Department of Social Work Education
M.S.W., Master of Social Work
Dr. E. Jane Middleton, Department Chair
Dr. Mitzi Lowe, Graduate Program Coordinator
- Program Objectives | Program Requirements | Our Graduate Students | Financial Support | Faculty | Quick Facts
Program Objectives
In a complex social environment, the needs of people vary from the routine and procedural to the challenging and emotional. At all levels, the individuals trained and prepared to meet those needs must be compassionate and proactive in response to socioeconomic conditions.
The Department of Social Work Education is dedicated to serving the needs of special populations of individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. As members of a practice-oriented profession, the graduates of our program will deal with social concerns that range from societal oppression to individual emotional states and behaviors. The social work practitioner is taught to help at-risk populations, which typically include people of color, women, people who are recent refugees, aged, poor and/or homeless, children and adults who are abused/neglected, and people who have chronic mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, physical illnesses or disabilities, abuse substances, or who engage in criminal activities.
Our department offers a master's degree in social work (MSW) and is designed to educate advanced social work practitioners who can meet complex client needs within diverse public and private human service settings and who can perform in a variety of roles using multiple social work practice methodologies. This course of study prepares the student – the learner – for advanced social work practice at multiple levels of intervention, as well as for doctoral study in social work and related human service disciplines.
Program Requirements
The Master of Social Work (MSW) program at California State University, Fresno offers an advanced concentration in multi-systems social work practice. It is organized around a semester system with a concurrent field model. This model is one of the special strengths of the program, as it integrates classroom and field experiences.
The curriculum is designed to prepare social workers for agency and community-based practice and for informed, active participation as social workers and citizens who are compassionate to human needs.
The degree is a 60-unit program built on a foundation of three important ethical dimensions:
- A commitment to social justice,
- Culture competence, and
- An empowerment perspective.
With this ideological perspective established, students can expect the coursework to have similar theoretical orientations. Students will take required foundation and advanced graduate courses in social welfare policy, diversity, human behavior, research, and practice; in addition to completing an original independent study project, or master's thesis. Students will also complete a minimum of 1000 hours (approximately 2 to 3 days per week) of field instruction (internship) over two years, arranged according to the concurrent model.
Our Graduate Students
During the past five years, the M.S.W. program has maintained the highest percentage of ethnic minority student enrollment of any master's degree program at our university. Over 50% of our graduate student body are people of color. The M.S.W. curriculum is structured as a full-time program. The full-time student can complete the M.S.W. degree requirements in 2 years. A limited number of part-time students are admitted each year; these students can complete the degree requirements on a 3 or 4 year plan.
Alumni from the M.S.W. program go on to gratifying careers in the areas of Human Services, Child and Family Services, and Mental Health. Graduates have also gone on for doctoral degrees, with the goal of becoming university professors and/or researchers.
It should also be noted that the employment of social workers has been projected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2014 (U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2007-08). This is in response to the needs of a diverse and aging population, especially in Central California and the rural county areas.
Financial Support
There are a number of grants and scholarship programs available to those students who qualify. The Title IV-E Child Welfare Social Work Training Program has provided stipends to over 40 graduate students during the current academic year. The Public Mental Health Services training stipend program provides 1 year of support to full-time students who plan a career in public mental health services. In addition, our graduate students have received academic awards and recognition such as graduate teaching assistantships, funds from the Graduate Equity Fellowship Program for Underrepresented Students, the Patricia Roberts Harris Fellowship, the Division of Graduate Studies Research and Travel Grants, California Pre-Doctoral Program Awards, The Association of University Women Scholarship Award, Hispanic Excellence Scholarships, and Thomas Brigham Scholarship Fund Awards.
Program Objectives | Program Requirements | Our Graduate Students | Financial Support | Faculty | Quick Facts