SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) — Housed in the Sharon Lust School of Education, Augustana University will begin offering courses for a Master of Social Work (MSW) in Fall 2025 as part of its Harriet Emily Scott Social Work Program. The MSW program at Augustana is one of only two MSW programs in South Dakota. This comes after the university began offering a minor in social work in Fall 2023 and Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) in Fall 2024.
“There is an incredible need for social work programs in South Dakota, especially Sioux Falls,” said Dr. Bart W. Miles, program director of the MSW.
Dating back to 1969, Augustana and Sioux Falls College (now the University of Sioux Falls) “pioneered the development of both social work and social work education” in the region with its Joint Social Work Program before graduating its last student in 2004-05. The demand for social workers in the state and a partnership with Sanford Health is what initiated the development of a social work program once again at Augustana.
“Sanford really wanted to bring more behavioral programs back to Augustana, so there was a Behavioral Health Academy created in the partnership between Augustana and Sanford,” explained Miles.
Due to the community needs and Sanford partnership, Augustana will offer three cognates as part of its MSW program. MSW students can specialize in integrated behavioral health, play therapy or addictions.
“Integrated behavioral health is one of the fastest growing areas in social work — nationwide,” Miles said. “Most students who come into social work want to work with children and youth — one of the best clinical interventions you can use as a therapist in working with children, and addictions cut across almost any population in social work.”
Students who have earned a BSW from an accredited program will be able to enter the MSW program with Advanced Standing, which means they can complete the program in one year. Those who have earned bachelor’s degrees in other areas can complete the MSW program in two years.
While Augustana’s BSW is offered entirely face-to-face, the university’s MSW program will be offered in a hybrid format to serve working professionals in a variety of different fields or settings. Those who live outside a 50-mile radius of campus, will be able to complete the program online.
What’s unique about Augustana’s social work program is that the university incorporates the Circle of Courage Model — the Sharon Lust School of Education’s conceptual framework.
“We are the only institution in the state with a DE&I Office. I think that makes it very appealing for people who are drawn to the profession of social work,” said Miles.
In May of 2025, Lyric Oslund, of Harrisburg, South Dakota, will graduate from Augustana with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in sociology and BSW. She will be one of the first students to apply to be part of the MSW next fall.
“My whole life, I’ve known I wanted to be in a helping profession. I just wasn’t sure what that looked like for me,” said Oslund. “It kind of just fell into my lap.
“I wasn’t well-versed in what social workers did. The intro class really opened my eyes and showed me how they can work in really any field.”
Augustana is also offering a stand-alone certificate program in integrated behavioral health — a 4-course curriculum available for those beyond the master’s degree level; those who are already social workers, but want to work in the health care setting.
