For Immediate Release

Date:  April 3, 2006

BLOOMSBURG—Undergraduate students at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania may have the opportunity to work towards a master’s of social work degree by taking Saturday classes taught by faculty from Marywood University. The program is expected to begin in fall 2006.

In exchange for classroom space at the Bloomsburg campus on Saturdays, Marywood has agreed to increase the enrollment of BU students into the program, particularly those in allied areas of study, such as anthropology and psychology. All classes needed to complete a master’s of social work degree (M.S.W.) will be offered at the Bloomsburg University campus, according to James Matta, assistant vice president and dean of graduate studies and research. BU students who complete the program will receive a master’s of social work from Marywood University. 

In addition to allowing some BU undergraduate students the opportunity to take graduate-level classes, the program will also encourage interaction between faculty members at both universities, according to Matta. The departments plan to hold a shared research day every year.

In 2005, Marywood University was ranked 38th on the U.S. News and World Report listing of the top schools for master’s programs in the northern U.S. Currently, Marywood offers social work courses at branch locations in the Lehigh Valley, Reading and Danville. 

For additional information on the Bloomsburg University program, contact Yvette Samson, associate professor and chair of the department of sociology, social welfare and criminal justice, at (570) 389-4242. 

Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 8,000 students and offers 65 bachelor’s, 17 master’s and one doctoral degree.

###