Career Options
APU’s MSW program prepares you to help individuals and communities thrive. Graduates of the program are equipped to provide individual, family, and group therapy; facilitate crisis prevention and intervention; advance social justice; advocate for and participate in political action; and collaborate with communities to develop necessary social and economic resources.
Settings in which social workers practice include:
- Mental Health (with individuals, groups and families)
- School Social Work
- Non-Profit Management
- Policy & Advocacy
- Criminal Justice
- Housing/Homelessness
- Health Care/Hospitals
- Domestic Violence/Trafficking
- Substance use disorders
- Child Welfare/adoption
- Older Adults
- Military/Veterans' services
There are many benefits to pursuing a master’s degree in social work, including higher pay, increased job security, and most important, the ability to provide meaningful support to individuals and communities you work with. Here are some tips for advancing your social work career with an MSW degree.
Meet Our Alumni
Click on any of the names below to view videos in which some of our alumni describe the great experiences they had in our program.
Stephanie Taylor, MSW ‘14
(Salvation Army Human Trafficking)
Valencia Ferrell, MSW ‘17
(L.A. County DCFS, UCCF recipient)
Aurelio Sanchez, MSW ‘17
(Riverside County, Veterans’ Services Liaison)
Bryan Brewer, MSW ‘17
(VA Medical Center, Loma Linda)
Natalie Torres, MSW ‘16
(School Social Worker, Ontario Montclair School District)
Shun Griffin, MSW ’18
(Innovage, serving older adults)
Pam Dong, MSW ’13
(Salvation Army, Divisional Strategic Mission Advancement Director)
Ashley Allen, MSW '19
(MSW Alumni)
Student Experiences
Graduates of APU’s Master of Social Work program have repeatedly affirmed the high quality of its faculty, coursework, and internships:
APU has been an integral part of not only my education but my faith formation. They helped me find my calling in life as a social worker and have encouraged me to go out into the world as a difference maker. Best of all, the peers and professors I met there have resulted in life-long friendships that still encourage and support me.
I loved the cohort model of my APU social work graduate program. While learning essential theories and academic concepts, one of my most valuable takeaways was the fact that I was treated as a valued colleague. If you are hoping to learn and grow as a student and as a professional, the APU social work master’s program is for you.
As a retired 26-year Navy Senior Chief, I now work as the Veterans Service Liaison at Riverside University Health System, Behavioral Health, and am tasked with addressing the needs of homeless veterans. I am blessed for having had the learning experience only APU’s professors, staff, and administrators could have provided.
The experience I was awarded through the DCFS Internship Program equipped me with immense knowledge and confidence as I engaged in real-life conversations and scenarios. The program allowed me to be an actual student; to learn, grow, prepare and develop a set of essential skills I would later utilize as I began my career in public child welfare.
The education I received at APU is in a class of its own; it truly is a quality education. I look back at my time in the program and all of the classes I took, the internships I completed, my relationships with my cohort and the professors...it prepared me to become the professional I am today.
Note: This information is current for the 2023-24 academic year; however, all stated academic information is subject to change. Please refer to the current Academic Catalog for more information.