Department of Social Work

FINAL EXAMINATION POLICY FOR MSW GRADUATION

The Final Examination consists of an approximately one and one half hour oral exam. Students are expected to make a presentation to the examining committee that addresses advanced generalist practice and its relationship to their course work, field experiences, social work ethics, and future career.  The Masters Portfolio will also be used by the Examining Committee as a basis for questions.  The Examining Committee consists of two Social Work Faculty members.  The primary reader is the student’s advisor.

Use these procedures for scheduling the oral examination:

1. Check the Graduate School’s coursework balance letter (that you’ll receive by email, 6-8 weeks after your Application for Degree Form is processed by the Graduate School) and clear up any incompletes or errors.  If you did not graduate within the time period indicated in your balance letter, you must contact the Graduate School in the Twin Cities as indicated in the letter.

2. Confer with your advisor to make a joint decision that you are ready for the examination.  Keep track of deadlines for scheduling this exam in order to be eligible to participate in commencement ceremonies.

3. Ask the Student Support Assistant, to schedule a room for your oral exam.

4. The Student Support Assistant will give your advisor the Masters Project Approval and Transmittal Form prior to or on the day of the final examination.  The primary readers sign off on the approval and transmittal after your final revisions are done and your revised Master’s Project is turned into your primary readers.

5. The format for the exam is as follows:

            Fifteen — twenty  minute oral student presentation addressing the following areas:

• Social Work practice and theory within the advanced generalist model.

• Advanced generalist practice and its relationship to the student’s course work, field experiences, Masters Portfolio and future career.

• Social Work values and ethics (including an example of a professional ethical issue you have faced).

• Brief overview of the Masters Project.

You are permitted to bring written notes outlining the presentation.

Twenty-five to forty minutes of questions by the Committee for the purpose of clarification and elaboration.

            Five to ten minutes — Committee makes it decision.

            Ten to fifteen minutes — Feedback to you.

When you schedule your oral exam with the Student Support Assistant you will be sent  an electronic evaluation form.  You are to give the completed evaluation to your primary reader the day of your orals, and send an electronic evaluation to the DGS.

7. Your presentation/discussion will be evaluated based on whether it is effective, organized, relevant, informative, thorough, and clear.

8. You may be asked to make further revisions on your Masters Project or to submit additional written materials prior to final approval. Revisions should be submitted to your advisor. When satisfactory revisions have been made, your committee members will sign the Masters Project approval form.  Your grade for the Advanced Practice course must be changed from an incomplete in order for you to clear for graduation.

9. Your official graduate date will be the last working date of the month in which you completed all program requirements.

10. In case of failure, unanimous consent of the Examining Committee is required to retake the final examination.

MSW Students

Please come to your oral exam with written feedback on your experience in the program.  We use this feedback to make changes that continually improve the quality of education for our students.  At the end of your oral exam, after you have been informed that you have passed, you will need to give your first reader a hard copy of feedback on the following two questions.  You will also need to email the Lynn Bye, Director of Graduate Studies an electronic copy at lbye@d.umn.edu. Lynn Bye, Director of Graduate Studies will remove all identifying information from the email feedback so that all that is kept for the record are the student comments.

From your experience, what are the strengths of the UMD MSW program?

From your experience, what can we do to strengthen the program?

Student Checklist for Final Oral Exam

_____  Submit the “Application for Degree” form to the Graduate School.  You must file this on or before the first working day of the month you wish to graduate.

_____  Check the Graduate School’s coursework balance form (that you’ll usually receive 6-8 weeks after your Application for Degree Form is processed by the Graduate School) and clear up any incompletes or errors.

_____  Confer with your advisor to determine readiness for your Final Exam.

_____  Contact your Examining Committee to schedule a time.

_____  Ask the Student Support Assistant to reserve a room for your exam.

_____  Obtain approval from your advisor to distribute copies of your Masters Portfolio.

_____  Distribute the Masters Project to your Examining Committee.

_____  Prepare a presentation for the final oral examination.

_____  Complete the written evaluation form you received electronically and  give to your primary reader the day of your Oral Exam.

_____  If revisions are requested in the Master Project subsequent to final exam, submit these as soon as possible to your advisor.

Important:  The official transcript showing the award of your degree will be available at the Office of the Registrar approximately two – three weeks after your official graduation date.  You will be mailed your diploma approximately three months after your official graduation date.  Be sure you have your current mailing address online.  Your diploma is mailed from the Twin Cities campus and they will mail your diploma to the address which is on your “Application for Degree” form.  If you now have a different mailing address you need to email gsmast@umn.edu and send your name, Student ID# and current mailing address.

Celebrate!!  You deserve it!