2026-2027 Academic Catalog and Student Handbook
Master of Social Work
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Return to: Academic Programs Offered at Pacific Oaks College
Total Credit Hours Required
60 Credits
Maximum Allowable Transfer Credits
A maximum of 18 credits of graduate-level transfer credits can be accepted from an Institutionally accredited MSW program approved by the CSWE. Coursework from non-MSW programs may be considered, under unique circumstances, with the approval of the Program Director. In all cases, official transcripts, course syllabi and a copy of the course catalog from the former program should be submitted to the admissions office at the time of application to be considered for transfer credits. Upon application to the MSW program, the request for transfer credit review must be initiated, reviewed, and determined prior to enrollment in first semester courses. Field education courses are ineligible for transfer credit.
Program Admissions Requirements
Program-Specific Admissions Requirements can be found here: Admissions Policies
Master of Social Work Admissions Criteria at Pacific Oaks College
All prospective candidates for the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree program at Pacific Oaks College are required to submit the following documents and materials to be considered for admission:
- Application for Admission (one application that grants simultaneous admissions to Pacific Oaks College and the MSW Program)
- Application Fee
- Résumé,
- Curriculum Vitae, or Work & Volunteer Summary Personal Statement
- Official transcript from an Institutionally accredited college or university showing date of bachelor degree conferral
- Two letters of recommendation; one reference must be from a professional source (e.g., supervisor, program or agency director).
- Verification of a minimum of 500 hours of any paid or unpaid (volunteering or internship) work with a diverse, vulnerable population. (e.g., 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 or with a letter of reference from the supervisor.
- Proof of undergraduate statistics course
Note: Completion of undergraduate statistics is required with a grade of C or better. A grade of “C minus (C-)” does not meet this requirement. Interview with member of Pacific Oaks College Social Work Faculty Applicants who indicate English is not their primary language on their application and who do not have a conferred undergraduate degree from an accredited school where English is the primary language of instruction must provide one of the following as proof of English proficiency:
Official score report from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) showing a minimum cumulative score of 79 (score must be no more than 2 years old). Official score report for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a minimum cumulative score of 6.5 (score must be no more than 2 years old). For additional acceptable forms of proof of English proficiency, please contact POinternational@pacificoaks.edu.
All applicants are required to pay the application fee. All personal statements must be a minimum of 500 words and a maximum of 1000 words to be acceptable. Personal statements that do not meet or that exceed length requirements will not meet minimum criteria. Personal Statements that do not respond to the required prompt will not meet minimum criteria. Applicants for the Master of Social Work degree program must respond to the following prompt in their Personal Statement: 1. Describe two challenges in your life you have experienced. Explain what those challenges mean to you and how those challenges will help you pursue your professional goals at Pacific Oaks College. Lastly, explain how you will contribute and uphold the Pacific Oaks mission and core values during your course work and professional development.
Applicants who have completed their undergraduate education at a foreign (non-U.S.) institution may be required to submit a foreign transcript evaluation along with their undergraduate transcript. Evaluations of international academic history must meet the following criteria to be acceptable: Official copies of foreign transcript evaluations may be accepted in lieu of original copies of transcripts if the transcript evaluation is received by Pacific Oaks College directly from the evaluation service or provided to Pacific Oaks College by the applicant in an unopened/sealed envelope. The transcript evaluation must include: A detailed report (course-by-course evaluation), a U.S. degree equivalency, a U.S. Grade Point Average (GPA) equivalency, approved transcript evaluation agencies are: A verifiable current member of IEE, or A verifiable current member of AICES (Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc.), or A verifiable current member of acceptable foreign transcript evaluation agencies approved by the State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing**** Applicants who have not satisfactorily demonstrated completion of undergraduate statistics may still be given an offer of acceptance. In such cases, the applicant’s offer of acceptance will be contingent upon completion of undergraduate statistics as a progression requirement at Pacific Oaks College.
Advanced Standing Option
Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree in social work from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)-accredited school of social work earned within the past five years are eligible to earn a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree in just 12 months through the MSW Program’s advanced standing program. The advanced standing program is the process and mechanism through which applicants can bypass the first-year foundational requirements. Advanced standing students will earn the MSW degree full time in three semesters. Please refer to specific requirements in the Admissions Requirements section of this Catalog.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition and Fees for the College and individual programs can be found here: Financial Aid and Student Accounts Policies .
Basic Program Information
The Pacific Oaks College Master of Social Work Program (MSW) draws upon 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 generalist social work practitioners who are capable of culturally appropriate practice across diverse populations. The purpose of such preparation is to educate and train MSW students who promote social justice and who can ethically integrate the holistic competencies and dimensions as established by Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) within a Generalist level of practice. This foundation fosters the growth of practical wisdom and scientific inquiry with an overarching purpose of enhancing the quality of life in diverse communities as culturally intelligent agents of change.
