Alaska has one CSWE-accredited MSW program: the University of Alaska Anchorage School of Social Work, which has held continuous accreditation since 1978. The program operated from an Anchorage campus from 1978 through 2016 before transitioning to fully online delivery. The shift to online reflects Alaska's fundamental geographic reality: more than half the state's communities have no road access, and delivering graduate social work education from a single campus to a workforce spread across over 660,000 square miles is not practicable. The Advanced Generalist concentration, combined with a dual MSW/MPH option, equips graduates for the range of practice contexts found in Alaska, from urban Anchorage to remote villages served by Indian Health Service.
The social work workforce context in Alaska is unlike any other state. Alaska has 229 federally recognized tribes, the largest number in the country. Tribal social services are a major employer of MSW graduates in Alaska, alongside the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), the largest tribally owned and operated health organization in the United States, and its member organizations. The Alaska Department of Health's Division of Public Assistance, Office of Children's Services, and behavioral health programs are the primary state government employers. Behavioral health services in Alaska, particularly addressing alcohol use disorder, suicide, and domestic violence, are delivered across a network of rural community health aide programs and tribal social service agencies that depend heavily on UAA MSW graduates.
Alaska social work licensing is administered by the Alaska Board of Social Work Examiners within the Division of Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing. Alaska's licensure structure includes the LMSW for master's-level graduates and the LCSW for those who complete post-graduate supervised clinical hours. The state's geographic and cultural complexity makes the UAA program a singular and essential institution for social work workforce development across Alaska.
The 1 CSWE-Accredited MSW Program in Alaska
Scored on the same seven-factor model used in the national ranking. All data sourced from the CSWE accreditation directory and official program pages (.edu). Accreditation year is the Initial Accreditation Date from the CSWE directory. UAA transitioned to fully online delivery in 2016 per the CSWE directory; Anchorage campus was active 1978-2016.
- #1
University of Alaska Anchorage School of Social Work
Anchorage (Online), AK · Online
8.0
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1978Why It Ranks Here
The University of Alaska Anchorage School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1978, the longest and only continuous accreditation of any MSW program in Alaska. One concentration is listed: Advanced Generalist. A dual-degree program with Public Health is available, one of the few MSW/MPH combinations offered by an Alaska institution. Advanced Standing is available. The program delivered instruction from an Anchorage campus from 1978 through 2016; delivery transitioned to fully online in 2016 per the CSWE directory. Weekend and evening delivery options are offered per the CSWE directory. The online-only format reflects the geographic realities of Alaska's dispersed population: the state's 663,268 square miles encompass dozens of communities accessible only by air or water, making campus-based MSW education impractical for much of the workforce the program serves. UAA is the flagship institution of the University of Alaska System and the largest university in the state. The MSW program is the only CSWE-accredited master's-level social work program in Alaska, making it the sole pathway to a CSWE-accredited MSW for all Alaska social workers.
Public (University of Alaska Anchorage). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
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Job Market for MSW Graduates in Alaska
Anchorage is by far Alaska's largest social work labor market, containing more than 40 percent of the state's population. Providence Alaska Medical Center (Ascension), Alaska Regional Hospital (HCA Healthcare), and Alaska Native Medical Center (operated by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium) are the primary healthcare social work employers. The State of Alaska's Department of Health, including the Office of Children's Services and the Division of Behavioral Health, and the Municipality of Anchorage's social services programs together constitute the primary public-sector employer base. Cook Inlet Tribal Council, one of the largest tribal nonprofit social services organizations in Alaska, and the Southcentral Foundation serve the Alaska Native community in Anchorage and surrounding communities and are significant employers of MSW graduates.
Outside Anchorage, social work employment is distributed among tribal social service agencies, Indian Health Service facilities, Alaska Native regional health corporations, and state field offices. The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium's member organizations, including Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation in Bethel, Norton Sound Health Corporation in Nome, Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation in Dillingham, and Southcentral Foundation in Anchorage, employ social workers across some of the most geographically remote communities in the United States. These organizations, combined with rural state Office of Children's Services offices and community behavioral health programs in communities including Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Kodiak, constitute the statewide employment base for UAA MSW graduates.
Alaska's social work workforce faces one of the most severe shortage situations of any state. Rural and remote communities consistently have difficulty recruiting and retaining licensed social workers. The UAA online program exists in part to reach workers already employed in those communities who seek to complete a master's degree without relocating. The state's Behavioral Health workforce shortage is documented in federal Health Professional Shortage Area designations across a large share of Alaska's geography.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Alaska; Alaska Board of Social Work Examiners.
How We Ranked This Program
Each program is scored on the same seven-factor model used in the national ranking. The state ranking uses identical criteria and weights. No Alaska-specific adjustments are made. For the full methodology, see our ranking methodology page.
- CSWE Accreditation (25%): Active accreditation status and continuous accreditation history.
- Program Leadership (15%): Faculty credentials, research output, and peer-assessment scores.
- Pathways (15%): Concentration variety, Advanced Standing availability, and dual-degree options.
- Delivery Format (15%): Online, hybrid, and in-person availability; start-term flexibility.
- Employer Signal (15%): Field placement hours required, practicum site depth, and documented placement infrastructure.
- Cost & Affordability (10%): Published tuition per credit or per year, in-state vs. out-of-state differential.
- Reputation (5%): U.S. News peer-assessment scores and institutional recognition.