Social Work

400 South Broadway Avenue
Rochester, MN. 55904
507.535.2555
Social Work website
Arlen Carey, MSW Program Director
Jessica Tye, MSW Field Director

Graduate Faculty

Arlen Carey, Associate Professor; BA, MA, PhD, University of Texas-Austin; MSW, University of Central Florida-Orlando; 2004 -
Alex Espadas, Assistant Professor; BS, MSW, PhD, University of Houston; 2018 -
Jessica Tye, Assistant Professor; BS, Wartburg College; MSW, University of St. Thomas/St. Catherine; EdD, St. Cloud State University; 2011 -

Faculty

Ruth A. Charles, Professor; BA, Gordon College; MSW, PhD, Syracuse University; 1997 -
Charissa Eaton, Associate Professor; BS, MSW, University of North Dakota; PhD, University of Minnesota; 2010 -
Cathleen Jo Faruque, Professor; BS, Winona State University; MSW, San Diego State University; PhD, North Central University; 1997 -
Mary M. Kirk, Instructor; BA, Marquette University; MSW, University of Iowa; 2016 -
Robert Jay Palmer, Associate Professor; BS, California State University-Fullerton; MSW, California State University-Long Beach; PhD, University of South Carolina; 2007 -
Oswald Shanalingigwa, Associate Professor; BA, University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania); MSW, PhD, University of Minnesota; 2009 -
Anne Vande Berg, Assistant Professor; BA, Macalester College; MSW, University of Minnesota; DSW, University of St. Thomas/St. Catherine, 2013 -

Purpose: Master of Social Work

MSW Program Mission

The Winona State University Master of Social Work Program, (located within a regional university committed to community engagement and service) collaborates with eminent community partners to prepare trauma-informed clinical social workers with a distinctive synthesis of knowledge, skills, practice wisdom, and immersive experiences to:

promote client empowerment and social justice through applying an honoring, strengths-based orientation to increasingly diverse, disparate, and ever-evolving individuals and communities
integrate with, expand, and enhance existing communities of practice
utilize, assess, and develop innovative and research-informed practices

MSW Program Goals

The WSU MSW Program strives to:

Produce trauma-informed clinical social workers who are effective, self-reflective, and ethical.
Be an agent of social justice and social change, particularly with diverse and vulnerable populations.
Offer an integrated curriculum that incorporates our practice communities’ expertise, with a curriculum that models the interrelationship between knowledge, research, and practice wisdom.
Provide a center of social work innovation and excellence that promotes evidence-informed practice, practice-informed research, and life-long learning.
Maintain a faculty of distinction who are diverse in demographics, teaching and practice experiences, research interests, and theoretical perspectives.
Promote a nurturing academic environment where strengths are honored to support the learning and professional growth of students.

Admission

Admission to the WSU MSW Program is granted on a selective basis. Applicants for admission must have:

An earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution (or foreign equivalent)
Undergraduate coursework in the liberal arts that addressed social, psychological, and biological determinants of human behavior and diverse cultures, social conditions, and social issues
Personal values and qualities that are needed for agency-based clinical social work practice with oppressed and disadvantaged populations
Demonstrated commitment to the field of social work through experience (volunteer, paid, course-based, etc.)

Advanced Standing Status Admission: A limited number of advanced standing students are admitted into the MSW program each year. In addition to the basic admission requirements, advanced standing applicants must have:

A baccalaureate degree from a Council on Social Work Education accredited social work program earned from a program that, at the time of applicant’s graduation, was accredited under the current or immediately preceding CSWE Education Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS, i.e, EPAS 2008 or EPAS 2015).
An overall GPA of 3.0 or better and a GPA of 3.4 or better in the social work major. Applicants with GPAs below either 3.0 or 3.4 may be admitted on a provisional basis. Students accepted provisionally must achieve a GPA or 3.2 or better to be accepted into the program.

Accreditation

The Winona State University MSW Program is pursuing full accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education.