New Hampshire has one CSWE-accredited MSW program: the University of New Hampshire Department of Social Work, which has held continuous accreditation since 1996. UNH is the flagship research university of New Hampshire, located in Durham in the Seacoast region near Portsmouth. The program offers an Advanced Generalist concentration, a Trauma certificate, dual degrees with Law (through UNH's Franklin Pierce School of Law) and an additional institutional partner, Advanced Standing, online delivery since 2018, and multiple cohort entry options per the CSWE directory. A Manchester site formerly served the southern tier of the state but closed in 2021 per the CSWE directory; Durham and online delivery remain active.
The MSW/JD dual degree is a distinctive academic feature: very few MSW programs nationally offer a formal dual degree with a law school, and UNH's longstanding Franklin Pierce School of Law partnership gives it an unusual cross-disciplinary offering relevant to students interested in child welfare law, immigration law, disability rights, forensic social work, and social policy. The Trauma certificate responds to New Hampshire's significant behavioral health challenges. New Hampshire has been among the states most severely affected by the opioid crisis, with high rates of fentanyl-involved overdose deaths per capita, and trauma-informed practice is central to the recovery support, harm reduction, and behavioral health systems that employ social workers across the state.
New Hampshire social work licensing is administered by the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC). New Hampshire uses the Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) rather than the LCSW designation used in most other states, a distinction that can affect interstate licensure portability. The LMSW is the entry-level master's credential. Prospective students planning to practice in multiple states should verify reciprocity provisions with OPLC.
The 1 CSWE-Accredited MSW Program in New Hampshire
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. UNH Manchester site closed 2021 per CSWE; Durham campus and online (2018) remain active.
- #1
University of New Hampshire Department of Social Work
Durham, NH · On-Campus or Online
8.0
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1996Why It Ranks Here
The University of New Hampshire Department of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1996 and is the only CSWE-accredited MSW program in New Hampshire. One concentration is listed: Advanced Generalist. A Trauma certificate is available. Dual-degree programs with Law and with an Other institutional partner are offered. Advanced Standing is available. Online delivery was added in 2018. Multiple cohorts per year are offered per the CSWE directory. The program formerly operated a Manchester site that closed in 2021 per the CSWE directory; the Durham campus and online delivery remain active. UNH is the flagship research university of New Hampshire, located in Durham in the Seacoast region. The Law dual degree is a nationally uncommon offering that prepares graduates for forensic, policy, and advocacy roles at the intersection of law and social work. The Trauma certificate addresses growing demand for trauma-informed practitioners across New Hampshire's behavioral health, domestic violence, and veterans' services sectors.
Public (University of New Hampshire). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page →
Job Market for MSW Graduates in New Hampshire
New Hampshire's social work labor market is shaped by its position at the northern edge of the Boston metropolitan economy and by its distinctive behavioral health crisis driven by opioid use disorder. Manchester and Nashua in southern New Hampshire are the two largest social work employer markets. Elliot Health System and Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua, and the Dartmouth Health Southern NH Health network are the primary healthcare employers. The New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Behavioral Health Division, and the network of community mental health centers mandated under New Hampshire's community mental health system are the primary public-sector employers.
The Seacoast region, adjacent to UNH's Durham campus, includes Portsmouth, Dover, and Exeter. Portsmouth Regional Hospital (HCA Healthcare), Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover, and the Seacoast Mental Health Center are the primary employers in this region. The Lakes Region (Laconia), the Upper Valley centered on Dartmouth Health in Lebanon, and the North Country (Berlin, Gorham) all have social work markets of varying size, generally served by online or commuter students from the Durham campus.
New Hampshire's opioid crisis has been one of the most severe in New England per capita, and the behavioral health workforce demand driven by substance use disorder treatment, recovery coaching, harm reduction, and trauma services is substantial. Organizations including Granite Recovery Centers, Serenity Place, Farnum Center, and the network of outpatient substance use disorder programs funded through the state's 10-year mental health plan are significant employers of licensed clinical social workers. The Trauma certificate from UNH's program has direct relevance to this employment landscape.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, New Hampshire; NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification.
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 New Hampshire-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.