Learn how to improve social services and urban conditions for people and communities in Southern California and across the nation.
Why study Social Work?
Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. Clinical social workers also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral and emotional issues. Now more than ever, there's a dire need for experienced social workers – professionals able to compassionately address a disparate and evolving set of issues. Not only here in Los Angeles, but all over the world.
With this degree, you can uplift those in your community and make a real difference in the world around you.
Why study Social Work at CSUN?
The urban setting of CSUN's graduate-level social work program supports its focus on urban community practice. Based in the heart of Los Angeles County’s San Fernando Valley, our program gives students the opportunity to work with vulnerable and at-risk populations and cultivates an appreciation of the planned-change process.
Unlike many social work programs, CSUN’s Master of Social Work expands students' career possibilities by offering a generalist approach. The curriculum also enables students to gain the skills and perspective to work at any level: individual/family (micro); group/community (mezzo); and societal/policy (macro).
This program is offered through self-support. Visit Tseng College for more information.
What You'll Learn
This master’s degree, which is often ranked among the best in the country, promotes the wellbeing of urban communities. Through its curriculum, participants learn how to assess a community’s needs from the inside, in large part through active listening. In addition the classroom study, the program features a substantial practicum education component. A keystone of graduate social work, practicum education enables students to practice the program’s concepts and methods in a variety of situations. It's where theory, practice, policy and research move from the abstract to the applied.
Instead of lessons in a textbook, you'll learn through the lived experiences of real people and communities. This augments what is learned in class, providing the robust foundation necessary for success in advanced social work practice.
Careers & Outcomes
CSUN's MSW degree prepares students for careers as direct service providers, administrators, community advocates, counselors, policy makers, researchers, supervisors and service workers in a wide variety of settings, including community and government organizations, health care centers, schools and more.
Additional Information
This program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).