Masters of knowledge: Advanced social work program coming to WKU’s Elizabethtown campus

A popular bachelor’s degree program will be complemented with a master’s program in the upcoming school year.

Neal Cardin

Western Kentucky University Elizabethtown students, clockwise from left, Stephanie Cox, Kim Nesselrodt, Whitley Spalding, instructor Dana Sullivan, and Diana Botu hold a group discussion Thursday during a social work class.

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Neal Cardin

WKU E instructor Dana Sullivan leads a social work class Thursday.

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Neal Cardin

Students in Dana Sullivan's social work class discuss an issue Thursday as part of class.

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The Elizabethtown campus of Western Kentucky University will offer a master’s degree in social work next fall. The campus offers a bachelor’s program, and the new master’s program serves as a response to needs of the field.

WKU has found success with other satellite programs in Paducah and Cookeville, Tenn., program director Amy Cappiccie said. The bachelor’s program in Elizabethtown is one of the fastest-growing social work programs at the university.

“The Elizabethtown group is just exploding,” Cappiccie said.

Along with these factors, there is a need for the program because many agencies are requiring workers to pursue additional education for their jobs, she said.

Including social work and the new MBA, there will be nine master’s programs offered at the Elizabethtown campus.

The program begins as full-time, in which students complete the degree in a year’, Cappiccie said. That also is in response to the need in the field for students to quickly earn an advanced degree.

The program can accept 21 students, and applicants can apply for a spot until May 31.

Starting in 2014, the program will become part-time, in which students can finish the degree in two years. Once the program becomes part-time, Cappiccie said the school could double the number of accepted applicants to 42.

Cappiccie said the addition of the master’s program to the Elizabethtown campus could bring a need for expanded staffing in the future.

Those interested can apply online at www.wku.edu/socialwork/msw/applicationprocedures.php. Applicants also can speak to admissions coordinator Jay Gabbard for more information. Gabbard can be reached at (270) 745-8749 or jay.gabbard@wku.edu.

Kelly Cantrall can be reached at (270) 505-1747 or kcantrall@thenewsenterprise.com.