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

There are currently eleven schools in Ohio that offer Master of Social Work (MSW) programs. All of the schools have campus-based MSW program options, including hybrid programs that combine campus and online coursework, and four have fully online programs. Students who are interested in earning an MSW in Ohio have a variety of clinical and/or macro practice specializations to choose from, including programs that focus on children, youth, and families; aging populations; substance abuse and addictions, and more.

All eleven schools in Ohio offer traditional and advanced standing MSW programs. Students who hold a bachelor’s degree in any field or discipline are typically eligible for traditional MSW program tracks, while advanced standing MSW programs require a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from an undergraduate program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

All of the universities that offer MSW programs in Ohio are fully accredited by the CSWE, as noted in the list below:

• Bowling Green State University (Accredited)
• Case Western Reserve University (Accredited)
• Cleveland State University (Accredited)
• Miami University (Accredited)
• Ohio University (Accredited)
• The Ohio State University (Accredited)
• The University of Akron (Accredited)
• The University of Toledo (Accredited)
• University of Cincinnati (Accredited)
• Wright State University (Accredited)
• Youngstown State University (Accredited)

Details on each of the programs offered by the above schools are provided in the sections below. For clarity and convenience, traditional programs are grouped separately from advanced standing programs. Within each of those sections, campus-based and hybrid programs that combine campus and online instruction are grouped together, while online programs are grouped separately.

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

Traditional MSW Programs in Ohio

Traditional MSW programs are full-length master’s programs that provide training and instruction in clinical and/or macro practice social work. These programs are designed for bachelor’s program graduates, but do not require students to have studied social work at the bachelor’s degree level or to have earned a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree. While most MSW programs accept students with varying types of undergraduate degrees, some programs may give preference to students who majored in a social scientific or related field.

A traditional MSW program typically consists of four full-time semesters of coursework and field education and can thus be completed in roughly two years. Field education is a signature pedagogy in social work education. It involves supervised, site-based training at social work agencies, organizations, clinics, and other places where social work services are provided. In order to be accredited by the CSWE, a traditional MSW program must provide students with a minimum of 900 hours of field education. Traditional MSW programs that have part-time enrollment options generally take between three and four years to complete.

All eleven of the schools in Ohio that offer MSW programs have at least one track for traditional standing students. Four of these schools have traditional MSW programs that are offered online.

Traditional Campus-Based MSW Programs in Ohio

Bowling Green State University (BGSU) offers a traditional MSW program through its Department of Human Services. The program has a Gerontological Social Work specialization that provides training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work. Students in the program have the option of attending all of their classes on campus or choosing a hybrid format that combines online and campus-based instruction. This is a 59-credit traditional program that requires students to complete 920 hours of field education. BGSU’s MSW program is designed to allow full-time students to earn their degree in two years. Students may opt for part-time enrollment, which extends the time to graduation by one or two years, depending on the number of credits earned per semester.

Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) offers a traditional, campus-based MSW program through its Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. The program provides training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work and offers elective concentrations in: Children, Youth and Families; Community Practice for Social Change; Mental Health; School Social Work; and Substance Use Disorders and Recovery. Students may also choose an individualized plan of study. The program is offered in a full-time format that can be completed in as few as 20 months and an extended format that can be completed in six semesters. CWRU also offers a part-time Weekend MSW program that requires students to attend full-day campus-based sessions once per month on Fridays, Saturdays, and/or Sundays. The Weekend program can be completed in two to three years. Both options provide traditional standing students with a 60-credit curriculum that includes 900 hours of field education.

Cleveland State University (CSU) offers a traditional, campus-based MSW program with an Advanced Generalist specialization that covers training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work, and a Clinical Social Work specialization that gives students the option of earning a certificate in Chemical Dependency, Gerontology, or School Social Work. Students can choose a fully campus-based instructional mode and attend all of their classes in person, or they can opt for a hybrid format that combines in-person and online instruction. Traditional standing students in the CSU program complete a 60-credit curriculum that has 900 hours of required field education. This can be accomplished in two years of full-time study, although CSU also has a 2.5-year part-time enrollment plan and a four-year extended enrollment plan.

