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

There are seven universities in the state of Missouri that offer Master of Social Work (MSW) programs. This includes four state funded public universities: Missouri State University (MSU); the University of Missouri (Mizzou); the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC); and University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). In addition, there are three private universities in the state that offer MSW programs: Missouri Baptist University (MBU); Saint Louis University (SLU); and Washington University in St. Louis (WashU).

All seven of the Missouri schools that offer MSW programs have at least one traditional track designed for students who hold a bachelor’s degree in any field or discipline, and one advanced standing track that requires applicants to hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from an undergraduate program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Five of the schools offer MSW programs that are campus-based or hybrid programs, and three have online programs. Finally, all seven of the universities in Missouri that have MSW programs are either fully accredited by the CSWE or are in the candidacy phase for CSWE accreditation, as indicated in the list below.

• Missouri Baptist University (Accredited)
• Missouri State University (Accredited)
• Saint Louis University (Accredited)
• University of Missouri (Accredited)
• University of Missouri-Kansas City (Accredited)
• University of Missouri-St. Louis (Accredited)
• Washington University in St. Louis (Accredited)

The MSW programs offered by the above schools are detailed below. Traditional MSW programs are grouped separately from advanced standing programs. In addition, within each section, programs are then sorted based their instruction method, with campus-based and hybrid programs grouped separately from programs that are offered in a fully or mostly online format.

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

Traditional MSW Programs in Missouri

College graduates who hold a bachelor’s degree in any field or discipline may be eligible for a traditional MSW program, provided they meet other admissions requirements. A traditional MSW program is a full-length master’s program that provides training and instruction in clinical and/or macro practice social work. Like full-length master’s programs in many other fields, traditional MSW program generally take two years for full-time students to complete. Part-time enrollment in a traditional MSW program typically leads to graduating in three to four years.

As part of a traditional MSW program, students are required to engage in a minimum of 900 hours of field education, a signature pedagogy in social work that involves site-based internship experiences at social services agencies and other places where social work is practiced. All seven of the schools in Missouri offer MSW programs with at least one track for traditional standing students. Five of the schools offer campus-based programs and three of the schools offer MSW programs that can be completed online.

Traditional Campus-Based MSW Programs in Missouri

Saint Louis University (SLU) offers a traditional MSW program through its School of Social Work. The program has a flexible format that allows students to combine campus-based and online courses. The program has three concentration options: Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA); Clinical Practice; and Community and Organization macro practice. The clinical and macro practice concentrations require 48 credits and 900 hours of field education; the ABA concentration, which is designed to prepare students for Behavioral Analysis Certification Board (BACB) certification, requires 53 credits and 1575 hours of field education. SLU’s traditional MSW program has a two-year completion time for full-time students, and a four-year completion time for part-time students.

The University of Missouri (Mizzou) has a traditional MSW program that is offered in a campus-based format. Students complete two full-time semesters of general foundational social work coursework along with a 400-hour field practicum, followed by two full-time semesters of specialization coursework that includes 600 hours of field education (for a total of 1000 hours of field education). The program has two specialization options: Clinical Practice; and Policy, Planning, and Administration (macro practice). While full-time students can graduate from Mizzou’s program in two years, the program also allows students to enroll on a part-time basis, which takes three to four years to graduate.

The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) has an advanced generalist social work practice MSW program that prepares students for careers in clinical and/or macro practice social work. The program has a full-length, 60-credit track for traditional standing students that includes four 260-hour field practicums for a total of 1040 hours of field education. Students who enroll in the program on a full-time basis can earn their degree in two years. The program also allows for part-time enrollment, which typically an additional one to two years to the overall completion time. UMKC’s School of Social Work offers most of its required and elective MSW courses in late afternoons and evenings or on weekends to accommodate students who intend to work while earning their degree.

The University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) offers a traditional, campus-based MSW program with two specialization options: Family Practice (clinical social work); and Leadership and Social Change (macro social work). In addition, students in the program can choose from among three optional concentrations: Aging and Social Work Practice; Health & Behavioral Health; and School Social Work. UMSL’s MSW program requires traditional standing students to complete 60 credits of graduate coursework, inclusive of three 300-hour practicums for a total of 900 hours of field education. The program is designed to be completed in two years of full-time enrollment.

Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) offers a campus-based traditional MSW program that has nine designated concentrations and six additional specialization options. The program’s concentrations include: American Indian & Alaska Native (with tracks in Trauma-Informed Direct Practice, Behavioral Health Direct Practice, and Community Practice); Children, Youth, & Families (with tracks in Direct Practice, School Social Work, and Urban Education); Health; Individualized; Mental Health (with tracks in Clinical Social Work, Child Behavioral Health, Integrated Behavioral Health, and Clinical Social Work in Substance Use Disorder Treatment); Older Adults and Aging Societies; Domestic Social & Economic Development; International Social & Economic Development; Social Impact Leadership (with tracks in Organizational Leadership & Management, and Innovation & Social Entrepreneurship); and Violence and Injury Prevention. The program’s six specializations areas are: Management; Policy; Research; Sexual Health and Education; Social Entrepreneurship; and System Dynamics. This is a full-time MSW program that includes 60 credits and 960 hours of field education.

In addition to its full-time MSW program, WashU offers a part-time MSW program that is designed for students who cannot attend classes during standard working hours. The program utilizes a hybrid instructional model that combines online classes with campus-based meetings that take place in the evenings and on weekends. Students in the 60-credit program complete two courses per semester, as well as five field practicums for a total of 960 hours of field education. This program is offered in a cohort format, which means that groups of students begin and progress through the program together, taking classes year-round during fall, spring, and summer terms. The program’s completion time is 3.5 years. Currently, WashU’s part-time MSW program only offers a Clinical Social Work track with a specialization in Mental Health.

Traditional Online MSW Programs in Missouri

Missouri Baptist University (MBU) offers a traditional MSW program in a format that allows students to complete all but the program’s field education requirements via online instruction. Online students in the program receive their didactic instruction via web-based courses and by viewing live-streamed lectures on weekday evenings. The program’s 900 hours of required field education must be completed in person at program approved sites. MBU’s MSW program has an advanced generalist curriculum that prepares students for careers in clinical and/or macro practice social work. The completion time for the traditional MSW program is two years for full-time students and three years for part-time students.

Missouri State University (MSU) has an online MSW program that provides advanced generalist training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work. Traditional standing students in MSU’s MSW program complete a 62-credit curriculum that includes 900 hours of site-based field education. Full-time students typically graduate from the program’s traditional track in two years. Students who opt for part-time enrollment generally take four years to complete the program’s requirements.

The University of Missouri (Mizzou) offers its traditional MSW program in a fully online format for students who reside in Missouri and surrounding states. While the program does not require any campus visits, students are required to complete their first-year field practicum at a program approved agency in the Missouri region. This is a 60-credit program that includes 1000 hours of field education. It has a Clinical Practice specialization and a Policy, Planning, and Administration macro practice specialization. Mizzou’s online program is a part-time program that typically takes three to four years to complete.

Advanced Standing MSW Programs in Missouri

Advanced standing MSW programs are designed for students who hold a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program. An advanced standing program omits all or most of the foundational coursework and field education that typically comprises the first year of a traditional MSW program, as BSW graduates have already completed this coursework and field education as part of their undergraduate degree. This allows BSW graduates to begin their MSW studies with advanced specialization courses and field education that traditional standing students complete in the second year of a full-length MSW program. Thus, advanced standing students are able to earn their MSW degree in one year, if they enroll on full-time, or two years, if they choose to enroll part-time.

Admissions for many advanced standing MSW program tracks is selective and eligibility is commonly restricted to students whose BSW degree was conferred within the last five, six, or seven years. In addition, many programs require advanced standing students to have maintained a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a four-point scale in their undergraduate program, and/or to have passed all social work major courses with a grade of B or better. BSW graduates who are not eligible for an advanced standing MSW program track can typically still earn their MSW degree by enrolling in a traditional MSW program.

Advanced Standing Campus-Based MSW Programs in Missouri

Saint Louis University (SLU) offers an MSW program with an advanced standing track for BSW program graduates who attended a CSWE-accredited program and earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. The program has specializations in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Clinical Practice, and Community and Organization macro practice social work. While most courses are offered on campus, some utilize a hybrid model that combines online and in-person instruction. SLU’s advanced standing MSW program track requires students to complete 33 to 38 credits (ABA concentration requires 38 credits), including at least 600 hours of field education (ABA concentration requires 1275 hours).

