The online Master of Social Work program prepares students to become social workers and offer a wide-range of therapies and other social work services to individuals, families, groups, and communities in hospitals, private practice settings, schools, and social service settings. The MSW program offers the 60 credits of coursework and the 900 hours of field education credit necessary to earn the MSW degree, as well as meet the requirements of the New York State Education Department, both of which are necessary to take the entry-level licensing exam in the New York State (and other US states).
The Clinical Social Work Advanced Standing (Specialized) program is intended for students who enter the program with a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW). Courses are focused on the field of clinical social work with an emphasis on recovery models. At this specialist level of the program, students engage in clinical courses and undertake 500 hours of clinical internship. Combined with the BSW internship hours, this enables graduates to leave the MSW program with the minimum 900 clinical hours required by the program and to fulfill the internship requirements of CSWE, the accrediting body for social work education.
Students can enter the program at the beginning of the Fall, Spring, or Summer Semesters, and students may complete the program in as little as one year.
Retention and Graduation Requirements
Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 to remain in the program, must complete all degree requirements, and must pass a comprehensive exam taken as a program requirement during the final semester in the program.
Student Learning Goals
Outcomes for the MSW are based on the nine core competencies set out by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Students will begin work towards proficiency in the competencies through coursework taken in the specialization year. Upon graduation from this program students will be able to:
- Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
- Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
- Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
- Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
- Engage in Policy Practice
- Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
