A top-10 ranked school, the School of Social Work offers programs leading to the BSW, MSSW and PhD degrees. The BSW and MSSW programs are fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the accrediting organization for undergraduate and master’s level professional social work education.
Social work is a profession that provides opportunities for service to individuals, families, and communities in a variety of diverse settings. Many individuals enter the profession because of the broad spectrum of career opportunities in settings such as private agencies, hospitals, schools, private practice, and local, state and federal government agencies, including the legislature. Bachelor’s level social workers build careers as caseworkers, school social workers, probation officers, community organizers, or program directors. Master’s level social workers have a variety of job titles, including agency director, clinical therapist, crisis intervention counselor, trainer/consultant, geriatric specialist, program developer, policy analyst, and program administrator.
Developed in accordance with the CSWE curriculum standards and policies, the social work program is committed to providing leadership and excellence in social work education. The 60 credit hour Master of Science in Social Work program includes a nine course foundation curriculum required of all students, followed by a sequence of courses in one of two areas of concentration: Clinical Social Work or Administration and Policy Practice (APP). In both foundation and concentration curriculum, experiential learning is provided through internships at select organizations, such as governmental, non-profit, or for-profit agencies in which qualified and competent educational supervision is provided. Course content and field experiences are organized and integrated using a systems/developmental framework and a bio-psycho-social perspective.
Our students and alumni possess a wide array of talents and interests. The rigors of pursuing a degree in social work also provide our graduates with:
- Dynamic problem-solving skills
- A results-oriented attitude coupled with skills in time management, self discipline, and self-motivation
- The ability to work independently and as a team leader or group member
- Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills