Impact Lives in Your Community
Interested in learning more about the Master of Social Work at PSU? Request more information.
Work Toward Changing the World
At Portland State University’s Master of Social Work program you can attend on campus (with sites in Portland, Eugene, and Central Oregon), or fully online. Become an effective agent of social change through a field placement in a community agency, building practical skills for real-world impact.
Only at Portland State
Oregon's only public institution awarding both graduate and undergraduate degrees in Social Work.
#1 Online MSW Macro Degree
Ranked #1 online MSW macro degree by Social Work Degree Center.
Top 12% of Schools of Social Work
Ranked among the top 12% of Schools of Social Work in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
Our Graduates Go On to Work In:
- Advocacy/Activism, Anti-Poverty, Anti-Racism, Anti-Violence, Addictions/Treatment
- Addictions Counseling
- Aging
- Child Welfare & Child Life
- Community-Based Organizing
- Corrections
- Disability/Critical Disability/Neurodiversity
- Domestic/Interpersonal Violence
- Early Childhood Education
- Elementary and Secondary Education
- Healthcare
- Housing
- Human Services, Case Management and Counseling
- Immigration
- Juvenile Justice & Corrections
- Mental and Behavioral Health
- Outdoor and Recreational Providers
- Outreach Work
- Policy
- Research
- Residential Care Treatment
- Restorative Justice
- School Social Work
- Special Education
- Youth Work
Melissa Pola
Master of Social Work Alum
Melissa Pola, MSW student, enjoyed the flexibility of Portland State University’s online program, allowing her to balance responsibilities to both her family and her full time job as an Addiction Counselor. To make sustainable change in her community, she enrolled with the School of Social Work and graduated in 2023.
“The faculty have our best interests at heart and guide us. They come alongside us through the whole process.”
Hands-On Training
Through PSU's Field Education & Practicum Programs
Students across our programs have the opportunity to work directly with community agencies through our Field Education or Practicum Program, where they gain hands-on experience by contributing 280,000 hours of learning, service, and community engagement to the state of Oregon every year.
Racial Equity & Social Justice
Our programs are committed to centering critical self reflection, racial equity, and social and economic justice. We encourage our students to be active citizens and practitioners who embody these values.