Montana has 2 CSWE-accredited MSW programs, each serving distinct geographic and educational markets. The University of Montana School of Social Work in Missoula, accredited since 2001, is the older and higher-ranked program, offering an Advanced Generalist concentration, a Law dual degree, and online delivery added in 2021. UM does not offer Advanced Standing per the CSWE directory. Carroll College's Department of Social Work in Helena, which received CSWE accreditation in 2021, offers a Clinical concentration with Advanced Standing and online delivery also added in 2021. The two programs, separated by approximately 115 miles, together provide coverage across western Montana's two largest non-Billings cities.
Montana's social work landscape is characterized by vast geography, a small and dispersed population of approximately 1.1 million, seven federally recognized tribes on four reservations, significant rural and frontier workforce shortages, and a behavioral health crisis driven by methamphetamine, opioids, and alcohol use disorder that affects urban, rural, and tribal communities alike. Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) estimates consistently document social work workforce shortages across most of the state, particularly in eastern Montana's agricultural and energy communities, the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations in the south, and the Fort Peck Reservation in the northeast.
Montana social work licensing is administered by the Montana Board of Behavioral Health within the Department of Labor and Industry. Both the LMSW and LCSW follow the standard national exam-based pathway. The state's geographic scale means that field placement coordination for online students requires active engagement between students and program field directors to identify appropriate supervised practice sites in home communities.
Which MSW programs in Montana are 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 years are Initial Accreditation Dates from the CSWE directory. UM: Missoula + online (2021), no Advanced Standing. Carroll: Helena + online (2021), Advanced Standing available.
- #1
University of Montana School of Social Work
Missoula, MT · On-Campus or Online · CSWE-accredited since 2001
7.5
60 credits 900 field hours No Advanced StandingThe University of Montana School of Social Work holds the longest continuous accreditation of any MSW program in Montana, dating to 2001. One concentration is listed: Advanced Generalist. A dual-degree program with Law is available. Online delivery was added in 2021. Advanced Standing is not available per the CSWE directory, which is an important distinction for BSW holders planning their academic pathway. UM is the flagship research university of Montana, located in Missoula. The Law dual degree is a nationally uncommon offering and is particularly relevant in Montana, where rural, tribal, and frontier legal-social work practice intersect in contexts including child welfare law, tribal family law, disability rights, and public benefits advocacy. Missoula's location provides access to Community Medical Center and Providence St. Patrick Hospital, the two primary healthcare social work employers in western Montana, as well as the Salish and Kootenai Tribes' social services on the nearby Flathead Reservation.
Public (University of Montana). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
University of Montana School of Social Work - #2
Carroll College Department of Social Work
Helena, MT · On-Campus or Online · CSWE-accredited since 2021
5.5
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingCarroll College's Department of Social Work is the newer of Montana's two MSW programs, accredited since 2021. One concentration is listed: Clinical or Direct Practice. Advanced Standing is available. Online delivery was added in 2021, the same year as accreditation, making the program accessible statewide from launch. Carroll College is a private Catholic liberal arts college in Helena, the state capital. Helena is Montana's fourth-largest city and the center of state government social services employment, including the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) headquarters and its contracted behavioral health and child welfare providers. The Clinical concentration prepares graduates for direct clinical practice and licensure. The 2021 accreditation date and private institutional character place Carroll College second in this state ranking; the Clinical track, Advanced Standing availability, and Helena's state government employer base are meaningful programmatic advantages.
Private (Carroll College, Catholic liberal arts college). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
Carroll College Department of Social Work
How long does an MSW take in Montana, and what does it cost?
An MSW in Montana 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. 1 run an Advanced Standing track, which finishes the degree in about a year for BSW holders. 1 sit at public universities and one at a private one, which is usually the largest single difference in what you will pay. 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 Montana?
Billings is Montana's largest city and primary job market for MSW graduates, though neither MSW program is located there. Billings Clinic, St. Vincent Healthcare (Billings), and the Crow Agency Indian Health Service hospital on the Crow Reservation to the south are the primary healthcare social work employers in the eastern half of the state. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Billings office, the Department of Corrections, and the behavioral health provider network in Yellowstone County employ a substantial number of public-sector social workers. MSW graduates from UM and Carroll College who are willing to relocate to Billings access this market routinely.
