Grounded in social justice values, Pacific Oaks welcomes students who bring rich lived experiences into the classroom. First-generation and nontraditional learners often work to balance their careers and personal responsibilities, preparing them with unique perspectives and insights to bring into their social work journeys.
Veronica Davis, Ph.D.., interim Master of Social Work (MSW) program director, MSW field director, and administrative professor at Pacific Oaks College, shares that first-generation and nontraditional students often arrive with a powerful sense of purpose. That shared understanding shapes the way faculty show up and how students are supported from the moment they begin their program.
What makes Pacific Oaks a welcoming place for first-gen and nontraditional students?
Faculty understand that students’ lives don’t pause when they enroll in a graduate program. Many Master of Social Work students are navigating demanding schedules or responsibilities that make traditional full-time, in-person education feel out of reach.
Pacific Oaks offers an Online MSW program designed with flexibility in mind. Students can pursue their degree while staying rooted in their communities and continuing to meet the needs of their families and workplaces.
A Program Built for Real Life
Nontraditional students often bring a deep sense of commitment to their education. Dr. Davis reflects on how meaningful it can be to witness the full-circle moment of commencement, especially for first-generation students.
“We’re very committed to seeing our first generational students,” she shares. “It’s a beautiful time, especially when they come for commencement, their families. You see the pride in their faces and the tears of joy.”
This sense of shared investment creates a uniquely welcoming environment: students are not treated as “behind” because they didn’t follow a straight path. Their individual paths are recognized as valuable.
Connection in an Online Format
Online education can open doors for students, but it can often feel isolating. In these moments, faculty and peer support are essential to building real community.
“You have to bring in that brick-and-mortar feel into the classroom environment online,” she emphasizes. “You need to give the students more than just read these chapters or to do this assignment and hand it in.”
In online MSW programs, faculty encourage the use of tools that enhance peer communication, strengthening relationships throughout the program.
Faculty encourage tools including:
- Zoom seminars
- Breakout groups
- Canvas discussions
- Peer group chats
“We understand that sometimes it could be very isolating when you’re doing it online,” Dr. Davis notes. This consistent emphasis on connection supports a learning environment where students feel seen and supported every step of the way.
How do MSW faculty support students on the path to licensure?
In an MSW program, the relationship between students and faculty can make a lasting difference. Students are learning complex clinical and ethical frameworks while also preparing for field education and the long-term path to licensure.
Faculty support goes beyond coursework. It includes guidance and a shared commitment to helping students grow into confident professionals.
Faculty Leadership Grounded in Professionalism
Dr. Davis speaks about the program’s intentional foundation, including alignment with accreditation and ethical standards that guide the profession.
“We try our best to support them in any way possible,” she shares. “Our faculty is very committed to this program and the evolution of it.”
That structured support helps students who may be new to graduate-level expectations or who are returning to school after time away.
For students who have faced discouragement or negative academic experiences in the past, faculty encouragement is essential. Faculty work to create a different experience: one that emphasizes individual strengths and the importance of support, rooted in the belief that students belong in graduate education. Support for international students is readily available for our students, ensuring every aspiring social worker has the tools they need to succeed.
Learning With Strengths-Based Support
For first-generation and nontraditional students, long-term success often depends on having consistent support through moments of doubt and stress. Faculty support students in building that clarity through a strengths-based approach, especially for those who may be new to the profession or unsure of the many directions to which an MSW can lead.
“We uplift them,” Dr. Davis says. “We always use a strengths-based approach, because strengths-based is what they use when they work with their client population.”
A strengths-based approach starts with recognizing what experiences or skills individual students already possess and building on their skills from there. Instead of focusing on gaps, this approach helps students identify their strengths and apply those strengths to learning and professional growth.
A strengths-based approach helps students:
- Connect education to personal growth
- Build awareness of their own strengths
- Strengthen motivation and goal-setting skills
- Respond to stress more effectively
In practice, faculty reinforce student progress through supportive feedback, encouraging them to ask questions early and reflect on their experiences. They help students connect coursework to real-life experiences, learning to use their personal strengths to navigate challenges in fieldwork scenarios with more confidence.
