Master of Social Work (MSW) Programs in the Rochester, NY Metropolitan Area

Three New York colleges in the Rochester metropolitan area currently offer MSW programs that are fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE): the College at Brockport, State University of New York (SUNY Brockport); Nazareth College of Rochester; and Roberts Wesleyan College. All three of these schools offer both traditional MSW programs and advanced standing MSW programs. Traditional MSW programs are designed for students who hold a bachelor’s degree in any field or discipline, while advanced standing programs require applicants to have a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree conferred by an undergraduate program that is accredited by the CSWE.

All three of the colleges in the Rochester area that offer MSW programs have programs that are either fully or primarily campus-based. Only one school in the Rochester area – Roberts Wesleyan College – has a program that is offered in an online format. As noted previously, all three Rochester schools that offer MSW program have full accreditation from the CSWE.

• College at Brockport, State University of New York (Accredited)
• Nazareth College of Rochester (Accredited)
• Roberts Wesleyan College (Accredited)

Each of the programs offered by the schools listed above is detailed in the sections below. Traditional MSW programs are discussed separately from advanced standing programs due to the differences in their admissions requirements, and online programs are classified separately from campus-based and hybrid programs.

• Traditional Campus-Based MSW Programs in the Rochester Metropolitan Area
• Traditional Online MSW Programs in the Rochester Metropolitan Area
• Advanced Standing Campus-Based MSW Programs in the Rochester Metropolitan Area
• Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs in the Rochester Metropolitan Area
• Directory of All MSW Programs in the Rochester Metropolitan Area

Traditional MSW Programs in the Rochester Metropolitan Area

Traditional MSW programs are defined as CSWE-accredited master’s programs in social work that are designed for students who have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, but do not require applicants to have previously studied social work or to have earned a bachelor’s degree in social work. Full-time students who enter a traditional MSW program typically complete two semesters of generalist social work training and instruction, followed by a second year in which they receive advanced training in clinical and/or macro practice social work. Programs that accommodate part-time enrollment allow students to extend the time it takes to complete their MSW degree, which typically leads to graduating in three to four years. As part of a CSWE-accredited MSW program curriculum, traditional standing students are required to engage in a minimum of 900 hours of supervised, site-based field education, which is an integral component of social work training.

The three Rochester metropolitan area colleges with traditional MSW program tracks have programs that are offered either in a fully campus-based format or in a hybrid format that includes some online instruction. Of the three universities, only Roberts Wesleyan College currently has a program that is offered in an online format.

Traditional Campus-Based MSW Programs in the Rochester Metropolitan Area

The College at Brockport, State University of New York (SUNY Brockport) offers a campus-based, traditional MSW program through its Department of Social Work at its main campus in the city of Rochester. This is a 60-credit program that includes 948 hours of field education. It is designed to be completed in two years of full-time enrollment, although part-time students can complete the program in three years. SUNY Brockport’s MSW program has an Advanced Integrated Practice curriculum with a focus on Interdisciplinary Health and Wellness. Students who are interested in further specialization can earn a Gerontology Certificate while completing their degree. The program’s Advanced Integrated Practice curriculum provides training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work.

Nazareth College of Rochester’s Department of Social Work offers a traditional MSW program at its main campus in Rochester. Students in the program can choose from three specialization options: Play Therapy; Trauma-Informed Care; and Evidence-Based Practice in Mental Health. The program requires students to complete 60 credits, which includes 900 hours of field education. Full-time students can graduate with their degree in two years, inclusive of one summer session. Part-time students can choose between a three-year or a four-year completion plan. The program offers daytime and evening classes and some of its required coursework is offered in a hybrid format that combines campus-based and online instruction.

Roberts Wesleyan College, a private, non-profit school located in Rochester, has a traditional MSW program that allows students to take all of their courses on campus or to earn their degree through a hybrid blend of campus-based and online instruction. Students in the program have the option of a Mental Health concentration or a concentration in Child and Family Services. Students are required to complete a 60-credit curriculum that includes 900 hours of field education. The program has a two-year, full-time completion plan.

