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MSW Programs in South Carolina

Featured Programs:
  • Fordham's top-ranked Graduate School of Social Service Online Master of Social Work - Top-25 ranked online MSW offers both Traditional and Advanced standing programs. Both CSWE-accredited programs allow you to earn your degree full-time or part-time. Request Information!
  • Baylor University Master of Social Work - Bachelor's holders can prepare for social work licensure with Baylor's CSWE-accredited MSW program online. Complete in as few as 12-16 months. No GRE required. Request Information!
  • The University of Denver's Master of Social Work online - CSWE-accredited MSW online from a top-20 school of social work. Students with a BSW can earn their MSW in as few as 18 months in the advanced standing track. Request Information!
  • Simmons University's Online Master of Social Work - CSWE-accredited; No GRE required. Full-time, part-time, and accelerated tracks available, as well as an advanced standing track for BSW graduates. Request Information
  • With Walden University’s CSWE-Accredited Online Master of Social Work you’ll get a remote learning experience that includes VR simulated scenarios and labs to prepare you for anything that might come your way in your social work career, along with all the practical skills you need to ace your state licensing exam. Click here to learn about this program.
  • University of Kentucky’s College of Social Work offers a CSWE Accredited Online Master of Social Work program with Regular Standing or Advanced Standing options. Graduates have consistently done well on the licensure exams. Click Here to learn more about the UK online MSW programs.
  • Capella University's CSWE accredited online Master of Social Work program helps prepare students to enter the general or clinical practice role. An Advanced Standing MSW option is available. Capella also offers an online Doctor of Social Work. Click Here to contact Capella University about their Master of Social Work program or Doctor of Social Work program.
  • University of Montana MSW program educates you to these ideals as they apply to social work. By graduation, you can use your knowledge of research, policy and advocacy to work in diverse social work arenas. Request Information!

Land of the sand hills and the coastal plains, South Carolina is known for its marshes, estuaries, dunes, river deltas and beautiful beaches. South Carolina is located in the Southeastern part of the United States with its eastern border on the Atlantic Ocean (1).

South Carolina is the 24th most populous and the 40th largest state in the nation (2). Known for beautiful historic towns and Southern hospitality, it’s a great place to get a bowl of she-crab bisque or a plate of shrimp and grits. Tourists flock to South Carolina’s beautiful beaches and historic cities, enjoying the surf at Hilton Head Island and the charm of Charleston.

A Mostly Rural State

The South Carolina Office of Rural Health reports that 53 percent of South Carolina is rural, and most of those rural parts of the state qualify as “Health Professional Shortage Areas,” meaning they do not have adequate healthcare professionals, including social workers (3).

South Carolina has a larger than average percentage of the population living in poverty with 17.6 percent of the population living in poverty, compared to the national average of 14.9 percent. The median household income is also low – $44,623, compared to the national average of $53,046 (4).

South Carolina has a low rate of high school graduation – only 68.2 percent graduated in four years as of 2013 (5). Teen pregnancy is also a concern. While the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy has been somewhat effective, the state is still in the top fifteen states (highest rate of teen pregnancy being a one on a scale of one to fifty) (6).

The University of South Carolina, in conjunction with the South Carolina Department of Social Services, surveyed a portion of the youth in transition from foster care in the state. One in five of the youths who were interviewed (all of which had been in the South Carolina foster care system at one point or another) reported being homeless at one point in their lives, and reported that worries about future housing and employment (as young adults) was a primary concern (7).

If you would like to work with underserved youths and families dealing with poverty, you will find opportunities to do so in the state.

Studying Social Work

Are you thinking of pursuing your master’s of social work in state? According to the 2014 US News & World Report school rankings, the University of South Carolina’s College of Social Work is ranked number 60 in the nation. Winthrop University’s Department of Social Work is ranked 130th in the nation (8).

The University of South Carolina’s College of Social Work prides itself on its international connections. For example, the college recently partnered with Vietnam’s Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MOLISA) to co-sponsor a conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, fostering the exchange of ideas about social work, with an emphasis on mental health (9).

If you are willing to work in an underserved community, you should look into student loan forgiveness through the National Health Service Corps loan forgiveness program (NHSC). If you find a job working in a “Health Professional Shortage Area” (HPSA), which most of the state qualifies as, you may be eligible for loan forgiveness up to $20,000 per year.

Opportunities on the Rise

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, job opportunities for social workers in South Carolina are on the rise. In particular, healthcare social workers are in demand, with job growth predicted to increase at a rate of 37 percent. Currently 2,370 healthcare social workers are employed by the state, making a median salary of $42,200 (10).

Mental health and substance abuse social work positions are also on the rise. This job sector is predicted to grow at a rate of 27 percent (11).

Most of the people employed in South Carolina as social workers are working as child, family or school social workers (5,740 out of the 9,500 working in the state). The average social worker in this sector makes a median wage of $34,200. Even this sector is experiencing job growth – at a rate of 12 percent (12).

Licensure and Professional Development Resources

Colleges and Universities that have Master’s in Social Work Programs in South Carolina

Sources Cited

  1. States Which Seceded, 2014. EHistory.com. http://ehistory.osu.edu/world/articles/articleview.cfm?AID=34
  2. South Carolina Population, 2014. World Population Review. http://worldpopulationreview.com/states/south-carolina-population/
  3. Rural Recruitment Services, 2014. Sout Carolina Office of Rural Health. http://scorh.net/our-services/rural-recruitment-services/
  4. State and County QuickFacts, 2014. United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/45000.html
  5. State Data: South Carolina, 2014. America’s Health Rankings. http://www.americashealthrankings.org/SC
  6. Teen Pregnancy Rates Decline, But SC Still in Top 15 Nationally, 2013. WISTV. http://www.wistv.com/story/20611639/teen-pregnancy-rates-decline-but-sc-still-in-top-15-nationally
  7. Voices and Visions of SC Youth in Transition, 2011. National Youth in Transition Database. http://www.nytdstayconnected.com/images/pdfs/voicesandvisionsbrochure.pdf
  8. Graduate School Search – Social Work Programs, 2014. US News and World Report. http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/search?spp=10&program=top-social-work-schools&name=&zip=south+carolina&program_rank=Any&sort=&sortdir=
  9. http://cosw.sc.edu/about-the-college/news/355-cosw-forges-opportunities-for-vietnamese-collaboration
  10. America’s Career InfoNet – Career Profile, 2014. Career One Stop. http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?optstatus=011000000&soccode=211022&id=1&nodeid=2&stfips=45&search=Go
  11. America’s Career InfoNet – Career Profile, 2014. Career One Stop. http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?optstatus=011000000&soccode=211023&id=1&nodeid=2&stfips=45&search=Go
  12. America’s Career InfoNet – Career Profile, 2014. Career One Stop. http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?optstatus=011000000&soccode=211021&id=1&nodeid=2&stfips=45&search=Go