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Change the world. Earn your degree in social work.

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Social Work

Are you looking for a career that promotes social change, social action, and respect of cultural and language differences? If you want to help improve the life of others, your career in social work begins at New Mexico Highlands University.

Social work is a career that provides students with the opportunity to work with individuals, groups, families, organizations and communities. The professional social worker makes a positive difference by empowering others to improve their lives.

The social work program offers B.S.W. and M.S.W. degrees in three concentrations: Clinical practice, Leadership and Administration, and Bilingual/Bicultural studies. We also have a dual MBA/MSW program for students seeking admission into the two-year M.S.W. program. It takes 52 credit units of combined junior and senior level courses to finish the B.S.W program.

Students are required to complete 448 hours of field practicum during their senior year. This experience provides the chance to work directly with a specific target group as you use what you have learned in class in practical settings. The curriculum’s focus on multicultural practice will give you the knowledge and understanding of cultural and ethnic differences — critical for social workers to help their clients successfully.

Students who achieve high academic standards are eligible to apply to the school’s Advanced Standing M.S.W. honors program. This track will allow you to complete the M.S.W. degree in two or three academic semesters.

Our curriculum prepares students for entry-level generalist practice, and will train you in the skills and knowledge to work in public and private social service agencies. Alumni from the School of Social Work are successfully working in a variety of fields: mental health and health care, substance abuse programs, schools, child welfare, hospice, gerontology and many other areas.

Are you ready?

Photo: Five young adults are sitting at a picnic table outside on a fall day. They are smiling and chatting.

Social Work Courses and Requirements

Undergraduate Requirements: Social Work

Major in Social Work (undergraduate)

Undergraduate Courses in Social Work

The New Mexico Highlands undergraduate catalog outlines your options and the steps you need to take to complete degree requirements for your chosen major. To ensure the seamless completion of your degree, consult often with your academic adviser and utilize Highlands’ Degree Audit tool to keep track of your academic progress.

Want to continue? Here’s some information about graduate studies:

Master’s degree in Social Work

Graduate courses in Social Work

Administration

Administration

Faculty and Staff

Faculty and Staff

School of Social Work – Albuquerque (5041 Indian School NE Ste. 100 Albuquerque, N.M.)

School of Social Work - HEC Center (1950 Siringo Road Santa Fe, NM 87505)

School of Social Work – Farmington (3539 E. 30th Street, Suite 203 Farmington, NM 87402)

Mission Statement

The New Mexico Highlands University Board of Regents approved, on December 17, 2015, a change in the name to the School of Social Work to honor the founder of the School, Facundo Valdez. The mission of the Facundo Valdez School of Social Work is to educate students to practice social work competently with the diverse, multicultural populations of New Mexico and the Southwest. This context of cultural and regional responsiveness informs the school’s creation and implementation of all its educational programs.

The School has a primary commitment to Hispanic and Native American people. Our curriculum grounds students in core professional social work values and skills and ethical principles and promotes a focused awareness and respect for cultural differences and how poverty affects the well-being of people in the region.