Master of Social Work (MSW) Programs in the Buffalo - Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area

There are two schools in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area that offer Master of Social Work (MSW) degree programs: Daemen College; and the University at Buffalo, State University of New York (UB). Daemen College is a private, non-profit school located in the town of Amherst in the Buffalo suburbs. UB is a public university that is part of the publicly funded State University of New York (SUNY) system and that has campuses in Buffalo and Amherst. Both schools have campus-based and online MSW programs with traditional and advanced standing tracks. Programs for traditional standing students require applicants to hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, but they typically do require students to have majored in social work or to have prior academic training in social work. Advanced standing programs are designed specifically for students who have a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree conferred by an undergraduate program that is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

The programs offered by Daemen College and UB are fully accredited by the CSWE.

• Daemen College (Accredited)
• University at Buffalo, State University of New York (Accredited)

The sections below provide details on each of the program options offered by Daemen College and UB. Traditional programs are grouped separately from advanced standing programs due to the differences in their admissions requirements. Within those groupings, programs that are offered in a fully or primarily campus-based format are grouped separately from programs that are offered in an online format.

• Traditional Campus-Based MSW Programs in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area
• Traditional Online MSW Programs in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area
• Advanced Standing Campus-Based MSW Programs in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area
• Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area
• Directory of All MSW Programs in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area

Traditional MSW Programs in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area

Traditional MSW programs are master’s degree programs that provide training and instruction in clinical and/or macro practice social work to qualified students who hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. These programs do not require applicants to have a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree. Students in a traditional MSW program complete the equivalent of two full-time semesters of foundational coursework and field education, followed by one year of advanced training in a social work specialization (e.g., clinical and/or macro practice social work, school social work, military social work, addiction and substance abuse, etc.).

As part of a traditional MSW curriculum, students are required to engage in a minimum of 900 hours of field education, which involves experiential learning in a supervised setting where social work is practiced. Most full-time students are able to complete a traditional MSW program in two years. Part-time enrollment in a traditional program generally leads to graduating in three to four years. Both Daemen College and UB offer traditional MSW programs in campus-based and online formats.

Traditional Campus-Based MSW Programs in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area

Daemen College offers a traditional MSW program that requires applicants to hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and to have achieved a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 or higher on a four-point scale, as well as a grade of C or better in a biology and a statistics course. Applicants who do not meet GPA requirements may be granted provisional admission to the program. The Daemen College MSW program is offered in a hybrid format that combines campus-based and online instruction, with classes meeting in the afternoons and evenings to accommodate students who work during the day. The program has a Clinical Practice specialization with a concentration in Children & Families. Traditional standing students in the Daemen College program are required to engage in 950 hours of field education and can earn their degree in two years of full-time enrollment.

The University at Buffalo, State University of New York (UB) offers a campus-based MSW program for traditional standing students through its School of Social Work. Applicants to the program can hold a bachelor’s degree in any field or discipline. However, the School of Social Work prefers applicants who have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale. UB’s MSW program has a Trauma-Informed Practice/Human Rights Perspective curriculum that provides training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work. Students complete a 60-credit curriculum that includes 900 hours of field education. Full-time traditional standing students can earn their degree in two years, while part-time enrollment typically leads to graduating in three years.

Traditional Online MSW Programs in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area

Daemen College offers its traditional MSW program in an online format that does not require any campus visits. Students in the program take two online courses per eight-week term and can earn their degree in two years of full-time enrollment. The 60-credit curriculum includes 950 hours of field education and provides a Clinical Practice specialization with a Children & Families focus. Applicants to the Daemen College online MSW program must meet the same requirements as applicants to the school’s campus-based program. They are required to hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.7 or higher on a four-point scale. In addition, applicants are expected to have passed college-level biology and statistics courses with a grade of C or better. Applicants who do not meet all of these requirements may be considered for provisional admission to the program.

The University at Buffalo, State University of New York (UB) has an online MSW program that is offered in a part-time format and that does not require any campus visits. Offered through UB’s School of Social Work, the program has a Trauma-Informed Practice/Human Right Perspective concentration that provides training and instruction in both clinical and macro practice social work. Students in online program complete a 60-credit curriculum that includes 900 hours of site-based field education at approved social work and/or human services agencies. This is a part-time program that is designed to be completed in three years by traditional standing students. Similar to their campus-based program, UB prefers applicants who have a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0.

Advanced Standing MSW Programs in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area

Advanced standing MSW programs are master’s in social work programs that are designed specifically for students who hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree conferred by an undergraduate program that has accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Admission to an advanced standing program often requires applicants to have earned their BSW degree within the last five to ten years. In addition, programs may require or prefer advanced standing applicants to have a minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale.

Students who qualify for advanced standing status are typically not required to repeat any of the foundation-level social work courses and field education hours that are part of a CSWE-accredited BSW program curriculum. This reduces the number of credits, courses, and field education hours required to earn an MSW degree. Thus, qualified students can earn an MSW degree in one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study by enrolling in an advanced standing program. BSW graduates who are not eligible for an advanced standing program can still earn their MSW degree by enrolling in a traditional program.

Advanced Standing Campus-Based MSW Programs in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area

Daemen College offers its campus-based MSW program in an advanced standing format that requires applicants to meet several criteria: candidates must hold a BSW degree conferred by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last five years; they must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale; and they are and must have an overall GPA of 3.2 or higher in all BSW major courses. Students who are granted advanced standing status are eligible to waive up to 30 of the program’s 60 credits, reducing the program’s completion time to one year for those who enroll on a full-time basis. Similarly, advanced standing students can have their field education requirements reduced from 950 hours to just 500 hours, assuming they completed at least 450 hours during their BSW program. Daemen College’s MSW program has a Clinical Practice with a focus on Children & Families specialization. Students in the program receive a mix of campus-based and online instruction, with most campus classes meeting in the afternoons and evenings.

The University at Buffalo, State University of New York (UB) has a campus-based advanced standing MSW program that is offered through its School of Social Work. Applicants to the program are required to hold a BSW degree conferred by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last six years. In addition, advanced standing candidates are expected to have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better on a four-point scale. The MSW program has a Trauma-Informed Practice from a Human Rights Perspective specialization that provides advanced generalist training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work. Advanced standing students in the program are required to complete 35 credits prior to graduating, including 480 hours of field education. Full-time advanced standing students can graduate from the UB program in one year, while part-time advanced standing students generally earn their degree in 1.5 years.

Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area

Daemen College has an online MSW program with an advanced standing track that is designed for BSW program graduates who completed a bachelor’s program accredited by the CSWE and whose degree was conferred within the last five years. Applicants for advanced standing status are also expected to have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale and an overall GPA of 3.2 or better in all social work major courses. Students who are granted advanced standing status receive waivers for up to 30 of the program’s 60 credits. This allows advanced standing students, who are required to engage in 500 hours of field education, to complete their MSW studies in one year of full-time enrollment. The MSW program offered by Daemen College has a Clinical Practice with a focus on Children & Families specialization.

The University at Buffalo, State University of New York (UB) has an advanced standing online MSW program that is offered through its School of Social Work. To qualify for advanced standing status, applicants to the program are required to hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program that was conferred within the last six years, and to have maintained a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better on a four-point scale. The advanced standing curriculum consists of 35 credits, inclusive of 480 hours of field education, and the program has a Trauma-Informed Practice with a Human Rights Perspective specialization. This is a part-time online program that is designed to be completed in 1.5-years by advanced standing students.