Master of Social Work

Mission Statement

The Master of Social Work Program at California State University, Stanislaus prepares social workers to advance social justice. This education is committed to social change based on an analysis of social, political and economic structures and their impact. This teaching and learning environment enables faculty, students and graduates to collaborate with others to transform the conditions which contribute to privilege and oppression. Graduates are prepared to use an advanced integrative practice approach to work with individuals, families, and communities to promote personal and collective liberation.

Program Goals

1. Prepare professional social workers to engage with diverse populations in a process of critical reflection and action to address oppression and promote social justice.
2. Prepare professional social workers to engage in the struggle to understand and transform their biases.
3. Prepare social workers to use an integrative practice framework for multi-system interventions guided by ethics and informed by research.
4. Prepare professional social workers to assume leadership roles in meeting the social service needs of the region.
5. Create a learning environment based on principles of social justice where faculty and students participate in the development of knowledge that contributes to improving the social conditions of the region.
6. Create partnerships with community constituents based on principles of social justice that allow faculty and students to participate, both as leaders and learners, in the development of social work knowledge and service delivery systems.

The Master of Social Work Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

Admission to the MSW program is based on meeting the general University requirements, plus an evaluation of the applicant's potential for advanced practice in the profession of social work. The program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Students are admitted to a two-year or three-year program in the Fall semester only.

The MSW Program Admissions Committee evaluates each applicant on the basis of all submitted materials and information. Because admission into the MSW Program is competitive and enrollment space is limited, qualified applicants may not be offered a letter of admission but can opt to be placed on a waiting list.