Admissions Contact

Graduate Recruitment & Admissions

Academic Contact

Joanne Leon
Department Chair
Social Work
Henry Barnard Hall
204-01

Social Work, MSW

Central to Helping Others.

Central’s Master of Social Work prepares clinical social work practitioners with advanced knowledge and skills to provide trauma-informed health care with individuals, groups, families, and communities. Care is informed by knowledge of the impact of a variety of social determinants of health, harm reduction strategies, an ecological systems perspective, and cross-cultural developmental theories. Our comprehensive clinical program develops graduates with the tools to meet the needs of clients in a variety of mental health settings such as hospitals, community mental health centers, school clinics, employee assistance programs (EAP), the criminal justice system, and private practice.

Currently, Central’s MSW is in pre-candidacy for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA). Pre-candidacy for a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the BOA indicates it submitted an application to be reviewed for candidacy and received approval of its Benchmark 1 from CSWE accreditation staff to move forward for a candidacy review within 1 year. A program that attained pre-candidacy status has not yet been reviewed by the BOA nor verified to be compliant with the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). Students admitted to pre-candidate programs in the fall (or later) of the academic year in which the program is granted candidacy status will be retroactively recognized as graduates from a CSWE-BOA accredited program as long as the program attains initial accreditation. Candidacy is typically a 3-year process and attaining pre-candidacy does not guarantee a program will eventually attain candidacy and initial accreditation. Pre-candidacy applies to all program options, which includes locations and delivery methods. Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program. Review our program’s pre-candidacy status in CSWE’s Directory of Accredited Programs. For more information about social work accreditation, contact CSWE's Department of Social Work Accreditation. 

Program Features

  • Starts every August
  • Advanced standing 32-credit program for BSW holders
  • 64-credit program for non-BSW holders
  • Attend full-or part-time
  • Classes offered on-campus with evening options
  • Rigorous, rich curriculum
  • Internship opportunities
  • Free on-campus childcare
  • Financial aid available

Did you know?

Overall employment for social workers is projected to grow 7% in the decade leading up to 2032, faster than average for all occupations. 
Bureau of Labor Statistics

Our Trauma-Informed Healthcare MSW provides high quality clinical training to prepare clinicians to work in a variety of mental health settings such as hospitals, community mental health centers, school clinics, EAP programs, the criminal justice system and private practice.

Joanne Leon
PhD, Department Chair

What You'll Gain

  • Mastery of current social work best practices
  • Advanced skills in trauma-informed health care
  • Access to highly experienced faculty with decades of clinical experience
  • Hands-on, high-quality clinical training
  • Opportunities to work with a multitude of agencies throughout the state
  • Ability to apply for state licensure immediately upon graduation