Augustana University to offer master of social work degree this fall
Augustana University will start offering a master of social work degree this fall
The degree is part of its Harriet Emily Scott Social Work Program housed in the Sharon Lust School of Education. It follows the university’s offering of a minor in social work in fall 2023, and a bachelor of social work degree in fall 2024. The only other program in the state is at the University of South Dakota.
Nationwide, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects more than 67,000 openings for social workers nationwide each year, on average, during the next decade.
This high demand, and a partnership with Sanford Health, initiated AU to bring back a social work program. It previously had a joint social work program with the University of Sioux Falls that lasted from 1969 to the graduation of its last student in 2004-2005.
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“There is an incredible need for social work programs in South Dakota, especially Sioux Falls,” Dr. Bart W. Miles, program director, said in a press release. “Sanford really wanted to bring more behavioral programs back to Augustana, so there was a Behavioral Health Academy created in the partnership between Augustana and Sanford.”
Students can specialize in integrated behavioral health, play therapy or addictions. Miles said integrated behavioral health is one of the fastest-growing areas in social work nationwide.
AU will also offer a certificate in integrated behavioral health with a four-course curriculum available for those beyond the master’s degree level, such as those who are already social workers, but want to work in the health care setting.
“Most students who come into social work want to work with children and youth — one of the best clinical interventions you can use as a therapist in working with children, and addictions cut across almost any population in social work,” Miles added.
Students who have earned a bachelor's in social work from an accredited program will be able to enter the master's program with advanced standing, meaning they can finish the program in one year. Those with bachelor’s degrees in other fields can finish the master's degree in two years.
AU’s bachelor's in social work is offered in-person, but the master's will be offered in a hybrid format to serve working professionals in a variety of different fields or settings. Those who live 50 miles from campus can complete the program online.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Augustana University to offer master of social work degree this fall