The graduate certificate program in trauma treatment is only intended for currently admitted Social Work graduate students. This program provides students with the coursework and practical experience needed to provide trauma-specific, evidence-based interventions, and trauma-informed programming and policy development.

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus

Nashville Campus

Distance Education

Graduate Certificate Type

Add-On

Admissions Standards/Procedures

• To be admitted to this program, students must submit a departmental application during the spring semester prior to their concentration year.
  • The departmental application includes a brief personal statement describing reasons for participating in the program, professional career goals, and a tentative schedule for the elective courses the student would like to take.
• The application deadline is February 1st.
• Advanced standing students should apply within two weeks after admission to the MSSW program.
• Entry into the program is on a first serve basis. Students should apply early if interested.
• Students selected for admission must be formally admitted to the certificate program by submitting an application through the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Credit Hours Required

21 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

• Three Trauma Courses (9 credit hours)
  • SOWK 531  (3 credit hours)
  • Two of the following:
    • SOWK 529  (3 credit hours)
    • SOWK 533  (3 credit hours)
    • SOWK 534  (3 credit hours)
    • SOWK 535  (3 credit hours) 
  • Students may petition the Trauma Treatment Chair to substitute another trauma-based graduate course for second or third elective

Additional Course Requirements

• 12 credit hours in a trauma-specific field placement (i.e., a placement in which more than half of the student’s time is spent working with traumatized clients client systems).
• Trauma treatment students are required to elect a concentration field placement that has the opportunity to focus on work with and/or on behalf of populations experiencing trauma. The field placement must be approved by the MSSW Field Coordinator.
• Trauma treatment students will develop a field learning plan in preparation for their concentration field that focuses on trauma-specific learning. The learning plan will include trauma-specific learning goals.

Non-Course Requirements

To receive the certificate, students must:
1) complete the Graduate Certificate Course Verification Form (located on the Graduate School webpage under the Forms Central tab) and
2) through MyUTK, apply to graduate from the certificate program.