Welcome from our Leadership

Director's Welcome

The WVU School of Social Work offers a high-quality social work curriculum that prepares students to address social problems at the individual, family, community, and institutional levels through practice, education, and community-engaged research. Our MSW program has been accredited by the Council for Social Work Education (CSWE) since 1942 and is offered through on-campus and online delivery methods. The BSW program has been CSWE-accredited since 1974 and, in 2025, will include a new online program option. Both the BSW and MSW programs prepare social workers for professional practice to address a wide range of social problems at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and to engage in interprofessional collaboration. We also offer a PhD program that social work educators, community-engaged researchers, and leaders of the profession.

The School of Social Work contributes to the land-grant mission of WVU by preparing social workers, educators, and researchers to address a myriad of social problems, including the addiction crisis, mental health, suicide, child abuse and neglect, health inequalities, poverty, and systemic racism and oppression. Students learn to address these issues through evidence-based interventions at the micro and macro levels, education and training, and innovative research. With a focus on rural service delivery, students in the BSW and MSW programs also learn how to address systemic barriers and social determinants of health through integrated practice methods.

Our dedicated faculty members have extensive expertise in direct behavioral health practice, policy advocacy, community engagement, community-engaged research, and online education. In order to make the educational experience as positive as possible for our students, we provide a “high-touch” approach that addresses individual educational needs and encourages students to connect with faculty and peers regarding their social work education, research, and practice.

The School of Social Work is deeply committed to addressing social problems, particularly as they impact underserved populations. I am delighted to be a part of the program’s efforts to prepare highly-skilled social workers, educators, and researchers who will identify solutions for the social problems of our time and who advocate for social justice.

Let’s go.

Mary Christensen, PhD, LICSW

Director and Associate Professor in the School of Social Work