Children & Youth Curriculum

The curriculum at GSSW is always evolving based on community needs and emerging trends and feedback from the field. The concentration curriculum will prepare you for advanced practice with children and youth. To see a full list of course descriptions, view the GSSW bulletin.

The minimum credits required for the MSW degree are 81 for two-year students and 54 for advanced-standing students. The concentration curriculum is made up of 45 credits, and the rest is comprised of the foundation curriculum. The table below shows a list of required and elective class offerings for the Children & Youth concentration.

Curriculum plans are subject to change year over year.

Area Requirements	Course Offerings
Theory for Practice (3 credits required)	Building Resilience: Healthy Development in Childhood & Adolescence
Methods/Skills (9 credits required)	Practice Elements in Interventions with Children & Youth Positive and Community Youth Development Interdisciplinary Approaches to School, Family, & Community Groups for Children and Adolescents Foundations of Play Therapy with Young Children Assessment of Mental Health in Children and Adolescents Prevention &Treatment of Adolescent Substance Abuse Child and Adolescent Trauma Mental Health Interventions with Children School Social Work Interventions Prevention/Treatment of Juvenile Delinquency & Youth Violence Experiential Therapy Experiential Therapy in Nature Groups for Children and Adolescents
Policy & Program Advocacy (3 credits required)	Policies & Programs for Children & Youth
Research (3 credits required)	Methods for Evaluating Practice & Programs
Values for Practice (3 credits required)	Critical Race Theory Praxis & Social Work Disproportionality & Disparity Across Systems Intergenerational Justice Restorative Approaches in Social Work Social Work Practice with LGBTQIA Communities Spirituality & Social Work Practice Disrupting Privilege and Anti-Oppressive Practice Disability Studies Culturally Responsive Practice with LatinX Social Work Interventions With Latinos/as Global Relations & Poverty in Mexico Social Development in Latin America Conservation SW in Kenya: Context, Empowerment, Sustainability Global Cultural Perspectives: Consensus & Conundrums Bosnia in Transition: The Social Work Response Historical Trauma Feminisms in Social Work Practice Human Trafficking: Prevention, Intervention and Support of Its Victims Human Sexuality Contemporary Global Issues Cultural Connectedness: A Journey Into Native American Country Special Topics (as approved, titles vary)
Electives (12 credits required)	Child Maltreatment: Causes and Consequences Family Systems Theories for Social Work Practices Family Policies and Programs Law of Family and Child Advanced Skills for Working With Military Families Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Domestic Violence Interventions Existential Social Work Mind-Body Connections in SW Practice Cognitive Behavioral Therapies Suicide Assessment and Interventions Students may take elective courses in any of the concentrations. Students may take up to 10 elective credits from other DU graduate programs with approval of advisor & Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Certificate students will use elective slots to fulfill certificate requirements.
Internship (12-15 credits)	Community internship at an organization specializing in children and youth. Learn more about field education.
Capstone (0 credits)	Capstone Project

Are you interested in a career developing positive outcomes for young people?

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