Georgian Court University (GCU) has officially launched a new Master of Social Work (MSW) Program. The first class of part-time students will start this fall.
As a professional degree, GCU’s Master of Social Work Program prepares students for advanced practice. They will offer two specializations: Direct Practice, also referred to as Clinical Practice, and Community Partnership.
The Clinical Practice specialization focuses on developing skills and knowledge needed to work effectively with individuals, families, and small groups in therapeutic settings. The Community Partnership specialization prepares students for careers in government agencies and nonprofits in policy, administration, management, and leadership.
“Demand for social workers is projected to remain strong through 2031, mostly due to an aging population and the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath,” said Megan Callahan Sherman, Ph.D., LCSW, Assistant Professor and MSW Program Director at the Hackensack Meridian Health School of Nursing and Wellness at GCU. “There are over 700,000 social workers in the United States, making them one of the largest groups of providers of mental health services in the U.S. today. As the need for social workers continues to grow, GCU will help fulfill this need by training professionals to work with the communities that need them most.”
Graduates of GCU’s Master of Social Work program will be eligible to take the Licensed Social Work (LSW) examination, given by the New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners.
“There are so many reasons I love GCU, but what I love most is how closely the Mercy core values—respect, integrity, justice, compassion, and service—align with the convictions of social work practice,” said Dr. Sherman. “Mercy lives in social work.”
GCU has initiated the candidacy process with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the national accrediting organization for degrees in social work. Within three years, the university expects to receive full accreditation, which would be retroactive for all students who graduate prior to the final accreditation.
