Master of Social Work (MSW) Programs in Alabama - Campus and Online

There are nine universities that offer Master of Social Work (MSW) programs in Alabama. Of these schools, seven offer campus-based programs, while five offer online MSW degree programs. All nine institutions also offer both traditional and advanced standing tracks. Between the programs offered across these nine universities, students can choose from specializations in areas such as advanced generalist, health disparities prevention and policy, leadership and organizational management in social work, advanced clinical practice, and social work practice with adults, children, adolescents, and families.

All schools in Alabama listed on this page offer MSW programs that are either fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) or are in the candidacy phase of the CSWE accreditation process.

Schools in Alabama that offer MSW programs and their CSWE accreditation status:

• Alabama A&M University (Accredited)
• Auburn University (Accredited)
• Jacksonville State University (Accredited)
• Oakwood University (Candidacy Status)
• Samford University (Accredited)
• The University of Alabama (Accredited)
• The University of Alabama at Birmingham (Accredited)
• Troy University (Accredited)
• University of North Alabama (Accredited)

For more information on the programs offered by these schools, continue reading below. Programs are separated into the following sections (Note: Advanced Standing programs require students to have earned a Bachelor of Social Work degree from a CSWE accredited program):

• Traditional Campus-Based MSW Programs in Alabama
• Traditional Online MSW Programs in Alabama
• Advanced Standing Campus-Based MSW Programs in Alabama
• Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs in Alabama
• Directory of All MSW Programs in Alabama

Traditional MSW Programs in Alabama

All nine schools in Alabama offer traditional or full-length MSW programs. These programs are designed for students who have not completed a Bachelor of Social Work degree and require two years of full-time enrollment or three years of part-time enrollment to graduate. While six schools offer campus-based traditional MSW programs in Alabama, five offer online traditional MSW programs.

Traditional Campus-Based MSW Programs in Alabama

Alabama A&M University’s Department of Social Work, Psychology, and Counseling offers a traditional campus-based MSW program in Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice, with two concentration options in Community Mental Health, and Family and Child Welfare. For both concentrations, students complete 60 credit hours, and must choose either a thesis track or a non-thesis track. Core courses in the program cover race, ethnicity, gender, and diversity; rural and urban social work; and social work empowerment. Concentration coursework covers topics like social work interventions, family and child welfare policies, social work assessments, program evaluation, family theories and processes, issues in community mental health, and community health challenges. Thesis track students devote six of their elective credits to a research project or thesis concerning an issue in social work, while non-thesis track students complete more elective credits and a comprehensive examination in lieu of a thesis or project. Students of this program are also required to complete 900 hours of field practicum over the course of three semesters.

Auburn University’s Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work offers a traditional MSW program on-campus, with a concentration in Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice that focuses on health and mental health. This program offers students the option to earn graduate certificates in Health Equity Science, and Veterinary Social Work. Students take 61 credits that prepare them for social work practice through courses on social work research, program evaluation, human behavior, social welfare policy, and other key social work principles and responsibilities. The Health Equity Science graduate certificate requires courses in society and health, health equity, health ecology, and social work in healthcare, while the Veterinary Social Work graduate certificate includes courses in veterinary social work practice and healthcare-based social work, along with a field placement that is relevant to veterinary social work. All traditional standing MSW students in this program complete 432 hours of generalist field practicum and 512 hours of advanced clinical practicum, totaling 12 course credits’ worth of field experience.

Jacksonville State University’s Department of Sociology & Social Work has a traditional, campus-based MSW program with a concentration in Advanced Generalist Social Work that includes an Emphasis on Rural Nonurban Practice. This program requires the completion of 60 credit hours, including a 450-hour foundational field practicum during students’ first year, and a 450-hour advanced field practicum during students’ second year. Course content for the program covers topics such as human behavior, generalist practice with individuals and families, cultural humility in social work, social welfare policies and programs, social work research, psychopharmacology and psychopathology, social work practice with groups and organizations, and serving rural populations. In addition to the campus-based MSW, Jacksonville State University also offers a hybrid MSW program that incorporates synchronous and asynchronous online components to give students more flexibility. Jacksonville State University’s MSW program achieved accredited status by the CSWE in June of 2020.

