Master of Social Work (MSW) Programs in Oregon - Campus and Online

George Fox University, Pacific University, and Portland State University (PSU) are the three schools in Oregon that currently offer Master of Social Work (MSW) degree programs. All three schools have several program options, including traditional MSW program tracks for students who hold a bachelor’s degree, and advanced standing tracks for graduates from Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

All three schools also offer fully campus-based and/or hybrid programs that combine campus classes with some online instruction. PSU is the only school in Oregon that currently offers an online MSW program. Finally, all three of the schools in Oregon that offer MSW programs are fully accredited by the CSWE, as noted in the list below.

• George Fox University (Accredited)
• Pacific University (Accredited)
• Portland State University (Accredited)

The sections below provide details on each of the MSW programs offered by the above schools. Programs are classified based on admissions requirements (traditional vs. advanced standing) and instructional methods (campus-based vs. online) and grouped accordingly into the following sections:

• Traditional Campus-Based MSW Programs in Oregon
• Traditional Online MSW Programs in Oregon
• Advanced Standing Campus-Based MSW Programs in Oregon
• Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs in Oregon
• Directory of All MSW Programs in Oregon

Traditional MSW Programs in Oregon

Traditional MSW programs are full-length graduate programs that provide training and instruction in clinical and/or macro practice social work and that culminate in the conferral of a master’s degree in social work. These programs typically take two years to complete for students who are enrolled on a full-time basis and include a minimum of 900 hours of site-based field education. Part-time students generally take one or more additional years to complete their degree and thus graduate in three to four years, depending on the number of credits earned per semester.

All three of the schools that offer MSW programs in Oregon have traditional MSW program tracks for students who hold a bachelor’s degree. While traditional MSW programs do not require a BSW degree for admission, some programs may give preference to applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree in the social sciences or a related field, or require specific prerequisite courses for admission.

Traditional Campus-Based MSW Programs in Oregon

George Fox University offers a traditional MSW program at its Portland Center campus. The 62-credit program gives students a choice of two specializations: Direct Practice with Families, Children, Individuals, and Groups (clinical); and Community Practice (macro). This is a full-time, two-year program that requires 1008 hours of supervised internships. Students complete 448 hours of field education during the program’s first year of studies and 560 during the second.

Pacific University offers a traditional MSW program on its campuses in Forest Grove and Eugene. The 62-credit program has an Advanced Generalist curriculum that provides training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work and elective coursework that allows students to explore topics in health and wellness, Latino family and culture, and racism, oppression, and power in social work practice. Students in the program are required to complete 420 hours of field internships during the first year of the program and 500 hours during the second, for a total of 920 hours of field education. Pacific University’s traditional MSW program is designed for full-time enrollment, which leads to graduating in two years.

Portland State University (PSU) offers a traditional MSW program through its School of Social Work at PSU’s main campus in Portland, at Central Oregon Community College in Bend, and at the University of Oregon Baker Downtown Center in Eugene. The Portland program has concentrations in Practice and Leadership with Communities and Organizations, and Advanced Clinical Practice. It has a two-year, full-time completion plan, as well as three- and four-year part-time enrollment options. Students can also pursue optional tracks in school social work licensure and gerontology.

The programs at Central Oregon Community College and the University of Oregon Baker Downtown Center are part-time programs with three-year completion times, on-campus and online instruction (electives are offered online), and an Advanced Clinical Practice specialization. Start dates for new student cohorts may not be offered every year; therefore, students interested in these programs should confirm with the School of Social Work when the next cohort is scheduled to start. All three program locations require traditional students to complete two 500-hour practicums for a total of 1000 hours of field education.

Traditional Online MSW Programs in Oregon

Portland State University (PSU) and its CSWE-accredited School of Social Work offer a traditional MSW program that can be completed fully online. While the program used to require two-day campus-based intensives at the beginning of each year, these intensives are now conducted virtually using synchronous instruction through PSU’s learning management system. The program has two concentrations: Practice and Leadership with Communities and Organizations; and Advanced Clinical Practice. This is a part-time program that has a three-year completion plan. Students in the program are required to engage in 1000 hours of supervised field education at sites approved by the program.

