MU-SU Master of Social Work Program

Few occupations can match social work, which offers a wide-range of opportunities and settings. Social workers can be found in public agencies, private businesses, hospitals, clinics, schools, nursing homes, private practices, police departments, courts, and numerous other exciting work settings. Social workers assist individuals, families, and communities. They can be managers, supervisors, and administrators. They work at all levels of government. They are also educators. Social workers are therapists and researchers. And many are also elected political leaders and legislators.

A bachelor's degree in social work will allow you to secure an entry-level position in the social work field. A Master of Social Work (MSW) degree is required to perform most clinical (i.e. therapy) and macro (i.e. administrator) work. Shippensburg University's MSW is a CSWE (Council on Social Work Education) accredited Advanced Generalist program. An Advanced Generalist MSW permits graduates to work in a variety of human service programs and agencies in an advanced clinical and/or administrative capacity. Many other social work programs require an individual to choose a concentration, which normally means choosing between the clinical or macro track. Here are some reasons our students decided to choose Shippensburg University to pursue their MSW:

• Affordable education
• Generalist approach
• Convenient location
• No entrance exam
• Program flexibility
• Advanced standing track option
• Friendly and knowledgeable faculty

The flexibility of the social work degree provides graduates with many options as they pursue their careers in the helping fields. Also, our program seeks to be accommodating to the non-traditional students and individuals working full time; all of our required MSW classes are offered in the evening. Other reasons the MU-SU MSW program is attractive to students include affordable price, generalist approach, year round program and many other reasons.

The majority of students feel positively about the class sizes in the MU-SU MSW program. Students find that the class sizes are big enough for group conversations, but small enough for one-on-one interactions and collaborations. In addition to the interactions students have with one another, their interactions with faculty and adjunct professors are, in general, positive. A majority of students find the faculty to be open, friendly, helpful and good in their communication with students. Additionally, the internship experience that is a part of the program provides real world experience that is necessary, appealing and an opportunity to create positive interactions between the university and the workplace.

New! Advance your social work education with an online MSW taught by the same faculty who teach in the face-to-face program.  Classes are designed for working professionals. Workplace internship options! Classes may meet asynchronously or synchronously one evening per week.

The Department of Social Work and Gerontology at Shippensburg University has been approved to offer an online Master of Social Work (MSW) program. The first cohort will be for students admitted to the  Part-Time Advanced Standing program.  You may start classes in the summer or fall of 2022. To qualify for Advanced Standing, the applicants need to have completed their bachelor’s degree in social work in the last eight years (spring 2015 and later) with an overall grade point average which is 3.0 or higher and a grade point average in social work courses which is 3.25 or higher.  If interested, indicate this choice in your application documents. To learn more about the online program, please write to socialwork@ship.edu.