Greetings from West Virginia. . .
. . . and welcome to the West Virginia University Division of Social Work in the beautiful foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. If you are looking to meet the challenges of professional social work practice in unique places and creative ways, consider an educational experience that prepares you for working with individuals, families, groups, communities, and larger social systems, with emphasis on small cities, towns and rural areas.
The Division of Social Work is one of three divisions in the School of Applied Social Sciences (SASS) in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at WVU. Our faculty work closely with those in the School?s other two Divisions of Public Administration and Sociology/Anthropology to provide breadth and depth in teaching, research and service. A dual degree program in Social Work and Public Administration is a very popular option for many of our students. In addition, students benefit from many ?hands-on? opportunities which support non-profit organizations and rural community decision makers. Graduate assistantships and research scholarships make it possible for students to participate side by side with faculty in significant research projects leading to publication. One of the more long-standing research projects involving faculty and students deals with the impacts of welfare reform on economic self-sufficiency. The Division also funds students for future positions in child welfare through a Title IV-E grant.
While the full-time MSW Program is only available on the main campus in Morgantown, the Division of Social Work provides a three-year part-time option in locations throughout the state of West Virginia. Current part-time locations include Morgantown, Charleston, Beckley, Wheeling, and Martinsburg.
The Division of Social Work is nationally recognized in the area of rural social work practice and non-profit management. Opportunities continue to grow to further this recognition in a global context. Newer emphases include public deliberation and dialogue as an integral component of the policy curriculum and international study and service learning courses. While rural and urban issues seem to converge on many dimensions, there still remains the recognition that rural environments constitute distinct practice arenas. Most countries across the globe are vastly rural with as many similarities as differences when compared to our own predominantly rural areas. Moreover, while our rural communities strive to strengthen their non-profit organizations, many countries are just beginning to create non-profit infrastructures to support human service delivery systems. Our social work faculty currently sponsor initiatives that will not only engage students in West Virginia, rural Appalachia, and American Indian reservations in the U.S., but also, in Northern Ireland, Vietnam, and Costa Rica. Initiatives may take the form of research projects, internships, specialized courses and service learning. Also, we are pleased that, each year, students from around the world (for example, from India, South Korea, Nigeria, Bermuda and Romania) participate in our program, enriching the diversity within the Division and helping create awareness of the increasing importance of a global perspective.
The MSW Program at WVU has enjoyed continuous accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education since the 1940s. We continue to strive for excellence in social work education, service to the profession, and promotion of a just world and democratic society. Please consider joining us.
With sincerity,
Ginny Majewski, MSW, PhD
Chairperson