Advanced Standing MSW Programs in Oregon

Graduates from CSWE-accredited BSW programs may be eligible for an advanced standing MSW program track, provided they meet other admissions requirements. An advanced standing MSW program can be completed in roughly half the time it takes to graduate from a traditional program – one year for full-time students and typically two years for students who opt for part-time enrollment. Students in these programs are given credit for the foundational social work courses and field education practicums that are integral to BSW program curricula. They are thus able to begin their master’s studies in what would otherwise be the second or advanced year of a full-time traditional MSW program, and are generally only required to complete 450-600 hours of field education.

For BSW graduates, admission to an advanced standing MSW program is not automatic and can be highly competitive. Many programs require advanced standing students to have earned their BSW degree within the last five to seven years, and some programs have additional requirements, such as a minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale. BSW graduates who do not meet a program’s advanced standing admissions requirements can still earn an MSW degree by enrolling in a traditional program. Each of the three schools that offer MSW programs in Oregon have advanced standing tracks for qualified applicants.

Advanced Standing Campus-Based MSW Programs in Oregon

George Fox University offers its MSW program in a nine-month, advanced standing format. To be eligible for the advanced standing track, applicants must have graduated from a CSWE-accredited BSW program in the last five years and maintained a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale. The program is offered at the school’s Portland Center campus and gives students two specialization options: Direct Practice with Families, Children, Individuals, and Groups (clinical); and Community Practice (macro). Advanced standing students are required to complete 560 hours of field education.

Pacific University’s advanced standing program is offered at two of the school’s campus locations. Advanced standing students can enroll in campus-based programs at Pacific University’s main campus in Forest Grove and at their campus in Eugene (on the Lane County Community College campus). The program is designed to be completed in two semesters, has an Advanced Generalist curriculum, and requires 500 hours of advanced field training. To qualify for Pacific University’s advanced standing MSW program, applicants must have received a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program in the last five years. BSW program graduates whose degree was conferred more than five years ago may be eligible for advanced standing status if they have engaged in post-baccalaureate continuing education and professional social work practice.

Portland State University (PSU) offers an advanced standing track for qualified students who hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program, with preference given to applicants who have accrued 2000 or more hours of human service experience and who earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in their bachelor’s degree program. The advanced standing program is offered at PSU’s main campus in Portland, and has two concentration options: Practice and Leadership with Communities and Organizations, and Advanced Clinical Practice. Students can also pursue a certificate in Gerontology as part of the MSW program and may be able to pursue a School Social Work Licensure track with approval from the School of Social Work. The program has a one-year completion plan that includes 500 hours of required field education.

Note: PSU’s also offers their traditional MSW program in Central Oregon at Central Oregon Community College’s campus in Bend, and in Eugene at the University of Oregon Baker Downtown Center. Students should check with the School of Social Work to determine if they are accepting new cohorts of advanced standing students at these locations, as it changes from year to year.

Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs in Oregon

Portland State University (PSU) has an advanced standing online MSW program that is designed to be completed in two semesters bookended by two summer sessions, or just over one year. All of the required courses in the PSU online advanced standing program are offered via distance learning, and advanced standing students are required to complete 500 hours of site-based field education. The advanced standing online program offered by PSU has two concentration options: Practice and Leadership with Communities and Organizations, and Advanced Clinical Practice. Students can also complete an optional Certificate in Gerontology as part of the online program.

All Master of Social Work Programs in Oregon

T Traditional programs, Advanced Standing programs, Campus programs, Hybrid programs (campus and online instruction), Hybrid-Online programs (3 to ~6 campus visits per year), Online programs (fully online to 2 campus visits per year)

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