The School of Social Work provides educational opportunities for a diverse group of students to earn degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels. Students learn the knowledge, skills, values, and ethics of the profession of social work in a supportive academic environment. The School produces graduates who apply their knowledge and skills to improve the Urban quality of life in Mississippi, the nation, and the world. Through their work, graduates empower vulnerable individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Graduates are expected to demonstrate serious concern for economic, political, and social justice through practice, continuing education, and research.

The School offers three programs: Bachelor of Social Work, Master of Social Work, and Ph.D. in Social Work.

In the process of preparing competent social work generalists, the Bachelor of Social Work Program seeks to prepare students to develop a professional identity that incorporates the values and ethics of the social work profession. While students in the program are at different stages in the development of this identity, it is expected that all social work students strive to attain and demonstrate professional values and ethics during the course of their enrollment in the B.S.W. Program. These values and ethics should be in evidence in the social work classroom, in the interaction of social work students with each other, with professors and while interning in social service agencies off campus. Based on core social work values, included in the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers, the following are considered part of the professional expectations for B.S.W. students.

The Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and has been continuously accredited since 1998.  Additionally, the Master of Social Work Programs offers three programs of study: two-year full-time, three-year part-time, and one year advanced standing.

Two-Year Full-Time Program
Students in the two-year program complete foundation courses in the first year, while the second, or concentration year, focuses on advanced direct practice with children, youth, and families. The two-year program is designed for students who are able to devote the majority of their time to completion of degree requirements. Full-time employment is not recommended for students in this program.

Three-Year Part-Time Program
The part-time program is designed for students who wish to work full-time while completing the degree. The coursework, which is offered primarily in the evening, requires six semesters and three graduate summer terms to complete.

Advanced Standing Program
The advanced standing program allows graduates of C.S.W.E. accredited B.S.W. Programs to the complete the M.S.W. degree in one year.
*All program options are offered fully online*

Field Placements
Both the two-year and part-time programs require two block field placements, while the advanced standing curriculum includes field placements in both the summer and spring semesters.  Applicants must meet all admission requirements for the M.S.W. Program and the Division of Graduate Studies at Jackson State University. Please note that the priority deadline for submission of all application materials is March 1 of each year.

The Ph.D. Program in Social Work began in 1997 with a number of other graduate programs at Jackson State University that emanated from the historic Ayers Case. The initial class consisted of a total of 13 students from diverse backgrounds. The program is the only social work doctoral program in the state of Mississippi. It is affiliated with the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education (GADE), which is an organization whose membership consists of directors of social work/social welfare doctoral programs in accredited universities in the United States and two other countries. The organization provides guidelines for quality doctoral programs in social work. Since its inception, the program has continually developed and focused on accomplishing its mission.

B.S.W. Student Organizations

Phi Alpha Honor Society Application

The purpose of Phi Alpha Honor Society is to provide a closer bond among students of social work and promote humanitarian goals and ideas. Phi Alpha fosters high standards of education for social workers and invites into membership those who have attained excellence in scholarship and achievement in social work. Requirements: At time of application, undergraduate students (B.S.W.) must have completed SW 200: Introduction to Social Work and SW 210: Professional Behaviors, Ethics and Communication and have a 3.4 or higher Institutional Grade Point Average (IGPA). At the time of application, graduate students (M.S.W. and PhD) must have completed nine semester hours of required graduate social work courses and have a 3.5 or higher Institutional Grade Point Average (IGPA).

JSU Social Work Student Association

Jackson State University Social Work Student Association (JSUSWSA) is a social work organization that gives social work majors and all interested students an opportunity to organize through social interactions, service projects for the University and community, advocacy concerning social issues and to promote awareness of the social work profession.

The Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work Programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).