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Programs

Students talking outside during the fall.Master's Program Overview

The Master of Arts program, continuously accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and its predecessor organizations since 1919, prepares students for advanced professional practice.

The School of Social Service Administration's master's degree program prepares students to become leaders in the field of social work. It aims to provide a sophisticated understanding of the person-in-environment. Individual distress is seen in social context, influenced by biological, economic, familial, political, psychological, and social factors.  This perspective recognizes that economic, organizational, political, and social factors shape the work of social welfare professionals.  Effective helping requires a broad understanding of possible responses, ranging from short-term strategies for gaining new resources and skills to long-term social and psychological interventions.  The professional must be aware of and able to act within the web of relationships that link individual well-being with wider social and political forces to achieve social and economic justice.

In addition to acquiring and applying theoretical perspectives and empirical knowledge, students learn how to practice among diverse populations at all levels of social intervention: individual, family, program, organization, community, and policy. SSA teaches social work values and standards of ethical behavior, and expects students to be committed to improving the lives of vulnerable populations and to promoting social and economic justice.


Degree Requirements

Educational Objectives

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