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

There are 12 schools in the state of Michigan that offer Master of Social Work (MSW) degree programs. All 12 of the schools have fully campus-based and/or hybrid program options, and five schools currently offer online MSW programs. Students have numerous specialization options including advanced generalist social work practice, clinical social work (direct practice social work), community and organizational leadership (macro social work), school social work, mental health and substance abuse, trauma informed social work practice, children and families, aging and older adults (gerontology), and more.

Each of the 12 schools in Michigan that offer MSW programs have at least one traditional track and one advanced standing track. Traditional MSW programs are designed for students who did not major in social work during their undergraduate degree. In contrast, advanced standing MSW programs require applicants to have earned a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from an undergraduate program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

The programs detailed on this page are all offered by schools that are fully accredited by the CSWE, as is noted in the list below:

• Andrews University (Accredited)
• Eastern Michigan University (Accredited)
• Ferris State University (Accredited)
• Grand Valley State University (Accredited)
• Madonna University (Accredited)
• Michigan State University (Accredited)
• Northern Michigan University (Accredited)
• Saginaw Valley State University (Accredited)
• Spring Arbor University (Accredited)
• University of Michigan (Accredited)
• Wayne State University (Accredited)
• Western Michigan University (Accredited)

Details about each of the MSW programs offered by Michigan universities are provided below. Programs are categorized based on instructional method (campus-based and hybrid vs. online programs) and program type (traditional vs. advanced standing).

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

Traditional MSW Programs in Michigan

A traditional MSW program is a full-length master’s program that is accredited by the CSWE to provide training and instruction in clinical and/or macro practice social work. These programs are designed for students who hold a bachelor’s degree, but do not require applicants to have majored in social work or to have earned a BSW degree. As such, traditional MSW programs begin with foundational training and instruction in generalist social work practice before proceeding to advanced practice and specialization courses. Along with MSW courses, students must complete field education hours as part of their MSW program. Field education is a central pedagogy in social work education and it involves experiential learning under the guidance of a trained field instructor at sites where social work services are provided. The CSWE requires MSW programs to provide traditional standing students with a minimum of 900 hours of site-based field education.

Full-length, traditional MSW program generally consist of four full-time semesters of coursework and field education. Thus, full-time students can typically earn an MSW degree in about two years. For students who would prefer part-time enrollment, many programs have part-time or extended tracks that students can pursue. Students who are enrolled part-time in a traditional MSW program typically take three to four years to earn their degree.

There are 12 schools in Michigan that offer traditional standing MSW programs and all of the schools have either fully campus-based or hybrid programs that blend on-campus and online instruction. Five of the schools also offer online traditional MSW programs.

Traditional Campus-Based MSW Programs in Michigan

Andrews University, a private, non-profit Seventh-Day Adventist university in Berrien Springs, offers a traditional, campus-based MSW program through its School of Social Work. The program has an Advanced Generalist curriculum with a trauma-informed practice focus and specializations in: Marriage and Family, Mental Health, School Social Work, International Social Work, Social Work and Child Welfare, Human Services Management, and Christian Ministry. Traditional standing students in the Andrews University program complete a 56-credit curriculum that includes 900 hours of field education. The program is designed to be completed in two years of full-time enrollment.

Eastern Michigan University (EMU) has a traditional, campus-based MSW program that consists of 63 credits, which includes one 400-hour and one 500-hour agency-based field education practicum for a total of 900 hours. This is a part-time program in which most traditional standing students earn six credits per semester and graduate in three years. Classes are held on weekday evenings and on Saturdays. The program has three concentrations options: Family and Children’s Services, Mental Health and Substance Use Recovery Services, and Health and Aging Services. The Family and Children’s Services concentration gives students the option of earning a certificate in school social work.

Ferris State University has a traditional, campus-based MSW program with a Trauma-Informed Clinical Practice specialization and an optional School Social Work Certificate track. The program consists of 62 credits that can be completed in two years of full-time enrollment by traditional standing students. The completion time for students who pursue their degree part-time is four years. As part of the program’s requirements, students complete five field practicums for a total of 1120 hours of site-based field education prior to earning their degree.

