Preparing Tomorrow's Leaders and Administrators: Evaluating a Course in Social Work Management

Abstract

There is currently a scarcity of social work administrators to lead many nonprofit organizations. Studies show that many social work students have a decreased interest in pursuing leadership roles. This survey research examined 43 recent MSW alumni regarding their intentions of pursuing future leadership positions and how well their macro practice social work administration course prepared them for management. Respondents expressed considerable interest in working in management or leadership roles in the future indicating the course format and lecture material greatly increased their interest in leadership. The implications for social work education are discussed.

Keywords:

• nonprofit management
• social work education
• leadership training
• course evaluation