Missoula, home to UM, is western Montana's primary social work market. Community Medical Center and Providence St. Patrick Hospital are the dominant healthcare employers. The Western Montana Mental Health Center, operated as the designated community mental health center for a multi-county region, and the county social services offices are major public-sector employers. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes' social services programs on the Flathead Reservation to the north provide tribal social work employment opportunities. Missoula's growing population and its concentration of nonprofits serving housing, domestic violence, refugee, and substance use disorder populations make it one of Montana's richer social work labor markets relative to its size.
Helena, home to Carroll College, is the center of state government social services employment. The Montana DPHHS headquarters and its divisions including the Child and Family Services Division, Addictive and Mental Disorders Division, and the Disability Services Division are headquartered in Helena and employ the largest concentration of public-sector social workers outside of Billings. St. Peter's Health in Helena and the AWARE Inc. community mental health center are additional employers. Carroll College's proximate location to these state agencies is a meaningful employment advantage for its graduates.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Montana; Montana Board of Behavioral Health.
Which cities in Montana have CSWE-accredited MSW programs?
Helena and Missoula have CSWE-accredited MSW programs in Montana, 2 cities in total across the state's 2 accredited programs, according to the approved teaching locations each records with CSWE.
Location matters more for an MSW than for most master's degrees, because the 900 hours of field education have to happen at an agency that will take you, and programs place students through partnerships built up near their campuses. Studying near where you intend to practice tends to mean placement in the network you will later job-hunt in. Two programs in Montana also offer online coursework, which widens the choice for students outside those cities.
What can you specialize in with an MSW in Montana?
You can specialize in Advanced Generalist and Clinical or Direct Practice with an MSW in Montana, the concentrations recorded with CSWE by two of the state's two accredited programs. Programs across the state record two distinct concentrations in total.
Two concentrations are offered by a single program in Montana, including Advanced Generalist and Clinical or Direct Practice, so a student set on Advanced Generalist has one option in state rather than a choice of several. Concentration is the part of the curriculum that follows the generalist foundation year the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards require of every accredited program.
How did we rank these Montana MSW programs?
We ranked these Montana MSW programs 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 Montana-specific adjustments are made. Programs are ordered by composite score. 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: Montana licenses no graduate of an unaccredited program. Accredited programs in Montana run from one holding that status since 2001 to one accredited as recently as 2021, and a longer record means more reaffirmation cycles survived.
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 Montana?
You become a licensed social worker in Montana 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 Montana social work licensing board. Montana 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 MT
MSW → LMSWC → LMSW
- 1
Earn a CSWE-accredited MSW.
- 2
Pass the ASWB Masters exam and register as the LMSWC (Licensed Master Social Worker Candidate (non-clinical)).
- 3
Complete 2,000 hours of supervised practice over at least 18 months, then apply for the LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker).
Clinical social work license route in MT
MSW → LCSWC → LCSW
- 1
Earn a CSWE-accredited MSW.
- 2
Register as the LCSWC (Licensed Clinical Social Worker Candidate) to begin supervised practice.
- 3
Complete 3,000 hours of supervised practice over 2 to 4 years and pass the ASWB Clinical exam, then apply for the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), which authorizes independent clinical practice and clinical diagnosis.
Montana social work licenses at a glance
Provisional master's license
Licensed Master Social Worker Candidate (non-clinical)
Master's license
Licensed Master Social Worker
Pre-clinical (associate) license
Licensed Clinical Social Worker Candidate
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 Montana licensing board before applying.
Common questions about MSW programs in Montana
Common questions about MSW programs in Montana, on accreditation, cost, format and licensure.
How many CSWE-accredited MSW programs are in Montana?
What do social workers earn in Montana?
What are Montana's social work licensing requirements?
Which Montana program is best for students who already have a BSW?
Is the UM MSW program suitable for students interested in tribal social work?
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 Montana 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, Montana 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 Montana?
The best MSW programs near Montana 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.