Curriculum

Our online Master of Social Work (MSW) program offers the same rigorous, interdisciplinary and comprehensive curriculum as our top-ranked on-campus program.

With two program tracks and three paths of study, our online MSW is designed to equip future social work leaders like you with the skills needed to drive change at the individual, regional and national levels.

Depending on your educational background, you can pursue one of the following tracks:

You will take 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 few as two and a half years.

If you’ve earned a bachelor’s in social work within the last seven years from a CSWE-accredited institution, you will automatically be considered for advanced standing status. This means we will apply up to 21 credits toward your master’s in social work so you can complete the program in as few as a year and a half.

Connect what you learn in the classroom to your community. The fieldwork component is a big piece of your MSW experience, because it helps you develop clinical skills, build your confidence in the field and explore different social work or nonprofit paths. With access to more than 1,000 placement sites, our field placement team will work with you to find a site in or near your community. You may be eligible to complete your field education at your current place of employment.

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 students are required to complete 900 hours of fieldwork.

Advanced standing students are required to complete 500 hours of fieldwork.

These foundational courses (18 credits) are required for all traditional track MSW students:

All online MSW students will complete the following advanced practice courses (12 credits) before beginning their specialist coursework:

The online MSW program offers three paths of study—two direct practice and one macro—for you to hone your skills and prepare to become a social work leader at the clinical and systems-wide levels.

Choose a curriculum

Children, Youth and Families | Mental Health with Adults | Community Practice for Social Change

Provide individuals and families with a diverse range of services, including marital therapy, family counseling, parent education and child welfare.

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. 

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.

Interested in learning more about each course that students in Online Social Work at CWRU will take while enrolled? View full course descriptions here.