Master of Social Work Degree
Program Options: Full- and Part-Time
Tuition: $6,410
Acceptance Rate: 50.4 percent
GRE Required: Yes
1-Year/Accelerated Option: Yes
Campus Visits Required: Yes
Field Hours: Two Year-long practicums
CSWE Accredited: Yes
Application Deadline: Fall – August 1; Spring – December 1; Summer – April 23
See our ranking of the Top 10 Affordable Social Work Online (MSW) Degrees.
Overview
Founded in 1913 as a normal college for women with a mission to educate teachers, Valdosta State University is the result of hard work by a group of local legislators and concerned civic leaders who fought for the establishment of an institute of higher learning, a battle that began in 1906. At the time, Valdosta was a prosperous cotton city situated near the Florida state line, midway between Alabama and the coast of Georgia. Although approval for the new school was received in 1906, there was no funding appropriated until 1911. That year, the city raised $50,000 and the state appropriated $30,000. Colonel W.S. West donated land that now comprises the main part of the campus for the new school.
The school opened with three college freshman, as well as 15 students who attended a training school to prepare them for college-level work. Students were required to wear uniforms and paid $10 per year for tuition. Room and board which included laundry was $12 per year additional. In 1922, the school became a four-year college and the name was changed to Georgia State Woman’s College. By then, enrollment was 402 undergraduate students and 108 in the preparatory school.
The Great Depression was difficult for the school and the training school, which was very popular in the surrounding area, was ordered closed in 1933 by the Chancellor. Teacher training was drastically deemphasized for about five years. The establishment of the New Deal helped the school recover financially and expand. During World War II, the school’s curriculum focused on politics and science. Many extracurricular activities centered on projects related to the war effort, such as metal drives, USO dances, Red Cross activities and a War Bond Scholarship campaign. Servicemen from nearby Moody Air Force Base were permitted to attend the patriotic events at the school, which was still a female-only school.
In 1950, the school became co-educational and was renamed Valdosta State College. Elaborately costumed festivals that were common on the campus were discontinued and replaced with events that appealed to both men and women. By 1956, men outnumbered women on the campus, many returning from the war and taking advantage of the G.I. Bill. African Americans were admitted in 1963. The school became Valdosta State University in 1993.
Today, more than 11,200 students attend Valdosta State University.
Strengths
The Department of Social Work at Valdosta University offers an online Master of Social Work that is divided into multiple tracks to fit the needs of many different students. There is an Advanced Standing option for candidates who have already earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Work. The program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and prepares students for a professional career as a social worker. The program includes a generalist curriculum, providing students with a broad understanding of the social work field and preparing them for a wide range of careers.
Students have the ability to gain hands-on experience through My Friend’s House and South Georgia CARE-NET, two programs that are sponsored by the Valdosta State University Social Work Department. My Friend’s House provides a safe place for those who are affected by Alzheimer’s disease and dementia while CARE-NET works toward finding new and innovative methods for supporting caregivers, both formal and informal. There is also a study abroad program to Mexico that allows students to be immersed in the culture, take classes and visit social work sites.
Concentrations
The Master of Social Work at Valdosta University does not offer any concentrations. The program is a generalist program that provides a broad understanding of the social work field.
Program Requirements
Students gain an understanding of the values and ethics necessary to work as social workers in an ever-changing field. Students develop skills and knowledge that prepare them for work with individuals, families, organizations, and communities. The program is available in an on-campus full-time format that takes two years to complete or a part-time, attending classes that begin at 5 PM. There is also a web-based hybrid program that requires students to attend five intensive weekend courses on campus each semester with the remainder of the courses provided online.
Admissions Requirements
Students must complete an online application and provide an official transcript from all colleges and universities attended. Students must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution with a liberal arts base. A minimum 3.0 GPA in the last two years of undergraduate study is required and students must have earned a “C” or better in all prerequisite undergraduate courses. In addition, students must have a 2.5 overall GPA in undergraduate studies. Students who already hold a master’s degree must have a 3.0 GPA in all graduate work. Students must provide either GRE or GMAT official scores. Students must score an 800 combined in verbal plus quantitative or a 400 verbal and 3.5 analytical on the GMAT. If the GMAT was taken after July 2011, students must have earned a 286 combined verbal plus quantitative score or 146 verbal and 3.5 analytical. The minimum accepted score for the GMAT is 390.
Students must complete the MSW Supplemental Application and must provide three references from professionals who are familiar with their academic or professional background.
Faculty
Dr. Mizanur Miah, Social Work Department Head, earned his Masters in Public Health from the University of California at Berkeley and his Master of Social Work at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He served as a Commissioner on the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education for three terms and was Director of the School of Social Work at Southern Illinois University Carbondale for 11 years.
Areas of interest and research of other members of the faculty include:
- Chronically and Persistently Mentally Ill Adults
- Complexity Theory and Social Work
- Family Violence
- Integration of Macro, Mezzo and Macro Practice
- Loss and Mourning
- Military and Veterans
- Narrative and Solution-Based Therapy
- Older Adults
- Policy and Social Work Practice
- Postmodern Practice Approaches
- Practicing Professional Social Work in South Georgia to Improve the Quality of Life
- Social Administration and Organization
- Social Work Education and Field Education
- Social Work History
- Social Work in Healthcare Settings
- Social Work Philosophy
- Social Work Theory
- Spirituality and Social Work
- Strengths Perspective
- Violence and Trauma Faced by Social Workers in their Workplace
Online Courses
Courses required for the Master of Science in Social Work Administration and Community Practice include:
- Advanced Practice I – Individuals
- Advanced Practice II – Families
- Advanced Practice in Organizations and Communities
- Advanced Research and Program Evaluation
- Advanced Social Welfare Policy and Practice
- Generalist Practice I Individuals and Families
- Generalist Practice II Organizations and Communities
- Gerontology
- Human Behavior in the Social Environment I & II
- Introduction to Professional Social Work Education
- Issues in Substance Abuse
- Psychopathology and Assessment for Non-Medical Helpers
- Research and Evaluation Methods in Social Work
- Seminar on Loss and Bereavement
- Social Welfare Policy, Problems, and Services
- Social Work Practice in Health Settings
- Social Work Practice in Schools
- Social Work Practice with Abusing and Neglecting Families
- Social Work Practice with Groups
- Special Topics in Social Work
- Spirituality in Social Work Practice
- Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Practice
Courses required for the Advanced Practice Master of Social Work include:
- Advanced Practice I – Individuals
- Advanced Practice II – Families
- Advanced Practice in Organizations and Communities
- Advanced Research and Program Evaluation
- Advanced Social Welfare Policy and Practice
- Gerontology
- Grant Writing in Human Services
- Introduction to Professional Social Work Education
- Issues in Substance Abuse
- Orientation to Advanced Generalist Practice
- Psychopathology and Assessment for Non-Medical Helpers
- Seminar on Loss and Bereavement
- Social Work Practice in Health Settings
- Social Work Practice in Schools
- Social Work Practice with Abusing and Neglecting Families
- Spirituality in Social Work Practice
- Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Practice
Contact
Dr. Felicia Hilson, Director of Admissions and Recruiting
Phone: 229-249-4864