Combat Veterans Certificate 5 Year Anniversary

December 2, 2021

The award-winning first class in the Combat Veterans Certificate, Embracing the Stories of War, has reached an important five-year milestone.

Since first being offered in fall 2016, 187 undergraduate, graduate, and non-credit students have completed this class, which uses an immersive storytelling approach to deepen understanding of the military cycle, from enlistment, basic training, the experience of war, and post-war challenges. Students learn from the recorded testimonials of Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq War veterans, allowing a unique opportunity to build empathy and compassion for what our nation’s combat veterans have sacrificed and endured.

The Combat Veterans Certificate launched in summer 2019, which includes Embracing the Stories of War, Sharing the Burden of War (policies and programs), and Healing the Wounds of War (complex trauma, PTS, and moral injury). The certificate is open to MSW students and includes a veteran-related field placement, specialized liaison group, and a trip to Washington, DC, for a Monuments & Memorials Tour (pre-pandemic). To date, 31 MSW students have completed the certificate, with an additional 20 MSW students in the current cohort.

Recognizing the need for improved training for human service professionals already in the field, all three classes are available as a noncredit option at a reduced rate. So far, 18 social workers, mental health clinicians, nurses, and program administrators from across the country have completed the certificate through non-credit enrollment.

Each class is fully online and accessible to MSW students throughout the state and human service professionals throughout the country.

For more information about the Combat Veterans Certificate and noncredit option, visit sw.msu.edu/cvc.

To contribute to the School’s Veterans Scholarship and help veterans earn their MSW, visit sw.msu.edu/vet.