Master of Social Work

Prepare to Advocate for Individuals and Families With a Master’s Degree in Social Work

The Master of Social Work (MSW) program at Grand Canyon University (GCU) is designed to teach students the skills to apply social work principles, values and ethics when helping individuals, families and communities overcome various social and behavioral health issues. This program focuses on an advanced generalist social work practice to help shape the social work practitioner to provide a wide range of services and engage with multiple populations of any type and size.

Students are taught to actively:

    Engage in social justice issues affecting diverse individuals, families, communities and organizations
    
    Employ evidence-based practice, strategies and interventions
    
    Develop research, analysis, critical and creative thinking, decision-making and leadership skills.

Developing these skills gives social work professionals the opportunity to diagnose and treat issues, as well as provide access to resources to help improve the lives of at-risk populations. If you are passionate about people and seek a career path that engages in social and economic justice for vulnerable populations, consider a future in social work. Undergraduates can look at our Bachelor of Social Work degree.

Benefits of GCU's Master's Degree in Social Work

GCU incorporates its Christian worldview and values into its programs, which teaches Master of Social Work students to perform ethical work and apply servant leadership practices. Based on Christian principles, the curriculum helps empowers students to lead with kindness, compassion and justice for making a difference in the lives of others.
 
Master of Social Work
Online MSW Program

Designed with the working professional in mind, the online Master of Social Work at GCU offers courses through an online digital learning platform, allowing for added flexibility and convenience. During the program, you will have access to knowledgeable instructors, learning resources and opportunities to network with peers in the field.

For those who require flexibility but prefer to learn in a classroom environment, courses are also available through evening classes on campus. Whether you take courses online or on campus, this program incorporates multiple supervised field experiences so students can gain the required hours for licensure.

MSW Program Mission

To promote innovative and responsible leadership in the social work profession by educating students to become agents of social change with the goal of social and economic justice on a local, national and international level. Students will be taught to address the needs of diverse populations through service, advocacy, empowerment, theory analysis, program and practice evaluation, multidisciplinary collaboration and integration of social work values.

Course Topics in the Master of Social Work Program

By earning a master’s in social work, students have the opportunity to pursue advancement within the social justice profession. As a student, you are taught to become a professional, practitioner and advocate who can work alongside those who are struggling and help them live a more fulfilling life.

Develop Skills for Helping Others Manage Crisis Situations

Diverse human experiences can help shape underserved populations that may include abuse, addiction, oppression, marginalization, alienation, racism, socioeconomic disadvantages and other hardships such as disability, addiction, trauma and mental illness. Social workers help support those who suffer from issues such as these, while battling inequalities and injustices that individuals face. This is a role for pursuing social justice and driving reform, as well as providing therapy, counseling, case and clinical management services, and other resources to help meet the needs of others.

To prepare for crisis situations and helping people overcome hardships, the master’s in social work teaches competencies in these domains:

    Ethical and professional behavior
    
    Diversity and difference in practice
    
    Human rights and social, economic and environmental justice
    
    Practice-informed research and research-informed practice
    
    Engaging, assessing, intervening and evaluating practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities

CSWE Accreditation

Grand Canyon University’s Master of Social Work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education Commission on Accreditation (CSWE).

This program has been developed to adhere to the social work standards and competencies established by the CSWE. This program of study is also designed to meet the academic requirements for Licensed Master Social Work (LMSW). Licensing requirements may vary from state to state. It is the students’ responsibility to check the licensing requirements in their respective state.

1 COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 and 2021 may be atypical compared to prior years. The pandemic may impact the predicted future workforce outcomes indicated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as well. Accordingly, data shown is effective September 2022, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Social Workers, retrieved on Jan. 17, 2023.

2 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Social Workers as of May 2021, retrieved on May 25, 2023. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 and 2021 may be atypical compared to prior years. The pandemic may also impact the predicted future workforce outcomes indicated by the BLS. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers from across the country with varying levels of education and experience and does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as social workers. It does not reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country. It also does not reflect a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. You may also wish to compare median salaries if you are considering more than one career path. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, and accept employment from, determines salary not only based on education, but also individual characteristics and skills and fit to that organization (among other categories) against a pool of candidates.