California State University – Bakersfield Social Work Programs

81 students earned their master’s degree in social work from California State University – Bakersfield Social Work Programs in 2022. CSUB ranks #116 among the most popular schools for social work master’s degrees nationwide. Students get exceptional value from this Council on Social Work Education accredited program with an affordable in-state tuition of $7,696.

Cal State’s social work programs provide extensive hands-on experience. CSUB’s program requirements include 90 quarter units of academic work and a 960-hour internship. The program’s emphasis on culturally sensitive practice prepares students for social work jobs in Bakersfield and beyond. CSUB’s social work master’s program serves a diverse student body, with Hispanic or Latino students making up 81% of recent graduates. Students can choose between full-time and part-time study options that fit their schedule while preparing them for advanced generalist social work practice.

Types of Social Work Degrees Offered at CSU – Bakersfield

California State University – Bakersfield provides a reliable Master of Social Work (MSW) degree that prepares students for advanced generalist social work practice. The program gives you the skills to work with individuals, families, organizations, and communities.

Students must complete 60 semester units of academic work along with a 960-hour internship and a culminating experience. The program features a well-laid-out curriculum that combines foundation and advanced level courses. Students develop knowledge, skills, and values that align with advanced generalist practice.

CSUB’s program offers three flexible options that match different educational needs:

• 1-Year Advanced Standing Program: Students with a BSW from an accredited program in the last five years can qualify
• 2-Year Full-Time Program: The standard track most students choose
• 3-Year Part-Time Program: A perfect fit for working professionals

The program’s tuition costs approximately $18,268 for in-state students and $42,028 for out-of-state students. International students should expect to pay around $20,208 for first-year tuition with $12,860 for living expenses.

CSUB’s curriculum lets students specialize in child and family services, mental health, or gerontology/health social work. The coursework includes Professional Social Work Identity, Diagnostic Process in Social Work, and specialized practice courses in child welfare, substance abuse, and healthcare.

Graduates find opportunities in Bakersfield and beyond – working in mental health, physical health, family and child welfare, gerontology, corrections, juvenile justice, youth services, and substance abuse treatment. The program’s demographics show diversity with 83% women graduates and 81% Hispanic or Latino students.

Degree Specializations

CSUB’s Social Work Programs offer a flexible framework that lets you shape your education based on your career goals. The MSW program stands out from narrow specialty programs by giving you the freedom to customize your learning through specialized emphasis areas.

The CSU social work masters program lets you choose from three key specialization paths:

• Child and Family Services – You’ll learn to work in child welfare, family support, and youth services
• Mental Health – You’ll master clinical assessment, intervention strategies, and therapeutic approaches
• Gerontology/Health Social Work – You’ll focus on aging populations, healthcare systems, and medical social work

These specializations build on your core foundation and give you targeted expertise for your chosen career path. The program includes specialized courses that match each emphasis area. Key courses include Social Work Practice in Child Welfare, Social Work Substance Abuse, Social Work Practice with Older Adults, and Social Work Practice in Health Care.

Your professional growth extends beyond specialization courses. You’ll develop skills through Professional Social Work Identity, Advanced Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Diagnostic Process in Social Work, and Advanced Social Work Practice. This approach gives you both wide-ranging knowledge and deep expertise.

Cal State’s social work programs, including CSUB’s MSW, prepare you to work in micro, mid-level, and macro practice settings. Your specialized training will give you the skills to help diverse populations and systems – from individual clients to large organizations and communities.

Your specialized training opens doors to careers in many fields. Social work programs in California give you the expertise for roles in mental health facilities, hospitals, family service agencies, gerontology centers, correctional institutions, juvenile justice programs, youth service organizations, and substance abuse treatment centers. This versatile degree creates multiple paths for your professional growth in social work.

Online and Hybrid Options

California State University – Bakersfield stands out from other social work programs nationwide. While most schools have moved to fully online formats, CSUB maintains a different strategy. The main MSW program at CSUB is not offered online. They focus on traditional in-person education to uphold high standards of practical training and professional growth.

Students looking for flexibility can choose CSUB’s Antelope Valley (AV) campus in Lancaster, California. The CSUB-AV MSW combines online learning with face-to-face classes. This setup makes education more accessible to students in the Antelope Valley area who would otherwise face long drives to the main campus.

Working professionals find CSUB’s 3-Year Program particularly convenient with its evening hybrid classes. Students need to attend just one in-person class weekly, either Tuesday or Thursday night. They complete their online work on the other evening. The program spreads the workload throughout the year by including one class each summer.

The California State University system offers many online and hybrid social work degrees across its network, even though CSUB’s online options are limited. With 23 campuses and nearly 50,000 faculty and staff, the CSU system serves over 450,000 students. This makes it the largest and most diverse university system in the country.

