Master of Social Work

Return to: Academic Programs Offered at Pacific Oaks College

Basic Program Information

The Pacific Oaks College Masters of Social Work Program (MSW) will draw on its unique context as an institution grounded in its social justice heritage with access to urban, rural, and international practice opportunities, with a purpose to prepare entry-level social work generalists who are capable of culturally appropriate practice across diverse populations. The purpose of such preparation to educate and train social work generalist professionals who will promote social justice and who can ethically integrate the holistic competencies and dimensions as established by Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) in a beginning level social work practice. This foundation will foster the growth of practice wisdom and scientific inquiry with an overarching purpose of enhancing the quality of life in their diverse communities, as culturally intelligent agents of change.  The MSW program will seek to promote well-being, empower and invigorate communities and support a sense of community and family centric models of service and learning. As a strength-based program, it aims to enhance protective factors and prevent the development of problems in communities, groups and families. Grounded in social justice and equity frameworks, individuals will learn how to advocate for change in traditionally underserved communities.  As with most of our other masters degree programs, the field education program will be an integral part of this social work degree, as field placements within the professional curriculum provide students multiple opportunities to develop and apply professional skills which can lead to mastery of professional competencies.

This will be a 60-credit degree program.  It will include 12 credits of Internship courses over the course of four semesters.  Students will complete a minimum of 350 hours of supervised field education in the foundation year, and 550 hours in their specialist year.

This program will be housed in Pacific Oaks College’s School of Cultural & Family Psychology, alongside our 20+ year old CA Board of Behavioral Sciences accredited Master of Arts in Marriage Family Therapy programs, the Master of Arts in Cultural & Family Studies, and the Bachelor of Arts in Community Psychology program.  See CSWE Accreditation Statement below.

• Total Program credits:                  60 credits
• Length of Program: (FT/PT)          FT- 6 semesters (2 years)
                                                        PT- 9 semesters (3 years)
• Delivery Format:                           Online
• Certification:                                 None
• Tuition:                                         PO Graduate Tuitiion

Admissions Requirements

• Demonstrated commitment to the mission and values of Pacific Oaks College
• Completed Application for Admission
• Application Fee
• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
• Resume
• Personal statement
• Official transcripts from all institutions attended
• Two letters of recommendation; one reference must be from a professional source (e.g., supervisor, program or agency director)
• Interview
• Essay for specialization
• Proof of completion of an undergraduate statistics course.
  • Note: Completion of a statistics course is required with a grade of a C or better.  A grade of “C minus (C-)” does not meet this requirement.]

• Verify minimum of 500 hours of any paid or unpaid (volunteering or internship) work with a diverse, vulnerable population. (Example: hospitals, mental health centers, advocacy programs, universities, training departments, treatment centers, churches, care facilities, social service agencies, non-profit organizations, etc.).  May be included on resume with a letter of reference from the supervisor.

Fieldwork Requirements

The primary goal of the Field Education Program is in the development of competent, a generalist (MSW) and advanced generalist social (MSW) workers that demonstrate a reflective and self-evaluative practice guided by professional values of human dignity and social justice.

Interning in the field is often referred to as the “heart of social work education.” The purpose of this Field Education Program is to enable students to receive structured preparation in the discipline of social work practice. By placing students in actual settings under the experienced guidance of staff mentors, students have the opportunity to develop essential competencies in applying social work knowledge, our rigorous social justice values, and skills. Research demonstrates that students consistently remember their field experience as the most important aspect of their social work education and a meaningful relationship with their supervisor is essential for their growth as social workers.

At the master’s level students will complete a minimum total of 900 hours of supervised experience.  Students will work with the Field Education Department and specifically the Field Education Director to complete this requirement.  Students will be enrolled in a number of field education and internship courses that will support the applied learning and integration of knowledge and skills with theory.  Students will take two foundation internship courses and then in their specialized practice year(s) take two advanced internship courses.

Career Outcomes

Overall employment of social workers is projected to grow 11 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. Increased demand for healthcare and social services will drive demand for social workers, but growth will vary by specialization.

Employment of child, family, and school social workers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations. Child and family social workers will be needed to work with families to strengthen parenting skills, prevent child abuse, and identify alternative homes for children who are unable to live with their biological families. In schools, more social workers will be needed as student enrollments rise. However, employment growth of child, family, and school social workers may be limited by federal, state, and local budget constraints.

Employment of healthcare social workers is projected to grow 17 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. Healthcare social workers will continue to be needed to help aging populations and their families adjust to new treatments, medications, and lifestyles.

Employment of mental health and substance abuse social workers is projected to grow 18 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. Employment will grow as more people seek treatment for mental illness and substance abuse. In addition, drug offenders are increasingly being sent to treatment programs, which are staffed by these social workers, rather than being sent to jail.” (Retreived from www.bls.gov on April 5, 2020)

National Association of Social Workers states, “You will need an MSW to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). With this credential, you can provide one-on-one psychotherapy or deliver advanced clinical services. If you want to hold a program management or supervisory position in social work, or work in politics on social justice matters, an MSW is a degree you should earn.” (Retrieved from www.socialworkers.org on April 5, 2020)

Program Need/Rationale

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov) the “Overall employment of social workers is projected to grow 11 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. Employment growth will be driven by increased demand for healthcare and social services, but will vary by specialization.”

Accreditation Statement

Pacific Oaks College is currently in Pre-Candidacy for Accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation.

Pre-Candidacy for a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation indicates that it has submitted an application to be reviewed for Candidacy.  A program that has attained Pre-Candidacy has not yet been reviewed by the Commission on Accreditation or been verified to be in compliance with the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards.  The Council on Social Work Education does not publicly disclose whether programs have currently attained Pre-Candidacy Status until they are granted Candidacy.

Students who enter the program while it is still in Pre-Candidacy will not be recognized as attending a program in Candidacy unless the program attains Candidacy in the academic year in which those students enter.  The Candidacy Process is typically a three-year process and there is no guarantee that a program in Pre-Candidacy will eventually attain Candidacy or Initial Accreditation.  Students who enter programs that attain Candidacy in or before the academic year in which they begin their program of study will be retroactively recognized as having graduated from a CSWE-accredited program once the program attains Initial Accreditation.  Candidacy by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation applies to all program sites and program delivery methods of an accredited program.  Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program.  For more information about social work accreditation, you may contact Accreditation.

This program is accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).