Video by Columbia College Video Production Strategist Dustin Hawkins
Dr. April Murphy-Morgan’s motivation as director of Columbia College’s Master of Social Work program is simple but profound.
After working in the field with adolescents and their families, Murphy-Morgan strives to create lasting impact by preparing the professionals who will serve their communities for generations to come.
“This is a way to make sure that some of our most vulnerable populations continue to get served in an ethical, professional, competent way,” Murphy-Morgan says of the purpose she finds in her role. “That is so important to me and that is really the legacy I want Columbia College to have: that we produce the best social workers in the field.”
Murphy-Morgan, an associate professor who joined the Columbia College faculty in 2024, earned her master’s degree in Social Work from Florida State University and her Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Louisville. Her research interests include child welfare, leadership and social work education.
She serves as chair of Columbia College’s Social Work, Human Services and Criminal Justice Department.
Murphy-Morgan encourages students interested in social work to attend Columbia College for bachelor’s degrees in programs such as Human Services, Criminal Justice Administration, Psychology or Sociology – some of the largest feeder majors for those who continue toward a Master of Social Work.
“The thing that I love about a social work degree is that it is so vast,” Murphy-Morgan says. “You can do so many things.”
Columbia College’s MSW program opens up the door for career growth and development through relationships with faculty and community partners.
“If you want a quality education where you are going to have one-on-one attention from your instructors, where you are going to be known by name, this is the place to go,” Murphy-Morgan says. “You become not just a student, but part of the Columbia College family.”
Faculty and students alike work hard to represent the value of a Columbia College social work degree.
“When clients realize that they have a social worker who graduated with an MSW degree from Columbia College, they can trust the fact that they received a quality, rigorous education,” Murphy-Morgan says.