Grand Valley State University (GVSU) offers a campus-based MSW program for traditional standing students that has an Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice curriculum. Students enrolled in the program’s traditional track complete 60 credits, including 945 hours of field education, and have the option of earning a certificate in school social work. GVSU’s traditional MSW program track can be completed in under two years by students who enroll on a full-time basis for five consecutive semesters, including one summer term. Part-time students can complete the program in under three years over eight consecutive semesters, including two summer terms.

Madonna University offers a traditional MSW program that gives students the choice of a clinical or a macro practice specialization. The clinical specialization has tracks in Aging, Mental Health, and Children & Youth, as well as optional certificates in School Social Work and Addictions Studies. The macro specialization has a Community Leadership track and an optional Social Work Administration certificate. Traditional standing students in the MSW program complete 60 credits, which includes 900 hours of field education. The program utilizes a hybrid format in which campus-based classes are held in the afternoons and evenings and supplemented with online instruction. Students can complete the program in four semesters, or two years of full-time enrollment.

Michigan State University (MSU) offers two campus-based MSW program options for traditional standing students through its School of Social Work. Students who can attend classes during the day at MSU’s East Lansing campus have the option of a traditional MSW program with a Clinical Social Work specialization track and an Organization and Community Leadership specialization track. Students who choose the Clinical specialization can earn a certificate in Addictions Studies, Chance at Childhood, Child Welfare, Clinical Social Work with Families, Combat Veterans, Evidence-Based Trauma Treatment, Health and Aging in Social Work, or School Social Work. Students who opt for the Organization and Community Leadership specialization can complete a certificate in Addictions Studies, Chance at Childhood, Child Welfare, Combat Veterans, Health and Aging in Social Work, or Human Services Management. This is a 57-credit program that includes 960 hours of field education. It has a two-year, full-time completion plan and a three-year, part-time completion plan.

For students interested in the Organization and Community Leadership specialization, MSU’s School of Social Work also offers a hybrid Statewide Blended/Weekend MSW program that combines online instruction with four Saturday classes each semester that students must attend in-person at the Henry Center in Lansing. Students must also attend a new student orientation on-campus in August before they start the program. This is a 57-credit part-time traditional program that is designed to be completed in three years. Students attend classes year-round and engage in 960 hours of field education while earning their degree. (Note: MSU’s Statewide Blended MSW program is an online program; however, the Organization and Community Leadership specialization is classified as a hybrid program on MasterofSocialWork.com due to its on-campus requirements. Students can pursue MSU’s Clinical Social Work specialization online through the Statewide Blended program.)

Northern Michigan University (NMU) has a 50-credit traditional MSW program with two specialization options: Clinical Practice; and Policy, Planning, and Administrative Practice. The program is designed to be completed in two years of full-time enrollment and incorporates 900 hours of required field education. Applicants to NMU’s traditional MSW program are required to have completed an introduction to social work course, as well as college courses in biology, human development, psychology, sociology, and statistics/research methods.

Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) offers a traditional, campus-based MSW program through its Department of Social Work & Youth Services. The program has an Advanced Generalist specialization that prepares students for careers in clinical and/or macro practice social work with an emphasis on leadership in direct and indirect practice to empower individuals, families, groups, and communities. Traditional students complete a curriculum that consists of 55-57 credits, including at least 930 hours of agency-based field education. Full-time students can complete this program in two years; part-time students generally take three to four years to earn their degree.

Spring Arbor University’s (SAU) Department of Social Work offers an on-campus traditional MSW program on the university’s main campus in Spring Arbor. The program has a Clinical Social Work Practice specialization that prepares students to work with individuals, families and groups. Students also have the option of pursuing a three course School Social Work curriculum. The program requires 60 credits and includes 900 hours of field education. Full-time students can complete the program requirements and graduate in two years.

The University of Michigan’s School of Social Work offers a campus-based MSW program for traditional standing students that has eight curricular pathways: Community Change; Global Social Work Practice; Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse; Management & Leadership; Policy & Political Social Work; Program Evaluation and Applied Research; Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective; and Children, Youth, and Families. The program requires traditional students to complete 60 credits, including 912 hours of field education, in order to earn their degree. Full-time traditional students can complete the program in 16 months by taking classes over the summer, or in 20 months without attending summer classes. The program also has a part-time enrollment plan, which takes three years to complete.