Students interested in social work programs in California should know that other CSU campuses provide fully online MSW programs. CSU San Bernardino’s Pathway Distance Education Program and CSU Northridge’s online MSW are worth checking out if you need a fully online format.

CSUB focuses on in-person and hybrid learning experiences. This approach shows their steadfast dedication to hands-on training and community participation as they prepare you for social work jobs in Bakersfield and throughout California.

Graduation Rates

Your choice of school for a social work degree should factor in graduation success rates. CSUB’s graduation statistics paint an interesting picture of student outcomes and program quality.

The university’s overall graduation rate of 48% puts it in the bottom 35% of colleges nationwide. These numbers don’t capture the full story of CSUB’s social work department. The MSW program shows better results, with 81 students earning their master’s degree in social work in 2022.

Students at CSUB typically complete their bachelor’s degree in 4.85 years. Here’s how the graduation timeline breaks down:

• 4-year graduation rate: 14% (first-time, full-time students)
• 6-year graduation rate: 52% (official graduation rate)
• 8-year graduation rate: 56% (including delayed completions)

The university’s 75% retention rate ranks in the top 50% nationally. Most students continue their studies beyond their first year, and some departments report freshman retention rates up to 96%.

CSUB’s social work graduate program stands out for its diversity compared to national averages. Women earn 83% of social work master’s degrees, while men account for the remaining 17%. Hispanic or Latino students make up 81% of recent social work master’s graduates.

Part-time first-year students achieve a 27% six-year graduation rate, beating national averages for this group. Full-time returning students, including transfers, perform better with a 68% six-year graduation rate.

CSU social work masters programs demonstrate strong student loan repayment trends. The undergraduate student loan default rate ranges from 1.8% to 4.1% – much lower than the national average of 10.1%. This suggests graduates find success in Bakersfield’s social work job market and beyond.

Career Outcomes

Social work jobs are growing faster than ever across the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 9% growth from 2021 to 2031 in social work employment. This rate exceeds the average for all occupations. Each year, about 74,700 social work positions will need to be filled.

California State University – Bakersfield’s Social Work Programs create professionals ready to work in many fields. The MSW program gives you the skills to work in:

• Mental health settings with individuals, families, and groups
• Physical health and healthcare organizations
• Family and child welfare agencies
• Gerontology services and elder care
• Corrections and juvenile justice systems
• Youth services programs
• Substance abuse treatment centers

CSUB social work graduates start their careers with earnings around $39,000. This amount is $6,000 less than expected compared to other CSUB majors. However, your earning potential grows substantially with experience.

CSUB’s Career Center helps students build their future careers. The center runs with six full-time staff members and one part-time employee. Students get access to individual and group career counseling, job banks, and on-campus career fairs. They can also attend employer recruitment events, interview workshops, and get help with resume preparation. The center provides career interest testing and maintains an alumni network to help students connect with experienced professionals.

The program’s core mission prepares you for “social work practice and leadership at the advanced generalist level”. You’ll learn the knowledge, values, and skills needed to work effectively in different systems and environments.

Your degree opens doors to both entry-level positions and leadership roles in interprofessional settings. This CSU social work masters degree will help you promote human rights and social justice. You’ll learn to apply multi-dimensional approaches that work for different populations and practice settings.

What’s Unique about the Social Work Programs at CSU – Bakersfield

CSUB’s social work programs stand out among California’s higher education options. The programs put special emphasis on cultural competence. Graduates learn to serve people from different backgrounds throughout the San Joaquin Valley region.

Students at CSUB’s social work department benefit from smaller class sizes compared to bigger schools. This creates opportunities for close relationships between teachers and students. Your educational trip gets the personal attention it deserves.

Community involvement is the core of CSUB’s social work education philosophy. The programs don’t treat field placements as mere requirements. They blend community-based learning with coursework. This helps students apply classroom theories to real-life applications right from the start.

CSUB’s focus on rural social work practice makes it unique. The university’s location in California’s Central Valley shapes its curriculum. Students learn specific ways to help underserved rural communities – something many urban-focused programs don’t deal very well with.

The cost of CSUB’s social work programs gives them a big advantage. In-state tuition costs about $7,696, which offers exceptional value compared to other California options. This makes the program accessible to more students and creates a rich learning environment.

The social work department has built mutually beneficial alliances with local agencies in Kern County and surrounding areas. These connections make quality field placements easier to find and often create job opportunities for graduates.

CSUB Social Work Programs ended up being different because they prepare advanced generalist practitioners. These professionals can tackle complex social issues at many levels – from helping individuals to changing entire communities. Graduates will have the flexibility they need to succeed in today’s changing social service world.