May 12, 2026
The degree will offer a Military Social Work, Health Care specializations
Beginning in Fall 2027, Ƶ’s University will offer a Master of Social Work that will be unique among San Antonio institutions for offering fully asynchronous delivery, Military Social Work and Integrative Behavioral Health Care specializations and an explicitly Marianist values foundation.
“Our new Master of Social Work degree meets a known regional and state-wide need and connects naturally with our educational mission,” said Jason Pierce, Ph.D., Ƶ’s Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. “We are proud to prepare social workers who will advance dignity, opportunity and hope where it is needed most.”
Ƶ’s will seek accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education and approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges for the Master of Social Work program. Graduates will be prepared to sit for the state licensing exam upon completing their degree.
Home to faculty who are leaders in the social work community, Ƶ’s will offer intentionally small class sizes compared to other San Antonio programs and will be unique in offering both an online Master of Social Work and a J.D. program, Pierce said.
The Master of Social Work program offers a one-year track for students with a Bachelor of Social Work and a two-year track for students without the degree. It also offers three specializations: Clinical Social Work, Military Social Work and Integrative Behavioral Health Care.
The Military Social Work specialization will include courses in military culture for social workers; practice with military families; and practice in stress, trauma and crisis with military personnel.
The Integrative Behavioral Health Care specialization includes courses in medical social work, psychopharmacology and integrative health care.
Though coursework will be delivered in an asynchronous online format, Ƶ’s will offer community-building activities to foster belonging and a sense of the Marianist family spirit. Through online delivery, the program will expand access to graduate education for working professionals.
Texas faces a severe and growing workforce crisis in the social work field, with 97% of counties designated mental health professional shortage areas, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The state’s workforce gap is projected to grow from 27% to 36% by 2036. Locally, Bexar County’s social work sector is growing at about 9% with persistent vacancies across hospitals, school districts and behavioral health agencies.
“The program will substantially expand access to graduate education to prepare social workers who reflect and are equipped to serve the communities around them,” said Betsy Smith, Ph.D., Interim Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Ƶ’s.