Miami University’s College of Education, Health and Society offers a Master of Social Work (MSW) program that is accredited by the CSWE. The program has an Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice specialization that prepares students for careers in clinical and macro practice social work. Traditional standing students complete a 57-credit curriculum and have the option of a Families and Children concentration or an Older Adults concentration. Most of the program’s courses hold class meetings at Miami University’s Middletown campus, although some courses may meet at the school’s main campus in Oxford. Classes are typically held in the afternoons or evenings, and many utilize a hybrid delivery mode, incorporating some online instruction so that students do not have to come to campus every week. Students in the program are required to engage in 900 hours of field education while earning their degree, which has a two-year completion plan for full-time students and a three-year completion plan for students who opt for part-time enrollment.

Ohio University offers a traditional, campus-based MSW program with a curriculum designed to prepare students to work with rural families and communities. The program has a Clinical Social Work specialization, although students also receive training in macro practice social work. As part of the program’s 62 credits, traditional standing students must engage in 952 hours of field education prior to graduating. Courses meet once per week on campus and students receive supplementary instruction online. The Ohio University traditional MSW program track is designed to be completed in two years of full-time enrollment. Part-time students can opt for a three-year or a four-year completion plan.

The Ohio State University (OSU) offers a traditional, campus-based MSW program with four concentration options: Aging and Health; Child and Youth Services; Community and Social Justice; and Mental Health and Substance Misuse. The Child and Youth Services concentration gives students the additional option of a School Social Work (SSW) licensure track that can be completed as part of OSU’s 63-credit traditional program. All students in the program are required to engage in 920 hours of field education. Full-time students can earn their degree in two years, while students who enroll on a part-time basis can earn their degree in three to four years.

The University of Akron (UA) has a traditional, campus-based MSW that is offered through its School of Social Work and Family Sciences. The 60-credit program has both a micro practice specialization (direct practice clinical social work) and a macro practice specialization (administration). Traditional standing students in UA’s MSW program are required to complete 900 hours of field education while earning their degree. The program can be completed in two years of full-time enrollment or in four years for students who opt for part-time enrollment.

The University of Toledo offers a 60-credit traditional MSW program through its College of Health and Human Services. This is a campus-based program that holds most classes on weekday evenings and/or Saturdays to accommodate working students. The program has an Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice specialization with a Focus on Social and Economic Justice and two curricular tracks: Mental Health; and Child and Family. The Advanced Generalist curriculum is designed to prepare students for careers in clinical and/or macro practice social work. As part of that curriculum, traditional standing students complete 950 field education hours. Full-time students can graduate from this program in two years, while part-time students generally take three to four years to earn their degree.

University of Cincinnati (UC) has a traditional MSW program that is offered in a hybrid format, combining campus-based instruction with online coursework. The program has a 60-credit curriculum for traditional standing students that includes 900 hours of field education. Students in the program complete a Direct Practice clinical social work specialization that has three concentration options: Children and Families; Health and Aging; and Mental Health. The Children and Families concentration allows students to complete a focus in School Social Work. The traditional program offered by UC has a two-year, full-time enrollment track, and a three-year, part-time enrollment track.

Wright State University offers a Master of Arts in Social Work (MASW) program through its School of Social Work and Human Services. The MASW curriculum is largely equivalent to an MSW program curriculum, and the MASW program is fully accredited by the CSWE. Traditional standing students complete a 54-credit curriculum that includes 900 required hours of field education. The Wright State program has an Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice specialization that is designed to prepare students for careers in clinical and/or macro practice social work. It features two concentrations: Children and Families; and Older Adults, with an optional Gerontology certificate. Courses in the Wright State program utilize a mix of on-campus meetings and online instruction. Full-time students can complete the program in two years; part-time students generally take three years to earn their degree.

Youngstown State University has a traditional MSW program that is offered at its main campus as well as at Lorain County Community College in Elyria, and at Lakeland County Community College in Kirtland. The program has an Advanced Direct Practice with Individuals and Families specialization that prepares students for careers in clinical social work. Traditional standing students complete a 60-credit curriculum that includes 1030 hours of field education. Students who enroll in the program at Youngstown State University’s main campus attend campus-based classes on weekday evenings and on Saturdays. Students who enroll in the Lorain County Community College or the Lakeland County Community College programs attend Saturday classes and receive online instruction during the week. All three program options have a two-year, full-time completion plan, and all three allow students to enroll on a part-time basis, which leads to graduating in three to four years.

