As the nation celebrates National Social Work Month during March, Southern Adventist University is preparing to introduce the only graduate social work program within a 90-mile radius. The local need for highly qualified social workers is growing as the child protection agency is moving toward accreditation.
“We will be filling a need in education,” said Carl Swafford, dean of Graduate Studies. “This is an area that meets the university’s mission, and it will help meet the needs of people throughout the tri-state area.”
Through live online sessions and bi-monthly in-class instruction, students with a bachelor’s in social work will be able to earn a master’s in one year, or those without a social work undergraduate degree can complete the program in two years.
Students will have a selection of five emphases to choose from: marriage, children and family, international social work, post-traumatic stress and trauma, and gerontology.
“The world changes in a heartbeat,” said René Drumm, dean of the School of Social Work. “We will be innovative and creative in our approach to this master’s degree.”