Nevada has 2 CSWE-accredited MSW programs, one in Las Vegas and one in Reno, serving the state's two population centers. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Department of Social Work, accredited since 1990, is the older program and is located in Clark County, home to approximately 74 percent of Nevada's population. UNLV's on-campus-only program offers a Trauma concentration, a School Social Work certificate, and a Law dual degree. The University of Nevada, Reno School of Social Work, accredited since 1991, is the land-grant research university's program and offers an Advanced Generalist concentration with online delivery since 2016 and multiple cohort entry options. UNR's online delivery is the only CSWE-accredited online MSW option in the state.
Las Vegas presents a distinctive social work practice environment unlike any other major American city. The hospitality-gaming economy generates specific social work workforce needs: problem gambling disorder is a documented behavioral health challenge, the 24-hour service economy creates workforce instability and irregular schedules that exacerbate family and individual stress, and the high proportion of the workforce in tip-based and seasonal employment means that economic shocks, including hotel and convention industry downturns, rapidly translate into social service demand. Clark County also has one of the fastest-growing populations of any county in the United States, placing pressure on social services infrastructure that was not built for a city of more than 2 million. UNLV's Trauma concentration prepares graduates for the high-acuity clinical and community practice this environment demands.
Nevada social work licensing is administered by the Nevada State Board of Examiners for Social Workers. Nevada has historically ranked among states with the greatest per-capita social work workforce shortages, a challenge the Board has addressed through licensure compacts and reciprocity provisions. The LMSW and LCSW follow the standard national exam-based pathway.
Which MSW programs in Nevada 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. UNLV: Las Vegas on-campus only. UNR: Reno + online (2016).
- #1
University of Nevada, Las Vegas Department of Social Work
Las Vegas, NV · On-Campus · CSWE-accredited since 1990
7.5
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingThe University of Nevada, Las Vegas Department of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1990, one year longer than UNR's accreditation. One concentration is listed: Trauma. A School Social Work certificate is available. A dual-degree program with Law is offered. Advanced Standing is available. No online delivery is listed in the CSWE directory as of 2026; the program operates on-campus in Las Vegas. UNLV is the flagship urban research university of the Nevada System of Higher Education and the dominant MSW institution in southern Nevada. Las Vegas and Clark County constitute the largest and most complex social work labor market in Nevada, with a population of approximately 2.3 million and a distinctive economy built around hospitality, gaming, construction, and service industries that generate specific social work workforce needs. The Trauma concentration reflects the population-level trauma burden in Las Vegas, which has high rates of domestic violence, substance use disorder, and crisis-driven social service demand. The Law dual degree enables preparation for child welfare law, domestic violence law, and the intersection of the Las Vegas Metro area's large criminal justice system with social work practice.
Public (University of Nevada, Las Vegas). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas Department of Social Work - #2
University of Nevada, Reno School of Social Work
Reno, NV · On-Campus or Online · CSWE-accredited since 1991
7.0
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingThe University of Nevada, Reno School of Social Work offers one concentration: Advanced Generalist. Advanced Standing is available. Online delivery was added in 2016, making UNR an early mover into online MSW delivery in the Mountain West. Multiple cohorts per year are offered per the CSWE directory. UNR is the land-grant research university of Nevada, located in Reno in northern Nevada. The online delivery option since 2016 is a meaningful access advantage, making UNR's program the only CSWE-accredited MSW in Nevada accessible to students outside a campus commuting area. The Advanced Generalist concentration prepares graduates for the full spectrum of micro to macro practice. Reno's social work market includes Renown Health, Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center, Carson City's state government agencies (approximately 30 miles south), and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and Walker River Paiute Tribe in the surrounding rural region. The 1991 accreditation date is one year later than UNLV's 1990 accreditation, which is the primary factor placing UNR second in this state ranking.
Public (University of Nevada, Reno, land-grant research university). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
University of Nevada, Reno School of Social Work
How long does an MSW take in Nevada, and what does it cost?
An MSW in Nevada 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. Every one runs an Advanced Standing track, which finishes the degree in about a year for BSW holders. All of them are public, 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 Nevada?
