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

Updated: December 9, 2025

The Charlotte Metropolitan Area is home to two universities that offer MSW programs: Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU); and The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte). Both schools offer programs that are designed for college graduates who hold a bachelor’s degree in any field or discipline, also known as traditional standing MSW programs, and well as advanced standing MSW programs for students who have completed undergraduate training in social work through a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). JCSU offers a campus-based program, while UNC Charlotte offers a campus-based hybrid program and an online MSW program.

The MSW programs offered by JCSU and UNC Charlotte have an advanced generalist social work practice curriculum that provides training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work. Both programs are fully accredited by the CSWE.

Johnson C. Smith University (Accredited)
University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Accredited)

The individual programs and program tracks offered by JCSU and UNC Charlotte are described below, with traditional and advanced standing programs grouped separately due to the differences in their admissions requirements.

Traditional MSW Programs in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area

Traditional MSW programs are similar to master’s degree programs in many other fields in that they require applicants to hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and may have other academic requirements for admissions as well. However, they do not require candidates to have majored in social work or any other specific field or discipline and they do not require a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree. Qualified college graduates who enroll on a full-time basis begin their MSW studies with one year (two semesters) of foundational social work training and instruction and then complete their degree with a second year (two semesters) of advanced training and instruction in clinical and/or macro practice social work. Some schools also offer students the option of pursuing their MSW degree through part-time enrollment and most part-time tracks are designed to be completed in three to four years, depending on how many courses a student takes per term.

Traditional MSW programs include a minimum of 900 hours of supervised, site-based field education at approved agencies or organizations that provide social work services. This is a signature pedagogy of MSW programs and all CSWE accredited master’s programs in social work, including online programs, require in-person field education.

Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) is a private, historical black university (HBCU) located in Charlotte. The School of Social Work at JCSU offers a CSWE-accredited, campus-based MSW program for traditional standing students that has an Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice curriculum. Students in the program are prepared to pursue careers in clinical and/or macro practice social work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. JCSU’s MSW is offered full time, consists of 60 credits (including 900 hours of field education), and takes two years to complete.

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) has a CSWE-accredited MSW program that it offers through its School of Social Work in two different formats. Students who would like to attend campus-based classes and earn their degree in two years can do so through UNC Charlotte’s full-time program, while those who are interested in an online program can enroll in the school’s part-time, three-year program. Both program options provide advanced generalist training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work and give students the option of pursuing a specialization in school social work. Regardless of the format, students are required to complete 60 graduate credits, including a minimum of 900 hours of site-based field education.

Advanced Standing MSW Programs in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area

Graduates from CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree programs may be granted advanced standing status by MSW programs provided they meet certain admissions requirements. Advanced standing program tracks are designed for BSW graduates whose undergraduate degree was conferred relatively recently, usually within the last five, six, or seven years. In addition, applicants to advanced standing programs may be subject to specific academic requirements, such as a minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale and/or a grade of B or better in all social work major courses.

Once admitted to an advanced standing program, BSW graduates are credited with all or most of their foundational undergraduate social work coursework and field education. This means that advanced standing students can complete their MSW studies in as little as one year, depending on the structure of their specific program and if they choose to enroll on a full-time basis. Typically, students who pursue their degree part-time can complete an advanced standing program in two years. BSW graduates who are not granted admission to an advanced standing program track can still earn their degree by applying to a traditional MSW program.

Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) offers its Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice MSW program in an advanced standing format for qualified students who hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program. This is a campus-based program with classes that are held at JCSU’s campus in Charlotte. The Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice curriculum is designed to prepare students for careers in clinical and/or macro practice social work and incorporates 500 required hours of field education. Students who are granted advanced standing status begin their master’s studies in the summer term and can complete their degree in one year of full-time enrollment.

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) offers campus-based and online advanced standing MSW programs that are designed for students whose BSW degree was conferred by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last seven years. Applicants to graduate programs at UNC Charlotte are also required to have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale. The program requires advanced standing students to complete 39 credits of graduate coursework and field instruction (with a minimum of 450 hours of field education), and the programs has an Advanced Social Work Practice curriculum with an optional school social work specialization. Students who enroll in the on-campus program can earn their degree in one year, while the online program offers one-year and two-year study options.