The Master of Social Work program at Mineral Area College is run in cooperation with UMSL and has been offered at MAC’s Park Hills, Missouri, campus for more than a decade. Anyone interested in the program will have the opportunity to learn more during an informational meeting from 6-7:30 p.m. on Aug. 31 in Technology Building Room T107 on the MAC campus. (Photo by August Jennewein)
The University of Missouri–St. Louis has a long history of partnering with community colleges throughout the region to provide on-site coursework for students who want to further their education.
The Master of Social Work program at Mineral Area College is an exceptional example. The program is run in cooperation with UMSL and has been offered at MAC for more than a decade.
Those interested in pursuing an MSW will have the opportunity to learn more about the program during an informational meeting from 6-7:30 p.m. on Aug. 31 in Technology Building Room T107 on the MAC campus.
Tami Davenport, UMSL academic advisor at MAC, and Lori Curtis, associate teaching professor of social work at UMSL, will lead the meeting and answer questions about the program.
Davenport and Curtis said it’s ideal for students with a bachelor’s in social work who want to further their education as well as anyone with a bachelor’s degree who might be considering a career change.
“I would suggest anyone who is interested in a career change, where making a difference is something that drives them, attend the meeting,” Davenport said.
Curtis added that interested students don’t need a background in social work. The only requirements to apply to the program are a bachelor’s degree and an undergraduate GPA of 2.75.
The program is led by highly qualified, experienced UMSL professors and is an affordable, convenient option for students in the Park Hills and Farmington areas. Classes are designed to be flexible for those working full-time and also to foster connections on campus.
“The students are able to make really strong connections with each other in the cohort,” Curtis said. “They have that support network as they’re going through the program together, and they’re also able to build relationships with professors. Our classes are small enough that they get to know their professors.”
Curtis added that many of the adjunct professors live in the community and are graduates of the program themselves. Additionally, many graduates have made a positive impact on the community. Some have gone into government to drive policy changes, while others have worked to improve issues in the area related to addiction and family services.
“It has just been a positive win-win situation for everyone,” Davenport said.
There is also a high demand for social work professionals due to MAC’s proximity to three prison systems, the Southeast Missouri Mental Health Center and several substance use and mental health service providers.
“If you had an MSW, you could go to work tomorrow,” Davenport said.
Davenport and Curtis encourage anyone interested, or even curious, to attend Tuesday’s meeting.
“A lot of what we cover in the meeting will be guided by the questions that that people there have,” Curtis said. “The information meetings that we have really end up being very individualized, depending on the questions from the group.
“It’s very much an interactive kind of meeting where people can say, ‘Well, I have a bachelor’s degree, but I got it 20 years ago in business. Do I even qualify?’ It’s like, ‘Yes! And here’s what you need to know about that.’”
For more information or to RSVP, those interested can contact Tami Davenport at (314) 320-4410 or email asktami@umsl.edu.