The MSW program is designed to develop social workers who invigorate communities by utilizing community engagement and client centered models of service and learning. As a strengths-based program, the MSW program aims to enhance protective factors that support recovery and resiliency in individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations. Grounded in social justice and equity frameworks, the MSW program recognizes the importance of supporting the development of effective advocacy skills for those who seek to elicit chance in traditionally underserved communities. The Pacific Oaks College MSW program is a 60-credit degree program. Consistent with social work and our other master’s degree programs, MSW field education is an integral part of social work training. As the signature pedagogy, field placements within the professional curriculum provide students multiple opportunities to develop and apply knowledge and skills leading to a mastery of social work competencies. Students must complete 900 hours of supervised field education experience. Along with the field placement hours, the curriculum has 12 credits of field courses over four semesters. Students must complete the following, 450 field hours during their 1st year in the field; 450 field hours for their 2nd year equaling a total of 900 field hours. The student must complete these hours prior to graduation.
The MSW program is housed in Pacific Oaks College’s Department of Social Work alongside our Council on Social Work Education-accredited Bachelor of Social Work program. Review our program’s accredited status in CSWE’s Directory of Accredited Programs. For more information about social work accreditation, contact CSWE’s Department of Social Work Accreditation
Length of Program
Please refer to the program course and delivery section found here: Academic Calendar
Delivery Format
Online
Number of Admit Terms per Year:
Online: 3
Certification
None
Fieldwork Requirements
The MSW Program at Pacific Oaks College is proud to offer a quality field education experience to eligible MSW students. These opportunities help student interns develop CSWE professional competencies in the fundamental teachings around the Generalist Practice of social work through the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Field education is the signature pedagogy of the social work profession. Additionally, social work is an applied profession that requires an emphasis on planned practice as a vital component of the educational process.
The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), along with Pacific Oaks College & the MSW and Field Education Programs, require MSW students to complete field internships as a part of their curriculum. Generalist Practice students must complete 900 field hours during four semesters in a field internship under the supervision of a qualified field instructor and/or preceptor. Advanced standing MSW students (who have previously obtained a BSW) will spend 550 hours over a two-semester internship.
The internships are intended to offer students the opportunity to integrate and apply classroom learning to practice situations. Students are enrolled in a concurrent field internship and seminar course designed to develop the relationship between applying theory to practice.
Eligible MSW students must complete all prerequisite courses, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0, and has no academic disciplinary actions; see prerequisite courses listed:
PREREQUITES FOR FIELD EDUCATION:
Students accepted into the MSW program must complete the required course of prerequisites to become eligible to apply for field education. Students must complete the courses outlined below:
Advanced Standing (With a BSW Degree)
Career Outcomes
The social work profession is projected to grow by 6% through 2034, which is faster than the average for all occupations. In 2024, there were approximately 810,900 social work jobs, highlighting the significant scale of this vital profession. With the right credentials, your earning potential is strong, as licensed clinical social workers earn a median annual salary of $94,158. The greatest demand for social workers is in the mental health and healthcare sectors, offering clear paths for specialization. A Master of Social Work (MSW) and state licensure are the most important factors for advancing your career and increasing your salary.
What is the driving demand?
Two long-term forces are behind much of the growth. The first is population aging. As more older adults need help navigating health systems, long-term care, benefits, family support, and end-of-life planning, demand rises for healthcare and geriatric social workers. The second is the increased need for mental health and substance abuse services. More people are seeking support; employers and schools are paying closer attention to behavioral health, and healthcare systems are integrating social workers into care teams. This makes social work especially relevant in settings where emotional, medical, financial, and family stressors overlap. (Retrieved from www.research.com on July 6. 2026, “Social Work Job Outlook and Employment Trenda Through 2030”).
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).
Potential careers with a MSW degree:
- Administration and Management
- Advocacy & Community Organizing
- Aging
- Child Welfare
- Developmental Disabilities
- Environmental
- Health Care
- International Social Work
- Justice and Corrections
- Mental Health and Clinical Social Work
- Mental Health and Substance Use Social Work
- Occupational & Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Social Work
- Policy & Planning
- Public Welfare
- Research
- School Social Work
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- Non-Profit Program Manager/Program Director/Executive Director
- Child & Family Services Supervisor
- Grant Writer
- Medical Social Worker
- School Social Worker
- Mental Health/Substance Abuse Counselor
- Policy Analyst
Prospective Student
This program is held in an accelerated online modality, therefore prospective students should be willing to engage in online coursework, have internet and access to a computer. Prospective students will need to choose between the Full-time 2-year (six semester) program or the Part-time 3-year (nine semester) program by the time of admission.
Disclaimer: Students who need to move from the Full-time program to the part-time program due to personal circumstances may not be able to move back into the full-time program due to prerequisites, course sequences, etc.
Accreditation Statement
The Pacific Oaks Master of Social Work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). This accreditation is a testament to our commitment to providing a high-quality education in social work. Our CSWE accreditation represents our MSW program’s dedication to preparing our MSW students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in the social work profession and is a symbol of our program’s excellence and adherence to the highest standards of education and practice.
An accredited program has sufficient resources to meet its mission and goals and demonstrate compliance with all sections of the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). Accreditation applies to all program options, which include locations and delivery methods. Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program.
Review our program’s accredited status in CSWE’s Directory of Accredited Programs. For more information about social work accreditation, contact CSWE’s Department of Social Work Accreditation.
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