Wayne State University has a traditional MSW program that is offered in a format that includes daytime, evening, weekend, and online classes at the university’s main campus in Detroit, at the Schoolcraft Center in Livonia, and at the Macomb University Center in Clinton Charter Township. Students can choose between an Interpersonal Practice clinical concentration or an Innovation in Community, Policy, and Leadership macro practice concentration. The Interpersonal Practice concentration gives students the additional option of adding a certificate in Alcohol and Drug Abuse Studies, Child Welfare, Developmental Disabilities, or Gerontology. Both concentrations allow students to further specialization through a cluster of electives on one of seven focus areas: Integrated Health, Behavioral Health, and Substance Use; Trauma, Stress, and Violence; Social Work in Criminal Legal Settings; Social Work with Older Adults; Children and Families; Research and Evaluation; and Community Change, Social Entrepreneurship, and Social Justice. Wayne State’s traditional MSW program consists of 60 credits and includes 900 hours of required field education. Traditional standing students can complete the program in two years of full-time enrollment or three years of part-time enrollment.

Western Michigan University (WMU) offers an MSW program for traditional standing students at its main campus in Kalamazoo, as well as at campuses in Benton Harbor and Grand Rapids. The program is primarily campus-based but incorporates some online instruction. Students in the WMU program complete a 60-credit curriculum that includes 900 hours of field education. Students can choose from two concentrations: Clinical Practice; or Policy, Planning and Administration (PPA). The Clinical concentration gives students the option of seven specializations: Trauma; Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT); School Social Work; Special Programs in Alcohol and Drug Abuse (SPADA); Gerontology; and Holistic Health. Only the Gerontology and Holistic Health options are available to students who choose the PPA concentration. Students can complete the program in two years of full-time enrollment. Part-time traditional students typically graduate in three years.

Traditional Online MSW Programs in Michigan

Andrews University offers its Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice MSW program in a fully online format that does not require any campus visits. The program has a trauma-informed practice emphasis with focus areas in Trauma, Clinical Counseling, and Human Services Management. Students in the program receive synchronous online instruction twice per week through virtual class meetings held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and/or Thursday evenings. To graduate from Andrews University’s online MSW program, students must complete 56 credits, including 900 hours of site-based field education. The program is designed to be completed in three years of part-time study.

Michigan State University (MSU) has a Statewide Blended MSW program that is offered in an online format. Students in the program attend virtual classes one Saturday per month in the fall and spring semesters while completing additional coursework online. Students are expected to attend a new student orientation on-campus in East Lansing in August before they start the program. Traditional standing students in this program engage in 960 hours of site-based field education while completing a 57-credit curriculum with a Clinical Practice specialization. The program is designed to be completed in three years of part-time enrollment. (Note: MSU’s online Statewide Blended MSW program also offers a specialization in Organization and Community Leadership; however, that track requires students to attend four in-person sessions each semester at the Henry Center in Lansing, so it is classified as an on-campus/ hybrid program.)

Northern Michigan University (NMU) offers its traditional MSW program in a fully online Global Campus format that is designed to accommodate students who live in rural and/or remote parts of the Midwest and who are thus unable to commute to NMU’s campus in Marquette. Traditional standing students complete a 50-credit curriculum that includes 900 hours of site-based field education. The program has two specialization options: Clinical Practice; and Policy, Planning, and Administrative Practice. This is a full-time program that is designed to be completed in two years. To qualify for admissions to this program, applicants are required to have taken college courses in biology, psychology, sociology, and statistics, as well as a college-level introduction to social work course.

Spring Arbor University (SAU) has a Clinical Social Work Practice MSW program that is offered in two different online formats. Students have the option of pursuing their MSW degree through an online program that uses asynchronous instruction or through a virtual classroom online program that includes weekly live synchronous sessions. The program has a 60-credit traditional track that incorporates 900 hours of site-based field education. Students may also pursue an optional three course School Social Work curriculum. The program is designed to be completed in two years of full-time enrollment.

The University of Michigan has a online MSW program that incorporates an introductory six-course online Social Work Essentials certificate. Students begin the program by completing the six-course certificate, which takes four to six months, they then have up to two years to begin their MSW program. The remainder of the program consists of 45-credits of online coursework and 912 hours of site-based field education. The University of Michigan’s online MSW program gives students the option of an Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse specialization, or a Children, Youth and Families specialization. Students in the program are not required to attend any campus visits.

