MSW Program Requirements

“Advanced Standing” means that students who hold a BSW degree from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education can receive their MSW with only one additional year (11 months) of schooling. In less than five years, students are able to earn their BSW and MSW.

To qualify for advanced standing, the following conditions must be met:

• BSW must be from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education
• BSW was earned within five years of beginning the MSW program
• Your GPA is 3.2 or better in undergraduate social work classes

If your undergraduate social work GPA is less than 3.2, or if your BSW was obtained more than five years ago, you may still be eligible for the regular MSW program of study but not to the Advanced Standing program. If you earned your BSW within ten years, but have worked in a social work setting that includes MSW staff and professional learning experiences, you may still be eligible for advanced standing status.

If you earned your BSW within five years but prefer to apply to the regular program, you must specifically request admission to the regular program.

At the Athens campus, the 40- hour credit option allows students to earn the MSW degree in three semesters (Summer, Fall, and Spring).

At the Gwinnett campus, the 40- hour credit option allows students to earn the MSW degree in six semesters (Summer, Fall, and Spring, Summer, Fall, and Spring).

For more information about the application process, contact Allison Haynes, SSW Admissions and Recruitment Coordinator at [email protected].

For the Full-Time MSW program, the Generalist year includes 312 combined hours of professionally supervised field practice experience in conjunction with a field-integrating seminar [72 in the fall (SOWK 7115) and 240 hours in the spring (SOWK 7125)]. In the specialization year, there is a total of 600 hours (SOWK 7225) of supervised field practice. The School of Social Work does not approve academic credit for prior work or life experience. For those interested in using their work place as an internship site, please contact the Field Office for clarifications.

The courses are arranged in specific programs of study. Students choose a program of study at the beginning of their program and are expected to adhere to its timeline. Failure to follow a chosen program of study may lead to delays in matriculation.

The UGA Extended-Time Master of Social Work Program (formerly the MSW Part-Time Program) is located at the UGA Gwinnett Campus in metro Atlanta. Students are admitted only in the fall semester and progress through the program with their cohort for three consecutive years or eight semesters.

All classes are offered after 5:00 p.m. or on Saturday. In their second year, students are required to spend 16 hours/week in field internships, and third-year students must complete a 24-hour/week, two-semester field placement. Field internships are conducted under professional supervision and are primarily held at the field sites during weekday business hours.

The University of Georgia is now accepting applications for its online Master of Social Work program. The online program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and enables greater flexibility and increased access to the many non-traditional students interested in pursuing a career in social work. The format of this program is asynchronous. Entrance requirement of 3.0 GPA. Please note: At this time, we do not have available space for USG TAP in our online program.

Students must be Georgia residents or agree to be placed in a field internship within Georgia. For example, a resident of North Augusta, SC, could apply and agree to be placed in a field site in Augusta, Georgia. The program of study follows the outline for the Gwinnett extended-time program. Students must have a functioning computer with the latest version of a compatible web browser, a web cam, microphone, and a high-speed internet connection.

To fulfill the field practicum requirement, students must complete their required field hours in agency settings at their locations. Technological resources such as Skype, Adobe Meeting, Zoom, and our current Learning Management system will be utilized in conjunction with face-to-face visits as a means for the Field Education Office to complete field visits with students and agency staff.

For more information, visit UGA Online Learning.

Students in the Athens Full-Time or Athens Advanced-Standing programs may choose one area of specialization:

• Micro Practice: primarily focuses on individuals, families, and groups in diverse settings.
• Macro Practice: program and policy development, administration, supervision, political advocacy, and community practice.
• Integrated / Combined Practice: pools the core curriculum of both Micro and Macro Practice

Students in Gwinnett and Online Extended-time programs will receive the Micro practice specialization, with the ability to take electives in Macro practice.

For more information, see the MSW Handbook.

The Graduate School of the University of Georgia offers a dual degree program in social work and public health. The primary objective of the MSW-MPH dual degree program is to supplement the professional education of social work students with additional specialization and training in public health, and vice versa. Social work and public health are, by design, service professions that support human well-being. Completion of this program leads to the degrees of MSW and MPH with a concentration in Health Promotion and Behavior. For more  information regarding the MSW program, contact Rebecca Wells at (706) 542-3364 or [email protected].

Find out more about the program at Dual Degree Programs.

The Graduate School of the University of Georgia offers a Dual Degree Program between the School of Social Work and the School of Law. This combines the M.S.W. degree and the JD degree, and is designed to promote the integration of legal as well as social work knowledge and skills at fully professional levels. Similar to other dual degree programs approved by the Graduate School, this program would account for the professional requirements of a master’s level social worker and the professional requirements of a law school graduate. Graduates of this program will be able to account for the legal interventions required by individuals or organizations as clients, while at the same time accounting for the social work services needed by the same individuals or organizations.

Please follow this link to see the program of study. For more information contact Rachel A. Fusco at [email protected].

Our ProSEAD values as well as our school’s vision and mission statements shape the curriculum.

The courses that address the major curriculum content areas are organized to promote horizontal and vertical integration through a logical flow within and between the generalist and advanced content. By reviewing course learning objectives and syllabi, it is possible to see the logic of course content sequencing. Students are encouraged to bring their relevant professional and life experiences into the classroom to enrich the learning environment.

Specifically, the courses meet the nine CSWE core competencies and generalist behaviors as well as our specialization behaviors. A detailed description of generalist-level competencies and behaviors can be found in the MSW Handbook..

Students are also expected to be familiar with the academic requirements and information presented on the SSW website, the handbook, the field manual, and to follow School of Social Work and Graduate School’s guidelines and requirements. Failure to do this could delay graduation.

MSW students must complete a total of at least sixty (60) credit hours to graduate. Advanced standing students must complete at least forty (40) credit hours.

MSW students planning to graduate are required to submit two forms to the Graduate School by the deadline date. These dates may be found on the Graduate School web site. Please note that the deadlines are strictly enforced! Submitting your program of study form or failing to apply for graduation after the deadline will incur a $50 late fee. Additional information may be found on the Graduate School website under Current Students.

1. Program of Study (Non-Doctoral Professional Degrees)
   The Program of Study form should be filled out at the beginning of your last semester. This form contains your complete program of study.
2. Application for Graduation
   Submit this form online at the beginning of your last semester. MSW students apply for graduation in Athena. Please note: if you are in a certificate program, you must apply to graduate from that program as well.

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