Given that COVID-19 has impacted procedures regarding field education, we are still considering options for the 2021 semesters and making accommodations as needed, putting safety and health first. Reach out to our admissions team at admissions@mandelonline.case.edu or +1-855-997-2972 with questions.
Curriculum
At Case Western Reserve University, our online Master of Social Work (MSW) program (now in its 10th year) offers the same innovative, interdisciplinary and flexible curriculum as our top-ranked on-campus degree.
With two program tracks and three paths of study, our flexible online MSW is designed to equip future social work change leaders like you with the skills needed to foster change at the individual, family, community and organizational levels.
Program Tracks
We have two flexible program tracks to support your educational background and enhance your career goals:
Traditional Track
You will enroll in 18 credit hours of generalist courses and 42 hours of advanced practice and specialized courses for a total of 60 credits. This track can be completed in as little as two and a half years.
Advanced Standing
If you’ve earned a bachelor’s in social work within the last seven years from a Council on Social Work Education-accredited institution, you will automatically be considered for advanced standing status. This means we will apply up to 21 credits from your BSW degree toward your master’s in social work so you can complete the program in as little as a year and a half.
Field Education
Illuminate what you learn in the classroom in community and other real-world settings. The fieldwork internship experience is a central component of your MSW experience. There you will develop tangible skill sets that would help you with clinical, community and policy practice. The Mandel School has partnerships with more than 1,000 placement sites, and our field placement team will work with you to find the right internships in or near your desired area.
Field Education Courses
You will complete fieldwork in 14-week-long experiences that allow you to apply the social work theory, skills, values and ethics acquired in the classroom in a real-world agency setting.
Traditional track
Traditional track students are required to complete 900 hours of fieldwork.
- SASS 455 Field Education: Organizational Theory & Practice Seminar, 1 Credit
- SASS 456 Field Education: Organizational Theory & Practice Seminar II, 1 Credit
- SASS 651 Field Education I, 2 Credits
- SASS 652A Field Education II, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 652B Field Education II, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 653A Field Education III, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 653B Field Education III, 1.5 Credits
Advanced Standing
Advanced standing students are required to complete 500 hours of fieldwork.
- SASS 457 Advanced Field Education: Organizational Theory & Practice Seminar, 1 Credit
- SASS 653A Field Education III, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 654A Field Education IV, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 654B Field Education IV, 1.5 Credits
General Courses
These foundational courses (18 credits) are required for all traditional track MSW students:
- SASS 502 Change Agent Intensive (CHAI), 1 Credit
- SASS 503 Foundations of Social Policy and Service Delivery, 2 Credits
- SASS 504 Theories of Human Development and Human Diversity, 2 Credits
- SASS 507 Community Theory & Practice, 2 Credits
- SASS 508 Individual Theory & Practice, 4 Credits
- SASS 509 Group Theory & Practice, 2 Credits
- SASS 528 Evidence-Informed Practice, 2 Credits
- SASS 455 Field Education: Organizational Theory & Practice Seminar, 1 Credit
- SASS 651 Field Education I, 2 Credits
Advanced Practice Courses
All online MSW students will complete the following advanced practice courses (12 credits) before beginning their specialist coursework:
- SASS 542 Evaluating Programs and Practice, 3 Credits
- SASS 547 Problem Identification, Screening & Assessment/Diagnosis, 3 Credits
- SASS 549 Theory/Practice Approaches in Direct Practice Social Work, 3 Credits
- SASS 566 Assessing and Engaging Community for Social Change, 3 Credits
Choose from Three Paths of Study
The online MSW program offers three paths of study—two direct practice and one macro—for you to develop tangible skills and become a Change Leader for effective, clinical, community or policy practice.
Choose a curriculum
Children, Youth and Families | Mental Health with Adults | Community Practice for Social Change
Children, Youth and Families Concentration
Provide individuals and families with a diverse range of services, including marital therapy, family counseling, parent education and child welfare.
Specialized Courses – Traditional Track
- SASS 517 Family System Interventions, 3 Credits
- SASS 585 Social Work with Groups, 3 Credits
- SASS 550 Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice with Children & Families, 3 Credits
- SASS 579 Cognitive Behavioral Interventions, 3 Credits
- SASS 529 Child and Family Policy & Service Delivery, 3 Credits
- SASS 582 Social Work with Child Abuse & Family Violence, 3 Credits
- SASS 652A Field Education II, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 652B Field Education II, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 653A Field Education III, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 653B Field Education III, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 654A Field Education IV, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 654B Field Education IV, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 455 Field Education: Organizational Theory & Practice Seminar, 1 Credit
- SASS 456 Field Education: Organizational Theory & Practice Seminar II, 1 Credit
Specialized Courses – Advanced Standing
- SASS 517 Family System Interventions, 3 Credits
- SASS 585 Social Work with Groups, 3 Credits
- SASS 550 Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice with Children & Families, 3 Credits
- SASS 529 Child and Family Policy & Service Delivery, 3 Credits
- SASS 579 Cognitive Behavior Interventions, 3 Credits
- SASS 582 Social Work with Child Abuse & Family Violence, 3 Credits
- SASS 653A Field Education III, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 653B Field Education III, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 654A Field Education IV, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 654B Field Education IV, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 457 Advanced Field Education: Organizational Theory & Practice Seminar, 1 Credit
Mental Health with Adults
Prepare to meet the growing demand for skilled clinicians in community-based mental health practice, including hospitals, substance abuse treatment programs and mental health centers.
