Social Policy Specialization in Social Work Education: A Survey of Graduates

Abstract

This paper reports on the findings of a survey of the first five graduating classes of students from a newly developed specialization in social policy. The survey was undertaken to ascertain students' work affiliations after graduation along a number of dimensions and to compare their situations before and after graduation. We also were interested in assessing whether students were doing in practice what they had been prepared for educationally. The survey findings clearly indicated differences in work affiliations and experiences before and after graduation, and the emergence of a social work-social policy practitioner.