The University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) and Durango, Colorado's Fort Lewis College are pleased to announce a new partnership that will enable students in the Four Corners area to earn both a Bachelor's degree in psychology or sociology and Master of Social Work (MSW) degree in just five years. The Cooperative Undergraduate/Graduate Degree program, set to begin in 2010, offers students an affordable alternative to the six years of study typically required to earn both degrees.
Under terms of the new program, Fort Lewis sociology and psychology majors may apply to spend their senior year enrolled in GSSW's Four Corners MSW program. Fort Lewis will accept course-by-course equivalency of the GSSW courses, so students will complete their Bachelor's degrees during their first year of the two-year MSW program.
"It's great for us, because we are invested in launching students out to be really successful in their chosen professional fields," says Professor Beverly Chew, chair of the Fort Lewis Psychology Department. "This is a phenomenal opportunity for them."
GSSW's Four Corners MSW program has been available to area students at a reduced-tuition rate since 2002. Classes are taught in Durango or broadcast from the University of Denver campus via interactive television. Classes are scheduled on Friday afternoons and Saturdays to accommodate the needs of students who are employed. Sixty-four students have earned their MSW degrees since the Four Corners program began, and 19 additional students are currently enrolled.
"This partnership between a public and a private institution allows GSSW to maintain a strong presence in the Four Corners area," says GSSW Dean James Herbert Williams. "Both of our schools are committed to the goal of educating practitioners to meet local needs."
For additional information about requirements for the cooperative degree program, please contact Professor Beverly Chew at chew_b@fortlewis.edu or 970-247-7512.