Traditional Online MSW Programs in the Rochester Metropolitan Area

Roberts Wesleyan College is currently the only school in the Rochester metropolitan area that offers an online MSW program. The program has a 60-credit track for traditional standing students that includes 900 hours of site-based field education. The MSW curriculum has two concentration options: Mental Health; and Child and Family Services. Full-time students are typically able to earn their degree from Roberts Wesleyan College in two-years of online study with no campus visits required.

Advanced Standing MSW Programs in the Rochester Metropolitan Area

BSW program graduates who meet other admissions requirements may be eligible for advanced standing status in an MSW program that offers an advanced standing track. Advanced standing programs are designed to allow graduates from CSWE-accredited BSW programs to earn their MSW degree without having to repeat the coursework and field practicums that they have already completed as part of their undergraduate social work major. This means that students who are granted advanced standing status can complete their MSW studies in roughly half the time it takes to complete a traditional MSW program, or approximately one year of full-time enrollment. Part-time enrollment for an advanced standing student typically leads to graduating in two years.

It is, however, important to note that BSW graduates are not automatically eligible for an advanced standing program. Many programs require advanced standing applicants to have earned their BSW degree relatively recently, usually within the last five, six, seven, or eight years. In addition, many programs require or prefer advanced standing applicants to have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale and/or to have earned a grade of B or better in all undergraduate social work major courses. All three of the schools that offer MSW programs in the Rochester metropolitan area have advanced standing program tracks.

Advanced Standing Campus-Based MSW Programs in the Rochester Metropolitan Area

The College at Brockport, State University of New York (SUNY Brockport) has a fully campus-based MSW program that it offers through its Social Work Department. The Social Work Department at SUNY Brockport accepts applications for advanced standing status from BSW graduates whose degree was conferred by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last eight years. In addition, advanced standing applicants are expected to have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better on a four-point scale. The MSW program has an Advanced Integrated Practice curriculum with an Interdisciplinary Health and Wellness focus. Students are required to complete 36 credits, including 500 hours of field education. Full-time students can earn their degree in three semesters, while part-time enrollment adds two additional semesters to the completion time. The SUNY Brockport MSW program gives students the option of earning a certificate in Gerontology, which increases the field education requirements to 560 hours.

Nazareth College of Rochester offers a campus-based MSW program with an advanced standing track for qualified students who hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program. The program has three specializations that students can choose from: Play Therapy; Trauma-Informed Care; and Evidence-Based Practice in Mental Health. Advanced standing students complete a 36-credit curriculum that includes 500 hours of required field education. Full-time enrollment in the Nazareth College program typically leads to graduating in one year. Part-time advanced standing students can complete the program in two years.

Roberts Wesleyan College’s Department of Social Work has an MSW program that allows students to complete all of their coursework on campus or to enroll in a mix of campus-based and online courses. The program has an advanced standing track that is designed for applicants who hold BSW degree conferred by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last five years. Advanced standing applicants are also expected to have achieved a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale. Students who qualify for the advanced standing program complete a 38-credit curriculum that includes 500 hours of field education. The program has two specialization options: Mental Health; and Child and Family Services. The completion time for this program is 11 months for full-time students and 16 months for part-time students.

Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs in the Rochester Metropolitan Area

Roberts Wesleyan College has an online MSW program with an advanced standing track that requires applicants to have completed a CSWE-accredited BSW program within the last five years and to have done so with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a four-point scale. The online program does not require any campus visits. However, as part of the program’s 38-credit advanced standing curriculum, online students are required to complete 500 hours of site-based field education. Students in the program have the choice of specializing in Mental Health or in Child and Family Services. They also have the option of an 11-month, full-time completion plan or a 16-month, part-time completion plan.