Social Work

Overview

It takes more than a good heart and a desire to help. To make a positive, lasting impact, a social worker must possess knowledge, values, skills and competencies. At Pacific University, we provide our students with the tools they will need to become professional social workers. Together, we will work towards creating a better world.

Students in the Social Work program of Pacific University Oregon have two pathways to admission — MSW programs in Eugene include a full, two-year MSW program and an advanced standing program for students with a bachelor of social work degree. The MSW advanced standing program is also available on the Forest Grove Campus.

Pacific’s MSW programs offer an advanced practice degree based on the purpose of the social work profession—to promote human and community wellbeing. Practical field education is designed to promote the application of social work values and ethics, theory, and skills to practice. The professor to student ratio at Pacific allows for individualized instruction and mentoring and both locations provide opportunities to explore social work practice in both rural and urban settings.

The MSW program is accredited (2017–2021) by the Council on Social Work Education. Pacific's Master of Social Work is part of the Claire Argow Social Work Program, along with the Bachelor of Social Work.

Careers & Outcomes | Master of Social Work

After Pacific | Professional social workers work to establish social and economic justice, prevent conditions that limit human rights, eliminate poverty, and enhance the quality of life for all persons.

To a social worker, it's not just a job— it's a calling. Social workers help individuals function better within their environment but also work on changing the environment so that it works better for individuals and families. This is one of the defining features of the social work profession and one of the reasons that social workers are passionate about their profession.

Social workers are employed in a wide variety of settings including schools, hospice, substance abuse treatment centers, domestic violence agencies, hospitals, criminal justice settings, services for children and families, homeless shelters, nonprofit organizations, advocacy organizations, services for military veterans, organizations serving older adults, and mental health.

In fact, throughout the nation, more social workers deliver mental health services than any other profession. Wherever we find poverty or substance abuse, wherever mental and physical health challenges limit people from realizing their true potential, and wherever we see social injustice and oppression, that’s where you’ll find social workers.