WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ

The Master of Social Work (MSW) program at Monmouth University prepares students for careers dedicated to improving the quality of life for vulnerable individuals, families, and communities worldwide. Fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), this sixty-credit program is a dynamic and challenging sequence of focused courses and valuable fieldwork.

Students can attend full-time or part-time, and classes are scheduled to meet the needs of working adults. For those who want to enter the field of social work attuned to the complex issues of human rights, human diversity, and social justice, students can choose from two concentrations: Practice with Families and Children, or International and Community Development.

Practice with Families and Children is a “micro” orientated concentration that examines problems experienced by individuals and families. Through a selection of strengths-based approaches, the concentration works to address family- and child-focused concerns across levels of need, from poverty and homelessness to communication and interpersonal counseling.

Additionally, this concentration at Monmouth University is the only MSW program in New Jersey providing course work that fulfills the educational requirements for state licensure as a clinical alcohol and drug counselor (LCADC). Also, through a joint program with the School of Education at Monmouth University, MSW students in the Practice with Families and Children concentration are able to complete the required credits for the New Jersey Department of Education licensure as a school substance awareness coordinator (SAC).

The International and Community Development concentration is a “macro” option targeting change at the community, regional, and global levels, and it is the only such concentration available in North America. In the International and Community Development concentration, assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation skills particular to working with larger groups and in an international context are developed.

Students focus in detail on the application of theory and research particular to the practice of international and community development. Students have completed six- and eight-week field placements with the United Nations, refugee and immigrations service programs, non-governmental organizations, and more in a wide variety of locations including Ghana, Bangladesh, Chile, Latvia, Canada, and Switzerland.

The Monmouth University Master of Social Work program is further enhanced by the newly created dual degree program (Master of Social Work and Master of Divinity) with Drew University. The program allows students to complete both their graduate social work and theological degrees in four years. A new post-master’s certificate program in play therapy is an opportunity for mental health professionals (MSN, MSW, MA, or MSEd) to learn play therapy skills to better communicate and work with clients, especially children.

The 18-credit certificate program fulfills the 150-hour educational requirement and the 500-hour experiential learning requirement of the Association for Play Therapy. Students who complete the requirements are automatically eligible for Registered Play Therapist (RPT) certification. Classes are offered on either Saturdays, Sundays, or both.

Students with a baccalaureate degree in social work from a college or university accredited by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) can apply for advanced standing. Advanced standing students complete the MSW in one year by taking thirty credits and fulfilling the second-year field practicum of 500 hours in a specialized area of concentration.

Part-time students can complete the sixty-credit program in four years and the advanced standing program in two years. The Graduate School at Monmouth University has an enrollment of about 1,700 students. Specifically designated faculty members provide the core instruction to Monmouth’s graduate students. No classes are taught by graduate assistants.

Class sizes are small—on average, about twenty-two students. Monmouth University is a private, mid-sized university offering 20 graduate and 28 undergraduate degree programs with various concentrations, tracks, and minors available. The University offers a blend of rich tradition and advanced technologies across its 156-acre campus located in a convenient, safe, suburban setting one mile from the Atlantic Ocean.

The campus is approximately one hour from New York City and Philadelphia, with both easily accessible by public transportation.

For more information visit www.monmouth.edu.