Social Work Graduates in High Demand, USU Program Meets Need

LOGAN, Utah — Utah State University is meeting the rising demand for well-trained social workers as the profession is projected to experience unprecedented growth over the next decade. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the social work profession is expected to outpace most other occupations in terms of projected growth in the next five years.

USU is seeing an influx from all across the state of students eager to earn their Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. USU is prepared to meet the growing need for qualified professionals and has locations throughout the state ready to help students progress in this growing field while serving the needs of rural communities.

“There is a major behavioral health and human services workforce demand which has fueled interest in our programs,” said Jess Lucero, department head and associate professor in the Department of Social Work. “There is also a growing recognition of the complexity of social problems and in parallel, a desire to find solutions in our communities. Folks who are interested in being part of these multi-system solutions find social work to be an incredibly rewarding career path.”

Social work graduates are equipped to work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in a variety of settings, including schools, hospitals, prisons, and community mental health centers. They play a crucial role in helping people cope with problems in their lives and, in some cases, help diagnose and treat mental, behaviorial, or emotional problems. They seek to empower individuals to realize their full potential and handle the stresses of life.

The MSW program will work with students to meet their career goals. Laurel Smith, who will graduate from the program in August, has loved working with USU professors. She says USU faculty actively assist in finding internship opportunities that line up with her interests and career aspirations and take a direct interest in her professional development.

“The professors are some of the most amazing humans I have ever met,” Smith said. “They are so invested in making sure we are prepared so that we can be of help to the profession. It’s not just about us getting a degree, a piece of paper. They figure out what we want to be doing and how they can help us grow into that.”

Smith has also loved how adaptable the program is, creating partnerships throughout the state to give students a variety of internship opportunities. She is able to take courses in Nephi, yet complete an internship in Ogden, all while living in Orem and balancing family life. USU’s statewide reach makes this possible.

“The program has built-in adaptability by networking and coordinating with community partners,” Smith said. “This accounts for life’s circumstances changing and allows for internship opportunities that meet student needs. The awareness that Utah State has for its students is bar none the best.”

Kaleigh Soderborg, another MSW program student, has witnessed the growing need for social workers in the rural parts of Utah. Soderborg began attending USU Blanding in 2020, while working for the Utah Division of Child and Family Services in Blanding and later in Salem. Soderborg underscored the importance of increasing the number of well-prepared social workers.

“They just don’t have enough mental health people to help,” Soderborg said. “There was a big need there.”

Soderborg took courses in Blanding and Moab as part of the program, then transferred to the USU Nephi campus to complete her master’s degree while doing an internship in Salem and continuing to work for DCFS. Throughout the transitions and coursework, Soderborg says the support she has received has been phenomenal and would recommend the program to anyone interested.

“I’m a third-generation graduate from Utah State,” she said. “I’ve loved my time here and would recommend anyone to come to this program. It has been a great experience.”

Smith has already become a de facto recruiter for the MSW program. She has recommended it to her husband, a friend, and even a stranger she met in a store who commented on her USU apparel. All three have since enrolled or are in the process of enrolling in the program.

“Strangers, friends and spouses– I have recommended this program to all of them,” Smith said. “And they are all planning on going. USU gives us all the resources we need. They give us accessibility to professors from a vast array of practice areas and they give us a great look into social work. It has been awesome.”

The Master of Social Work program was the second most popular graduate program at USU’s 2023 Commencement, accounting for 10% of all master’s degrees awarded. In 2020 and 2021, the Utah Legislature approved appropriations which allowed the program to hire four additional faculty members and help increase enrollment by more than 50% throughout the state.

There are several options for students looking for their MSW, including advanced programs, full-time options for students at the USU Logan campus and part-time programs in more than 15 different Statewide locations. With an ever-growing demand for qualified social workers, USU is prepared to fulfill its land-grant mission of providing excellent, accessible, and in-demand education throughout the state.

“We have incredibly dedicated faculty who are interested in our students as individuals and are committed to mentoring our fantastic students on their professional pathway,” Lucero said.

For more information on USU’s social work program, visit chass.usu.edu/social-work.