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The Master of Social Work (MSW) program at Grand Canyon University is designed to teach students the skills to apply social work principles, values and ethics when helping individuals, families and communities overcome various social and behavioral health issues. This program focuses on an advanced generalist social work practice to help shape the social work practitioner to provide a wide range of services and engage with multiple populations of any type and size.
Developing these skills gives social work professionals the opportunity to diagnose and treat issues, as well as provide access to resources to help improve the lives of at-risk populations.
GCU incorporates its Christian worldview and values into its programs, which teaches Master of Social Work students to perform ethical work and apply servant leadership practices. Based on Christian principles, the curriculum helps empower students to lead with kindness, compassion and justice for making a difference in the lives of others.
To promote innovative and responsible leadership in the social work profession by educating students to become agents of social change with the goal of social and economic justice on a local, national and international level. Students will be taught to address the needs of diverse populations through service, advocacy, empowerment, theory analysis, program and practice evaluation, multidisciplinary collaboration and integration of social work values.
Designed with the working professional in mind, the online Master of Social Work at GCU offers courses through an online learning platform, allowing for added flexibility and convenience.
During the program, you will have access to knowledgeable instructors, learning resources and opportunities to network with peers in the field. Online courses for this program incorporate multiple supervised field experiences so students can gain the required hours for licensure.
By earning a master’s in social work, students can position themselves to pursue potential advancement within the social justice profession. As a student, you are taught to become a professional, practitioner and advocate who can work alongside those who are struggling and help them live a more fulfilling life.
To prepare for crisis situations and helping people overcome hardships, the master’s in social work teaches competencies in these domains:
Ethical and professional behavior
Diversity and difference in practice
Human rights and social, economic and environmental justice
Practice-informed research and research-informed practice
Engaging, assessing, intervening and evaluating practice with individuals, groups or organizations
Diverse human experiences can help shape underserved populations that may include abuse, addiction, oppression, marginalization, alienation, racism, socioeconomic disadvantages and other hardships such as disability, addiction, trauma and mental illness.
Social workers help support those who suffer from issues such as these, while battling inequalities and injustices that individuals face. This is a role for pursuing social justice and driving reform, as well as providing therapy, counseling, case and clinical management services, and other resources to help meet the needs of others.
Students are taught to actively:
Graduates with a master’s degree in social work may work directly with clients or participate in program development or human services management.
Social workers may work in settings such as:
Clinics
Schools
Hospitals
Nonprofits
Nursing homes
Military bases
Mental health agencies
Advocacy groups
Community organizations
Correctional facilities
Government departments
Private practices
Grand Canyon University’s Master of Social Work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education Commission on Accreditation (CSWE).
This program has been developed to adhere to the social work standards and competencies established by the CSWE. This program of study is also designed to meet the academic requirements for Licensed Master Social Work (LMSW).
If you are interested in pursuing an advanced social work degree, please continue reading our answers to these commonly asked questions.
If you are seeking a career that has positive job growth and can offer a sense of purpose, you may want to consider a career in social work. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 53,800 new jobs estimated to open for social workers from 2022 to 2032.1 As of May 2023, the median annual wage for social workers was $58,380.2
The online MSW program at GCU requires a bachelor’s degree from an institutionally accredited school with a minimum GPA of 3.0. MSW program students are not permitted to repeat what has been completed in their bachelor’s program; therefore, applicants cannot hold a Bachelor of Social Work, specifically, since the program coursework has overlap.
A Master of Arts (MA) in Social Work and an MSW program can both lead to becoming practitioners in a variety of settings; however, they are different in their approach. An MA in Social Work is an interdisciplinary degree that blends the study of psychology, sociology, social work theory, policies and legislation. A Master of Social Work teaches you to work directly with people who are underserved and dealing with behavioral, mental, medical and social challenges.
If you are passionate about people and seek a career path that engages in social and economic justice for vulnerable populations, consider a future in social work.
Visit the "State Disclosures" section on the page of the program you’re interested in at gcu.edu for details on state restrictions.
1 COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 and 2022 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective September 2023, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Social Workers, retrieved on May 7, 2024.
2 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Social Workers as of May 2023, retrieved on May 7, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 and 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as social workers, nor does it reflect the earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc. against a pool of candidates.
Original institution needs to be accredited Evaluated on a course-by-course basis 12 credit maximum Internship/Field Placement Hours/Course are not transferable Courses must have been taken within 5 years No credits accepted at less than a B
Credits: Fill out the Lopes Eval to find out what will transfer
Admission Requirements (Master's)
OR 2.5+ Unweighted GPA and
Admission requirements may differ based on degree level, program and modality, or transfer status. Some programs of study may require a higher GPA and/or other qualifying criteria for admission. Please review full admission and program requirements in the University Policy Handbook.
* Degree must be from an accredited college or program that has been approved by GCU.
** Combined verbal/quantitative, after August 2011 (1,000 combined verbal and quantitative, prior to August 2011).
