MSW Programs in Mississippi

Mississippi is a state dotted with magnolia trees, stately antebellum mansions and cotton fields. It’s a place where old Southern charm is still alive and well, where a glass of sweet tea and a plate of barbecue can make you feel like you’ve finally found home. It has also become the home of catfish aquaculture and progressive agriculture.

However, the state of Mississippi has a high unemployment rate and a significant percentage of the population struggling to stay above the poverty line. It is simultaneously a land of plenty and a land of need.

Make a Difference

The United States Census Bureau reports that 22.3 percent of Mississippi’s population is living below poverty level, which is significantly higher than the national average of 14.9 percent (1). The median average wage in Mississippi is also lower than average. The median household income is $38,882, compared to the national average median income of $53,046 (2).

If you’re a child living in Mississippi, you have a one in three chance of growing up poor. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, 32 percent of the children in the state are living in households under the poverty line. Approximately 37 percent of those children do not have an employed adult living in the household, and 75 percent of those children are living in a single-parent household (3).

Socioeconomic disparity as it relates to race appears to be a concern in Mississippi. Approximately 49 percent of the African American children in the state are living in poverty, as are 40 percent of the Latino children. The Latino population is only a small percentage of the state’s population (just under three percent), but the state is 37.4 percent African American (4).

High teen pregnancy rates is also a concern. The Mississippi Department of Human Services established a task force in 2012 to come up with a plan to prevent teen pregnancy and to support pregnant teenagers (5).

Studying to Become a Social Worker

According to the 2014 US News & World Report school rankings, the state of Mississippi has three graduate social work programs that rank in the top 200 schools in the nation. The University of Mississippi School of Applied Sciences and the University of Southern Mississippi School of Social Work tied for best in the state, both coming in at number 148 (6).

The University of Southern Mississippi is the oldest and largest graduate social work program in the state. The program offers all of the traditional social work concentrations, plus a travel abroad program “Human Rights and Social Justice in Jamaica” (7).

As a state, Mississippi does not offer any loan forgiveness programs to social workers (8), but you can still qualify for a national program such as the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). This program rewards social workers that are employed in “Health Professional Shortage Areas” (HPSA), underserved communities in need of social workers. Through this program you may qualify for up to $20,000 of loan forgiveness per year, for a maximum of two years.

Careers That Make a Difference

Child, family and school social workers in Mississippi make a median salary of $32,000 a year. This may seem low when compared to the national average salary of $42,100 (for the same role), but it is only somewhat lower than the average median salary in the state ($38,882). Job opportunities in this sector are anticipated to rise at a rate of 11 percent between 2010 and 2020 (9).

Healthcare social workers are also expected to be growing in demand. As of 2010, 1,900 healthcare social workers were employed in the state, and job creation is supposed to increase at a rate of 15 percent, resulting in approximately 30 new jobs each year. The median salary for a healthcare social worker in Mississippi is $41,100 per year (10).

If you are considering becoming a college professor of social work, the jobs are scarce, but the pay is higher than the other types of social work positions available in the state. The median salary for a postsecondary social work educator is $55,700 (11).

Licensure and Professional Development Resources

• Social Work License Requirements in Mississippi
• Mississippi Board of Registration of Social Workers
• National Association of Social Workers, Mississippi Chapter

Universities Offering Master’s in Social Work Programs in Mississippi

• Jackson State University (MSW Program)
• University of Southern Mississippi (MSW Program)

Sources Cited:

1. State and County Quick Facts, Mississippi, 2013. United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/28000.html
2. State and County Quick Facts, Mississippi, 2013. United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/28000.html
3. Demographics of Poor Children, Mississippi, 2012. National Center for Children in Poverty. http://www.nccp.org/profiles/MS_profile_7.html
4. State and County Quick Facts, Mississippi, 2013. United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/28000.html
5. Plan to Prevent and Reduce Teen Pregnancy, 2012. Mississippi Department of Human Services, Mississippi Department of Health. http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/resources/4696.pdf
6. Graduate School Social Work Programs: Mississippi, 2013. US News & World Report. http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/search?spp=10&program=top-social-work-schools&name=&zip=mississippi&program_rank=Any&sort=&sortdir=
7. MSW Program Information, 2013. The University of Southern Mississippi, School of Social Work. http://www.usm.edu/social-work/msw-program-information
8. State Loan Repayment Programs, 2014. US Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/stateloanrepaymentprogram/index.html
9. Occupation Profile: Child, Family, and School Social Workers: Mississippi, 2013. Career One Stop. http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?optstatus=011000000&soccode=211021&id=1&nodeid=2&stfips=28&search=Go
10. Occupation Profile: Healthcare Social Workers: Mississippi, 2013. Career One Stop. http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?optstatus=011000000&soccode=211022&id=1&nodeid=2&stfips=28&search=Go
11. Occupation Profile: Social Work Teachers, Post-Secondary: Mississippi, 2013. Career One Stop. http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?optstatus=011000000&soccode=251113&id=1&nodeid=2&stfips=28&search=Go