Delaware has one CSWE-accredited MSW program: Delaware State University's Department of Social Work, which has held continuous accreditation since 1986. DSU is an HBCU and the only CSWE-accredited MSW program in the state, serving as the sole in-state pathway to a CSWE-accredited master's degree in social work for all Delaware social workers. The program operates from three locations covering the state's three counties: the main campus in Dover (Kent County), a Wilmington site serving New Castle County in the north, and a Georgetown site serving Sussex County in the south. Online delivery was added in 2018. Multiple cohorts per year and weekend or evening options provide flexibility for working professionals.
DSU's HBCU identity is integral to its MSW program's character and mission. Delaware's Black and African American population is concentrated in Wilmington and the New Castle County communities of the Wilmington metro, and DSU's program has historically been a significant pathway for Black social workers in the state. The Advanced Generalist concentration prepares graduates for the full range of micro, mezzo, and macro practice settings. Delaware's small size relative to its neighboring states means that students in Wilmington and northern Delaware also have access to MSW programs in nearby Pennsylvania and New Jersey, but DSU is the only in-state CSWE-accredited option.
Delaware social work licensing is administered by the Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners within the Division of Professional Regulation. Delaware's social work workforce is shaped by its position in the Mid-Atlantic corridor: ChristianaCare, the dominant health system in the state, is headquartered in Wilmington and employs a large concentration of healthcare social workers. The state's growing behavioral health system, including Connections Community Support Programs, Brandywine Counseling, and SODAT Delaware, and the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, together constitute the primary non-healthcare employer base for MSW graduates.
Which MSW program in Delaware is CSWE-accredited?
Every CSWE-accredited MSW program in the state is listed here, 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. DSU operates Dover, Wilmington, and Georgetown locations plus online (2018) per the CSWE directory.
- #1
Delaware State University Department of Social Work
Dover, DE · On-Campus or Online · CSWE-accredited since 1986
8.0
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingDelaware State University's Department of Social Work is the sole CSWE-accredited MSW program in Delaware and the state's only pathway to a CSWE-accredited master's degree in social work, accredited since 1986. One concentration is listed: Advanced Generalist. Advanced Standing is available. Online delivery was added in 2018. Multiple cohorts per year and weekend or evening delivery options are offered per the CSWE directory. The program operates from three campus locations: Dover (the main campus and state capital), Wilmington (Delaware's largest city), and Georgetown (serving Sussex County in southern Delaware), providing coverage across the length of the state. Delaware State University is a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), one of a small number of HBCUs nationally with a CSWE-accredited MSW program. DSU's HBCU identity is particularly relevant to the program's mission in Delaware, where Black and African American residents make up approximately 23 percent of the state population and are disproportionately represented among social services recipients. DSU's Wilmington site provides direct access to Delaware's largest and most diverse social work labor market.
Public HBCU (Delaware State University). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
Delaware State University Department of Social Work
How long does an MSW take in Delaware, and what does it cost?
An MSW in Delaware takes two years of full-time study, and what it costs turns mostly on whether the program is public or private. The Master of Social Work here is built on 60 credits and 900 hours of supervised field placement. It runs an Advanced Standing track, which finishes the degree in about a year for BSW holders. It is a public university, so in-state residency is the main lever on cost. Each card links to the program's own tuition page. The field-hour rules that apply everywhere are set out in our guide to CSWE accreditation.
What is the job market like for MSW graduates in Delaware?
Delaware's job market for MSW graduates is heavily concentrated in the Wilmington metro and New Castle County in the northern part of the state. ChristianaCare, the dominant health system in Delaware and one of the largest non-profit health systems in the Mid-Atlantic region, operates Christiana Hospital in Newark and Wilmington Hospital and employs the largest concentration of healthcare social workers in the state. Nemours Children's Health, with its flagship Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, is a major employer of pediatric and family social workers. The Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Wilmington provides federal employment. The Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families (DSCYF), which includes the Division of Family Services, the Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services, and behavioral health divisions, is the primary public-sector employer.
Central and southern Delaware, served by DSU's Dover and Georgetown campuses, have smaller but growing social work markets. Bayhealth Medical Center in Dover and Beebe Healthcare in Lewes are the primary healthcare employers in Kent and Sussex counties. The Sussex County social services infrastructure, including a significant agricultural and seasonal worker population in the Delmarva Peninsula, employs social workers in immigration services, migrant labor support, and family services. Georgetown and the surrounding communities have a large Latinx population engaged in poultry processing and agricultural work, creating specific social work workforce demand in immigration and labor welfare services.
