Program Highlights

Accreditation
Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
Degree Total for Tuition and Fees
Cost of Attendance
*Course Requirements

Completed bachelor's degree from an accredited institution

*Admission Requirements
3.0 GPA

*General MSW Admission Requirements. Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. The School of Social Work will consider a 2.75 to 2.99 GPA for provisional admission; provisionally admitted students are limited to 9 credits in their first semester and will be admitted to the three-year program. Consult with your program advisor.

Progam Contact

Dr. Sterling Brown, DBH, LCSW

College Assistant Professor & MSW Program Coordinator

Martin Arvizuo, M.Ed.

Lead Academic Advisor

Click here to Book Appointment

Our program sets you apart in a growing workforce.

The mission of the Master of Social Work (MSW) program at New Mexico State University is:

“to prepare graduates to promote human and social well-being through ethical, theoretically based and evidence informed advanced generalist social work practice, with individuals, groups, families, organizations, and communities in the culturally diverse environment of the Southwest, the United States, and the world. The MSW program is committed to serving people impacted by poverty and oppression through the promotion of empowerment, cultural humility and competence, and social and economic justice.” 

The specific goals of the MSW Program are: 

  1. To prepare graduates for advanced generalist social work practice that is responsive to rapidly changing environments. 
  2. To prepare graduates for multidimensional social work practice through the integration of theoretical perspectives, empirical evidence, and professional experience. 
  3. To prepare graduates who are committed to social justice and to ethical practice in complex settings. 
  4. To prepare graduates who are committed to continuing their professional development, developing autonomy and leadership within practice settings, and contributing to the knowledge and skill base of the profession. 
  5. To prepare graduates who employ a strengths-based, culturally humble approach to practice with populations and communities of the Southwest. 

Curriculum

Visit our curriculum pages below for details on the MSW courses of study. The online Graduate Catalog also has information about the course of study for each of our programs.
Social Work education is built on two components, classroom education and practicum practice experience. Please visit our MSW Practicum Education page below for more information about field requirements and expectations.

Form of Delivery

The MSW Program is available in-person on our Las Cruces main campus and Online through our Global Campus.

MSW/MPH Dual Degree Program

Learn more about our Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health Dual Degree Program

MSW Assessment Outcomes

2025-2026 Core Curriculum and Degree Maps

The MSW Program is designed to provide academic and fieldwork education with an emphasis on advanced generalist practice in multi-culutral setings with vulnerable populations. NMSU's MSW program provides an Advanced Generalist concentration which means that students wil be prepared to practice in a full range of soical work roles and settings from direct practice with individuals to work with families and groups, work with communities and organizations, and policy work. Students may utilize electives to direct their studies in some areas of focus while completing the advanced generalist core.
 
The following degree maps detail the different MSW Program Pathways available:

Visit 2025 MSW Curriculum Overview for more details

[What I took away from the course was…] the opportunity for real world application of our public health social work skills; feeling as though the project we were working on had like real world stakeholders from community partners so it added an element of relevance and also helped us feel like what we were doing was worthwhile, and also provided the opportunity to develop confidence to use our skills in the workforce as opposed to the insulated school environment.  That there was opportunity for us to create our own product with the collaboration with the city, we were able to come up with our original ideas and brainstorm together which was validating experience.

Lindsay Davis

MPH/MSW, '18

Related Programs

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Practicum is the heart of social work education, where students unite their passion, knowledge, and skills to engage in real-world practice, guided by community partners and supported by the Practicum Education Handbook.

Learn More 

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Learn more about our Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health Dual Degree Program

Learn More 

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The Child Welfare Scholar Program (CWSP) at NMSU, funded through Title IV-E, partners with CYFD to prepare and support social work graduates for careers protecting and strengthening children and families.

Learn More 

We invite you to learn more about our department.