The University of Missouri (Mizzou) has an MSW program with an advanced standing track that requires applicants to have earned their BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last seven years. In addition, advanced standing applicants are expected to have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale in their most recent 60 credits of coursework. Advanced standing students are required to complete 39 credits of coursework and 600 hours of field education. The program offers two specialization options: Clinical Practice; and Policy, Planning, and Administration (macro practice). Full-time students who are granted advanced standing status in the Mizzou program can earn their degree in two semesters (one year). Advanced standing students who opt for part-time enrollment in the program generally add one or two semesters to the overall completion time.

The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) has a campus-based MSW program with an advanced standing track for students who have completed a BSW degree through an undergraduate program that is accredited by the CSWE. Applicants for advanced standing status are also expected to have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale. UMKC’s MSW program has an advanced generalist curriculum that provides training and instruction in both clinical and macro practice social work. The advanced standing track is designed to be completed in one calendar year of full-time enrollment, inclusive of two 260-hour field practicums for a total of 520 hours of field education.

The University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) offers a campus-based MSW program with an advanced standing track for BSW program graduates whose degree was earned within the last five years from an undergraduate program accredited by the CSWE. In addition, to be eligible for all 24 credits that UMSL grants BSW graduates, applicants must have earned a grade of B or better in each of their social work major courses. The program has a Family Practice clinical social work specialization, and a Leadership and Social Change macro practice specialization, as well as optional concentrations in: Aging and Social Work Practice; Health & Behavioral Health; and School Social Work. Advanced standing students must complete a minimum of 36 credits prior to graduating, which includes two 300-hour field education practicums. The advanced standing program is designed to be completed in one year of full-time enrollment.

Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) offers its campus-based MSW program in an advanced standing format for students who hold a BSW degree conferred by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last six years. Applicants granted advanced standing status are credited with all BSW major courses in which they received a grade of B or better and exempted from having to repeat those courses at the MSW level. Students who receive full advanced standing approval complete a 39-credit curriculum that includes 600 hours of field education (the traditional standing MSW program requires 60 credits). The program has nine designated concentrations: American Indian & Alaska Native (with tracks in Trauma-Informed Direct Practice, Behavioral Health Direct Practice, and Community Practice); Children, Youth, & Families (with tracks in Direct Practice, School Social Work, and Urban Education); Health; Individualized; Mental Health (with tracks in Clinical Social Work, Child Behavioral Health, Integrated Behavioral Health, and Clinical Social Work in Substance Use Disorder Treatment); Older Adults and Aging Societies; Domestic Social & Economic Development; International Social & Economic Development; Social Impact Leadership (with tracks in Organizational Leadership & Management, and Innovation & Social Entrepreneurship); and Violence and Injury Prevention. In addition, the program offers six specializations options: Management; Policy; Research; Sexual Health and Education; Social Entrepreneurship; and System Dynamics. Advanced standing students can complete the WashU program in 12 or 16 months.

Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs in Missouri

Missouri Baptist University (MBU) has an Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice MSW program with an advanced standing track that allows students to complete all of their coursework online. In addition to online classes, advanced standing students are required to complete 500 hours of site-based field education. The 30-credit curriculum provides advanced training in clinical and macro practice social work. To be eligible for advanced standing status, applicants must hold a BSW degree that was conferred by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last seven years, and to have attained a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 on a four-point scale in all undergraduate coursework, or a 3.0 or higher GPA in their most recent 60 credits of college-level coursework. MBU’s advanced standing track has a one-year, full-time completion plan and a two-year, part-time completion plan.

Missouri State University (MSU) offers its 62-credit online MSW program in a 34-credit advanced standing format for qualified students who hold a bachelor’s degree conferred by a CSWE-accredited BSW program within the last seven years. Advanced standing applicants must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale and a grade of C or better in a college-level statistics or research methods course. Students who are granted advanced standing status are required to engage in 500 hours of site-based field education and can earn their degree in three semesters of full-time enrollment or in six semesters if they choose to enroll on a part-time basis. The MSW specialization offered by MSU is Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice, which includes training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work.

The University of Missouri (Mizzou) offers its MSW program in a fully online format with an advanced standing track that requires applicants to hold BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program conferred within the last seven years, and to have to a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in their most recent 60 credits of coursework. The program is designed for students who reside in Missouri and in nearby states, although it does not require any campus visits. However, students are required to complete 600 hours of site-based field education as part of the program’s 39 credit hour curriculum. Students in the program can choose to pursue a Clinical Practice specialization, or a Policy, Planning, and Administration macro practice specialization. Mizzou’s online advanced standing MSW program is a part-time program that takes most students six semesters (two full years) to complete.

Directory of All Master of Social Work Programs in Missouri

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)