Social Work Degree Options at Jackson State University
Jackson State University appears in our ranking of the 36 Most Affordable Accredited MSW Programs in the South East.
Social work students attending Jackson State University can start as undergrads and work all the way to their Ph.D. The Bachelor of Social Work is a 120 credit program that requires a field practicum during the senior year. Students must maintain a 2.5 GPA. JSU's undergraduate social work program was one of the first ones to be accredited by the CSWE, way back in 1975.
The Master of Social Work is offered in a full time, part-time, or advanced standing format. Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education since 1998, the MSW requires two field placements. The Mary S. Nelums Social Work Scholarship is offered to two graduate students each year, and assistantships are also available.
The Ph.D. Program in Social Work was founded in 1997 and is still the only doctoral program in social work in the state of Mississippi. It is affiliated with the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education (GADE), which is an organization that provides guidelines and standards for Ph.D. programs at accredited universities in the United States and beyond.
About JSU
Located in Jackson, Mississippi, Jackson State University is a historically black university (HBCU) that was established in 1877. Once known as Natchez Seminary, the school was founded by the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York City. In 1940, the college became a state-supported school, and it would eventually become part of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. With more than 7,700 students, the school is one of the largest in the state of Mississippi and is also one of the largest HBCUs in the entire country. The school's athletic teams participate in NCAA Division I games as the Tigers, and the official mascot is Bengal the Tiger. The official colors of Jackson State University are navy blue and white, and the school is also home to a marching band named the Sonic Boom of the South.
JSU students may attend programs on campus at the Jackson location, or they may enroll in Jackson State University's JSU Global program for online degrees. The university is the only institution of higher learning in Mississippi that offers undergraduate and graduate level meteorology programs, and it's also the only school to offer bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering. Some of the schools and colleges under which Jackson State University houses its programs include the School of Public Health, the College of Public Service, and the School of Journalism and Media Studies. JSU's College of Public Health is the first such department approved in the state. Students pursuing online study will choose from 44 bachelor's degree programs and more than 50 graduate degree programs, and students attending classes on campus may do so in Jackson, as well as four other satellite locations around the state.
Jackson State University Accreditation Details
The institutional accreditor for Jackson State University is the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The university is accredited to grant bachelor's, master's, and various doctoral degrees. Other accrediting organizations that have given programs at the school their approval include the Counseling for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration, the American Psychological Association, and the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. The university is also a member institution with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business, the American Society for Engineering Education, and the Association of College Unions International, as well as several others.
Jackson State University Application Requirements
Undergraduate admission to Jackson State University requires that students submit a high school transcript to the university, complete the official application, and have their standardized test scores sent to the school. Students who were born after 1956 must submit proof of immunization compliance. In high school, students must complete several required units to qualify for admission to the university. Those units include classes in English, math, science, and other vital areas. Students who complete these requirements and submit all other required materials will be granted full admission if their GPA on the College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) is at least 3.20 on a 4.0 scale or have a high school class rank in the top 50 percent along with a minimum 2.50 GPA in high school.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition at Jackson State University is $329 per credit hour for 11 or fewer hours or $3,938 for 12 to 19 hours. Students who take more than 19 hours will pay $3,938 plus $329 for every credit hour over 19. Graduate tuition is $438 per credit hour for eight or fewer credits or $3,938 for the semester for anywhere from nine to 13 credit hours. Students will pay $3,938 plus $438 per credit hour for every hour over 19 that they take. Online tuition at Jackson State University is slightly more and costs $366 per credit hour for undergraduate classes and $462 per hour for graduate classes. The university also charges an out-of-state fee for undergraduate and graduate students who attend classes online of $5,614. Out-of-state students who attend campus classes will pay $468 per credit hour for undergraduate courses and $624 per credit hour for graduate classes.
Financial aid for students at Jackson State University may come from federal student loans and grants, institutional assistance, state assistance, or a variety of private entities. Students who submit their FAFSA form will receive a financial aid award consistent with their financial need and academic accomplishments. Students can expect to pay out-of-pocket or from private sources an amount equal to the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The dollar amount for an EFC is the actual cost of attendance minus the amount of money the university believes is within the student's capability to pay. Students are encouraged to submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid as early as possible after applying for any of the academic programs at Jackson State University.