Fairfield’s new part-time MSW program offers flexibility, adaptability, and convenience for students looking to enter a helping profession. Students can also opt for the full-time program or the non-matriculated student option.
Flexibility, adaptability, and convenience for many adult learners are essential characteristics that a master’s program must have in order to make it a viable option to fit into their busy schedules. Over the past few years during the Covid-19 pandemic, flexibility in learning has become an educational hallmark. According to ., there has been an increased emphasis on flexibility because adult learners are looking for ways to fit their studies around their work and family commitments.
A major obstacle for working adult students is time. Many graduate students return to their studies years after completing their undergraduate degrees and are often working full-time and have families to support. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in even greater challenges and stressors for working parents. reported that 53 percent of parents are getting less than six hours of sleep a night, and 23 percent report no time for self-care.
To respond to the need for flexibility Fairfield now offers a part-time option for the Master of Social Work (MSW) program. Fairfield’s MSW program is a hybrid model of learning, incorporating both the flexibility and convenience of online learning with the personalized attention and hands-on skills acquisition available in the traditional classroom, and in the field.
A master’s degree in social work is versatile, poignant, and in demand in today’s workforce. The profession of social work is for those who cherish human connection and relationships. Social work is rooted in the core values of service, social justice, and the dignity and worth of the person.
Fairfield’s MSW is a clinical program that focuses on the promotion of social justice and social change on behalf of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Clinical social workers have specialized knowledge and skills in the prevention, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of emotional, mental, and behavioral health problems and provide services in a variety of settings including private practice, hospitals, community mental health, primary care, and agencies.
The part-time program can be completed in three to four years or the full-time program can be completed in less than two years. For prospective students thinking about the profession of social work who would like to take a few courses prior to committing to the degree, Fairfield now offers a non-matriculated student option. With this option, qualified students may begin their studies before completing the formal application process and will then be eligible to apply for admission to a degree program. This option offers a unique opportunity for students to explore degree options and to confirm personal goals and readiness for graduate study.
For more information about Fairfield’s MSW Program visit fairfield.edu/msw.