Samford University’s School of Public Health offers a traditional campus-based MSW program with a concentration in Advanced Clinical Practice. Students also have the option of completing this program partially online for a hybrid course of study. This MSW consists of 60 total credits, which students can complete in two years of full-time enrollment. Courses cover topics such as human behavior and psychology, social work practice with families, human rights and social justice, clinical social work practice, community development, social work policy, and advocacy. In addition to the didactic courses, students are required to complete one 400-hour foundational field practicum and one 500-hour advanced field practicum.

The University of Alabama’s (UA) School of Social Work offers a traditional, campus-based MSW program with concentrations in Social Work with Adults and Their Families, and Social Work with Children, Adolescents, and Their Families. This program comprises 60 course credits, which includes one 500-hour foundational field practicum and one 500-hour advanced field practicum. This program also features licensure exam preparation resources in the form of workshops and access to licensure preparation software. The courses in this program cover diversity, fighting oppression and racism, social work practice with groups and individuals, social welfare policies, social work with communities and organizations, social work leadership, policy analysis, and research. Students can also take electives in trauma-informed frameworks, advanced social justice topics, clinical and behavioral health, and child welfare.

UA’s School of Social Work also offers a hybrid-online MSW program (which they refer to as being “primarily online”) in conjunction with UA Online. This program has the same concentration options, course structure and content, and field practicum expectations (which are completed in-person at a local health services agency) as the campus-based MSW program. Students take the majority of their course content online, and supplement this online learning with face-to-face skills labs. Students can attend the skills labs at multiple locations in Alabama, as well as in Atlanta (Georgia) and Jackson (Mississippi), and they are held on selected Saturdays for certain courses.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Department of Social Work offers a traditional, on-campus MSW program with a concentration in Clinical/Medical Social Work. This program consists of 61 credit hours, which students can complete over the course of two years of full-time study. Courses cover client diagnosis and assessment, behavioral health practices and research, policy analysis and advocacy, evidence-based interventions for mental health, social work policy, and practicing with individuals, groups, and organizations. Electives allow students to explore special topics in mental health and addiction, supporting minorities’ health and well-being, diversity and social justice, and social work with patients along the continuum of care. Students of this program are also required to fulfill 1000 hours of field practicum, and engage in field practicum during every semester of their enrollment (four semesters for a full-time traditional student).

Traditional Online MSW Programs in Alabama

Auburn University’s Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work offers an online version of its traditional standing MSW program. This program features the same concentration in Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice with a particular curricular focus on health and mental health, and consists of 61 course credits that cover social work evaluations, human behavior, social welfare practice and policy, social work with individuals and groups, social work research, and psychopathology. As with its campus-based counterpart, this traditional standing MSW program requires students to complete 432 hours of generalist field practicum and 512 hours of advanced clinical practicum.

Oakwood University’s offers an online, traditional MSW program in Advanced Clinical Practice that has a 60-credit traditional standing track. This program emphasizes cultural responsiveness, social justice principles, and person-in-environment frameworks to prepare students to work with and advocate for diverse and marginalized communities. Students take courses in human development, working with diverse populations, social work research, policies and practice, clinical social work evaluations, psychopharmacology, community organization, and working with individuals, families, and groups. They are also required to complete a capstone course that prepares them for clinical social work licensure, and a minimum of 900 clinical practicum hours.

Samford University’s School of Public Health offers an online version of its traditional MSW program with concentration Advanced Clinical Practice. This program is equivalent to its on-campus counterpart with regards to its curriculum structure, course content, and clinical field practicum requirements (see above for more information). Students who live near the Samford campus in Birmingham can also take courses on-campus if they choose to complete the program in a hybrid format, with both on-campus and online courses. Online students typically complete their field education at a local social services organization, and are required to complete 400 hours of field practicum.

