Master of Social Work

Why Study Social Work? 

Starting Fall 2025

Pursuing a Master of Social Work represents a significant stride towards a gratifying career dedicated to uplifting individuals and communities. Beyond preparing you for licensure and advanced practice, this degree provides a pathway to job security and a wide array of career opportunities. As a professional in the field of social work, you are trained to empower individuals, champion social causes, and spearhead impactful societal transformations—a calling that embodies both purpose and fulfillment.

At Columbia College, our community-centric approach ensures your continual connection and support throughout your academic journey. Engage in collaborative projects, virtual coffee exchanges, townhalls, and dynamic discussions to forge meaningful bonds with fellow students and esteemed faculty members. These relationships cultivate a robust support system that transcends graduation day, fostering a vibrant social work community wherever you may be.

What You'll Learn

Our Master of Social Work curriculum prepares you to tackle complex social challenges and implement impactful solutions. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of human development and behavior across the lifespan and develop direct practice skills with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. Additionally, you will learn to conduct research and program evaluations, develop advocacy and leadership skills, promote social justice, and cultivate cultural humility and anti-racist social work practices.

At Columbia College, you will have an opportunity to specialize in one of two tracks:

• Advanced Clinical Practice
• Organizational Leadership and Change

You can also choose to concentrate on military social work within the Advanced Clinical Practice specialization.

Careers & Outcomes

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a notable 9% employment growth from 2021-2031 for this field, and graduates of the Master of Social Work program at Columbia College are well equipped for diverse career paths, such as:

• Mental Health: Private practice, community mental health, substance use treatment facilities or crisis intervention
• Policy and administration: Policy research organizations, political offices or government policy-making agencies
• Government Agencies: Adult and child welfare, social service departments or public housing
• Military: Veteran Affairs, veteran centers or any of the military branches
• Healthcare: Hospitals, outpatient clinics or hospice care centers
• Schools: K-12 or College level
• Criminal Justice: Correctional facilitates, juvenile detention centers or probation and parole offices
• Corporate Sector: Employee assistance programs, human resource departments or professional sports teams
• Gerontology: Nursing homes, assisted living facilities or senior centers
• Research and academia: Universities and colleges, think tanks or research institutions

Where You Can Take Classes

At Columbia College, our flexible options make it easy to adapt to changing circumstances and pursue your education wherever life takes you. Many of our degrees are offered 100% online. If you prefer a traditional classroom experience, you can attend selected classes at our nationwide locations or at our main campus in Columbia, Missouri. Students at all locations will engage with multiple learning methods, including online and virtual while completing their degree.