Traditional Online MSW Programs in Ohio

Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) has an online MSW program that does not require any campus visits. The program offers two clinical practice specializations: Children, Youth and Families; Mental Health with Adults. The program also has a macro practice specialization in Community Practice for Social Change. This is a 60-credit traditional MSW program that provides students with 900 hours of site-based field education. The CWRU online MSW program is designed to be completed in 2.5 years.

Cleveland State University (CSU) offers its traditional MSW program in a fully online format that does not require campus visits. Students in the program complete a 60-credit curriculum, taking all didactic courses online while engaging in 900 hours of site-based field education. CSU’s MSW program gives students the option of specializing in Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice, which provides training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work, or choosing a Clinical Social Work specialization. The Clinical specialization gives students the additional option of earning a certificate in Chemical Dependency, Gerontology, or School Social Work. The program is designed to be completed in two years of full-time enrollment. It also has a 2.5-year part-time completion plan and an extended four-year completion plan for students who wish to earn their degree on a part-time basis.

Ohio University has a fully online traditional MSW program that consists of 62 credits of coursework and 952 hours of site-based field instruction. Students in the program are not required to attend any campus visits. The program has a Clinical Social Work specialization with an emphasis on providing social work services to rural families and in rural environments. Traditional standing students can complete this program in two years of full-time enrollment. They may also choose to enroll on a part-time basis and follow a three-year or a four-year completion plan.

The Ohio State University (OSU) has a fully online MSW program that does not require any campus visits, although students are required to engage in 920 hours of in-person, site-based field education. The program offers three concentration options to online students: Aging and Health; Child and Youth Services; and Mental Health and Substance Misuse. In addition, the program has a School Social Work (SSW) licensure track option than can be coupled with the Child and Youth Services concentration. The online MSW program offered by OSU consists of 63 credits of coursework and field education, and the program can be completed in two years of full-time enrollment. Students who choose to pursue their degree on a part-time basis can complete the program in three to four years.

Advanced Standing MSW Programs in Ohio

MSW programs that are designed for students who have completed a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree through an undergraduate program accredited by the CSWE are designated as advanced standing programs. An advanced standing program differs from a traditional MSW program not only in its admissions requirements, but also in its curricular design. Students who are granted advanced standing status are credited with foundational coursework and field education completed at the bachelor’s level. This allows BSW graduates to be exempted from most or all of the courses and field education that traditional students complete during the first year of a full-time MSW program. Therefore, it is possible for advanced standing students to earn their MSW degree in one year of full-time enrollment or two-years of part-time enrollment.

It is, however, important to note that not all BSW graduates are automatically eligible for advanced standing status. Most programs require advanced standing applicants to have graduated from their BSW program within the last five to ten years. In addition, many programs require or prefer applicants to have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale, and/or a GPA of 3.0, 3.2, or higher in all undergraduate social work major courses. BSW graduates who are not granted admission to a program’s advanced standing track can still earn their MSW degree by completing a traditional MSW program. All 11 schools in Ohio offer on-campus advanced standing MSW programs and four schools offer programs that can be completed online.

Advanced Standing Campus-Based MSW Programs in Ohio

Bowling Green State University (BGSU) has an advanced standing MSW program track in which students can choose between fully campus-based courses or courses that combine campus-based and online instruction. The program’s curriculum provides training and instruction in Gerontological Social Work in clinical and macro practice contexts. Advanced standing students complete 33 credits, which includes enough hours of field education to ensure that students graduate with a total of 920 formal supervised hours of field instruction (inclusive of the number of hours they completed during their BSW degree). BGSU’s advanced standing track begins with a summer session and is designed to be completed in one calendar year by full-time students. To qualify for the advanced standing track, applicants must hold a BSW degree conferred by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last three years and have a minimum GPA of 3.2 or higher in all social work major courses.

Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) has a campus-based MSW program that it offers through the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. The program is offered in a fully campus-based format with classes that meet during the week, as well as in a Weekend format that brings students to campus once per month for full-day sessions on Fridays, Saturdays, and/or Sundays. Both program options have an advanced standing track for qualified students who have graduated from a CSWE-accredited BSW program within the last seven years. Advanced standing students complete a 36-credit curriculum that includes 500 hours of field education. Full-time students who attend the weekday campus program can earn their degree in one year. The Weekend program option is part-time and has a two-year completion time for advanced standing students. CWRU’s MSW program has an advanced generalist curriculum that allows students to choose from among six specializations: Children, Youth and Families; Community Practice for Social Change; Mental Health with Adults; Mental Health with Children and Adolescents; School Social Work; and Substance Use Disorders and Recovery.