Troy University offers an online traditional standing MSW program with a concentration in Direct Practice. This 60-credit program includes 30 credits of foundation courses that cover social policy development, human behavior in the social environment, direct social work practice principles and methods, utilizing a strengths-based perspective in social work, research methods for social work, cultural diversity, and the theory and practice of working with groups. The foundational curriculum also requires the completion of 400 hours of field practicum experience. The second phase of the program is the 30-credit specialized curriculum, which includes courses on intervention models for individuals and groups, social work evaluations in direct practice, psychopathology, client assessments, and working with military families. Advanced students in the program also complete a 510-hour advanced field practicum.

University of North Alabama’s Department of Social Work offers a traditional, fully online MSW program with an Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice specialization. This program consists of 60 credit hours that cover key skills and competencies in micro, mezzo, and macro-level social work, including human behavior and psychology, social work program evaluation, client assessments, social justice advocacy, and advanced generalist practice with individuals, groups, organizations, and communities. Students are also required to complete 1000 hours of field practicum–500 hours of foundational practicum in their first year, and 500 hours of advanced practicum in their second year.

Advanced Standing MSW Programs in Alabama

All nine colleges and universities in Alabama offer advanced standing MSW programs. Seven of the nine schools offer a program that can be completed on-campus or through hybrid instruction, while five schools offer online advanced standing programs. The University of Alabama also offers a primarily online (i.e., hybrid-online) version of its program, while Samford University, Troy University, and University of North Alabama offer programs that can be completed online with limited or no required campus visits. Advanced standing MSW programs require a BSW for admission, as students are typically only required to complete the “advanced standing” or second year of an MSW program in order to graduate.

Advanced Standing Campus-Based MSW Programs in Alabama

Alabama A&M University’s Department of Social Work, Psychology, and Counseling offers an Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program with concentrations in Child & Family Welfare, and Community Mental Health. This program is comprised of 39 to 45 credit hours, depending on whether students elect the thesis or non-thesis track for their program of study. All students must also complete two advanced field practicums for a total of 450 hours.

Auburn University’s Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work offers an Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program that prepares students for advanced clinical practice in social work. The program’s curriculum emphasizes mental and physical health, preventative health measures, health disparities, health policy, and enacting social work interventions at multiple levels within a social system. Students take 39 credits over the course of a year and are also required to complete 512 hours (12 credits) of advanced field practicum in an advanced clinical social work setting.

Jacksonville State University’s Department of Sociology and Social Work offers a 39-credit, campus-based Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program with an Advanced Generalist concentration and an emphasis on Rural Nonurban Practice. Students of this program take courses in social welfare policy and programs, social work research, social work practice in rural regions, psychopathology, psychopharmacology, and advanced generalist methods with individuals, families, groups, and organizations. Students are also required to complete 450 hours of advanced field practicum, as well as a practicum seminar during which they discuss their experiences with peers and their course instructor. As with the traditional MSW program at Jacksonville State University, this advanced standing MSW allows students to complete some of their coursework online to create a hybrid course of study.

Samford University’s School of Public Health offers a 33-credit Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program that has an Advanced Clinical Practice concentration. After taking a summer seminar on advanced standing social work and a course on faith perspectives in social work practice, students take an advanced research seminar and courses in psychopathology, the models and theories of clinical social work, and advanced social work policy. They are also required to complete a clinical specialization seminar, an advanced field practicum totaling 500 hours (250 per semester) at a site that is relevant to their desired area of clinical practice, and two electives. Like students of the traditional standing MSW program, students of the advanced standing program can complete this degree through a hybrid of online and on-campus courses.

