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

The state of Mississippi is home to four universities that offer Master of Social Work (MSW) degree programs: Jackson State University (JSU); Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU); The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss); and The University of Southern Mississippi (USM). All four of these public universities have traditional MSW program tracks for qualified students who hold a bachelor’s degree, and advanced standing tracks for students who hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from an undergraduate program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

While all four schools offer campus-based programs for traditional and advanced standing students, JSU is currently the only Mississippi school with a fully online option for students who are interested in earning an MSW degree online. Finally, all of the schools that offer MSW programs in Mississippi are fully accredited by the CSWE, as noted in the list below.

• Jackson State University (Accredited)
• Mississippi Valley State University (Accredited)
• The University of Mississippi (Accredited)
• The University of Southern Mississippi (Accredited)

Details on individual MSW programs offered by schools in Mississippi are provided in the sections below. Traditional and advanced standing programs are grouped separately, and, within these groupings, programs are sorted based on their mode of instruction. In-person programs and hybrid programs that use a mix of online and in-person instruction are grouped together under campus-based programs. Programs that require two or fewer campus visits per year, which includes programs with fully online instruction, are classified under online programs. For more information, see the categories below:

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

Traditional MSW Programs in Mississippi

As noted above, all four of the Mississippi universities that offer MSW programs have at least one traditional track designed for qualified applicants. To be eligible for a traditional MSW program, applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree and meet other admission requirements, such as a minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 2.5, 3.0, or higher on a four-point scale. However, traditional MSW programs do not require applicants to have a bachelor’s degree in social work for admission.

Traditional MSW programs are similar in length to full-length master’s programs in many other fields. Most traditional MSW programs are designed to be completed in roughly two years or four semesters of full-time enrollment. Students who opt for part-time enrollment generally take an additional year or two to earn their degree. As part of a traditional MSW program, students are required to complete a minimum of 900 hours of site-based field education, a signature pedagogy of social work training that involves working under the supervision of a qualified social worker at an approved agency or organization.

Traditional Campus-Based MSW Programs in Mississippi

Jackson State University (JSU) offers a traditional, campus-based MSW program with a two-year full-time enrollment track that is designed to be completed in four semesters and one summer session, and a three-year part-time enrollment track in which courses are held in the evenings with students taking one or two courses per term. The program has a Children, Youth, and Families specialization that prepares students for clinical social work practice. In addition to didactic courses, the 60-credit program includes 900 required hours of site-based field education.

Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) offers a traditional, campus-based MSW program through its Department of Social Work. The program provides training and instruction in clinical social work with a focus on direct practice with children and families. Students have the option of a full-time, two-year enrollment track, or a part-time, three-year enrollment track. The 60-credit program includes 12 credits of internship and field seminar requirements for a total of 900 hours of in-person, site-based field education.

The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) has a traditional, campus-based MSW program with a clinical social work concentration. The 60-credit program includes coursework in psychotherapy, trauma and crisis intervention, and substance abuse and addiction, as well as electives in areas such as leadership and administration, forensic social work with children, child welfare, and gerontology. The program has a two-year, full-time completion plan with courses offered during fall, spring, and summer terms. Students in the program are required to complete a minimum of 900 hours of field education. While all of the program’s required coursework is offered at the university’s Oxford campus, students have the option of taking elective courses via online instruction.

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has a traditional, campus-based MSW program that it offers at its main campus in Hattiesburg and at its Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. Students in the program are required to complete 56 credits of coursework and four credits of site-based field internships (900 hours) for a total 60 graduate credits. The program has an Advanced Social Work curriculum that provides training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work. Traditional MSW students can choose from two enrollment options in the USM program: a full-time option that takes five semesters to complete; or an eight-semester, part-time option.

Traditional Online MSW Programs in Mississippi

Jackson State University (JSU) offers its traditional MSW program in a fully online format that utilizes distance-learning technologies to deliver all of its didactic coursework online and allows students to complete their 900 hours of required field education at school-approved sites near their place of residence. The 60-credit program has a clinical practice focus with a specialization in Children, Youth, and Families. This is a full-time online program that is designed to be completed in two years.

Advanced Standing MSW Programs in Mississippi

Advanced standing MSW programs are designed specifically for students who have graduated from CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) programs and who meet other admissions requirements. Eligibility for many of these programs is restricted to candidates whose BSW degree was conferred withing the last five to seven years, and most programs also have minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) requirements, typically 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale.

Students who qualify for an advanced standing MSW program do not have to repeat coursework and field education hours that were completed as part of their BSW degree. As a result, advanced standing students have to take fewer courses compared to students in traditional MSW programs and are generally able to earn their MSW degree in one year of full-time enrollment or two years of part-time enrollment. BSW graduates are also required to complete fewer field education hours to earn their MSW, as most advanced standing MSW programs require 450 to 700 hours of field instruction (compared to 900 to 1200 hours for traditional programs).

BSW graduates who do not qualify for a school’s advanced standing track can still earn an MSW degree through a program’s traditional track. All four of the school in Mississippi that offer MSW programs have advanced standing tracks for BSW graduates.

Advanced Standing Campus-Based MSW Programs in Mississippi

Jackson State University (JSU) offers a campus-based MSW program with an advanced standing track for students who hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program and who earned a grade of B or better in all of their social work courses while maintaining a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher in their BSW program. The 30-credit program has a Children, Youth and Families specialization and a curriculum that provides training and instruction in clinical practice social work. Advanced standing students in the JSU program must complete 450 hours of field education and can graduate in one year of full-time enrollment.

Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) has an MSW program with a campus-based, advanced standing track that consists of 30 credits of coursework and field education, rather than the 60 credits that traditional students must complete. The program has a clinical social work focus with an emphasis on Advanced Practice in Child and Family Welfare. To be eligible for the advanced standing track, which takes 1.5 years to complete, applicants must have earned their BSW degree within the last five years, received a letter grade of B or better in all social work major courses, and maintained a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale. The advanced standing track requires students to complete a field practicum consisting of 450 hours of supervised field education.

The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) offers a campus-based clinical practice MSW program with an advanced standing track for students who majored in social work as undergraduates, graduated with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in their last 60 hours of coursework, and completed their BSW degree withing the last five years. The 30-credit advanced standing track has a one-year completion time and requires students to engage in 450 hours of field education at social work agencies approved by the program. Most of the program’s required courses are offered in a traditional, campus-based format. However, the program has a number of electives that are offered online.

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) offers a campus-based, advanced standing MSW program that has a number of admissions eligibility requirements. Applicants must hold a BSW degree conferred with the last five years, have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher in their last 60 hours of coursework and a minimum GPA of 3.5 in all social work major coursework, have GRE scores that meet or are higher than those of the incoming cohort of traditional students, and have a passing score on a qualifying exam given by the School of Social Work at USM.

The program has an advanced generalist curriculum that provides training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work. Advanced standing students must complete two 300-hour field placements for a total of 600 hours of field education. The program offers two completion options: three semesters for full-time students; and five semesters for part-time students. USM’s MSW program is offered at the university’s main campus in Hattiesburg and at its Gulf Park campus in Long Beach

Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs in Mississippi

Jackson State University (JSU) has a fully online advanced standing MSW program with a clinical practice focus and a Children, Youth, and Families concentration. Applicants must hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited program, have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale, and have a grade of B or better in all social work major courses. The program, which includes 450 hours of required field education, begins with a summer session and can then be completed in two semesters of full-time enrollment.

All Master of Social Work Programs in Mississippi

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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