Home > Programs by State > Florida > Miami

Master of Social Work (MSW) Programs in the Miami Metropolitan Area

Updated: December 31, 2025

The Miami metropolitan area is home to three universities that offer Master of Social work (MSW) degree programs: Barry University; Florida Atlantic University (FAU); and Florida International University (FIU). These three universities offer an array of MSW programs, including traditional programs designed for college graduates regardless of their undergraduate major, and advanced standing programs that require students to have studied social work in a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and to have earned a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree.

Students seeking to earn an MSW degree from a school located in the Miami metropolitan area can choose from campus-based programs, hybrid programs that utilize a combination of campus-based and online instruction, and fully online programs that require few, if any, campus visits. All of the Miami metropolitan area programs detailed on this page are offered by schools that are accredited by the CSWE.

Barry University (Accredited)
Florida Atlantic University (Accredited)
Florida International University (Accredited)

In the sections below, MSW programs offered by schools in the Miami metropolitan area are grouped by admissions requirements in order to separate traditional MSW programs that do not require applicants to have a BSW degree from advanced standing MSW programs, which do require a BSW degree for admission.

Traditional MSW Programs in the Miami Metropolitan Area

Traditional MSW programs generally consist of 60 to 70 credits of coursework and field education requirements. Field education is a signature pedagogy of the social work profession that involves engaging in supervised, site-based internship experiences at social work agencies and in other settings where social work services are provided. The CSWE requires traditional MSW programs to provide a minimum of 900 hours of field education in order to gain and maintain accreditation.

Full-time students can generally complete a traditional program in two years, while part-time enrollment can extend the time it takes to graduate from two years to three to four years. Among the traditional programs offered by schools in the Miami metropolitan area are fully campus-based programs, online programs, and hybrid programs that combine campus-based and online instruction.

Barry University has a traditional MSW program that is offered via online instruction and in a campus-based format at its main campus in Miami Shores. Both program options have a 63-credit Trauma-Informed Clinical Social Work Practice curriculum that incorporates 1000 hours of site-based field education. The campus-based program can be completed in 16 months by full-time students or 28 months by those who choose part-time enrollment. The online program is offered part-time and takes 28 months to complete. Admission requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. In addition, the School of Social Work prefers but does not require applicants to have maintained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale in their most recent 60 credit hours of college-level coursework.

Florida Atlantic University (FAU) offers a traditional MSW program that is primarily campus-based but that incorporates some online instruction. The program, which is offered through FAU’s Sandler School of Social Work, has a Clinical Social Work Practice curriculum with optional certificates in Child Welfare, Healthy Aging, and Addictions. This is a 60-credit program that requires students to engage in 1000 hours of field education prior to graduating. The time to completion is two years for full-time students and three to four years for students who enroll on a part-time basis. In addition to holding a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, the Sandler School of Social Work requires applicants to have achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher over their last 60 credits of college-level coursework.

Florida International University (FIU) offers a traditional MSW program through its Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work. This is a campus-based program comprised of 60 credits of coursework and field internships. Students are required to complete 920 hours of field education prior to graduating. FIU’s MSW program has a Clinical Social Work Practice curriculum and offer optional certificates in Addictions, Child Welfare, and Social Work Practice for the Elderly. Traditional standing students can complete the program in four semesters (two years) of full-time enrollment. To be eligible for this program, applicants should have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in all of their upper-division college coursework, as well as a grade of C or better in biology, statistics, and 12 credits of college-level social science courses.

Advanced Standing MSW Programs in the Miami Metropolitan Area

Admissions to advanced standing MSW programs requires applicants to hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from an undergraduate program that is accredited by the CSWE. Students who are admitted to these programs do not have to repeat the foundational social work courses and field practicums that are part of a CSWE-accredited BSW program. As a result, advanced standing students are typically able to earn their MSW degree in roughly half the time it takes to complete a traditional MSW program. This equates to one-year for students who enroll full-time, and one and a half to two years for students who pursue their degree on a part-time basis. In addition to requiring fewer courses, advanced standing MSW programs also require less field education hours, since BSW graduates already completed field education as part of their undergraduate social work major.

Many advanced standing programs require applicants to have earned their BSW degree within the last five, six, or seven years and to have demonstrated academic excellence by maintaining a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale. BSW graduates who do not qualify for an advanced standing program can still earn an MSW degree by attending a traditional MSW program.

Barry University’s School of Social Work has an on-campus advanced standing program with classes that meet at the university’s Miami Shores campus, as well as an online advanced standing MSW program that does not require any campus visits. Both program options require students to complete 32 credits, including 580 hours of field education, and both have a trauma-Informed Clinical Practice curriculum that prepares students for work in clinical social work. For the campus-based program, students can graduate in two semesters (seven months) of full-time enrollment or four semesters (16 months) of part-time enrollment. The online program is designed to be completed in 16 months of part-time enrollment. To be eligible for Barry University’s program, applicants are required to have earned their BSW degree within the last five years and to have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in all of their social work major courses.

Florida Atlantic University (FAU) has a Clinical Social Work Practice MSW program with optional certificates in Child Welfare, Healthy Aging, and Addictions that is offered in an advanced standing format through its Sandler School of Social Work. Applicants for advanced standing status must have a minimum GPA of 3.5 out of four points in their most recent 60 credits of college coursework and their BSW degree must have been conferred within the last five years. The 30-credit advanced standing track requires students to complete two 300-hour practicums for a total of 600 hours of field education. While most of the program’s didactic coursework is offered in a campus-based format, this is a hybrid program that includes some online instruction. Full-time advanced standing students can earn their degree in two semesters, while students who enroll part-time can complete the program in four semesters.

Florida International University (FIU) offers its Clinical Practice Social Work MSW program in an advanced standing format for qualified applicants who graduated from a CSWE-accredited BSW program, achieved a GPA of 3.25 or higher in their upper-division coursework, and got a grade a C or better in a statistics course, a biology course, and 12 credits of social science coursework. Offered through the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, the program has optional certificates in three clinical social work specializations: Addictions; Child Welfare; and Social Work Practice for the Elderly. Students who are granted advanced standing status in the FIU program complete a 33-credit curriculum that includes 576 hours of field education. The completion time for this program is one year for full-time students and two years for those enrolled on a part-time basis.

Additional MSW Program Options for Florida Residents

There are many colleges and universities throughout the country, including a number of schools in other regions of Florida, that offer campus-based, hybrid, and online MSW programs that residents of the Miami metropolitan area may want to explore. For those who are interested in pursuing an MSW degree without having to relocate or commute from their place of residence, online programs can be a convenient option. Many online MSW programs accept applicants regardless of where they reside, and most online programs allow students to complete field education requirements at a site within commuting distance of their place of residence. While some online programs require students to attend a limited number of campus visits per year, many MSW programs can be completed fully online. To learn more, explore our MSW Programs in Florida and Online MSW Programs pages for comprehensive lists of schools offering campus-based, hybrid, and online programs.