Colleges
University of Southern California School of Social Work
Among the 10 best social work graduate programs in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report, the USC School of Social Work has always been a trailblazer, helping shape innovation in education, research and community services. Our faculty and alumni have led change in school systems, mental health programs, child and family services, personnel departments and governmental organizations. We prize our entrepreneurial spirit, which is characteristic of USC as a whole.
Our flagship Master of Social Work (MSW) program, the largest in California, provides advanced preparation for a career serving those in need. We train social workers who will provide life-enhancing services, just as we develop leaders who will influence policy to create a more just and humane world.
Field education, an integral part of the MSW curriculum, exposes students to the broad field of social work and the diversity of populations and treatment issues. We employ community agencies as learning laboratories, enabling students to put to use what they learn in the classroom in a professional setting. More than 500 social-service agencies, government entities, schools, hospitals and businesses throughout Southern California participate. Upon graduation, students will have completed 1,050 hours of hands-on training.
Students also can participate in the ultimate field experience through one of the school’s cross-cultural study-abroad trips. These experiential learning opportunities can help students gain a deeper understanding of other cultures and other models of social service in international settings. Past participants have traveled to the Philippines, Puerto Rico, China, Israel and the United Kingdom.
New this year is a military social work specialization within the MSW program. The first of its kind at a major research university, the program prepares students with the skills to help America’s armed forces personnel and their families manage the stresses of war. The curriculum utilizes a series of classes, interactive training and community internships to prepare students to become trained mental health professionals familiar with unique mental health, physical and transitional concerns of active duty members, veterans and their families.
The school also offers a PhD in social work, specifically suited for highly motivated, self-directed individuals interested in a career in university teaching and research. Students pursue their own in-depth course of study within an active research environment that emphasizes growth.
Curriculum:
The Master of Social Work curriculum is designed to prepare competent and knowledgeable social workers who can provide leadership in complex and culturally diverse urban settings. The first half of the curriculum involves students taking classes that provide a common base of knowledge, skills and values by introducing theories, issues and practice methods that deal with individuals and their environment. The second half offers advanced training in a choice of one of five concentrations and five optional sub-concentrations. Course work and field education enable students to focus on career interests and develop in-depth knowledge and skills in a particular method, population or area of service.
Our newest sub-concentration – military social work – prepares students to help the nation’s armed forces personnel, military veterans and their families manage the pressures of military life and post-war adjustments. Course work emphasizes the military as a workplace culture, managing trauma and post-traumatic stress, clinical practice with military families, and preventative care and health management in military settings. Students are also expected to complete an internship in a military hospital, base family services unit, vet center or a Veterans Affairs department.
Career Services:
The USC Career Planning and Placement Center offers career services for students, as well all members of the Trojan Family, including career counseling, workshops, company profile events, career panels, internships, job listings and searches and career fairs.
Within the School of Social Work, our Office of Professional Development and Alumni Relations offers multiple resources and strategies for developing career plans, creating a resume, preparing for an interview, finding jobs, networking with alumni and making successful career transitions. Among the resources available to students are workshops, one-on-one mentoring, networking events, job postings and continuing education opportunities. The school also encourages graduates to join the Social Work Alumni Association to stay connected and to tap additional career resources.
Office of Admission (MSW Program)
Social Work Center, Room 114
University Park Campus
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0411
213.740.2013
applymsw@usc.edu
Address:
USC San Diego Academic Center
16870 West Bernardo Drive, Suite 200
San Diego, CA 92127
University Park Campus
Montgomery Ross Fisher Building
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0411
Number of Locations: 4
University Park Campus in Los Angeles, Orange County Academic Center in Irvine, Skirball Academic Center in West Los Angeles and San Diego Academic Center in Rancho Bernardo
Links to College Catalog, schedule, website, and testimonies:
USC School of Social Work Website
www.usc.edu/socialwork
USC School of Social Work Viewbook for the MSW Program
http://sowkweb.usc.edu/docs/currentstudents/06reference/bulletinsingles.pdf
USC School of Social Work Bulletin
http://sowkweb.usc.edu/docs/currentstudents/06reference/bulletinsingles.pdf
The USC School of Social Work seems to be a challenging course that will only admit students that are serious enough to get into this field and excel. It offers fantastic programs and courses and support to its students as well. That’s the reason its among the 10 best social graduate programs in the U.S.