Advanced Standing MSW Programs in Michigan

Students in a CSWE-accredited BSW program complete all or most of the foundational courses and field practicums that are offered in the first two semesters of a typical full-time traditional MSW program. As such, BSW graduates are prepared to begin their MSW studies with the advanced specialization training that takes place in the second year of a full-time traditional program. Therefore, advanced standing MSW program tracks are designed to provide a pathway that allows qualified BSW graduates to earn an MSW degree without having to repeat coursework completed during their undergraduate degree. Students who are granted advanced standing status can generally earn their MSW degree in one year of full-time enrollment or two years of part-time enrollment.

It is important to note that admissions to an advanced standing MSW program track is not guaranteed for BSW graduates. Most programs require applicants to have earned their degree within the last five to ten years in order to be eligible for advanced standing status. In addition, programs commonly employ selective admissions criteria for advanced standing applicants in order to ensure that the students they admit are adequately prepared to begin their specialization training. For example, advanced standing applicants are required by some programs to have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale. Programs may also require advanced standing applicants to have received a grade of B or better in all of their undergraduate social work courses, or to have a achieved a GPA of 3.2 or higher in their social work major. BSW graduates who are not granted admission to a program’s advanced standing track can still earn their MSW degree by enrolling as a traditional standing student, provided them meet a program’s admissions requirements.

All 12 of the Michigan schools that offer MSW programs have advanced standing tracks that are offered on campus or in a hybrid format that requires a significant number of campus visits. There are currently five schools that also offer online advanced standing MSW program tracks.

Advanced Standing Campus-Based MSW Programs in Michigan

Andrews University’s School of Social Work has a campus-based MSW program with a 33-credit advanced standing track that requires applicants to hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited program that was conferred within the last five years and who have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. As part of the program’s Advanced Generalist Social Work curriculum, advanced standing students are required to engage in 500 hours of field education. The program provides training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work with a focus on trauma-informed practice and gives students the choice of specializing in Marriage and Family, Mental Health, School Social Work, International Social Work, Medical Social Work, Child Welfare, Human Services Management, or Christian Ministry. Advanced standing students can complete the advanced standing campus-based MSW program in one year of full-time enrollment.

Eastern Michigan University (EMU) offers a campus-based, part-time MSW program through its School of Social Work. The program has a 35-credit advanced standing track that is designed for BSW graduates who achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better in a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program. Advanced standing students who complete six credits per semester can graduate from the program in two years, during which they attend evening and Saturday classes and are required to engage in 500 hours of agency-based field education. The program gives students a choice of three specializations: Family and Children’s Services (with an optional School Social Work Certificate); Mental Health and Substance Use Recovery Services; and Health and Aging Services.

Ferris State University’s Department of Social Work offers a campus-based MSW program with an advanced standing track that requires a BSW degree conferred by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program. In addition, advanced standing candidates must either have a GPA of 3.0 in the advanced year of their BSW program, or a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.2 with a 3.5 GPA in all social work major courses. Students who are granted advanced standing status complete a 35-credit curriculum that includes 640 hours of required field education. The Ferris State University MSW program has a Trauma-Informed Clinical Practice specialization that gives students the option of a School Social Work Certificate track. Full-time advanced standing students can complete the program in one year, while part-time students typically earn their degree in two years.

Grand Valley State University (GVSU ) has a campus-based MSW program with an Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice specialization and an optional School Social Work certificate track. To be eligible for advanced standing status in the program, applicants must have graduated from a CSWE-accredited BSW program within the last eight years. Students who are admitted to the program’s advanced standing track complete a 38-credit curriculum that includes 600 hours of field education and takes most full-time students one year. Part-time advanced standing students in GVSU’s campus-based program can earn their degree in two years.

Madonna University offers an advanced standing MSW program that utilizes a hybrid delivery mode, combining campus-based classes that are held in the afternoons and evenings with online coursework. The program’s advanced standing track requires applicants to hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program. Students who qualify for advanced standing status complete a 30-credit curriculum that includes 500 hours of field education. The program has a clinical practice specialization with tracks in Aging, Mental Health, and Children & Families, as well as a macro practice specialization a with Community Leadership track and an optional Social Work Administration certificate. The clinical specialization gives students the option of earning a certificate in School Social Work or Addictions Studies. Advanced standing students who enroll on a full-time basis can graduate in as few as two semesters.

