Boise State University’s School of Social Work has begun accepting applications for a new online Master of Social Work (MSW). The program received Idaho State Board of Education approval in August and will begin in spring 2016.
The MSW program will be completely online. The MSW program will be completely online. It is designed to provide access to education and training for those who find the school’s traditional face-to-face MSW programs in Boise, Coeur d’Alene, Lewiston and Twin Falls less feasible due to geography or demands, such as work or caring for family members.
“The Boise State University School of Social Work has a long history of developing programs to meet the needs of students and citizens of Idaho,” said Randy Magen, director of Boise State’s School of Social Work. “We are excited about how technology has enabled us to deliver a high quality online MSW program that takes advantage of the expertise of our full-time faculty.”
The online MSW is not cohort based, rather students can be admitted and begin coursework three times over the academic year (fall, spring and summer). Full time students will be able to achieve an MSW in two years (61 credits) or, for those with a bachelor’s degree in social work, 16 months (37 credits). Part-time enrollment options also are available.
The curriculum is organized in the following categories: social work practice, human behavior in the social environment, research, policy, and electives that allow students to tailor their education to their area of interest. Field work is the most unique of the MSW program requirements. All MSW students must participate in field practicum internships. Students work in the field practicum for 400 hours their first year and 600 hours the second year.
The MSW program, including the online program, is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Boise State University is the only public university in Idaho with an accredited MSW program. In addition, Boise State’s Master of Social Work program was recently ranked top in the nation for its superior value, according to a survey conducted by Graduateprograms.com.
The employment outlook for graduates of the MSW program is excellent. According to the United States Department of Labor, “Overall employment of social workers is projected to grow 19 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations.”
Faculty and staff involved with the program include:
- Randy Magen, PhD, MSSW, professor and director
- Robin Allen, PhD, MSW, associate professor
- Donna Deason, administrative assistant
- Sonja Enger, LCSW, Coeur D’Alene Asst. MSW coordinator
- Stephanie Gilbert, MSW, Twin Falls BSW coordinator
- Jaime Goffin, LCSW, Twin Falls field coordinator
- Denice Goodrich-Liley, PhD, LCSW, associate professor
- Daniel Harkness, PhD, LCSW, professor
- Royce Hutson, PhD, MSW, associate professor
- Bonnie Kenaley, PhD, LMSW, RN, associate professor
- Sue Martin, ACSW, LMSW, C-SSWS, Lewiston MSW coordinator
- Raymond Mullenax, LCSW, director of field education
- Nicole O’Reilly, PhD, assistant professor
- Ellie Pierce, administrative assistant
- Michelle Pospichal, MSW, Twin Falls assistant MSW coordinator
- Joelle Powers, PhD, associate professor, MSW coordinator
- Alyssa Reynolds, LCSW, scholars coordinator
- Cynthia Sanders, PhD, MSW, professor, BSW coordinator
- Heath B. Walters, PhD, LICSW, ACS, Coeur D’Alene MSW coordinator
- Nate Williams, PhD, LCSW, assistant professor
Potential students can review the Admission Process webpage to learn how to apply for the program. Learn more at: https://www.boisestate.edu/online/online-master-of-social-work/.
With this program, Boise State will offer 22 online degrees or certificate programs at the graduate level in fall 2015. Student interest in our programs is also noteworthy. The number of student enrollments in graduate level online programs has grown 62 percent in the past 5 years. Enrollments in all online graduate courses has grown 61 percent during the same time frame. Visit the eCampus website for more information about Boise State online programs.