Social Work, M.S.W. (Online/Hybrid): 51AV, Greater Cincinnati Region

Program Type: Graduate (Fully Online & Hybrid Program Delivery Options)

Degrees Awarded: Master of Social Work

Demonstrate leadership and social work values in your profession and community by earning the Master of Social Work from 51AV. In this CSWE accredited, clinical program, you will be empowered to advance social and economic justice and graduate ready to improve the quality of life for all people. The MSW program will strengthen your ability to meet your clients’ needs by providing you with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively diagnose and treat patients from a psychological and therapeutic perspective. With an emphasis on clinical behavioral health and community practice, you will learn to engage in professional practice at multiple levels with a wide variety of evidence-informed interventions.

The MSW curriculum provides the option to add micro-credentials in the areas of trauma-informed care, forensic social work, and gerontology. Our courses will provide you with opportunities to develop, understand, and apply assessment and treatment models in settings such as community mental health centers, hospitals, residential and day treatment facilities, child welfare agencies, and advocacy organizations, to name a few.

Guided by the , our faculty and staff are passionate about social work, community engagement and advocacy, your learning experience in the program, and your success in the field post-graduation. Our faculty areas of research and clinical expertise include trauma, interpersonal violence, food insecurity, aging and mental health, gerontology, international social work, direct practice, policy, research, team-based pedagogy, clinical diagnoses, forensic social work, and more!

Students earning an MSW degree are eligible to pursue a master’s level social work license (i.e. Licensed Clinical Social Worker or Licensed Independent Social Worker).

Graduates of this program can pursue career paths in:

Clinical social work/mental health counseling
Substance abuse treatment
Forensic social work (e.g. police social work; social work within the criminal justice system)
Medical social work
Community-based social work & advocacy
Policy development
Program development & evaluation

Program Contacts

Katherina Nikzad-Terhune, Ph.D., LCSW-S

Associate Professor
MSW Program Director
msw@nku.edu

Meet the Team

Accreditation

The Master of Social Work program at 51AV is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

CSWE Program Assessment Data

Program Options

Standard MSW:

Designed for candidates who have a bachelor’s degree in a discipline other than social work, or who hold a Bachelor of Social Work but do not meet all of the requirements for the Advanced Standing MSW Program.
60 credit hour curriculum offered in a fully online format.
900 hours of supervised field education.
Following the full-time schedule, this program can be completed in 2 years (6 semesters).
Start dates in summer, fall, and spring semesters.

Advanced Standing MSW:

Designed for candidates who have earned a Bachelor of Social Work and meet the other eligibility requirements.
30 credit hour curriculum offered in either a fully online or a hybrid format.
600 hours of supervised field education.
Following a full-time schedule, this program can be completed in 1 year (3 semesters).
Start dates:
- Advanced Standing in a hybrid delivery method: Summer semester only.
- Advanced Standing in fully online delivery method: Summer, fall, and spring semesters.

Find Your Passions & Build Your Future

Chemistry student working on equipment inside lab.

In this program, you will:

Learn to apply social work knowledge to individuals, families, small groups, organizations, and communities
Study the trauma-informed care model, reviewing the neuroscience of trauma with associated outcomes, and explore trauma’s impact on individual lives
Study the DSM, focusing on the diagnostic criteria required to accurately assess psychiatric disorders, as well as critically examine the DSM from a social justice perspective
Examine the biological, psychological, and sociological variables that influence human behavior and development
Consider the ethical dilemmas social workers face in promoting family and client well-being and decision-making
Gain an understanding of multiculturalism and culturally sensitive social work practices
Analyze how social policy affects human rights and social and economic justice, and the marginalization of vulnerable populations
Explore advanced clinical practice decision-making and learn to be a critical thinker in the use of research, knowledge, and theory for assessment, intervention, and evaluation

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