Students in the MSW program at Washington University in St. Louis complete 60 credits of graduate-level coursework. After taking foundation courses in research methods, human behavior and social work practice, students progress into concentrations such as social and economic development, gerontology, or children, youth and families. A concentration can also be individually designed. Field experience is an integral part of the MSW program and consists of 960 hours that can be completed in St. Louis or at one of more than 400 sites nationwide or abroad. Applicants submit undergraduate transcripts, a resumé, personal statement and three recommendations. Scholarships are available for qualified applicants.
George Warren Brown School of Social Work
Washington University in St. Louis
Campus Box 1196
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130-4899
314-935-6600
gwbweb.wustl.edu
The University of Michigan's 60-credit MSW program requires students to select from concentrations in practice methods such as community organization and management of human services and practice areas such as community and social systems and mental health. Foundation courses in social work research and foundation field instruction prepare students for concentration studies. Applicants typically hold a bachelor's degree with at least 20 credits in social sciences, humanities or foreign language. A non-degree option permits up to ten students to enter the master's program who do not have a bachelor's degree but possess at least five years of full-time work experience or 5,000 volunteer hours in a human service organization.
University of Michigan
School of Social Work
1080 South University Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106
734-764-3309
ssw.umich.edu
The MSW degree at the University of California Berkeley can be completed in two years of full-time study. Students are required to complete core courses in social policy, practice methods and social research. They also select from a concentration in areas such as child and family services, gerontology services and health services. Required field placements provide students with hands-on experience in their selected concentration areas. Applicants submit a personal statement, three recommendations and a resumé, along with undergraduate transcripts and standardized test scores. MSW students can also complete a dual degree in public health.
School of Social Welfare
University of California
120 Haviland Hall #7400
Berkeley, CA 94720-7400
510-642-4341
socialwelfare.berkeley.edu
Columbia University offers prospective social work students the option to complete the 60-credit program on a full-time or part-time basis. Full-time students can complete the degree in no more than two years, while part-time students graduate in three to four years. Foundation courses in social welfare policy and social work research prepare students to select an advanced concentration. Available concentrations include aging, mental health and child and family services. Twenty-one hours of field education per week take students out of the classroom and into various community agencies, schools and hospitals throughout New York City. Admissions is based on a review of undergraduate grades, three recommendations and a personal statement.
School of Social Work
Columbia University
1225 Amsterdam Avenue, Room 514
New York, NY 10027
212-851-2306
columbia.edu