Michigan State University (MSU) offers a campus-based, advanced standing MSW program for qualified BSW graduates who earned their degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last six years. In addition, advanced standing applicants are expected to have achieved a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or higher on a four-point scale. The advanced standing program is offered in a fully campus-based format at the university’s main campus in East Lansing with two concentration options: Clinical Social Work, with optional certificates in Addictions Studies, Chance at Childhood, Child Welfare, Clinical Social Work with Families, Combat Veterans, Evidence Based Trauma Treatment, Health and Aging in Social Work, and School Social Work; and Organization and Community Leadership macro practice, with optional certificates in Addictions Studies, Chance at Childhood, Child Welfare, Combat Veterans, Health and Aging in Social Work, and Human Services Management. Advanced standing students complete 38 credits of coursework and field education (600 hours) and can graduate in one year of full-time enrollment or two-years of part-time enrollment.

MSU’s Organization and Community Leadership specialization can also be completed through the school’s Statewide Blended/Weekend advanced standing MSW program. While the Statewide Blended program is an online program, the Organization and Community Leadership specialization requires students to attend four in-person Saturday sessions each semester at the Henry Center in Lansing. Students are also required to attend an in-person orientation on campus in East Lansing in May before they start the program. Due to these face-to-face requirements, this specialization track is classified as an on-campus/hybrid program. (Note: MSU’s Statewide Blended MSW program also offers a specialization in Clinical Social Work that can be completed online.)

Northern Michigan University (NMU) has a campus-based, advanced standing MSW program that requires applicants to have earned a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last five years, and to have graduated with a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher. Students who qualify for NMU’s advanced standing track complete a 36-credit curriculum that has specializations in Clinical Practice; or Policy, Planning, and Administrative Practice. As part of this curriculum, advanced standing students must engage in 500 hours of field education. This is a full-time advanced standing program that takes one year to complete.

Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) has a campus-based MSW program that it offers through its Department of Social Work & Youth Services. The program has an advanced standing track for BSW program graduates who earned their degree within the last five years and achieved a minimum GPA of 3.25 in their most recent 60 credits of college coursework. Students who are granted advanced standing status take a summer session bridge course and then are able to complete the remainder of the program’s curriculum (39-41 credits) in two full-time semesters. Part-time advanced standing students typically graduate in two years. The program has an Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice specialization that requires advanced standing students to engage in 500 hours of field education.

Spring Arbor University (SAU) has an advanced standing MSW program that is designed for students who hold a BSW degree conferred by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last six years. BSW graduates who earned their degree up to eight years ago and who have spent two years employed full-time in the social or human services profession may also be eligible for advanced standing status. The SAU MSW program is offered in a campus-based format on the university’s main campus in Spring Arbor and has a Clinical Social Work Practice specialization with an optional three course School Social Work curriculum. Students are required to complete 30 credits that includes 500 hours of field education. Advanced standing students can earn their degree in one year of full-time enrollment.

The University of Michigan has a campus-based MSW program with an advanced standing option for BSW graduates who earned their degree from a CSWE-accredited program, graduated from that program within the last ten years, and achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher in their final two years of undergraduate studies. The University of Michigan’s campus-based advanced standing program has a full-time option wherein students attend daytime classes and graduate in one year of full-time enrollment or students may attend part-time and graduate in two to three years. Students choose from eight curricular pathway options: Community Change; Global Social Work Practice; Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse; Management & Leadership; Policy & Political Social Work; Program Evaluation and Applied Research; Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective; and Children, Youth, and Families.

Wayne State University’s School of Social Work offers an MSW program with advanced standing tracks at its Detroit campus, as well as at the Schoolcraft Center in Livonia, and at the Macomb University Center in Clinton Charter Township. To be eligible for advanced standing status, applicants must have graduated from a CSWE-accredited BSW program within in the last five years. The Wayne State MSW program has two concentrations: Interpersonal Practice; and Innovation in Community, Policy, and Leadership. Students also have the option to pursue certificates in Alcohol and Drug Abuse Studies, Child Welfare, Developmental Disabilities, and Gerontology, and can choose from seven designated curricular focus areas: Integrated Health, Behavioral Health, and Substance Use; Trauma, Stress, and Violence; Social Work in Criminal Legal Settings; Social Work with Older Adults; Children and Families; Research and Evaluation; and Community Change, Social Entrepreneurship, and Social Justice. The advanced standing curriculum consists of 36 credits and includes 450 hours of field education. Students can enroll in a mix of daytime, evening, weekend, and/or online courses. Full-time advanced standing students can complete the degree in one year; part-time advanced standing students generally graduate in two years.

