Millersville and Shippensburg universities are jointly offering a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree program. It is designed for students who want to either further their education in social work or join the social work profession. The program was developed to support both the full-time student and the working professional. State-of-the-art technology permits students to acquire social work knowledge, skills, and values through multiple educational methods, teleconferencing, and web-based activities. Because this is a joint program, students benefit from the quality faculty and resources of both universities.

The MSW permits graduates to work in a variety of human service programs and agencies in an advanced clinical and/or administrative capacity. The flexibilityof the social work degree provides graduates with many options as they pursue their careers in the helping fields. 

The MSW program is available in-person and online. We offer full-time and part-time options. Online students complete their practicum requirements in their local geographic area. 

Dual Degrees

MSW + MSEM

A dual-degree option is available for students in the MSW program who wish to also obtain a Master of Social Work and Master of Science in Emergency Management. Students seeking a dual degree in MSW/MSEM will need to complete the full curriculum in the MSW program (which is 36 or 60 credits). 

This joint program allows students in the MSW and MSEM programs to pursue a joint graduate degree.  Students will need to apply and be admitted to both programs in order to pursue this joint degree. It is not required that the student be admitted to both programs at the same time.

BENEFITS OF THE JOINT PROGRAM: 

Social work offers research informed practice interventions in relation to emergency management planning, prevention and response, specifically in the fields of mental health and trauma, as well as trauma informed interventions.

Social work research in emergency management includes findings on: traumatic stress, vicarious trauma and burnout, disaster volunteers, vulnerable populations, organizations and interorganizational networks, environmental disasters, as well as human made disasters, and cross-cultural and interactional issues in disasters, and improved measurement and theory.

Emerging trends in social work research and practice point to this need as a result of the impact of traumatic events such as the COVID 19 Epidemic, earthquakes, mass shootings, hurricanes and war.

APPLICATION PROCESS

MSW + MEd in Sports Management

A dual-degree option in MSW/M.Ed. in sport management will need to complete the full curriculum in the MSW program (which is 36 or 60 credits). 

This degree program will provide an understanding of the need of social workers in athletic settings, give students knowledge of the social factors affecting athletes of all levels, develop skills to administer and develop athletic programs or facilities and discuss current perceptions of student athletes. Graduates will also gain an increased awareness of the issues regarding athletes and sport management, provide an awareness of opportunities for policy adjustments and applications of research findings, and will highlight social work values and ethics in examining the issues of professional and amateur athletes as they relate to race, ethnicity, national origin, class, gender, physical or mental disability, mental illness, and age.

Students will learn emerging trends in working with athletes of all levels, in clinical and counseling settings and will gain knowledge and skills related to athletic programs, and/or venue management. Students will also have the opportunity to develop methodologies for working with athletes in a number of areas, such as career counseling, life skills development, substance abuse prevention, advocacy, recruitment and transitioning to a post athletic career.

Students will understand the emerging trends in social work and sports management that point to this need to include mental health awareness in athletics. Students will conduct and become aware of research related to the issues athletes face on and off the playing field, specifically in the fields of mental health and trauma. A program combined with Social Work and Sports Management will allow students to obtain a firm grounding in both disciplines, along with the ability to secure practicums or internships in either profession.

Certificates

MSW + School social Worker certifiCation

The School Social Work certification is designed to prepare social work 
students with the required knowledge, skills, and expertise to “support 
the academic, career and personal-social development needs” of 
diverse, vulnerable, and at-risk PreK-12 students and their families. In the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the School Social Work certification is 
required by school districts.

MSW + Home and School Visitor

The Home and School Visitor Certification is designed to provide students 
with the required knowledge and skills to work collaboratively in a school 
setting at all systems levels.

MSW + Expressive Arts

The Expressive Arts certificate will provide students with the required 
knowledge and skills around the use of the arts (e.g., music, theater, art, 
dance/movement, storytelling) to apply to their practice with various 
groups and at all levels of practice. Additionally, upon completion of the 
certificate and then a subsequent 200-hour internship, students will be 
eligible to apply as a Registered Expressive Arts Therapist.

MSW + Advanced Children, Youth, and Families

The Advanced Children, Youth, and Families Certificate is for students 
enrolled in or who have completed a master’s degree in Social Work 
to provide culturally competent services to vulnerable children and 
families through a range of public and private agencies at various levels 
of practice. The focused curriculum includes coursework on clinical skills 
to work effectively with children and their families to promote positive 
outcomes, and macro skills and strategies to develop productive change 
in service delivery systems.

Mission

The mission of the Millersville University and Shippensburg University Collaborative MSW Program is to promote human and community well-being by providing an advanced generalist social work education that prepares students to be contemporary practitioners and advocates for individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations utilizing the person in environment perspective. We prepare students to be competent, globally responsive evidence-informed practitioners, committed to social, racial, economic, and environmental justice and human rights, which are rooted in the values of the social work profession. 

program Goals

The MU-SU program seeks to: 

1. Prepare graduates for competent advanced generalist practice through the acquisition and demonstration of social work competencies and values consistentwith Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) educational policy andaccreditation standards and Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

2. Provide graduates with the advanced generalist knowledge values and skills for social work practice across micro, mezzo and macro systems to assess, planand facilitate change with attention to the profession's commitment tointerprofessional collaboration.

