Taiwan’s first social work graduate degree programme will be launched by a US-based research university in August. The USC School of Social Work will offer a Global Master of Social Work degree in community, corporate and organizational development, aimed at preparing students for leadership roles in human services, especially in evolving areas such as corporate social responsibility, social enterprise and globalization of nonprofit organizations.

The first year of the programme will be in Taipei to accommodate students with full time work commitments, while the second year will be spent in Los Angeles to encourage a cross-cultural learning experience. The core curriculum provides a common base of knowledge, skills and values through theories, issues and practice methods that deal with individuals and their environment. The second half of the programme offers advanced training in community organization, planning and administration and work and life concentration areas to help students develop in-depth knowledge and skills in a particular area of service.

The Taipei courses will be taught on weekends by scholars from USC and leading Taiwanese universities, with some classes available through distance learning.

The degree requirements are the same as USC’s flagship MSW program, which include 63 units and 1,050 field internship hours to be completed in both Taiwan and Los Angeles. More than 500 field internships are available in Los Angeles for students to apply what they learn in the classroom in a real-world professional setting with hands-on guidance and mentoring.