Las Vegas and Clark County constitute Nevada's dominant job market for MSW graduates by a wide margin. University Medical Center of Southern Nevada (the only public hospital in the region and Level I trauma center), Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, Valley Hospital Medical Center, and the growing network of outpatient and specialty clinics operated by Las Vegas area health systems are the primary healthcare social work employers. The Nevada Division of Child and Family Services' Clark County offices, Clark County Social Services, and the Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services employ the largest concentration of public-sector social workers in the state. Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services, Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches, and the Las Vegas behavioral health provider network that has expanded significantly since 2020 are major employers of licensed clinical social workers.
The nonprofit and community services sector in Las Vegas is particularly active in addressing the social consequences of the hospitality economy: the Shade Tree (domestic violence shelter), Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, Three Square Food Bank, and the Nevada Legal Services office in Las Vegas are among the nonprofits that field-place and employ UNLV social work graduates. The Clark County School District, one of the largest in the United States, employs school social workers, and UNLV's School Social Work certificate is directly relevant to this employer.
Reno and Washoe County constitute the second social work market in Nevada. Renown Health (Renown Regional Medical Center) and Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center are the primary healthcare employers. The Nevada Division of Child and Family Services Reno office, Washoe County Human Services Agency, and the Northern Nevada behavioral health provider network are the primary public-sector and nonprofit employers. Carson City, the state capital approximately 30 miles south of Reno, houses the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services headquarters and a concentration of state government social workers.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Nevada; Nevada State Board of Examiners for Social Workers.
Which MSW programs in Nevada offer a dual degree?
One MSW program in Nevada offers a dual degree: University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Law). Each is recorded in the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs.
A dual degree takes longer than an MSW alone but less time than the two degrees taken separately, because a block of credits counts toward both. They suit a specific plan rather than general ambition: a JD pairs with policy, child welfare and forensic practice, an MPH with hospital and public health settings, an MBA with nonprofit management. If you do not have that plan yet, the standard MSW leaves the option open.
Can you work full time while earning an MSW in Nevada?
You can work full time while earning an MSW in Nevada at every one of the state's two accredited programs, which record a part-time plan of study with CSWE: University of Nevada, Las Vegas and University of Nevada, Reno.
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 Nevada most often have to plan around. One program in the state also offers an online option.
How did we rank these Nevada MSW programs?
We ranked these Nevada 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 Nevada-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: Nevada licenses no graduate of an unaccredited program. Accredited programs in Nevada run from one holding that status since 1990 to one accredited as recently as 1991, 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 Nevada?
You become a licensed social worker in Nevada 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 Nevada social work licensing board. Nevada 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.
Advanced generalist social work license route in NV
MSW → LMSW → ISW
- 1
Earn a CSWE-accredited MSW.
- 2
Complete 3,000 hours of supervised practice and pass the ASWB Masters exam, then apply for the LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker).
- 3
Complete 3,000 hours of supervised practice over 2 to 3 years and pass the ASWB Advanced Generalist exam, then apply for the ISW (Independent Social Worker), the state's independent (non-clinical) practice license.
Clinical social work license route in NV
MSW → CSW
- 1
Earn a CSWE-accredited MSW.
- 2
Complete 3,000 hours of supervised practice over 2 to 3 years and pass the ASWB Clinical exam, then apply for the CSW (Clinical Social Worker), which authorizes independent clinical practice and clinical diagnosis.
Nevada social work licenses at a glance
Master's license
Licensed Master Social Worker
Advanced generalist (independent) license
Independent Social Worker
Clinical license
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 Nevada licensing board before applying.
Common questions about MSW programs in Nevada
Common questions about MSW programs in Nevada, on accreditation, cost, format and licensure.
How many CSWE-accredited MSW programs are in Nevada?
What do social workers earn in Nevada?
What are Nevada's social work licensing requirements?
Which Nevada program offers online delivery?
Is the Trauma concentration at UNLV well-suited to Las Vegas social work practice?
Which Nevada cities have MSW programs?
Find CSWE-accredited programs in and near specific Nevada cities, with nearby campuses, online options, and local salary and job-market data.
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 Nevada 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, Nevada 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 Nevada?
The best MSW programs near Nevada 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.