Inspiring future leaders
Gain the knowledge, skills and experience you need to launch a successful career in the field of social work.
Programs of Study Contact Us
Our Vision
To be a leader in culturally-responsive and inclusive education, applied research, community engagement, and interdisciplinary and international collaboration.
Our Mission
To foster optimal health and well-being, equal human rights and a just society rooted in ethical, culturally responsive, and evidence-informed social work practice in the United States southwest, nationally, and internationally.
Our Values
The NMSU School of Social Work is grounded in a commitment to student-centered education, collective empowerment, and cultural responsiveness. We believe in the power of community engagement and uphold social and economic justice as central to our work. Everything we do is guided by data-informed, ethical practice — in service of our students, our communities, and the world around us.
Message from the Director
Welcome to the School of Social Work at New Mexico State University!
I am thrilled to extend this invitation for you to delve into the dynamic profession of social work through our well-rounded programs. Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education for over 50 years, our school prides itself on offering rigorous and comprehensive educational experiences. These pathways are designed not only to equip you with an ethical and evidence-informed social work level of competency but also to prepare you with the practical skills necessary to effect genuine change in our society, whether on a local, regional, or global level.
At NMSU, we stand proudly as part of a land-grant, minority, and Hispanic-serving institution dedicated to nurturing students from diverse cultural backgrounds and lived experiences. One of our key commitments lies in providing a diverse array of practicum opportunities, enabling students to thrive in various settings. Past students have engaged in practicum opportunities spanning social service agencies, school-based environments, interdisciplinary health and behavioral settings, geriatric and hospice care, as well as community organizing and advocacy on a macro level.
Our faculty and staff are the backbone of our School of Social Work, offering support and expertise. They are devoted to advancing the social work profession forward while empowering students to excel in our ever-evolving field. We take immense pride in pursuing culturally responsive education, applied research, community engagement, and interdisciplinary collaborations. The impactful research conducted by our faculty spans a range of critical areas, from trauma-informed practices in school and child welfare settings to addressing health disparities in borderland regions and advocating for immigrant families’ well-being within communities, including the child welfare system.
If you are considering a career in social work or seeking to further your current journey, now is the time to explore our programs. We offer both Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work degrees at our Las Cruces and NMSU Global campuses, utilizing a blend of face-to-face, online, and hybrid approaches.
I invite you to join our accredited programs if you are driven by innovation, aspire to be a catalyst for change, and desire to advocate for social justice. At its core, social work is about change and the capacity for change to bring about good. Together, we can make an impactful difference not only in New Mexico and the Southwest but also on a national and global scale.
Sincerely,
Mary Nienow, PhD
Director and Associate Professor
Accreditation
The NMSU School of Social Work holds dual accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the sole accrediting agency for professional social work education in the United States. The BSW Program has been continuously accredited since 1975, and the MSW Program since 1991. Graduates of both programs are eligible to pursue professional licensure in social work.
As a CSWE-accredited program, we regularly measure and report student learning outcomes for both our BSW and MSW programs. Click the links below to view the most recent data, updated every two years.