCLA. Organizational change and innovation in health and human services, hospice and palliative care, improving access to services for underserved populations, politics of aging and health policy.
• Alma J. Carten, Associate Professor; Ph.D., CUNY, Hunter. Child welfare, welfare reform, elderly kinship caretakers, adolescent pregnancy and parenting, public policy development.
• Suzanne England, Professor and Dean; Ph.D., Illinois at Chicago. Community and program development, health promotion and disease prevention research, use of new media in professional education, assessment of learning outcomes, creating and managing change in social work education.
• Trudy B. Festinger, Professor; D.S.W., Columbia. Foster care and child adoption, research as a basis for public policy.
• Martha A. Gabriel, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Smith. Group practice, health care, gay and lesbian issues, HIV/AIDS, secondary trauma.
• Daniel S. Gardner, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Columbia. Aging and social gerontology; end-of-life and palliative care; health-care practice and policy; clinical practice with individuals, couples, and families; program evaluation.
• Caroline Rosenthal Gelman, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Smith. Geriatric social work, culturally sensitive practice, community mental health.
• Susan Gerbino, Clinical Assistant Professor; Ph.D., NYU. Bioethics, palliative and end-of-life care, geriatric social work, clinical practice.
• Eda G. Goldstein, Professor Emerita; D.S.W., Columbia. Clinical practice theory, contemporary psychodynamic developmental theories, borderline and narcissistic disorders, short-term treatment.
• Gladys Gonzalez-Ramos, Associate Professor; Ph.D., NYU. Multicultural issues, school-based services, child abuse and neglect, Latino families.
• Diane Grodney, Clinical Associate Professor; Ph.D., NYU. HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, bereavement.
• Robert Leibson Hawkins, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Brandeis. Family and children’s policy analysis, welfare and poverty, program evaluation, quantitative and qualitative methods, survey design and implementation.
• Gary Holden, Professor; D.S.W., Columbia. Applied research for practice, role of new information technologies in social work, psychosocial factors in health, social cognitive theory and self-efficacy, research methodology.
• Mary Ann Jones, Associate Professor; D.S.W., Columbia. Child and family welfare, psychotherapy research, gay and lesbian issues, research methodology.
• Gerald Landsberg, Professor; D.S.W., CUNY, Hunter. Violence, forensic mental health, mental health and managed care, services in naturally occurring retirement communities.
• Yuhwa Eva Lu, Associate Professor; Ph.D. (joint degree), Claremont and San Diego State. Cross-cultural psychotherapy, clinical process and outcome research, social work with Asian clients.
• Virgen Luce, Clinical Assistant Professor; M.S.W., CUNY, Hunter. Field education, HIV/AIDS, mental health, children and adolescents.
• James I. Martin, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Illinois at Chicago. HIV prevention, gay and lesbian issues, self-psychology, short-term treatment, clinical practice with gay and lesbian clients.
• Linda G. Mills, Professor; Ph.D., Brandeis. Domestic violence, law and social work, women’s issues, program and policy research, child welfare training.
• Diane Mirabito, Associate Professor; D.S.W., CUNY, Hunter. Adolescent health/mental health, community mental health, school social work.
• Peggy Morton, Clinical Associate Professor; D.S.W., CUNY, Hunter. Reproductive health issues, school-based social services, geriatric social work.
• Duy Nguyen, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Columbia. Immigrant and refugee adults and elders, Asian-Americans with severe mental illness and their families, children with emotional and behavioral disorders.
• Maryellen Noonan, Associate Professor; Ph.D., NYU. The difficult client, acting out adolescents, child welfare, homelessness.
• Deborah Padgett, Professor; Ph.D., Wisconsin. Mental health services research, ethnicity and aging, women’s mental health, quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Marjorie A. Rock, Associate Professor; Dr.P.H., Columbia. Chronic mental illness, public mental health, services for the aging, forensic mental health services.
• Dina J. Rosenfeld, Clinical Associate Professor; D.S.W., Yeshiva. Adoption, Holocaust studies, hospice care, field instructor training.
• Jeffrey Seinfeld, Professor; Ph.D., NYU. Application of object relations theory to populations with serious emotional/environmental disadvantages.
• Judith Siegel, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Virginia Commonwealth. Couples and family therapy.
• Victoria Stanhope, Assistant Professor; Ph.D, Pennsylvania. Mental health services research, recovery, cultural competence, practice-based research, mental health policy.
• Shulamith Lala Straussner, Professor; D.S.W., Columbia. Substance abuse, mass violence and trauma, occupational social work (including employee assistance programs), women’s issues, family dynamics, social work education, mental health, international social work.
• Helle Thorning, Clinical Professor; Ph.D., NYU. Resilience, mental illness, psychoeducational interventions for immigrant communities dealing with community trauma.
• Carol Tosone, Associate Professor; Ph.D., NYU. Grief and bereavement, women’s issues, masochism, short-term treatment, medical social work.
• Ellen Tuchman, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., NYU. The intersection of HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, and menopause; evidence-based practice.
• Jerome C. Wakefield, Professor; Ph.D., D.S.W., Berkeley. Concept of mental illness, social work practice, philosophy of mind, sexual dysfunction.
• Allison V. Werner-Lin, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Chicago. Psychosocial oncology, genetic testing for hereditary disease, family development, clinical practice with children and families in health-care settings.
• Alice K. Wolson, Clinical Associate Professor; D.S.W., Yeshiva. Supervision, work with the chronically ill, short-term treatment.

Correspondence and Information

New York University
For more information and application forms, prospective students should contact:
Silver School of Social Work
One Washington Square North
New York, New York 10003-6654
Telephone: 212-998-5910
Email: ssw.admissions@nyu.edu