What Is an MSW Degree? Meaning, Length, Requirements and Licensing

What is an MSW degree?

An MSW degree is a Master of Social Work, the graduate credential that qualifies you to practice professional social work, including clinical work once you are licensed. If you are asking what an MSW is in practice, it is a two-year program of coursework and supervised field placement in which you learn to assess a client's situation, plan and deliver an intervention, and document it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 775,930 people working in social worker occupations, and the MSW is the degree behind most of the higher-responsibility roles among them. The jobs with an MSW guide covers what those roles are and what they pay.

You do not need to be a social worker already, and you do not need a bachelor's in social work. What you need is a bachelor's degree in some field and a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The sections below take the pieces in order: the name, accreditation, structure, length, concentrations, admission, and the license that follows.

What does MSW stand for?

MSW stands for Master of Social Work. That is the whole MSW meaning, and it is the same degree whether the school writes it as MSW, M.S.W. or, at a few universities, Master of Science in Social Work. The letters tell you the level (a master's) and the field (social work). They do not tell you the specialty, which is set by the concentration you choose.

Why does CSWE accreditation matter for an MSW degree?

CSWE accreditation matters for an MSW degree because licensing boards generally require a degree from a program the Council on Social Work Education has accredited, so an unaccredited MSW can leave you unable to get licensed. CSWE publishes the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards that every accredited baccalaureate and master's program is held to, and the standards set the 900-hour field minimum covered below.

The practical step is simple: look the program up in the CSWE directory of accredited programs before you apply. This site's rankings list accredited programs only, and our accreditation page explains how the status works. States license social workers individually, so confirm your own state's rules on the credentials page or with your state board.

How is an MSW degree structured?

An MSW degree is structured in two stages, a generalist stage and a specialized stage, and both pair classroom courses with field placement. The generalist stage teaches practice with individuals, families, groups and communities in general. The specialized stage, which comes second, narrows to a concentration such as clinical practice or administration and policy.

The field requirement is the part that surprises people. CSWE's standards require a minimum of 900 hours of field education for a master's program, compared with 400 for a bachelor's, and programs are free to require more. Those hours are split between the generalist and specialized placements, which our guide to MSW field placement hours walks through, including how a placement works when you are also holding down a job.

Credit totals vary by school. The Catholic University of America's MSW is 60 credits, with 12 of them spent in the two field internships, and Fordham University's is 62. Advanced standing is much shorter, because the generalist block is waived: totals include 32 credits at NYU, 36 at Wayne State and 39 at UNC Charlotte. The advanced standing versus traditional MSW comparison has the school-by-school credit figures.

How long does an MSW degree take, and can you earn one online or part-time?

An MSW degree takes about two years full-time, about one year with advanced standing, and longer part-time. The directory shows 345 of 350 programs with a full-time plan, 312 (89%) with a part-time plan, and 331 (95%) with an advanced standing track. Advanced standing is open to graduates of an accredited BSW.

You can earn an MSW degree online at 235 of the 350 programs (67%). Online covers the coursework only. The field placement is done in person at an agency, usually near where you live, and the program's field office arranges or approves it. Our best online MSW programs and best advanced standing MSW programs rank those two groups, and the part-time MSW programs guide covers evening, weekend and part-time schedules. A dual degree pairs the MSW with a second degree and does not change the license. 122 programs list one, and the MSW dual degree guide counts the pairings.

What concentrations can you choose in an MSW degree?

The concentrations you can choose in an MSW degree are set by each school, and the most common are clinical or direct practice, advanced generalist, and a handful of population or setting specialties. In the directory, 132 programs list a Clinical or Direct Practice concentration, 151 list Advanced Generalist, 44 list Children, Youth, and Families, 34 list Mental Health, 22 list Healthcare, and 18 list School Social Work.

Macro concentrations are scarcer. 28 programs list Macro Social Work by name, and others offer management, leadership or policy tracks under different labels. If you want to run programs or change policy instead of treating clients, check that the program offers that track in the format you need, because some programs publish a track online and another on campus only. The macro versus mezzo social work guide explains the difference.

What do you need to get into an MSW degree program?

To get into an MSW degree program you need a bachelor's degree, and for the traditional track it can be in any field. Programs set their own deadlines, GPA expectations, essays and references, so read each school's admissions page. The one eligibility line the profession draws is advanced standing, which requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program and does not accept work experience in place of it.

If your bachelor's is in psychology, sociology, education or anything else, the two-year traditional track is your path. If you hold an accredited BSW, compare it against the traditional route before you decide, because the shorter program also compresses your time to test concentrations.

What is the difference between an MSW and an LMSW?

The difference between an MSW and an LMSW is that the MSW is the degree and the LMSW is the license. You earn the MSW from a university. You earn the LMSW, the Licensed Master Social Worker credential, by applying to your state board, which generally means holding the accredited degree and passing the ASWB Masters exam. When people search for MSW vs LMSW, they are usually asking whether the license is a bigger credential. It is not: it is permission to practice, not a higher degree.

The LCSW is a third thing, the independent clinical license, earned after the MSW and a period of supervised practice (most often 3,000 hours). Our LMSW vs. LCSW guide compares the two licenses, and can you be a therapist with an MSW explains which one you need for therapy. Rules differ by state, so confirm yours before planning around either one.

How does an MSW degree compare with a BSW and a DSW?

An MSW degree sits between the BSW and the DSW: the BSW is the bachelor's, the MSW is the master's, and the DSW is a doctorate that comes after the MSW. CSWE's accreditation standards cover baccalaureate and master's programs, which is why the BSW and the MSW are the two degrees you will see compared most. A BSW includes a 400-hour field placement and a generalist curriculum, and it is the credential that unlocks advanced standing. The MSW adds the specialized year.

The DSW is not a license requirement. Alabama's board, for example, lists the Doctorate of Social Work or the Master of Social Work as qualifying education for its clinical license, so for licensure the MSW already does the work. A doctorate earns its place if you want to lead, teach or research. If you are starting from an unrelated bachelor's, the MSW is the degree to plan around, and the BSW route is covered at our sister site, best BSW programs.

What can you do with an MSW degree?

With an MSW degree you can work as a therapist after licensure, a hospital or school social worker, a child welfare caseworker, or a program manager or policy analyst in roles that do not need a clinical license. Which of those you can take depends on the license you hold as much as on the degree. The full breakdown by occupation, with what each pays, is in our jobs with an MSW guide, and the career profiles cover each role in more detail.

How do you choose an MSW degree program?

You choose an MSW degree program by checking CSWE accreditation first, then format, concentration and field placement support, in that order. The best MSW programs ranking orders every accredited program on published measures, and the program finder narrows them by state and format.

Frequently asked questions about the MSW degree