Maintaining a History of Excellence: The Department of Social Work at NC State’s Masters of Social Work Program

Since the inception of the MSW program in 2009, the Department of Social Work has implemented several changes to the degree program. The program offered both a full-time and a part-time curriculum and two separate tracks. Now the Department of Social Work offers only a full-time program that is grounded in an Advanced Generalist Model. Deeply interwoven into the Advanced Generalist Model is social justice and anti-oppression, which sets NC State’s MSW program apart from other programs. Social justice and advocacy are infused throughout the MSW curriculum. Operating concurrently with the social justice theme is the MSW program’s commitment to diversity. The program, which has been heralded as a model for diversity among graduate programs, has been successful in creating diversity in terms of not only gender, but also in religion, age, and sexual identity. The faculty and staff are deeply committed to social justice.

Most importantly, the Master of Social Work (MSW) Program at NC State equips students with the skills for advanced generalist practice in leadership roles. The advanced generalist model is designed for preparing practitioners with (1) the knowledge and the skills to respond to a wide range of human difficulties and diverse client populations in a multitude of settings, (2) an ethical commitment to advocate for under-served and oppressed populations, and (3) the ability to respond creatively to the need for additional programs and services.