Master of Social Work Now Being Offered at Salisbury University

SALISBURY, MD---For the first time, a full-time Master of Social Work is being offered on the Eastern Shore. An informational meeting for those interested in finding out more about this new degree at Salisbury University will be held on Saturday, January 12, at 10 a.m. in the Guerrieri University Center Nanticoke Room A. This is only the second M.S.W. program in Maryland.

SU officials say the curriculum is different from those in Baltimore or Washington, D.C., because the resources of a rural or town population differ from those of a metropolitan area. “At SU the coursework has both breadth and depth, concentrating on service to individuals, families and groups in a community setting,” said Dr. Marvin Tossey, chair of the SU Social Work Department and director of the new graduate program. “For non-urban areas, an expectation from employers is to be versatile. They want someone who will eventually be able to supervise and handle administrative duties.
The need to hire professionals who can function in a variety of roles with diverse families.”

Currently, the Eastern Shore is suffering a shortage of social work professionals with master’s degrees. Anne Harding-Shariff, who works with the Dorchester County Health Department, has been a social worker for over 20 years. “Traveling to Baltimore to attend classes was a hardship for many people and prevented them from advancing in their career,” she said. “This will help them as well as attract those who want a master’s focusing on meeting the needs of people in a rural setting. This new M.S.W. is a big plus for our area.”

Heretofore, local social workers pursing a master’s had to commute to the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

Already, some 40 students have enrolled in SU’s new M.S.W. Tossey said the goal is to eventually graduate 20-25 students a year, “large enough to offer diversity and rigor, but small enough to keep the focus on the needs of the individual student.”

Students may enroll in a two-year full-time or a four year part-time program. Recent graduates with a Bachelor of Social Work are eligible to apply for advanced standing status, which allows M.S.W. studies to be completed in one year if enrolled full time.

“We schedule courses with working individuals in mind,” added Tossey. “Classes are only offered in the afternoon and evenings. Tuition is also lower at Salisbury than at programs across the Bay.”
Home to the only collegiate Social Work Department on the Eastern Shore whose undergraduate program has been accredited for more than a quarter century, SU has been in planning and development of this advanced degree for the last decade. “Historically, the Eastern Shore has been an underserved area,” said Tossey. “This will help change that.”

For more information on social work studies at SU call the department at 410-543-6305 or visit the SU Web site at www.salisbury.edu.