Cleveland State University (CSU) has a campus-based MSW program with an advanced standing track that requires applicants to have earned a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last five years. In addition, advanced standing applicants must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale and a 3.5 GPA in all social work major courses. Students who are granted advanced standing status complete a 30-credit curriculum over one calendar year if enrolled on a full-time basis. Part-time advanced standing students can earn their degree in 1.5 or two years. Advanced standing students in the CSU program are required to engage in 500 hours of field education. The campus-based MSW program gives students the option of taking all of their courses on-campus or enrolling in hybrid courses that provide a mix of classroom and online instruction. The program has two specialization options: Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice; and Clinic Social Work with optional certificates in Chemical Dependency, Gerontology, and School Social Work,

Miami University has a Master of Social Work (MSW) program that has an advanced standing track for BSW program graduates who earned their degree within the last five years from a CSWE-accredited program. The program has an Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice specialization that allows students to choose between two concentrations: Families and Children; and Adulthood and Aging. Most of the program’s classes meet at Miami University’s Middletown campus, although some courses may be held at the school’s main campus in Oxford. Class meetings take place in the afternoons and evenings, with many classes utilizing a hybrid delivery mode so that students do not have be on campus every week. The advanced standing track consists of 34 credits, including 500 hours of field education. Full-time students can graduate from the advanced standing track in one year. Part-time advanced standing students take two years to earn their degree.

Ohio University offers an MSW program through its College of Health Sciences and Professions that has an advanced standing track for BSW graduates whose degree was conferred within the last five years and who earned a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. The program has a Clinical Social Work specialization that focuses on social work practice in rural communities and with rural families. Advanced standing students complete a 36-credit curriculum that includes 560 hours of field education. Most of the program’s courses are delivered in a hybrid format that only requires students to attend one campus-based class per week while receiving supplementary instruction online. This program is designed to be completed in one year by full-time advanced standing students.

The Ohio State University (OSU) offers a campus-based MSW program that has an advanced standing track for qualified BSW program graduates. To qualify for the advanced standing track, BSW program graduates must have earned their degree within the last five years and maintained a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher with a grade of B or better in all social work major courses. Advanced standing students complete a 43-credit curriculum that includes 672 hours of field education. The program has a three-semester, full-time completion plan that takes one year, and a six-semester, part-time completion plan that takes two years. Students in OSU’s online MSW program can choose from four specialization options: Aging and Health, Child and Youth Services, Community and Social Justice, and Mental Health and Substance Misuse. The program also has a School Social Work (SSW) licensure track that can be completed as part of the Child and Youth Services specialization.

The University of Akron has a campus-based MSW with advanced standing track for qualified students who hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program conferred within the last five years. Advanced standing applicants are also expected to have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or higher on a four-point scale and a GPA of 3.5 or higher in all social work major coursework. Advanced standing students in this program complete a 36-credit curriculum that includes 500 hours of field education and can graduate in one year of full-time enrollment or two years of part-time enrollment. The program offers both a clinical practice specialization and a macro practice specialization.

The University of Toledo has a campus-based MSW program with an advanced standing track for students who hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program and whose cumulative GPA is 2.7 or higher. Advanced standing applicants must also have a grade of B- or better in all social work major courses. The University of Toledo’s MSW program has an Advanced Generalist curriculum that provides training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work and give students the option of a Mental Health concentration or a Child & Family concentration. The program’s campus-based classes meet on weekday evenings and on Saturdays. Advanced standing students in this program are required to complete 33 credits, including 525 hours field education. Full-time advanced standing students can graduate from the program in one year, while part-time students generally finish the program in two years.

