George Fox University will be the only faith-based institution in Oregon and one of just three in the state to offer an MSW.
PORTLAND, Ore. (Sept. 1, 2014) – Applications to George Fox University’s new Master of Social Work (MSW) program will be accepted beginning in October in advance of the graduate degree program’s launch in the fall of 2015.
Prospective students will have between October 2014 and March 2015 to submit their application information at georgefox.edu/social-work. George Fox will be the only faith-based college or university in Oregon with an MSW program and one of only three institutions in the state to offer the degree.
The MSW is a 60-credit-hour, two-year program. Students who already have a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) from George Fox University or another program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) can apply for admission to the MSW’s Advanced Standing program, which enables full-time students to complete their MSW at George Fox in 10 months.
The MSW builds on the successful foundation of George Fox’s BSW program, which is accredited by the CSWE.
“An important piece of our mission is that our students serve with passion, and this degree aligns with that mission,” said Cliff Rosenbohm, director of George Fox’s School of Social Work. “We stress the integration of Christian faith and the highest standards of social work scholarship and professional practice, with the goal of training leaders to be professionally prepared and globally engaged.”
The first year prepares graduates for generalist social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. In the second year, graduates are prepared for advanced levels of social work practice in one of two concentrations: direct practice with families, children, individuals and groups, and community practice with an emphasis on organizations, community empowerment and program development.
Consistent with the university and program mission, both concentrations incorporate themes related to the ethical integration of personal beliefs and competent professional practice. Both stress the importance of working with diverse spiritual and religious beliefs, practices and organizations; meeting human needs; and seeking social justice locally, nationally and globally.
The MSW program will include extensive internships in social work agencies and programs that match the students’ choice of concentration and their personal interests. On-site supervisors with appropriate social work degrees from accredited social work programs will supervise internships.
The two-year MSW program will include a minimum of 900 clock hours of supervised internship – at least 450 hours in the foundation year and at least 450 hours in the concentration year. The Advanced Standing MSW program will include at least 450 hours of supervised internship.
George Fox’s MSW program has been in consultation with the CSWE, the national body charged with the accreditation of professional social work programs. A CSWE commissioner visit is scheduled for November 2014 to review the program for candidacy. The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities has given approval for the development of this Master of Social Work degree program.
Classes will be held at the university’s Portland Center, located at 12753 S.W. 68th Ave., in Portland, Ore. To learn more, visit georgefox.edu/social-work or call 503-554-6097.
George Fox University is ranked by Forbes among the top Christian universities in the country and is a Christian college classified by U.S. News & World Report as a first-tier regional university. More than 3,700 students attend classes on the university’s campus in Newberg, Ore., and at teaching centers in Portland, Salem and Redmond, Ore. George Fox offers bachelor’s degrees in more than 40 majors, degree-completion programs for working adults, six seminary degrees, and 11 master’s and doctoral degrees.
Contact:
Cristina Schmitt
Admissions Counselor, Master of Social Work program
George Fox University
503-554-6097
