Saint Louis University Partners with Xavier University to Offer Master of Social Work Degree

SAINT LOUIS - Saint Louis University is partnering with Xavier University to offer a top-ranked Master of Social Work (MSW) degree through SLU’s School of Social Work in the College for Public Health and Social Justice, beginning in the Fall 2021 semester.

Saint Louis University’s MSW program is among the top 20 percent in the nation, as ranked by U.S. News and World Report.

The new partnership makes available the SLU MSW degree in an online, on-campus hybrid model.

The partnership builds on the School of Social Work’s 90-year history of preparing students in the Jesuit tradition to be advanced practitioners of social work and to become agents of change who promote individual and societal well-being. Like SLU, Xavier University subscribes to the Jesuit tradition of educating the whole person — mind, body and spirit — while preparing students to go out and make the world a better place.

“We could not be more thrilled with the establishment of our first partnership with a fellow Jesuit University,” said Noelle E. Fearn, Ph.D., director of SLU’s School of Social Work. “We are so excited to extend this opportunity for tomorrow’s promising leaders to engage with and be engaged by some of the nation’s top social work professionals.”

This offering allows students in the Cincinnati region to pursue a SLU MSW degree without the challenges associated with relocation. With the addition of this new partnership, the SLU MSW degree is now available to students in regions surrounding Kansas City (Avila University), Springfield, Massachusetts (Elms College), Sylvania, Ohio (Lourdes University) and Cincinnati, Ohio (Xavier University).

“This partnership reinforces our hope to educate students who have a burning desire to help people and promote social justice,” said Jaylene Krieg Schaefer, Ph.D., chair and associate professor in Xavier’s Social Work Department. “Anything we can do to broaden our reach and continue to find students who want to fulfill these dreams is a win-win. And to do so by partnering with an amazing institution like Saint Louis University is even more exciting.”

Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice

The Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice is the only academic unit of its kind, studying social, environmental and physical influences that together determine the health and well-being of people and communities. It also is the only accredited school or college of public health among nearly 250 Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States.

Guided by a mission of social justice and a focus on finding innovative and collaborative solutions for complex health problems, the College offers nationally recognized programs in public health, social work, health administration, applied behavior analysis, and criminology and criminal justice.

Xavier University Social Work and College of Professional Sciences

Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Founded in 1831, the University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation. It has been ranked among the top 10 master’s-level universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for the past 26 years. The Princeton Review names it one of the “Best 386 Colleges in America.”

In 1980, Xavier University acquired Edgecliff College, a liberal arts college in Cincinnati supported by the Sisters of Mercy, which included a social work program. The Social Work Department at Xavier was established from that program and was initially accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) in 1981. Reaffirmation of accreditation occurred in 1987, 1994, 2002, 2010, and most recently in 2018. The department is one of 10 located in the College of Professional Sciences.

Xavier University’s College of Professional Sciences prepares undergraduate and graduate students intellectually, morally and spiritually for careers and professions of service. CPS challenges students to strive for academic excellence and life-long learning through promoting collaboration and community partnerships, and incorporating research, scholarship and innovation.