University of Cincinnati (UC) offers a campus-based MSW program with an advanced standing track for applicants who hold a BSW degree conferred within the last five years by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program and whose overall undergraduate GPA is 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale. The program utilizes a hybrid mode of instruction that blends campus-based classes with online learning. Advanced standing students are required to complete 34 credits prior to graduating, which includes a 603-hour field practicum. UC’s MSW program has a Direct Practice specialization that focuses on clinical social work practice. Students can choose from three concentrations: Children and Families, Health and Aging, and Mental Health. Students who are interesting in pursuing a career in school social work have the option of taking courses in that specialization as part of the Children and Families concentration. The completion time for full-time advanced standing students in the program is one year; part-time advanced standing students can graduate from the program in two years.

Wright State University offers a CSWE accredited Master of Arts in Social Work (MASW) program that is largely equivalent to an MSW program. The MASW program has an advanced standing track that requires applicants to hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited program that was earned within the last five years. In addition, advanced standing applicants are expected to have a 3.0 or higher cumulative undergraduate GPA with a grade of B or better in all social work major courses. Wright State’s MASW program has an Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice specialization with two concentrations: Children and Families; and Older Adults. The Older Adults concentration also gives students the option of earning a certificate in Gerontology. Coursework is delivered using a hybrid mode in which students attend campus-based classes and receive some online instruction. The 34-credit advanced standing MASW curriculum, which incorporates 600 hours of field education, can be completed in one year of full-time enrollment or two years of part-time enrollment.

Youngstown State University offers its MSW program in an advanced standing format for qualified students who hold a BSW degree conferred within the last seven years by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program. In addition, advanced standing students must either have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale, or a cumulative GPA of at least 2.7 with a grade of B or better in all social work major courses. The Youngstown State University MSW program is offered in a fully campus-based format at the university’s main campus, with most classes being held on weekday evenings or on Saturdays. The program is also offered at Lorain County Community College and at Lakeland County Community College in a hybrid format that combines in-person Saturday class meetings with weekday online instruction. Students granted advanced standing status complete a 39-credit curriculum, inclusive of 540 hours of field education. Full-time advanced standing students can graduate in one year, while part-time advanced standing students generally take two years to earn their degree.

Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs in Ohio

Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) has an online MSW program with an advanced standing track that is open to BSW program graduates whose degree was conferred by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last seven years. The program’s curriculum features two clinical practice specialization options (Children, Youth and Families; and Mental Health with Adults) and a macro practice specialization (Community Practice for Social Change). Students who are granted advanced standing status complete a 36-credit curriculum that requires them to engage in 500 hours of site-based field education. Full-time students can expect to graduate from this program in one year, while part-time students generally earn their degree in two years.

Cleveland State University (CSU) offers its MSW program in a fully online format that accepts advanced standing applicants provided they hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program conferred within the last five years, a 3.2 overall GPA in their undergraduate program, and a 3.5 GPA in all social work major courses. The program has an Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice specialization that prepares students for careers in clinical and/or macro practice social work, and a Clinical Social Work specialization that gives students the option of earning a certificate in Chemical Dependency, Gerontology, or School Social Work. Advanced standing students in the CSU online program complete a 30-credit curriculum that incorporates 500 hours of site-based field education. Full-time advanced students can complete the program in one calendar year, while part-time enrollment leads to graduating in 1.5 or two years.

Ohio University has a fully online MSW program that has an advanced standing track for BSW program graduates who earned their degree from a CSWE-accredited program within the last five years. Advanced standing applicants are also required to have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale. The Ohio University MSW program has Clinical Social Work specialization with an Emphasis on Service in Rural Environments. Advanced standing students complete a 36-credit curriculum that incorporates 560 hours of required field education. Full-time students can graduate from the program in one year, while part-time enrollment generally leads to graduating in two years.

The Ohio State University (OSU) offers students who qualify for advanced standing status the option of earning their MSW degree in a fully online program. BSW graduates whose degree was conferred by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last five years are eligible for advanced standing status provided they have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale and a grade of B or better in all social work major coursework. Students who are granted advanced standing status complete a 43-credit curriculum that has three concentration options: Aging and Health, Child and Youth Services, and Mental Health and Substance Misuse. The program also has a School Social Work (SSW) licensure track for students who are interested in pursuing a career in school social work. Advanced standing students in OSU’s MSW program must engage in 672 hours of site-based field education and can earn their degree in one year of full-time enrollment. Part-time advanced standing students generally graduate in two years.

Directory of All Master of Social Work Programs in Ohio

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