A master’s degree in social work from PSU will prepare you to challenge systems of oppression, build racial equity and social justice, and embark on a fulfilling career as a social worker. The Portland State University School of Social Work is ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and is the only public MSW degree offered in Oregon accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Throughout our 78 credit (46 for advanced standing) curriculum, you will acquire skills to work with individuals, as well as groups. You will also use social theories to analyze how service users, as well as social work practitioners, are empowered, and sometimes constrained by community and organizational structures. Completion of the program prepares MSW social workers to provide advanced practice and leadership in: clinical mental health, communities and/or organizations, healthcare and aging, and services to children and families.

The mission of the Portland State University MSW program is to educate students for advanced leadership and practice that recognizes and dismantles systems of oppression; builds racial equity and social, political, and economic justice; and advances the well-being of diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and tribal nations. We endeavor to deliver a social work education that is critically informed, theoretically driven, empirically supported, reflexive, ethical, vigilant and resistive to colonial, heteropatriarchal, classist, and white supremacist agendas.

Program Options

We are proud to offer social work classes with enough flexibility to make it possible for you to gain your social work degree when and where it’s convenient. The MSW Program is a 78-credit program (Advanced Standing – 46 credits) which can be completed in Portland, Eugene, Central Oregon or Online. The curriculum combines coursework and 900 hours of practicum education (500 practicum hours for advanced standing).

• Online: The MSW Online option offers a dynamic learning opportunity, using online curriculum, innovative teaching techniques, and student-directed learning in a structure that supports family, work, school, life balance. The online option offers Two-Year and Three-Year programs. 
  • Our online program is available in 49 states (excluding Colorado). Due to specific program requirements, we are unable to accept applicants who will be residing in Colorado during the duration of the academic program.
• Portland: The MSW Portland option offers Two-Year, Three-Year, and Four-Year programs at our campus in downtown Portland, Oregon. 
• Eugene: The MSW Eugene option is conveniently located in downtown Eugene, Oregon, within the University of Oregon Baker Downtown Center. This site draws students from all areas of Oregon including Lane, Linn, Benton, Douglas and Coos counties. The Eugene MSW Option follows a three-year curriculum. 
• Central Oregon: The MSW Central Oregon option is located at Central Oregon Community College in Bend, Oregon. The Central Oregon Option is three years in duration, with classes held all three years on Fridays from 9 am to 5 pm. Years two and three add two additional days of field practicum in one of the area's many social service agencies. 

MSW Specializations

While completing the MSW Portland Program, students have the option of completing a specialization training within the MSW Program or participating in a certificate program or dual-degree program.

The School Social Work Licensure track offers a course of study that will lead to the Oregon Preliminary School Social Work License. The Preliminary School Social Work License is designed for students who wish to pursue work as a social worker in k–12 schools upon graduation from the MSW program.

The Graduate Certificate in Gerontology is an interdisciplinary course of study offered in collaboration with the Institute of Aging in the College of Urban and Public Affairs. Current MSW students please contact your advisor to add the gerontology certificate to your degree plan.

The Master of Public Health/Master Social Work Dual Degree option offered in collaboration with the OHSU—School of Public Health offers two tracks: Health Management and Policy Track, or Health Promotion Track.

The Culturally Responsive Child Welfare Education Program assists students pursuing their Master of Social Work degree by providing tuition assistance and educational support. Those admitted can receive up to $10,000 per academic year toward their tuition if they agree to work for the Oregon Department of Human Services in public Child Welfare or tribal Child Welfare upon graduation. Students may also participate in the Culturally Responsive Leaders component of CRCWEP to prepare for leading equity work within Child Welfare.

In today's increasingly complex world, PSU's masters and doctorate degrees in systems science prepare you to understand and address high-impact problems that have proven resistant to traditional problem-solving methods.

Systems ideas and methods support innovative approaches to areas as diverse as climate and environmental science, urban studies, energy, transportation, education, public health, management, finance, national security, and engineering. These ideas and methods also promote creativity and productivity in the full range of intellectual pursuits taken up in academia.

In our program, you will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, learn a rich set of concepts, theories, and methods for understanding complex systems, and enhance your research, decision-making, and leadership abilities.

We offer the only Systems Science program in the State of Oregon, and our alumni have gone on to successful careers in industry, government, nonprofits, and academia, with positions ranging from analysts and senior leadership to professors.

Serve the city and your community with a graduate degree in sociology. Portland State’s graduate programs in sociology will challenge you to improve people's daily lives and society more broadly through community engagement and policy-relevant research.

We offer two graduate programs: 1) A Non-Thesis M.S. program for students seeking to work in applied research or other positions requiring M.S.-level qualifications and a 2) A Ph.D. program for students seeking careers in academia or applied research requiring Ph.D.-level qualifications (students earn an M.S. on the way to the Ph.D. in this program).

