Master's in Social Work

The Joint Master of Social Work Program at UNCG and N.C. A&T State University is a unique collaboration between the two universities. The curriculum prepares students for multicultural clinical practice. Our students and faculty teach and study at each campus and have access to the full range of instructional and research support available.

The Joint Master of Social Work (J.M.S.W.) Program recognizes the culture, history, and identities of all peoples with emphasis on people who are oppressed, marginalized, and traumatized, as well as contemporary patterns of social, economic, and health inequalities. This knowledge is applied in establishing culturally sensitive therapeutic relationships that promote resilience. Assessments in multicultural clinical practice are derived from psychological, ecological, and community contextual perspectives. Through the application of a broad range of culturally responsive social work assessment and intervention approaches, multicultural clinical practice strives to enhance social functioning and improve the quality of life for people and communities.

the master’s in social work Program Distinctions

The Joint Master of Social Work (J.M.S.W.) Program has been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education since 2000.

N.C. A&T played a prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement. In the turbulence of 1960, four freshmen sat down at a segregated lunch counter in Greensboro. Their actions inspired a national sit-in movement. The history has influenced a program culture that supports the social work profession’s commitment to ethical practice and social justice.

The J.M.S.W. is part of a unique collaboration between a minority-serving institution (UNCG) and a Historically Black College and/or University, N.C. A&T, which is the first of its kind in the United States. In 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked the joint program #5 in North Carolina for Best Schools for Social Work.

The Master’s In social work Student Experience

The J.M.S.W. Program offers a full-time two-year option or an advanced-standing full-time option. In the advanced-standing option, students are admitted with a bachelor degree in Social Work and the degree is completed in one calendar year. In the two-year program, students can consider study abroad opportunities in the summer after your first year. Financial aid can be applied to Study Abroad, and travel grants may be available.

All students will:

• Conduct and disseminate community-engaged scholarship, contributing to the knowledge base of the profession and promoting effective social work practice.
• Attend classes and have access to resources at N.C. A&T and UNCG.
• Benefit from the universities’ partnerships with more than 150 agencies across the region, spanning all levels of practice and serving a range of communities and organizations.

After Graduating with your joint master of social work

Graduates may find a career as:

• Child welfare caseworker
• Clinical mental health social worker
• Medical social worker
• Family and children’s services
• Community organization and support
• County and city government
• Gerontology and aging social worker
• School social worker
• Substance abuse counselor

Applying to the joint master of social work Program

Students interested in the J.M.S.W. program should apply to the UNCG Graduate School. Interested applicants should know:

• There is one application cycle per year.  
• The GRE is no longer required.
• Visit J.M.S.W. Admissions for additional admissions requirements.