Are you a military spouse looking to invest in a fulfilling long-term career? Great news: you can pursue an advanced education offering career development as a military social worker from anywhere in California – even if you don’t live close to campus.
California is home to numerous excellent social work degree programs with 100% online options, making it possible for military spouses to invest in their education no matter what their circumstances are.
As a military social worker, you can work as a counselor or case manager for other military families, offering guidance and support to assist them through situations you may recognize from your own life experience. Your firsthand understanding can be an immense source of support for those who are struggling, and is a rare gift that those outside of military family life simply won’t possess.
This article provides an index of the many excellent and cost-effective Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) degree programs in California, with an emphasis on remote opportunities that are well-suited to the needs of military spouses. It also outlines several benefit programs you can make use of to further lower the cost of your education, so that when you graduate you can hit the ground running on the social work career you’ve been waiting for.
Remote Learning: A Game-Changing Opportunity for Military Spouses
One of the biggest challenges military spouses face is the impact of relocation on job opportunities and career development. Many if not most military spouses find themselves subjected to a Permanent Change of Station (PCS), in which they must move with their service member spouse to a different military base. The disruptive impact of this shouldn’t be understated: according to the Department of Labor, military spouses face an unemployment rate of 21%, a sobering number that reflects deep structural issues.
Fortunately, the arrival of online education (as well as remote work in general) is poised to bring this unemployment rate down. This is because remote learning allows students to pursue their education, and in turn their professional development, no matter where they are, regardless of where they might move.
Online education is a groundbreaking opportunity that should come as a source of relief for military spouses who have long had to sideline their career pursuits.
Convenient and highly customizable, online education options offer the same academic rigor as on-campus alternatives while allowing students to maintain outside responsibilities. For military spouses who have wondered how they could possibly invest in career goals while honoring their service member spouse’s needs, this is nothing short of game-changing. As a military spouse, you have already made significant concessions to support your partner (and in turn, the military itself) – your career shouldn’t be one of them.
Federal and State Military Benefits Can Help Military Spouses Too
As you consider the next steps of pursuing a career as a social worker, make sure you avail yourself of the many resources for military families at your disposal.
There are a host of military spouse education benefits in California that can help cover some or all of the cost of your education, making this an indispensable step in the degree program application process.
To navigate the many military spouse master’s degree scholarships that are out there, it’s highly encouraged to make use of the Spouse Education & Career Opportunities (SECO) office, which offers guidance that can help you find the specific resources you need. Its financial assistance portal includes military spouse masters degree scholarships offered by federal, state, and private providers alike.
Benefits for military spouses acknowledge the tremendous sacrifices military spouses make to support service members, as well as the structural difficulties they face as a result of their circumstances. For this reason, you are highly encouraged to take advantage of the resources available to you – you deserve to pursue the career path you want.
Additional Military Spouse Benefits Can Help You Take the Reins on Your Finances
Beyond initiatives that specifically support educational pursuits – such as military spouse scholarships for master’s degree programs – there are also many California military benefits that can help reduce your overall financial burden.
Several of these programs aim to address the unemployment crisis among military spouses. One such program, the California Military Spouse Residency Relief Act (MSRRA), includes a military spouse tax exemption in California for those who have relocated to the state with their service member spouse, alleviating a significant financial burden. There is also a program offering paid military spouse leave in California specifically for those whose spouses have been deployed to foreign countries.
Those who have become unemployed due to a permanent change of station (PCS) can also typically qualify for California military spouse unemployment. It is important to note that if you have relocated from another state, you will need to file for unemployment in your previous location of residence.
Index of Programs (listed A-Z)
Our list of the best online programs for military spouses is below. Some of these programs also feature on-campus or hybrid options for those who wish to do some or all of your studies in person. Most of these programs are offered on a full-time or part-time basis, allowing students to pursue their education on the schedule that works for them.
Please note that this list includes a mix of BSW and MSW programs, but not all schools offer both types of degree, so look carefully to make sure your intended degree pathway is offered at the schools on your list.
