Master’s in Social Work Degree Programs in Arkansas

Six master’s in social work degree programs in Arkansas are available for graduate students seeking to help the most disenfranchised of the Natural State’s 3 million residents.

Admitted to the Union in 1836, Arkansas has only eight cities like Little Rock, Fort Smith, and Fayetteville housing over 50,000. Rural communities in the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains have a growing demand for social workers to improve their access to programs like SNAP, ARKids First!, and Medicaid. According to HUD, Arkansas has an above-average poverty rate of 19 percent and around 2,560 homeless people. The United Health Foundation also noted Arkansas’ high prevalence of obesity, cancer deaths, and infections like HPV. Arkansas employs 1,130 healthcare and 830 mental health social workers for an annual mean wage of $40,480.

Join the fight to improve Arkansans’ well-being at these CSWE-accredited social work schools in AR.

Arkansas State University

College of Nursing and Health Professions

Opened in 1909 by Missionary Baptist pastor Robert W. Glover, Arkansas State University is a flagship public, co-educational Sun Belt Conference member that’s enrolling 3,900 post-grad Wolves on a sprawling 1,376-acre campus in the Jonesboro-Paragould Metro. Ranked Arkansas’ fourth top value by Best Value Schools with a net yearly price of $11,499, A-State is deemed the 134th best master’s-level university nationally for contribution to the public good by Washington Monthly. Reaffirmed by the CSWE in 2015, the College of Nursing and Health Professions is ranked 141st by the U.S. News for one of the master’s in social work degree programs in Arkansas.

Master of Science in Social Work (M.S.W.)

Adhering to NASW Code of Ethics, the Master of Science in Social Work (M.S.W.) at A-State accepts applications until the second Friday in February from post-bachelor’s students interested in licensed clinical practice in underserved rural communities. Offering an optional Addiction Studies Certificate, the traditional 60-credit curriculum involves practicing intervention models with 1,000 combined hours of fieldwork. Advanced Standing students holding an accredited BSW shave off 27 credits and 400 contact hours. On-campus students also help with the Diabetes Self-Management Program, Healthy Ager Program, and more.

Accreditation

• Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)

• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)

Contact

Smith Hall, Room 327

P.O. Box 2460

State University, AR 72467

(870) 972-3984

hanrahan@astate.edu

Program Link

University of Arkansas

J. William Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences

Located on a 412-acre, Gothic-style campus in Fayetteville that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the University of Arkansas is a public, land-grant and space-grant RU/VH institution tracing back to 1871 that’s grown to attract 4,500 post-grads with a $485 million budget. Recognized for America’s 77th “Best Student Life” on Niche, UARK is ranked the 135th best national university and 64th top public college by the U.S. News. The J. William Fulbright College has 82 percent retention for the 78th best graduate social work education nationally.

MSW Program

Fostering “Peace Through Education,” Arkansas’ MSW Program takes the multi-system life course (MSLC) perspective to produce licensed practitioners who effectively improve the quality of life for poor, vulnerable persons. The Regular 63-credit curriculum can be completed in two years full-time or three years part-time with 990 internship hours. Those qualifying for Advanced Standing can finish their 39-credit degree in 12 months in Fayetteville or online. Two specializations are available for Family Policy or Policy Studies in Aging.

JD/MSW Dual Degree Program

Venturing beyond traditional master’s in social work degree programs in Arkansas is possible with the School of Law’s rigorous JD/MSW Dual Degree. Requiring 135 credits combined, the curriculum strives to prepare human rights lawyers with the legal know-how to protect people from violence, subjugation, and discrimination. Fulfilling Bar Exam requirements, the four-year program spans courses from civil procedure to social welfare policy. In addition to 990 practicum hours, Juris Doctor students take externships with the Arkansas Supreme Court, Disability Rights Arkansas, and more.

Accreditation

• Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)

• American Bar Association (ABA)

• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)

Contact

SCSW Building, Room 106

Fayetteville, AR 72701

(479) 575-5039

scsw@uark.edu

Program Link

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

College of Education and Health Professions

Noted for alumni like Congresswoman Camille Bennett and Ambassador James Richard Cheek, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a public, space-grant research hub endowed for $168.14 million to enroll over 11,800 Trojans upon its 250-acre, 56-building campus off Interstate 30. Crowned America’s 38th “Most Conservative College” on Niche, UALR is ranked the 226th best public university by Forbes. Ranked 91st nationally on the U.S. News, the College of Education and Health Professions offers three master’s social work degree programs in Arkansas.

MSW Program

Face-to-face in Little Rock, UALR’s MSW Program selectively admits post-bachelor’s students with a minimum 3.0 GPA in a liberal arts background to develop leadership skills for organizing programs that protect social welfare. The Standard 60-credit track includes 1,200 fieldwork hours, while the Advanced Standing 43-credit track integrates 1,056 practice hours. Either curriculum allows the Clinical Practice Concentration, Management and Community Practice Concentration, or Certificate in Gerontology. Alumni have excelled with the UAMS Psychiatric Research Center, Birch Tree Communities Inc., and more.

MSW Online Program

Launched in 2016, the MSW Online Program utilizes the Adobe Connect platform to deliver synchronous, CSWE-accredited education focused on training social workers for licensed, evidence-informed clinical practice within 36 months. Accepting applications yearly until June 1st or November 1st, the 43-credit program meets Monday and Thursday evenings online for courses like differential diagnosis and human behavior. Students arrange internships in their geographic location for logging 1,136 fieldwork hours. Funding opportunities include the AARP Chapter 34 Scholarship and Elliott Memorial Scholarship.

MSW/JD Concurrent Degree

Partnered with the ABA-approved William H. Bowen School of Law, the MSW/JD Concurrent Degree maximizes cross-credits for social workers to complete a Juris Doctor and prepare for protecting human rights and advocating social justice in the courtroom. The five-year, 150-credit program blends courses like diversity and community assessment with criminal law and torts. Named a “Best Value” by PreLaw Magazine, the program arranges externships with the ACLU of Arkansas, Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, Arkansas Fair Housing Commission, and others.

Accreditation

• Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)

• American Bar Association (ABA)

• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)

Contact

2801 South University Avenue

Little Rock, AR 72204

(501) 569-3240

socialwork@ualr.edu

Program Link

Although CNN Money ranked social work as the #1 worst college degree that don’t pay, obtaining an MSW offers altruistic rewards with a comfortable salary potential. The U.S. News recognized clinical social workers for having the fourth best social service job with a projected hiring increase of 19 percent through 2024. Individuals who choose to place service over profit and become a LMSW will need to attend graduate school. The Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board requires finishing a CSWE-accredited master’s and passing the $230 exam. Prepare to give psychosocial support to those in need with these six master’s in social work degree programs in Arkansas.