The University of Southern California School of Social Work, a top-ranked, accredited graduate program, announces the launch of a new Virtual Academic Center in partnership with 2tor, Inc., making it the first to offer a full Master of Social Work degree on a national scale at an elite research university. Applications will be accepted in June 2010 for the inaugural class, which will begin in October 2010.

"We are excited by the prospects of a national program supported by an advanced, state-of-the-art technology platform in partnership with 2tor," Dean Marilyn Flynn said. "We believe this will transform learning opportunities for MSW students and engage many interested new students here and elsewhere in the country. We expect the Virtual Academic Center to enhance the school's reputation for innovation and excellence."

The Virtual Academic Center will mirror the USC School of Social Work's flagship program in Los Angeles, Irvine and San Diego. Students will experience a blend of web-based, interactive teaching in small classes; highly engaging assignments; and hands-on, supervised traditional field instruction.

Students will be expected to meet the same admissions standards as those enrolled in the current MSW program and take courses that adhere to the same curriculum structure and level of academic rigor. Numerous concentrations, full-time and part-time options and robust financial aid packages will be available.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the demand for social workers to increase faster than the average (18 percent to 26 percent) for all occupations through 2014, with a greater need for these skilled professionals to help with aging baby boomers. This, coupled with the retirement of aging leadership in the mental health industry, further emphasizes the need to ready a younger generation of social workers.

The MSW@USC builds on 2tor's previous success partnering with the Rossier School of Education at USC to help develop the MAT@USC, an award-winning Master of Arts in teaching degree program.