3. Develop graduates’ commitment to continued evidence-informed professional development and prepare graduates to practice human rights-based social workthat promotes social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.

Accreditation

The Millersville-Shippensburg MSW program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The program has continuously been accredited since its inception in 2006. The accreditation validates that the program meets national standards for social work education as determined by experts in the field. Practitioners must have graduated from a CSWE-accredited social work MSW program to be eligible to apply for licensure in Pennsylvania.

Admission Classifications

The program is designed both for students who have no previous social work education and for those who want to build upon their baccalaureate social work education. Students will be admitted full- or part-time. Students have the option to attend in-person or online.

Applicants may apply for regular-standing admission or for advanced-standing admission. Regular-standing admission is for students who completed a baccalaureate degree with a major from other than a CSWE-accredited social work, and for students who graduated from a CSWE-accredited social work program but do not meet the requirements for advanced standing. Applicants may apply for advanced standing  admission if they have graduated from a CSWE-accredited social work program withinn the past 8 years and meet the requirements as described in the admission guidelines.

Admission Guidelines

Candidates may choose to apply through either Millersville or Shippensburg University. Applicants for regular-standing admission must have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale from a regionally accredited undergraduate institution. In exceptional cases, applicants who lack the required grade-point average should contact the MSW Program Director to discuss their options.

Applicants for advanced-standing admission must have earned a baccalaureate degree within the last eight years from a CSWE-accredited social work program with an overall GPA of 2.8 and a major GPA of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

Students who graduated with a baccalaureate degree from a CSWE-accredited social work program who are not eligible for advanced standing may be eligible for exemptions from first-year generalist courses in which they have earned a grade of B or higher within the past eight years. Exemptions will reduce the total number of credits a student must earn to graduate. The Admissions Committee will send a letter notifying the applicant of the exemptions.

Students who do not otherwise qualify for advanced-standing status may be exempted from certain generalist courses under strict guidelines as outlined in this section. Students may not be exempt from practice or field placement coursework. With the exception of practice and field instruction courses, students who earned a grade of B or higher within the past eight years in courses that were part of a CSWE-accredited social work program are eligible for exemptions from first-year generalist courses with similar content.

Applicants must evidence a combination of professional and personal experiences, qualities and values that are considered essential for the practice of social work. A current résumé is required. Three professional references are required, preferable with a minimum of one from a faculty member and one from a current or recent agency employer or supervisor. Applicants for advanced standing are required to submit an additional reference from the department chair of their undergraduate program. Applicants will complete a written personal statement. Application forms are available on the graduate studies website, www.millersville.edu/apply/graduate. The program may request a personal interview or additional information about an applicant when necessary to make a fully informed admissions decision.

Persons who have some criminal records may not be eligible to work in some human service fields. Applicants with criminal records should contact the MSW program director for additional information.

Students may receive or transfer credit for up to nine credit hours earned at other regionally accredited institutions prior to admission. Graduate credits earned more than five years prior to admission do not qualify for transfer. Students may only transfer credits if they are in good standing in those schools. Courses must be listed on an official transcript with a B or higher. Condensed one-week graduate courses do not qualify for transfer.

With advance permission of the faculty advisor, program director and Dean of Graduate Studies and Adult Learning, and as part of a planned program, a student may transfer credits from other graduate programs at Millersville University or Shippensburg University. Forms for the approval process of transfer of credits are available at www.millersville.edu/gps/studentlife. The program does not grant academic credit for life or work experience.

Degree Requirements

Students with regular-standing admission must complete 60 credits of graduate study, including 39 credit hours of required coursework, 12 credit hours of field practicum and 9 credit hours of electives. BSW graduates with regular admission status may receive exemption for some coursework, as per admission guidelines.

Students with advanced-standing admission must complete 36 credits of graduate study, including 18 credit hours of required coursework, including a “bridge” course, 6 credit hours of field practicum and 12 credit hours of electives.

All required courses must be taken in sequence. The 60-credit in-person program can be completed in two years full-time (four courses a semester) or four years part-time (two courses a semester) or in 3 years with either Generalization or Specialization Year completed on a full-time basis. The online 60-credit program can be completed in two, three or four years. The 36-credit in-person program can be completed in one year full-time or two years part-time. The online 36-credit program, can be competed in one or two years. Both programs are year-round, with each new cohort starting in the summer term.

Degree Candidacy

A formal admission to the degree candidacy process takes place after a minimum of 12 credits have been completed. Millersville-Shippensburg MSW faculty members evaluate students to determine if they have the potential for completing the requirements of the social work program. Qualifications are based on academic performance in line with University standards and demonstrated ethical behavior, values and commitment to social work as a career. The social work faculty has the right to dismiss from the program at any time students found not qualified for social work practice.