Our programs provide opportunities to explore the most important issues in society, gain expertise in the theoretical and practical skills you need to conduct meaningful research and prepare for a career where you can help improve the world we live in. Our department has five primary areas of concentration: health and medicine; environmental sociology; sociology of education; sociology of gender; and law, criminology, and deviance. 

Our small classes and cohort sizes will ensure you have the support you need to succeed, from your first term to graduation and on into rewarding careers in the field.

Our graduates have found work in research and service positions in government, nonprofits, private industry, and academia.

We offer two Master of Architecture degree options — a two-year Master of Architecture, for those with a four-year-pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture, and a three-year Master of Architecture, for those who hold an undergraduate degree in any discipline. These two programs provide an educational experience rooted in the poetics of materials and the communication of cultural meaning, speculations on the pleasures and dilemmas of contemporary city dwelling, and the potential of architecture to promote social transformation for the common good.

The M.Arch incorporates a series of design studios taken alongside courses in advanced technology, theory, and the profession, followed by a year-long individual design thesis project. The M.Arch is a two-year professional degree accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board.

The 74-credit curriculum takes two years to complete; the 134-credit curriculum takes three years to complete.

Are you curious about other languages and eager to help learners succeed as they use English? Do you want to work to remove language barriers in society? Our graduate program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) will prepare you to work with people from different languages and cultures and encourage positive change in societies.

With a master’s in TESOL, you’ll gain the skills you need to teach English in the U.S. or abroad, or work in other language-related careers. Graduates of our program have gone on to find jobs in immigrant services, test development, literacy program administration, international student advising, interpretation and translation, and program evaluation, as well as in teaching.

You can also use this degree as preparation for doctoral studies in Applied Linguistics, Linguistics, and other language fields.

PSU's MA TESOL also offers specialized academic tracks so that you can pursue your goals with more flexibility:

• The Teaching track prepares students for teaching, providing them with the knowledge and skills to be an effective, adaptable teacher.
• The Applied Linguistics track prepares students for language-related careers outside the classroom.
• You can also choose between a thesis or a culminating experience portfolio to complete your degree. A thesis allows you to pursue a topic in-depth and do your own original research, while the portfolio allows you to polish your projects, resume, and writing samples from the program, so you'll graduate ready for job interviews.

In our two-year program, you will gain practical skills as well as develop a thorough knowledge of how humans use languages and how you can analyze interactions. Unlike some programs that just train you in specific teaching techniques, PSU's program provides you with a foundational skillset, so you can figure out for yourself how to be effective in new contexts.

PSU’s Art and Social Practice MFA defines what it means to be an artist in society. In our three-year, flexible-residency program, you’ll combine individual research, group work, and experiential learning to find new ways to engage with your art and the community. Our program’s blend of critical and professional practice, progressive pedagogy, collaborative social engagement, and transdisciplinary exploration produces an immersive educational experience.

We encourage you to shape the direction of your education as you connect your art practice to research in the field of Social Practice through elective coursework and community partnerships, promoting cross-disciplinary engagement.

Graduating students each produce a public graduate project, a publication exploring a relevant connection to their practice, and a public artist lecture that surveys their work in the program.

Take the next step towards your future as a professional scientist with a master’s in chemistry. Our esteemed faculty model innovative pedagogy in the University’s state-of-the-art teaching labs and classrooms, and provide access to unparalleled research and support facilities. Combining original research with advanced coursework in various disciplines of chemistry, our programs in chemistry provide opportunities for unique and collaborative research.

We offer graduate work leading to the following degrees: Master of Arts or Master of Science; Master of Arts in Teaching or Master of Science in Teaching (Science); Ph.D. in Chemistry.

Advance your career in Portland’s “Silicon Forest” with one of the best Computer Science graduate programs in the Pacific Northwest. Our innovative M.S. and Ph.D. programs are designed for impact, combining rigorous coursework with deep research to prepare you for the future of technology.Through department events and network connections, you can build relationships at major tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Intel.

The Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice’s campus-based Master of Science degree program provides students with a unique opportunity to study crime and the criminal justice system in a vibrant urban setting. Working closely with CCJ’s core faculty, students develop a tailored program to meet their individual academic needs and career goals. The degree is optimized for students to complete in six academic quarters (two years), but the program is flexible enough to allow for a longer timeline if needed. Through coursework, collaboration with faculty, peer interactions, and community-based learning experiences, students graduating from the program are prepared to assist criminal justice agencies, problem-solve, and give informed solutions to crime and justice issues.

It's time for you to start thinking bigger and more broadly about communication. Our two-year graduate program can make that happen. Earn your Master’s in Communication and become a competent professional and interpersonal communicator.

In the Communication program, you will work one-on-one with faculty mentors who are experts in social science research. You’ll be guided as you develop your own communication and research skills to create positive future change and influence global dialogue. As an MS student at Portland State, you can tailor your Communication degree to help you achieve your next goal.