Mission Statement
Within the context of a Christian, liberal arts institution for higher learning and grounded in core professional values, the School of Social Work seeks to develop ethical, competent, and effective advanced social work practitioners who integrate the knowledge, values, and skills of social work to promote positive social change, to challenge injustice, and to provide services to enhance and strengthen individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities locally and globally.
Master of Social Work
Mission Statement: Within the context of a Christian, liberal arts institution for higher learning, and grounded in core professional values, the Master of Social Work program seeks to develop ethical, competent, and effective advanced social work practitioners who integrate the knowledge, values, and skills of social work to promote positive social change, to challenge injustice, and to provide services to enhance and strengthen individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities locally and globally.
Overview: The Master of Social Work Program prepares students for advanced generalist social work practice and is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. A minimum of 60 credit hours are required for the degree, 48 of which are obtained in coursework and 12 of which are related to field education or internships and seminars. Courses and fieldwork are taken concurrently. The curriculum of the program is formed by an integrated sequence of generalist and advanced generalist or specialization content, both in the classroom and field education
Program Goals
The Master of Social Work program at Missouri Baptist University:
- Prepares students to engage in service and leadership to promote positive social change, and to challenge injustice.
- Prepares students to engage in advanced social work practice at the highest professional level of practice informed by theoretical perspectives and knowledge based on research.
- Prepares students to practice according to the values and ethics of the profession and understand and demonstrate ethical integration of Christian faith in advanced social work practice.
- Prepares student to demonstrate an understanding of social work theories, values and practices from a Christian worldview.
- Engages in service to the MBU, local, and global communities.
Criteria for Admission
Admission to the MSW program requires prospective students to complete an application. Applicants must have a conferred bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university and a minimum 2.75 or higher cumulative grade point average for general admission, or a 3.0 GPA for the most recent 60 credit hours. Applicants with a cumulative GPA between 2.5 – 2.74 may be admitted on probation, with approval. For full admission to the MSW program, a 2.75 or higher cumulative GPA is required or a 3.0 GPA for the most recent 60 credit hours.
The priority admission deadline for students is July 1 for admittance to the Fall semester, and November 1 for Spring semester.
Application materials required for consideration of admission include:
- Completed online application
- Personal Statement
- Resume
- An official transcript documenting a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university and official transcripts from all previously attended institutions.
- A non-refundable application fee of $35. (This fee is waived if you apply online.)
Transfer Credit: Students may be eligible to transfer a maximum of six credit hours from another regionally accredited institution of higher education toward the Master of Social Work degree. Such hours may be applied toward the MSW degree when, in the judgment of the Program Director, faculty, and the student’s advisor, the credit hours contribute to the planned program of the student. Transfer credits must meet the time limit regulations governing all academic work at Missouri Baptist University in that they must have been completed no more than seven (7) years prior to entry in the MSW Program. A minimum grade of B is required for transfer credit. Transfer credit requests are subject to review and approval by the Director of the MSW Program and should be submitted prior to admission to the program.
Competencies: The curriculum content of the MSW Program implements ten competencies.
Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
Competency 2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
Competency 4: Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice
Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Competency 10: Demonstrate Ethical Integration of Faith and Social Work Practice
Master of Social Work - Advanced Standing
Mission Statement: Within the context of a Christian, liberal arts institution for higher learning, and grounded in core professional values, the Master of Social Work program seeks to develop ethical, competent, and effective advanced social work practitioners who integrate the knowledge, values, and skills of social work to promote positive social change, to challenge injustice, and to provide services to enhance and strengthen individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities locally and globally.
Overview: The Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program is designed for students who have an earned Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from a CSWE-accredited program. The program prepares students for advanced generalist social work practice. A minimum of 30 credit hours are required for the program.
Criteria for Admission
Admission to the Advanced Standing MSW program requires prospective students to complete an application (www.mobap.edu). Applicants must have a conferred bachelor’s degree from a baccalaureate social work program accredited by CSWE, recognized through its International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Services, or covered under a memorandum of understanding with international social work accreditors. The BSW degree must have been completed no more than 7 years prior.
One of the essential criteria for admission into the MSW program is that the applicant has earned a baccalaureate degree prior to entry into the program. Applicants may be conditionally accepted into the program pending graduation with the baccalaureate degree.
Applicants must have a minimum 2.75 or higher cumulative grade point average for general admission, or a 3.0 GPA for the most recent 60 credit hours. Applicants with a cumulative GPA between 2.5 - 2.74 may be admitted on probation, with approval.
The priority admission deadline for students interested in the advanced standing program is May 1 and the final admission deadline is June 1.
Application materials required for consideration of admission include:
- Completed online application
- Professional Statement
- Resume
- An official transcript documenting a baccalaureate degree from a baccalaureate social work program accredited by CSWE, recognized through its International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Services, or covered under a memorandum of understanding with international social work accreditors. Official transcripts from all previously attended institutions are also required.
- A Non-refundable application fee of $35. (This fee is waived for online applications.)
Transfer Credit: No transfer credit will be accepted.
Master of Social Work Degree Requirements (Advanced Standing): Students are required to complete a minimum of 30 credit hours for the Master of Social Work degree. Students awarded advanced standing receive credit for 30 credit hours of the generalist practice curriculum of the MBU MSW program. This includes 27 credit hours of core courses and 3 credit hours of electives. The advanced standing program consist of 30 credits: a 3-credit hour “Bridge” course, 24 credit hours of specialized core courses, and 3 credit hours of electives.
Field Hours
Students interested in the advanced standing program are asked to provide documentation of completed hours of field experience in their BSW program. Students are given credit for field hours completed in their BSW program, up to a maximum of 450 hours. Students who earned between 400 and 450 hours will receive credit for these hours. They will be required to complete the remaining hours to total 900. (For example, a student who earned 415 hours in the BSW program, would be required to complete 485 hours in the advanced standing MSW program, for a total of 900 hours.)
If no documentation is provided, it is assumed that the student completed 400 hours (the minimum required for a BSW degree.) In this case, the student will be required to complete a total of 500 hours of field throughout the MBU MSW program over two semesters (250 hours first semester, and 250 second semester.)
Articulation Agreement with Southwest Baptist University
Based upon a mutual commitment to enriching students’ lives through Christ-centered education and to better serve students intending to pursue their calling to the social work profession, Missouri Baptist University and Southwest Baptist University hereby enter into a direct admission agreement. Reflecting the integrity of parallel academic programs and sister academic institutions under the Missouri Baptist Convention, this agreement enables the highest performing students an opportunity to continue their study of social work from a Christian world view. A student who completes a baccalaureate degree at Southwest Baptist University and meets the requirements for admission into the MSW program at Missouri Baptist University will be considered for a reserved seat. MBU will reserve up to four seats in the MSW program per academic year for the highest qualified Southwest Baptist University students who meet or exceed these requirements. For more information, contact the Associate Dean of the School of Social Work, Dr. Nikki Johnson.
Programs of Study
Master
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