The University of Alabama’s School of Social Work has an Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program that requires 42 course credits and features two concentrations: Social Work with Adults and Their Families, and Social Work with Children, Adolescents, and their Families. Students take courses in human development within social systems, social welfare policy, social welfare delivery systems, research for evidence-based practice, social work evaluation, and social work policy analysis. They also take a concentration-specific class either in social work practice with adults and their families or social work practice with children, adolescents, and their families. All students are required to complete an advanced field practicum comprising 500 hours total (200 in the first semester and 300 in the second semester), in a setting that is relevant to their social work studies and desired area of work post-graduation.

The University of Alabama also offers a “primarily online” Advanced Standing MSW program with the same concentration options, faculty support, and field practicum opportunities as the fully campus-based Advanced Standing MSW program. This program is classified as a hybrid-online program, in that it requires students to attend skills labs on some Saturdays while enrolled in certain courses. The skills labs are offered at multiple locations throughout Alabama and in both Jackson, Mississippi and Atlanta, Georgia.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Department of Social Work offers a 42-credit Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program with a concentration in Clinical/Medical Social Work. Students take courses in diagnosis and assessment in behavioral and physical health, human behavior in the social environment, social work research with health and behavioral health populations, and policy analysis and advocacy for health and behavioral health. Students take three electives that enable them to tailor their course of study, choosing from courses in areas such as evidence-based practice for addictions, mental health challenges, and the HIV continuum of care, as well as crime and community, public health, aging populations, and violence across the lifespan. All students must also complete 900 hours of advanced field practicum across three semesters, in settings that are relevant to clinical and/or medical social work.

Troy University offers a campus-based Advanced Standing MSW program with a concentration in Direct Practice at both its campus in Troy and its campus in Montgomery. Students of this program complete 30 credits of courses in advanced social work practice with individuals and families, psychopathology and psychological assessments, group therapy work, direct practice evaluation, and social work practice with military families. All students must complete 510 hours of field practicum in a social work setting that is relevant to their future career goals.

Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs in Alabama

Auburn University’s Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work offers an online version of its advanced standing MSW program. This program features the same concentration in Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice with a particular curricular focus on health and mental health, and consists of 39 course credits covering psychopathology, advanced social work evaluations, electives in areas such as child welfare, policy practice and social justice, gerontological social work, and trauma-informed practices. As with Auburn University’s campus-based MSW, this traditional standing MSW program requires students to complete 512 hours of advanced clinical practicum.

Samford University’s School of Public Health offers an online version of its 33-credit Advanced Standing MSW program with a concentration in Advanced Clinical Practice. The program’s curriculum and field education requirements are the same as the campus program (see above for more Information), and students can complete the advanced standing program through either full-time or part-time enrollment. Students learn about psychopathology, clinical social work principles, social work policy analysis, client advocacy, and models and theories of clinical social work. Online students must complete 500 hours of field education in-person at a local social services agency.

Troy University’s Department of Social Work offers an online, Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program featuring a concentration in Direct Practice with a Focus on Individuals, Families, Groups, and Military Families. This program consists of a 30-credit advanced curriculum that prepares students to work at the micro level to support diverse individuals and groups. Students take courses in advanced social work practice with individuals and families, assessment and psychopathology, direct practice evaluation, advanced social work practice with groups, and social work with military populations. All students complete 510 hours of practicum in a setting that is specific to their professional interests, and complete a seminar that supports them in integrating classroom knowledge with their field experiences.

University of North Alabama offers an online MSW program with an Advanced Standing track specializing in Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice. Students of this program complete 30 course credits of specialization coursework, which covers advanced generalist social work practices and principles when working with children, adolescents, adults, families, and diverse groups; non-profit management and agency evaluation; clinical assessments and diagnoses; and preparing for social work licensure. All advanced standing students are also required to fulfill a 500-hour advanced field practicum.

Directory of All Master of Social Work Programs in Alabama

T Traditional programs, Advanced Standing programs, Campus programs, Hybrid programs (campus and online instruction), Hybrid-Online programs (3 to ~6 campus visits per year), Online programs (fully online to 2 campus visits per year)

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