Master of Social Work Careers & Outcomes

After Pacific | Professional social workers work to establish social and economic justice, prevent conditions that limit human rights, eliminate poverty, and enhance the quality of life for all persons.

To a social worker, it's not just a job— it's a calling. Social workers help individuals function better within their environment but also work on changing the environment so that it works better for individuals and families. This is one of the defining features of the social work profession and one of the reasons that social workers are passionate about their profession.

Social workers are employed in a wide variety of settings including schools, hospice, substance abuse treatment centers, domestic violence agencies, hospitals, criminal justice settings, services for children and families, homeless shelters, nonprofit organizations, advocacy organizations, services for military veterans, organizations serving older adults, and mental health.

In fact, throughout the nation, more social workers deliver mental health services than any other profession. Wherever we find poverty or substance abuse, wherever mental and physical health challenges limit people from realizing their true potential, and wherever we see social injustice and oppression, that’s where you’ll find social workers.

Student Learning Outcomes

Our Student Learning outcomes are set forth from the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Specifically, the master of social work program at Pacific seeks to:

  • Competency 1–Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
  • Competency 2 –Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
  • Competency 3 –Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
  • Competency 4 –Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
  • Competency 5 –Engage in Policy Practice
  • Competency 6 –Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
  • Competency 7 –Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
  • Competency 8 –Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
  • Competency 9 –Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities​

Program Purpose

Pacific University's MSW program offers an advanced degree based on the purpose of the social work profession, which is to promote human and community well-being. Guided by a person-in-environment construct, a global perspective, a respect for human diversity, and knowledge based on scientific inquiry, social work's purpose is carried out through its quest for social and economic justice, the prevention of conditions that limit human rights, the elimination of poverty, and the enhancement of the quality of life for all persons.

Grounded in values and ethical principles of social work, the MSW program at Pacific University seeks to provide to the people of the Pacific Northwest culturally-competent, well-trained, professional generalist social workers with advanced training in health and wellness who have special preparation to work with immigrant and native Latino peoples, other persons of color, rural residents, children and older adults, among others.

The MSW program at Pacific University is built upon the values of service, social justice, the dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, integrity, competence, human rights, and scientific inquiry, which are among the core values of social work. These values underpin the explicit and implicit curriculum and frame the profession's commitment to respect for all people and the quest for social and economic justice.