This form of support becomes a foundation for persistence and confidence as students grow throughout their journey to licensure. By offering guidance and space to ask questions early, students are more prepared to navigate complex challenges with confidence.
What hands-on learning experiences does the Pacific Oaks MSW program offer?
Fieldwork education plays a key role in helping social work students apply what they learn in the classroom to real client needs and real community contexts.
Pacific Oaks students complete field education experiences that support the development of clinical and professional skills alongside individual confidence. Fieldwork is where students begin to see how their academic learning becomes professional practice.
“One of the things that we truly tell our students is that what you learn in the classroom, you will demonstrate while you’re in the field,” Dr. Davis notes.
That shift can feel exciting and intimidating at the same time, especially for students who are entering a new professional environment.
“Anything that you learn from that book, assignments, or podcast readings, it is extremely important that you understand those concepts, theories, and practices,” Dr. Davis adds. “You are going to demonstrate when you go into your field internship.”
Building Confidence With Guidance
Field education requires students to reflect deeply and work through uncertainty. Pacific Oaks faculty support students through that process by encouraging curiosity and reinforcing the importance of supervision and professional accountability.
“It’s super important that you ask questions,” Dr. Davis shares. “That’s where we, as educators, have to come in because we’ve had that experience.”
Questions students often bring to the classroom include:
- How to recognize bias before it shows up
- What to do when a client situation feels triggering
- How to document ethically and accurately
- When to escalate concerns to a supervisor
This kind of support helps students build confidence as they learn to navigate ethical dilemmas, client-facing professionalism, and the emotional demands of the work.
How do international and multicultural perspectives enhance the MSW program?
International and multicultural students bring a wide range of lived experiences into the MSW learning environment. Those experiences often include diverse perspectives and identities, community-rooted work histories, and personal connections to the populations they hope to serve.
Faculty recognize that these perspectives enrich classroom learning and prepare students to practice in a diverse society.
Learning Shaped by Lived Experience
Faculty and students bring a wide range of backgrounds and lived experiences into the classroom. That diversity matters as it helps faculty better understand where students are coming from and how to support them.
Driven by an understanding of those lived experiences, faculty encourage students to expand their thinking and grow professionally through reflection and critical engagement.
“If you want to expand and grow in this field, you have to allow yourself to be critical in thinking,” Dr. Davis explains. “Expand your mindset outside of the box that you formed for yourself.”
Professional Growth as a Lifelong Process
Social work also requires continuous or lifelong learning. Students learn from faculty, but faculty also learn from students who are actively engaged in their communities. Throughout a social work career, professionals must continue to expand their knowledge as community challenges shift.
“It’s a constant learning experience,” Dr. Davis emphasizes. “You will learn throughout your career as a social worker.”
This growth mindset creates a learning environment where diverse experiences are valued and integrated into the work of becoming a social worker, better preparing students to step into the field as adaptable, growth-focused professionals.
How does Pacific Oaks prepare MSW students for long-term success?
Pacific Oaks prepares MSW students for long-term success through rigorous practical training blending with real-world experience and faculty support throughout the journey. Students build foundational skills while practicing ethical judgment and culturally responsive care. They also learn how to implement trauma-informed approaches that play a key role in long-term success in the field.
The field education model at Pacific Oaks allows students to gain real-world experience in community settings with guidance from expert personnel. These placements help students translate their classroom learning to the realities of client-focused work.
As students prepare for graduation and licensure, Pacific Oaks helps them strengthen their individual identities and confidence to take the next step.
Ready to Take the Next Step Toward an MSW?
Pacific Oaks College is committed to creating a supportive and flexible MSW experience for students from many walks of life. Whether you’re returning to school after years away or building on experience you’ve already gained in your community, you deserve a program that recognizes your strengths and invests in your future.
Dr. Davis expresses pride in the Pacific Oaks community itself, including the faculty and staff who contribute to student success.
“I’m very proud—very PO proud—to be a part of it,” she shares.
That sentiment reflects a learning environment where faculty commitment is part of the culture, supporting students in building their own compassionate professional identities.
Find out how Pacific Oaks is ready to support your journey to social work licensure.
