Social Work Program Receives $240,000 From Luce Foundation

January 10, 2000

WACO, Texas - Baylor University's graduate program in social work has received a three-year, $240,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation, Inc. The grant will provide funds for the hiring and development of program faculty and related costs of the new program.
"It is significant that the unique mission of our program brought the foundation's attention to us," said Dr. Diana Garland, professor of social work and director of graduate education in social work. "This grant will help us to achieve our goal, which is to prepare our graduates to address the relationship between faith and professional social work practice."
Garland emphasized that the graduate program will prepare students to work in the full range of social work settings, with a special emphasis on preparation for work with congregations and in religious organizations. Even though all graduates may not work in faith-based settings, all will be prepared to integrate faith with the knowledge, values and skills of the social work profession.
Baylor's social work graduate program consists of 63 semester hours and will require two academic years of study including a summer program. Graduate social work students will concentrate their study in one of two areas, families or health services. Students with an accredited undergraduate social work degree are eligible for the Advanced Standing program, which can be completed in 35 hours, or one calendar year. The social work program also offers a joint MDiv/MSW program with George W. Truett Theological Seminary.
The late Henry R. Luce, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Time Inc., established the Henry Luce Foundation in 1936. Today it has assets of more than $900 million.