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.
The MSW Program mission is realized through the
goals of the program that prepare master’s social workers for practice and leadership with diverse individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations.
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.
- 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.
The Behavioral Health Integration Project (BHIP) is a federally funded grant project offering MSW students who have an interest in working with rural and/or medically underserved populations the opportunity to receive specialized training in behavioral health integration. BHIP cohort members receive additional training and support, and a $10,000 stipend, distributed over the academic year. All participants are asked to make a commitment to pursuing post-graduation employment in working with or in these communities.
Portland State University is recognized as a national leader in community engagement. Our Master of Social Work program is ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. We are a strong and collaborative program led by world-class faculty, passionate researchers, and dedicated staff. We are here to support and prepare you to alleviate today's critical social problems.
As PSU's motto -- "Let Knowledge Serve the City" suggests -- our students use their education to serve their communities through field-based learning and practice. These experiences provide students with an opportunity to gain social work skills, in a professionally supervised, educationally-based environment. As Oregon's first and only public MSW program, we have over 50 years of experience cultivating relationships with community partners.
We embolden students on their personal and academic journeys with a rich environment to experience and explore. As we grow and innovate our program through more and more flexible course options for gaining your MSW, we are continually developing new relationships with agencies across the state, region, and country.
Our graduates have gone on to launch successful, exciting careers that have real-world impact! Recent graduates have taken positions in a few of the following areas: mental health, substance abuse and addictions, children youth and families, child welfare, policy development and advocacy, community organizing, housing and homelessness, education, criminal justice, health care and health challenges, veterans and military, aging and disability services, organizational and program leadership, equity and human rights, research.