Campus News

UK Social Work celebrates graduation of Army MSW cohort at Fort Sam Houston

The College of Social Work has offered this one-of-a-kind master’s degree in partnership with the Department of Defense since October 2016. Photo provided by College of Social Work.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 13, 2023) — On April 14, 2023, the United States Army and the University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) will honor 26 graduating officers during a ceremony at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, acknowledging the officers’ successful completion of the Army-UK Master of Social Work (MSW) program.

Four of the graduating officers will enter practice in the Army National Guard, two will practice in the Air Force and 20 will practice as active-duty Army social workers. Additionally, all graduates will enter a post-graduate internship at an Army, Air Force, Army National Guard or Veteran Affairs Military Treatment Facility.

The UK College of Social Work has offered this one-of-a-kind master’s degree in partnership with the Department of Defense since October 2016. The goal is to develop well-qualified clinical social workers to fill positions across military service branches.

“The Army-University of Kentucky MSW program educates over two-thirds of all new social workers entering active-duty Army each year and provides an essential function to help maintain the readiness and enhance the well-being of our military service members, family members, and retirees,” said Lt. Col. Teresa Murray, director of the Army-UK MSW program. “We appreciate the collaboration and support we receive from the University of Kentucky as we work together to meet the needs of the Department of Defense.”

“As a land-grant institution, our commitment to armed forces education is codified via federal legislation,” Jay Miller, dean of the CoSW, said. “Our college is extremely proud — and honored — to actualize this commitment via our Army MSW program. These successful graduates are the embodiment of that commitment.” 

The full-time, 60-hour MSW degree program operates within the Army Medical Department Center and School at Fort Sam Houston. Curriculum is delivered in a condensed format over 14 continuous months of study, and all classes are administered through the Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston campus.

For more information about the Army-UK program, please visit https://socialwork.uky.edu.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.