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

The Kansas City metropolitan area encompasses 14 counties in two states and is home to two universities that offer Master of Social Work MSW) programs: the University of Kansas (KU) in Kansas, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) in Missouri. Bachelor’s program graduates with a degree from a regionally accredited college or university can apply for admission to the traditional MSW programs offered by these two schools. In addition, both schools offer advanced standing MSW program tracks for students who hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from an undergraduate program that is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

The programs offered by KU and UMKC give Kansas City metropolitan area residents the option of pursing MSW degrees that have specializations in clinical practice, macro practice, and advanced generalist practice, as well concentrations in several social work sub-specializations. KU’s MSW program can be completed through a hybrid of on-campus and online instruction, while UMKC’s MSW program is offered on-campus. Both schools offer MSW programs that are fully accredited by the CSWE.

• University of Kansas (Accredited)
• University of Missouri-Kansas City (Accredited)

Each of the sections below provides details on the programs offered by Kansas City metropolitan area schools, with traditional MSW programs grouped separately from advanced standing MSW programs. There is also information for students who are interested in exploring CSWE-accredited online MSW programs that accepts applicants who reside in Missouri or Kansas.

• Traditional MSW Programs in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area
• Advanced Standing MSW Programs in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area
• Additional Online MSW Program Options for Kansas City Metropolitan Area Residents
• Directory of All MSW Programs in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area

Traditional MSW Programs in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area

Traditional MSW programs offer a curriculum that is designed to provide bachelor’s program graduates with training and instruction in clinical and/or macro practice social work. These programs do not require applicants to have studied social work or to have earned a BSW degree prior to enrollment. Traditional standing students in a full-time MSW program complete two semesters of general/foundational social work training, followed by two additional semesters of advanced training in a social work specialization. They must also engage in a minimum of 900 hours of site-based field education at agencies, organizations, clinics, hospitals, and other places where social work services are delivered.

Students who enroll on a full-time basis in a traditional MSW program generally earn their degree in two years, while part-time students usually take three to four years to graduate. Both schools in the Kansas City metropolitan area that offer MSW programs have a traditional track for qualified students who hold a bachelor’s degree.

The University of Kansas (KU), which has its main campus in the city of Lawrence, offers a traditional, campus-based MSW program that is taught at its Edwards Campus in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Students in the program can choose to specialize in Clinical Social Work Practice or in Social Work Administrative and Advocacy Practice (macro social work). The clinical specialization has three optional areas of focus: Child and Family; Health/Mental Health; and Aging. Traditional standing students in the MSW program must complete 64 credits, including 1200 hour of field education. The program is designed to be completed in two years of full-time enrollment. Students who would prefer to earn their degree on a part-time basis can choose a three-year or a four-year completion plan. (Students who live west of Kansas City can also pursue their MSW on KU’s main campus in Lawrence.)

The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) offers an MSW program that has an advanced generalist social work practice specialization that includes coursework in both clinical and macro social work. The program’s 60-credit, traditional track includes 1040 hours of field education. This is a campus-based program but UMKC’s School of Social Work schedules most of its MSW classes in the late afternoons and evenings on weekdays and on weekends in order to accommodate students who are working while earning their degree. Students who enroll on a full-time basis can graduate in two years, while part-time students generally take an additional year to two years to earn their degree.

Advanced Standing MSW Programs in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area

Advanced standing MSW programs restrict admissions to students who have already completed their foundational training in social work through a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program that is accredited by the CSWE. To qualify for advanced standing status, MSW programs commonly require applicants to have earned their BSW degree within the last five, six, or seven years. Some programs have additional requirements, such as a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale and/or a 3.0 GPA in all social work major courses and field practicums.

Students admitted to an advanced standing MSW program track begin their graduate studies with the advanced specialist training that traditional standing students generally take in the second year of a full length MSW program. Thus, advanced standing students are able to earn their MSW degree in one year of full-time enrollment or two years of part-time enrollment. While field education requirements vary by program and are commonly based on the number of hours a student has already completed as part of their BSW training, most programs require at least 450 to 500 hours of field education for advanced standing students. BSW graduates who do not qualify for admission to an advanced standing program can still earn their degree by enrolling in a traditional MSW program.

The University of Kansas (KU) offers a campus-based MSW program at its Edwards satellite campus in Overland Park, a city in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The program has an advanced standing track that requires applicants to hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program and to have achieved a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale. Advanced standing students complete 38 credits, including six credits of introductory coursework that can be taken in the summer prior to the program’s first fall semesters. The program also requires 720 hours of field education. Full-time students can graduate from the program in one year, while students who opt for part-time enrollment take two years to earn their degree. KU’s MSW program has a Clinical Social Work Practice specialization and a Social Work Administrative and Advocacy Practice (macro) specialization. The clinical specialization allows students to choose from three focus areas: Child and Family; Health/Mental Health; and Aging. (Students who live west of Kansas City can also pursue an advanced standing MSW program on KU’s main campus in Lawrence.)

The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) has an MSW program that is designed to accommodate working professionals. While all of the program’s courses are held on campus, the UMKC School of Social Work schedules class meetings in the evenings and late afternoons on weekdays as well as on weekends. The program has an advanced standing track the requires applicants to hold a BSW degree form a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program and to have attained a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a four-point scale. The MSW curriculum prepares students for work in clinical and/or macro practice social work through an advanced generalist specialization. Advanced standing students must complete 520 hours of field education while earning their degree, which can be done in one calendar year of full-time enrollment.

Additional Online MSW Options for Residents of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area

Residents of the Kansas City metropolitan area may want to explore additional options for earning an MSW degree through schools located in Missouri, Kansas, and other states. For students who wish to remain in the Kansas City area while earning an MSW degree, there are many schools that offer online programs that require few, if any, campus visits. Online MSW programs provide the same training and instruction as campus-based programs but do so using distance learning technologies. While some online programs require students to attend a limited number of on-campus sessions per year, many can be completed fully online. It is important to note that all MSW programs, including online MSW programs, require students to complete field education hours in person at program approved sites. Typically, online students complete their field placements at a site within commuting distance to their place of residence. For information about MSW programs that are offered online, refer to our Online MSW Programs page.

Directory of All Master of Social Work Programs in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area

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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