Master of Social Work Program Mission
The mission of the Master of Social Work Program is to achieve the aims of the profession of social work by educating students on knowledgeable and competent practice with diverse populations. Originating in a commitment to increasing social and economic justice for underrepresented and oppressed groups, the MSW Program prepares professional social workers for advanced practice with individuals, families, and groups within the context of their communities. Special attention is paid to the multicultural environment, in particular to Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Asian cultures of our communities, state, and the Pacific region.
There are core values intrinsic to the School’s Vision and the MSW program’s mission:
- Diversity – Mā lama i ke kanaka apau
To honor both local and global perspectives that lead to just and creative processes for problem and solution discovery.
- Well-Being – Ulu Pono
A state of thriving that reflects the meaningful connections of humanity with other individuals, the community, the environment, and transcendent realms.
- Social Justice – Ho‘okaulike
Having a world in which the inherent dignity of all is recognized, valued, and restored with particular attention to those in greatest need.
Master of Social Work Program Goals
At the completion of classroom and field education, graduating MSW students:
- Are prepared for the specialized practice of social work that embodies the knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive and affective processes of the profession and a commitment to social and economic justice.
- Integrate specific knowledge and skills for practice with oppressed groups and diverse populations, with attention to the unique role our island home plays in the lives and well-being of its people, particularly Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Asian populations in the community, state, and Pacific region.
- Recognize the intersectionality of diversities in ourselves and others as central to successful social work practice.
- Demonstrate cultural humility and incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing towards decolonized professional practice.