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, eight offer campus-based programs, three offer online MSW degree programs, and one offers a hybrid-online degree program. 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)
• Alabama State University (Accredited)
• Auburn University (Accredited)
• Jacksonville State University (Accredited)
• Samford University (Accredited)
• The University of Alabama (Accredited)
• The University of Alabama at Birmingham (Accredited)
• Troy University (Accredited)
• University of North Alabama (Granted Candidacy)

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
• Find 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 year of part-time enrollment to graduate. The majority of these programs are campus-based programs; however, The University of Alabama also offers a hybrid-online program that is primarily online, Samford University offers an online program in addition to their campus-based program, and the University of North Alabama offers a fully online MSW program.

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 with concentrations in Family and Child Welfare and Community Mental Health. For both concentrations, students complete 60 credit hours, and must choose either a thesis track or a non-thesis track. 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.

Alabama State University’s Department of Social Work offers a traditional campus-based MSW program with concentration options in Forensic Social Work, Gerontology Social Work, and Mental Health Social Work. This program is comprised of 60 credits, which students can complete in about two years of full-time study. All students are required to complete a year of foundational practicum and a year of advanced practicum in their chosen area of concentration.

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, mental health, and addressing community health disparities. Students take 61 credits that prepare them for social work practice, research, program evaluation, and other key social work responsibilities. Students also complete 432 hours of generalist field practicum and 512 hours of advanced clinical practicum, totaling 12 course credits’ worth of field experience within the program.

Jacksonville State University’s Department of Sociology & Social Work has a traditional, campus-based MSW program with a concentration in Advanced Generalist Social Work. 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. 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. This program is comprised of 60 total credits, which students can complete in two years of full-time study. In addition to the didactic courses, students are required to complete one 400-hour foundational field practicum and one 500-hour advanced field practicum. In addition, students are permitted to take some of their classes online, thereby creating a hybrid program according to their learning preferences and scheduling needs.

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 is comprised of 60 course credits, which includes one 500-hour foundational field practicum and one 500-hour advanced field practicum.

The 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. 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).

Troy University’s Department of Social Work offers a traditional, campus-based MSW program with concentrations in Direct Practice as well as Organizational Leadership and Management. This program is comprised of 60 course credits, 30 credits of foundational curriculum, 24 credits of concentration curriculum, and 6 credits of electives. Students must also fulfill 402 hours of foundational field practicum in their first year, and 510 hours of advanced field practicum specific to their concentration in their second year.

Traditional Online MSW Programs in Alabama

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.

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 is comprised 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. University of North Alabama’s MSW program has been granted candidacy by the CSWE as it works through the accreditation process.

Advanced Standing MSW Programs in Alabama

All nine colleges and universities in Alabama offer advanced standing MSW programs. In addition, eight of the nine schools offer a program that can be completed on-campus or through hybrid instruction. 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.

Alabama State University’s Department of Social Work offers an Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program that is comprised of 36 credit hours, and which has concentration options in Forensic Social Work (FSW), Mental Health Social Work (MHSW), and Gerontology Social Work (GSW). Students begin the program with a Summer Bridge Term during which they take an orientation class in advanced standing social work, as well as courses in psychopathology and group dynamics. Students of all concentrations are required to complete a field practicum in a setting that is relevant to their desired social work practice in FSW, GSW, or MHSW.

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 an Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program with an advanced generalist emphasis. 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.

Samford University’s School of Public Health offers an Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program that has an Advanced Clinical Practice focus. 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. Students can also complete the programs through a hybrid of online and on-campuses courses as well.

The University of Alabama’s School of Social Work has an Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program with 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 comprised of 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 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 an Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program with a focus in clinical and 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’s Department of Social Work offers an Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program with concentrations in Direct Practice and Organizational Leadership and Management. Students of the Direct Practice concentration take courses in advanced social work practice with individuals and families, assessment and psychopathology, direct practice evaluation, advanced social work practice with groups, and an advanced practice seminar. Students of the Organizational Leadership and Management concentration take courses in program design and development, organizational leadership and management, advanced policy analysis, management practice evaluation, and an organizational leadership and management seminar. All students complete 510 hours of practicum in a setting that is specific to their concentration.

Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs in Alabama

Samford University’s School of Public Health offers an online version of its 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. Online students are still required to complete field education requirements in person at a local social services agency.

Troy University offers an online Advanced Standing MSW program with a concentration in Direct Practice. Students of the Direct Practice concentration complete courses in advanced social work practice with individuals and families, psychopathology and psychological assessments, group therapy work, and direct practice evaluation. They also take two electives in their desired areas of focus within the discipline. All students of this concentration must complete 510 hours of field practicum in a social work setting that is relevant to their future career goals.

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. The MSW program offered by the University of North Alabama is in the candidacy phase of CSWE accreditation.

All Master of Social Work Programs in Alabama

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