The Master of Social Work program strives to prepare students for social work leadership roles in the effort to solve, in partnerships with others, the existing and developing challenges that confront communities in the United States and internationally. Community partnerships, based on a generalist practice model, is the sole focus of the M.S.W. program. Students in the Community Partnerships specialization are educated to advance the needs and capacities of the total community by promoting social and economic justice and maximizing human potential. They are educated to commit themselves to addressing the life circumstances, such as poverty, violence, discrimination, and disparities in social and economic justice that fall disproportionately on vulnerable groups and challenge the spirit of the entire community. This unique focus provides students with the opportunity to learn about social issues facing urban communities through a social and economic justice framework. Our graduates have become leaders in various service delivery sectors including health care, public child welfare services, non profit management, and numerous other contexts. To accomplish the mission of the M.S.W. program, the School of Social Work has set forth these goals: (1) students will be able to think critically and communicate effectively in the application of social work knowledge, skills, and values to community partnerships practice; and (2) students will be able to engage as social work leaders to build and strengthen communities.

Social workers fight for social justice, help children and families, improve connections in communities and improve lives. It’s a noble profession and it can lead to a rewarding career for you. Jobs are numerous, including roles in hospitals, community health centers, schools, homeless shelters, nursing homes and nonprofit organizations. The bachelor of social work will prepare you for entry level work with these types of employers and also will make you ready to enter a master of social work program in the future. Our curriculum is focused on nine competencies that are connected to our accreditation and licensure rules in Georgia.

• You will have a foundation for understanding human behavior in a variety of different contexts and social settings.
• You will practice methods for intervention with individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations, and systems.
• The curriculum is designed to develop your skill in:
  • critical thinking and ethics
  • intervention approaches with diverse populations
  • understanding of human functioning and the social environment
  • practice evaluation and research.

Getting started: You can apply to the BSW program for admission after you completed your lower division classes, which typically takes two years. You can start at Georgia State as an “Exploratory Social Work” status student while you gather the necessary credits and then apply to be a BSW student the spring before your junior year. Your success matters: You will work with the undergraduate advisement center throughout your time at Georgia State to make sure you are enrolling in the correct courses.

The Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) program strives to prepare students for social work leadership roles in the effort to solve, in partnerships with others, the existing and developing challenges that confront communities in the United States and internationally. Community partnerships, based on a generalist practice model, is the sole focus of the M.S.W. program. Students in the Community Partnerships specialization are educated to advance the needs and capacities of the total community by promoting social and economic justice and maximizing human potential. They are educated to commit themselves to addressing the life circumstances, such as poverty, violence, discrimination and disparities in social and economic justice that fall disproportionately on vulnerable groups and challenge the spirit of the entire community. This unique focus provides students with the opportunity to learn about social issues facing urban communities through a social and economic justice framework. Our graduates have become leaders in various service delivery sectors, including health care, public child welfare services, non profit management and numerous other contexts.