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Social Work, M.S.W.
Graduate Degree
Program Overview Request Info Program Highlights Featured Courses Career Opportunities Admission Requirements
Program Overview

Designed for working professionals who have a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or a bachelor’s degree in a related field such as counseling and psychology.

The Master of Social Work (MSW) Program at Marshall consists of two different tracks:

MSW Generalist Curriculum – This two-year curriculum promotes a generalist perspective in which the simultaneous impact of many systemic levels (individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities) on clients’ lives is critically analyzed and recognized.

MSW Advanced Curriculum – Advanced Social Work Practice: The advanced practice curriculum seeks to develop the use and application of critical thinking, relative to behavioral health, on all levels: in reading professional writing and research; in students’ practice; in the classroom and in the students’ own thinking.

The Area of Specialized Practice program option for the MSW is Behavioral Health. The program is available at Marshall’s main campus in Huntington, WV, via in-person classes.

The Behavioral Health specialization prepares students to conduct clinical social work practice in assessing, treating and evaluating mental health, substance abuse and physical health in relation to one another across practice settings. A focus throughout the specialization is on understanding the multiple factors that influence health disparities and best practices to increase health equity, particularly for marginalized populations. There is a special emphasis on effectively serving vulnerable populations with multiple needs.

View Program Overview and Curriculum
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Program Highlights
Flexibility

Regular full-time students can expect to graduate within two years, and advanced standing students will be able to complete the program in one calendar year. Part-time options are available to master’s in Social Work students who cannot attend full-time classes.

Accreditation

Marshall’s MSW program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The CSWE is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the United States.

Social Justice Focus

The Marshall University Department of Social Work affirms its strong commitment to human rights and social justice. The MSW degree program represents Marshall’s unflinching commitment to the values of pluralism that have been crucial in weaving the strong fabric of our civil society.

Featured Courses
SWK 551 - Foundations of Field Practicum
This course is part of the field practicum experience where students are supervised in a social welfare agency for 400 clock hours. Building on foundation practice skills, students will apply knowledge, values, and skills to the generalist practice experience under the supervision of a licensed social worker.
SWK 615 - Psychopathology
The purpose of this course is to provide students with a solid foundation for understanding psychopathology and provides the knowledge for psychological diagnosis in clinical social work practice.
SWK 673 - Family & Community Violence
This course provides content covering various types of violence through the lifespan. Specifically, child abuse, school violence, juvenille violence, family violence, workplace violence, and elder abuse will be analyzed and discussed. The course will consider the risk factors, current policies, practices and interventions with vulnerable populations.
View All Courses
Career Opportunities
Graduates from the Marshall University Department of Social Work have an excellent track record in finding employment in the Social Work field. Marshall’s Social Work MSW alumni work in hospitals, mental health centers, shelters for battered women and numerous other human service agencies. There continues to be a growing need for social workers in the tri-state area and nationwide.
  • Mental Health
  • Substance Abuse Treatment
  • Schools
  • Prisons & Other Criminal Justice Facilities
  • Child Welfare
  • Medical Settings
"Marshall has been my dream school since high school. I love the spirit of the teachers and students."
Tamara Buchanan , Charleston - MSW '23