Western Michigan University (WMU) has an advanced standing MSW program that is designed for CSWE-accredited BSW program graduates who earned their degree within the last six years and attained a GPA of 3.25 in their most recent 60 credits of coursework. The program, which is primarily campus-based but that incorporates some online instruction, is offered at WMU’s main campus in Kalamazoo, and at satellite campuses in Benton Harbor and Grand Rapids. Students can choose between concentrations in Clinical Practice or Policy, Planning and Administration (PPA). WMU also offers designated specializations in: Trauma; Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT); School Social Work; Special Programs in Alcohol and Drug Abuse (SPADA); Gerontology; and Holistic Health. All six specializations are available to students who opt for the program’s Clinical Practice track. The PPA track allows for students to specialize in Gerontology or Holistic Health. WMU’s advanced standing program consists of 39 credits and includes on 500-hour field internship. It has a ten-month completion time for full-time students and a two-year completion time for part-time students.

Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs in Michigan

Andrews University has an online MSW program in which students participate in live virtual classes twice per week. The program has an advanced standing track that is designed for BSW graduates whose degree was earned within the last five years and who achieved an overall GPA of 3.0 in their undergraduate program. Students in the program complete a trauma-informed practice curriculum with three focus areas: Trauma, Clinical Counseling, and Human Services Management. Students in the program are required to complete 33 credits, including 500 hours of site-based field education. The program does not require any campus visits and is designed to allow advanced standing students to earn their degree in two years of part-time enrollment.

Michigan State University (MSU) has a Statewide Blended MSW program with an advanced standing track that is designed for students who hold a BSW degree conferred by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last six years with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or higher. This is an online program that combines monthly live virtual sessions, which are held on one Saturday each month, with asynchronous online instruction. Students are required to attend an in-person new student orientation on MSU’s East Lansing campus in May before they start the program. The program has a Clinical Practice specialization and advanced standing students can complete the program in one year of full-time enrollment or in two years of part-time enrollment. (Note: MSU also offers an Organization and Community Leadership specialization as part of their Statewide Blended MSW program, but this track requires students to attend four in-person classes each semester at the Henry Center in Lansing, so it is classified as an on-campus/hybrid program.)

Northern Michigan University (NMU) offers its advanced standing MSW program in an online format for qualified students who hold a CSWE-accredited BSW degree conferred within the last five years, and whose undergraduate GPA is 3.25 or higher. NMU’s Global Campus programs are designed for residents of rural and/or remote communities in the Midwest who cannot commute to classes at the university’s Marquette campus. Advanced standing students in the Global Campus MSW program complete a 36-credit curriculum that does not require any campus visits but that does incorporate 500 hours of in-person field education. The program has a Clinical Practice specialization and a Policy, Planning, and Administrative Practice specialization. The program is designed to be completed in one year of full-time enrollment.

Spring Arbor University (SAU) has an online MSW program with an advanced standing track that accepts applicants who hold a BSW degree conferred by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last six years, as well as BSW graduates who earned their degree up to eight years ago, provided they have spent the two subsequent years employed full-time in social or human services. SAU offers students the option of pursuing their MSW degree through an online program that uses asynchronous instruction or through an online program that utilizes a virtual classroom with weekly live synchronous sessions. Advanced standing students complete a 30-credit curriculum that includes 500 hours of site-based field education. The program can be completed in one year of full-time enrollment. SAU’s MSW program has a Clinical Social Work Practice specialization and an optional three course curriculum in School Social Work.

University of Michigan offers an online MSW program for advanced standing students that has a clinical practice specialization with a focus on Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse. To qualify for the program, BSW graduates must have earned their degree within the last ten years from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program. In addition, advanced standing applicants are expected to have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher in the last two years of undergraduate coursework. The University of Michigan’s advanced standing track consists of 45 credits, including 684 hours of site-based field education. The online program option is designed to be completed in two years of part-time enrollment.

Directory of All Master of Social Work Programs in Michigan

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)

Filter By Program Type:

Select Options Traditional Program Advanced Standing (BSW Graduates)