Specialized Courses – Traditional Track
- SASS 564 Social Work Practice in Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse, 3 Credits
- SASS 583 Social Work Practice in Mental Health: Adults, 3 Credits
- SASS 587 Integrative Seminar in Mental Health: Adults, 3 Credits
- SASS 514 Mental Health Policy & Service Delivery, 3 Credits
- SASS 562 Social Work Intervention in Co-occurring Mental & Substance Abuse Disorders, 3 Credits
- SASS 579 Cognitive Behavioral Interventions, 3 Credits
- SASS 652A Field Education II, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 652B Field Education II, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 653A Field Education III, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 653B Field Education III, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 654A Field Education IV, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 654B Field Education IV, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 455 Field Education: Organizational Theory & Practice Seminar, 1 Credit
- SASS 456 Field Education: Organizational Theory & Practice Seminar II, 1 Credit
Specialized Courses – Advanced Standing
- SASS 564 Social Work Practice in Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse, 3 Credits
- SASS 583 Social Work Practice in Mental Health: Adults, 3 Credits
- SASS 587 Integrative Seminar in Mental Health: Adults, 3 Credits
- SASS 514 Mental Health Policy & Service Delivery, 3 Credits
- SASS 562 Social Work Intervention in Co-occurring Mental & Substance Abuse Disorders, 3 Credits
- SASS 579 Cognitive Behavioral Interventions, 3 Credits
- SASS 653A Field Education III, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 653B Field Education III, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 654A Field Education IV, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 654B Field Education IV, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 457 Advanced Field Education: Organizational Theory & Practice Seminar, 1 Credit
Community Practice for Social Change
Drive systemic change on a broad scale by addressing some of society’s biggest social justice issues, such as poverty, human and women’s rights, cultural and racial diversity and oppression.
Specialized Courses – Traditional Track
- SASS 407 Nonprofit Revenue Planning & Development, 3 Credits
- SASS 567 Strategic Power Building with Communities, 3 Credits
- SASS 569 Planning & Implementing Social Change, 3 Credits
- SASS 561 Community Practice Policy: Analyzing & Changing Social Policy, 3 Credits
- SASS 425 Nonprofit Financial Management, 3 Credits
- SASS 531 Collaboration and Strategic Partnerships, 3 Credits
- SASS 545 Program Design, 3 Credits
- SASS 652A Field Education II, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 652B Field Education II, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 653A Field Education III, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 653B Field Education III, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 654A Field Education IV, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 654B Field Education IV, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 455 Field Education: Organizational Theory & Practice Seminar, 1 Credit
- SASS 456 Field Education: Organizational Theory & Practice Seminar II, 1 Credit
Specialized Courses – Advanced Standing
- SASS 407 Nonprofit Revenue Planning & Development, 3 Credits
- SASS 567 Strategic Power Building with Communities, 3 Credits
- SASS 569 Planning & Implementing Social Change, 3 Credits
- SASS 561 Community Practice Policy: Analyzing & Changing Social Policy, 3 Credits
- SASS 531 Collaboration & Strategic Partnership, 3 Credits
- SASS 425 Nonprofit Financial Management, 3 Credits
- SASS 545 Program Design, 3 Credits
- SASS 653A Field Education III, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 653B Field Education III, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 654A Field Education IV, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 654B Field Education IV, 1.5 Credits
- SASS 457 Advanced Field Education: Organizational Theory & Practice Seminar, 1 Credit
Certificate Option
The online MSW program also offers a certificate option for students to complement their master’s degree.
Trauma-Informed Practice
Online MSW students interested in the Certificate in Trauma-Informed Practice must include the following in their plan of study:
A total of 15 credit hours is required for the Graduate Certificate in Trauma-Informed Practice. This includes 9 credit hours of required coursework and 6 credit hours of elective courses, selected from a list of approved electives:
3 Required Courses – 9 Credit Hours
- SASS 547: Problems Identification, Screening and Assessment Diagnosis
- SASS 550: Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice: Child and Family
- SASS 554: Trauma-Informed Practice with Adults
2 Elective Courses Selected From the List of Approved Electives – 6 Credit Hours
- SASS 517 Family Systems Interventions
- SASS 564: Social Work Practice in Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse
- SASS 582: Social Work in Child Abuse and Family Violence
- SASS 583: Social Work Practice in Mental Health: Adults
Interested in learning more about each course that students in the online Master of Social Work program at CWRU will take while enrolled? View full course descriptions.