California Baptist University
Yellow Ribbon School
Location: Riverside
Website
Bachelor of Social Work
Master of Social Work
Program delivery format(s): On-campus, online
Estimated cost of tuition (per year): $47,280
MSW Specializations:
- Advanced Generalist
Nearby military bases: March Air Reserve Base
California State Polytechnic University – Humboldt
Location: Arcata
Website
Bachelor of Social Work
Master of Social Work
Advanced Standing Master of Social Work
Program delivery format(s): On-campus, online
Estimated cost of tuition (per year): $10,928
MSW Specializations:
- Advanced Generalist
Nearby military bases: N/A
California State University – Long Beach
Location: Long Beach
Website
Bachelor of Social Work
Master of Social Work
Advanced Standing Master of Social Work
Program delivery format(s): On-campus, online
Estimated cost of tuition (per year): $16,884
MSW Specializations:
- Advanced Generalist
Nearby military bases: Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos
California State University – Northridge
Location: Northridge
Website
Master of Social Work
Program delivery format(s): Online
Estimated cost of tuition (per year): $17,048
MSW Specializations:
- Advanced Generalist
Nearby military bases: Los Angeles Air Force Base
California State University – San Bernardino
Location: San Bernardino
Website
Bachelor of Social Work
Master of Social Work
Dual Degree: MSW/Master of Public Administration
Program delivery format(s): On-campus, online (part-time only)
Estimated cost of tuition (per year): $14,352
MSW Specializations:
- Advanced Generalist
Nearby military bases: March Air Reserve Base
California State University – San Marcos
Location: San Marcos
Website
Master of Social Work
Program delivery format(s): Online (part-time), hybrid
Estimated cost of tuition (per year): $14,352
MSW Specializations:
- Advanced Generalist
Nearby military bases: Camp Pendleton
Loma Linda University
Location: Loma Linda
Website
Master of Social Work
Program delivery format(s): On-campus, online
Estimated cost of tuition (per year): $79,320
MSW Specializations:
- Advanced Generalist
- Advanced Clinical
Nearby military bases: March Air Reserve Base
National University
Yellow Ribbon School
Location: San Diego
Website
Master of Social Work
Advanced Standing Master of Social Work
Program delivery format(s): Online
Estimated cost of tuition (per year): $47,290
MSW Specializations:
- Advanced Generalist
Nearby military bases: March Air Reserve Base
San Jose State University
Location: San Jose
Website
Bachelor of Social Work
Master of Social Work
Advanced Standing Master of Social Work
Program delivery format(s): On-campus, online, hybrid
Estimated cost of tuition (per year): $18,852
MSW Specializations:
- Advanced Generalist
Nearby military bases: Moffett Federal Airfield
UMass Global
Location: Irvine
Website
Bachelor of Social Work
Master of Social Work
Advanced Standing Master of Social Work
Program delivery format(s): Online
Estimated cost of tuition (per year): $12,672
MSW Specializations:
- Advanced Generalist
Nearby military bases: Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos
University of Southern California
Yellow Ribbon School
Location: Los Angeles
Website
Master of Social Work
Program delivery format(s): On-campus, online, hybrid
Estimated cost of tuition (per year): $89,760
MSW Specializations:
- Adult Mental Health and Wellness
- Children, Youth, and Families
- Social Change and Innovation
- School and Educational Settings
- Military Populations and Settings
Nearby military bases: Los Angeles Air Force Base
FAQs
Do I need a BSW in order to pursue an MSW?
No. However, a BSW can be a great choice of bachelor’s degree for military spouses who know they wish to become social workers down the line, as they are the only degrees that will qualify you for Advanced Standing MSWs, which are accelerated programs that take only a single year to complete. This is the fastest possible route to becoming a licensed social worker if you don’t yet hold a bachelor’s degree.
Can I use my service member spouse’s military benefits to fund my tuition?
In many cases, yes. Several federal and state benefit programs allow benefit transfer to family members, which can go a long way in covering the cost of your education. There are also many programs that are automatically open to military families, meaning you won’t have to go through the process of transferring your spouse’s benefits in order to apply.
What license do I need to qualify for civilian social worker jobs in the military?
There is not one singular license type needed to become a civilian social worker for military organizations; rather, your license relates to what responsibilities you are able to take on as a social worker. This means that those with both LMSW and LCSW licenses will be able to find military social work jobs.
If I attend an online social work degree program, will I still need to complete a field internship?
Yes. Not only will a field internship be required, but this is the portion of an MSW education that will still have to be completed in person. In fact, since few MSW programs offer concentration pathways in military social work, this is where you are likely to get most of your specialized professional training. That said, you will have the ability to choose where you complete your internship (such as a VA organization near you) so that it is as convenient as possible.
2024 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and employment figures reflect state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed February 2024