Delaware's proximity to Philadelphia means that many Delaware MSW graduates work across the state border in the greater Philadelphia healthcare and social services market. This dynamic effectively expands the employment pool for DSU graduates beyond Delaware's borders, particularly for those in Wilmington and northern New Castle County.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Delaware; Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners.
Can you earn an MSW online in Delaware in 2026?
You can earn an MSW online in Delaware at the state's only accredited program: Delaware State University. It records an online option in the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs.
Accreditation covers every approved delivery method under the same degree, so an online MSW carries the same standing for licensure as the on-campus version and the ASWB examination does not distinguish between them. Field placement is the part that stays local: coursework is delivered online, but the 900 supervised hours happen at an agency, which for most students means one within commuting distance of home.
Can you work full time while earning an MSW in Delaware?
You can work full time while earning an MSW in Delaware at the state's only accredited program, which records a part-time plan of study with CSWE: Delaware State University.
A part-time plan spreads coursework over three or four years rather than two. It does not, however, make the field placement part time: the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards require 900 hours of supervised field education for a master's degree, most of it during business hours, which is the constraint working students in Delaware most often have to plan around. One program in the state also offers an online option.
How did we rank the MSW program in Delaware?
We ranked the MSW program in Delaware on the same seven-factor model used in the national ranking, applied identically to every accredited program in the state. The state ranking uses identical criteria and weights. No Delaware-specific adjustments are made. For the full methodology, see our ranking methodology page.
Accreditation is 25% of the score because it is the only pass-or-fail factor here: Delaware licenses no graduate of an unaccredited program. The accredited program here has held that status since 1986.
Weights: CSWE accreditation 25%, program leadership 15%, pathways 15%, delivery format 15%, employer signal 15%, cost 10%, reputation 5%. Each factor is defined in full on our ranking methodology page.
How do you become a licensed social worker in Delaware?
You become a licensed social worker in Delaware by completing a CSWE-accredited MSW, passing the ASWB examination at the level your license requires, and, for a clinical license, logging supervised hours afterwards. Licensing here is administered by the Delaware social work licensing board. Delaware offers more than one route to licensure, pick the branch that matches the kind of practice you want. License names, exams, and supervised-hour requirements come from the ASWB Social Work Regulatory Database.
Master's social work license route in DE
MSW → LMSW
- 1
Earn a CSWE-accredited MSW.
- 2
Pass the ASWB Masters exam and apply for the LMSW (Licensed Masters Social Worker).
Clinical social work license route in DE
MSW → LCSW
- 1
Earn a CSWE-accredited MSW.
- 2
Complete 3,200 hours of supervised practice over 2 to 5 years and pass the ASWB Clinical exam, then apply for the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), which authorizes independent clinical practice and clinical diagnosis.
Delaware social work licenses at a glance
Master's license
Licensed Masters Social Worker
Clinical license
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Source: Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Social Work Regulatory Database, 2026. License requirements change, so always confirm current rules with the Delaware licensing board before applying.
Common questions about MSW programs in Delaware
Common questions about MSW programs in Delaware, on accreditation, cost, format and licensure.
How many CSWE-accredited MSW programs are in Delaware?
What do social workers earn in Delaware?
What are Delaware's social work licensing requirements?
Is Delaware State University's MSW program accessible to students in Wilmington?
Can I pursue an MSW at a school other than Delaware State if I live in Delaware?
Where does the data on this page come from?
The data on this page comes from the sources below, and from nothing else: no commercial directories, no other ranking sites.
- CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs covers which Delaware programs hold accreditation, the year each was first accredited, approved campus locations, concentrations, dual degrees and plan-of-study options.
- Individual program pages (.edu) supply curriculum detail, field-hour requirements, delivery format and cohort scheduling. Each program card links to the page it was written from.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Delaware supplies the employment and wage figures in the job-market section, May 2025 release.
- ASWB Social Work Laws and Regulations Database supplies license names, examination levels and supervised-hour requirements, read 2026.
- Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education supplies the research classification used in the ranking model.
What are the best MSW programs near Delaware?
The best MSW programs near Delaware are in the neighboring states below, all CSWE-accredited. Licensure is state by state, so check a program across the border against the rules where you intend to practice.