Home > Programs by State > Pennsylvania

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

Updated: December 9, 2025

There are 13 colleges, universities, and university collaboratives in Pennsylvania that currently offer Master of Social Work (MSW) programs. Among these schools are seven universities that are either state-related or state-run public institutions, and one collaboration between two Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities. In addition, there are six non-profit private colleges and universities in Pennsylvania that have MSW programs. All of the schools in Pennsylvania that offer MSW programs have at least one traditional standing track and one advanced standing track. Traditional MSW programs are for students who hold a bachelor’s degree in any field or discipline, while advanced standing programs are designed specifically for students who hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree conferred by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program.

For students interested in pursuing their degree through an in-person program, all of the schools that offer MSW programs in Pennsylvania have a campus-based or hybrid option. Four schools also offer online MSW programs for students who would like to pursue their degree online. All of the programs offered by the schools listed below are either fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) or in the candidacy phase of the accreditation process.

  • Alvernia University (Accredited)
  • Bryn Mawr College (Accredited)
  • Carlow University (Accredited)
  • Kutztown University (Accredited)
  • Marywood University (Accredited)
  • Millersville University of Pennsylvania and Shippensburg University Collaborative (Accredited)
  • Pennsylvania Western University (Accredited)
  • Slippery Rock University (Accredited)
  • Temple University (Accredited)
  • University of Pennsylvania (Accredited)
  • University of Pittsburgh (Accredited)
  • West Chester University (Accredited)
  • Widener University (Accredited)

The sections below group programs based on whether they are designated as traditional or advanced standing MSW programs. Within each of these groupings, campus-based and hybrid programs that require more than two campus visits per years are separated from online programs, which are defined as programs that offer all or most of their didactic instruction online and do not require students to attend more than two campus sessions per year.


Sponsored

Traditional MSW Programs in Pennsylvania

All 13 of the colleges and universities that offer MSW programs in Pennsylvania have at least one traditional MSW program option. A traditional MSW program is full-length master’s degree program that provides training and instruction in clinical and/or macro practice social work to students who hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Traditional MSW programs do not require a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree, although they may have other admissions requirements, such as a minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 2.5, 3.0, or higher on a four-point scale.

Students who enroll in a traditional MSW program can typically graduate in roughly two years of full-time enrollment or three to four years of part-time enrollment. During that time, students are required to engage in 900 hours or more of field education, a signature pedagogy of social work education that involves experiential learning at social work agencies, human services organization, clinics, hospitals, and other sites where social workers are employed. As detailed in the sections below, there are universities in Pennsylvania that offer MSW programs in fully or partially campus-based, hybrid formats and there are four schools that offer online traditional MSW programs.

Campus

Traditional Campus-Based MSW Programs in Pennsylvania

Alvernia University has a Clinical Social Work Practice MSW program with a curriculum that focuses on Addiction & Mental Health. The program is offered in a 60-credit format that blends campus-based classes with online instruction and that includes 900 hours of field education. Students can choose to attend classes at the university’s main campus in Reading or at Alvernia’s Philadelphia Center campus in Melrose Park. The program’s completion time is two years for full-time students and three to four years for students who opt for part-time enrollment.

Bryn Mawr College offers a campus-based CSWE-accredited Master of Social Service (MSS) program that is largely equivalent to an MSW program. The program has a traditional track with a two-year, full-time enrollment plan and a three-year, part-time enrollment plan. Students are required to complete a minimum of 900 hours of field education prior to graduating. The MSS program has two concentration options and certificates in several specializations that students can choose from depending on their chosen concentration. The program’s Clinical Social Work Practice concentration offers certificates in Child and Family Wellbeing, Home and School Visitor, and Social Work and the Law, while the program’s Communities, Organizations, Policy, & Advocacy concentration offers the Child and Family Wellbeing, and Social Work and the Law certificates as well as a certificate in Organizational Behavior & Management.

Carlow University’s Department of Social Work offers a traditional MSW program that gives students the choice of enrolling in fully campus-based classes or low-residency courses that combine on-campus meetings one Saturday per month with online instruction. Students in the program also have a choice between a Direct Practice (clinical) specialization or a Macro Practice specialization, both of which provide trauma-focused training. The traditional MSW program track consists of 60 credits and includes 900 hours of field education. Full-time students can complete the program requirements in four semesters (24 months). Traditional students who opt for part-time enrollment follow a six-semester completion plan that leads to graduating in three years.

Kutztown University (KU) has a traditional MSW program that utilizes a hybrid model of course delivery, combining campus-based classes with online instruction and giving students the choice of daytime classes that meet during the week or Executive Schedule classes that meet on Tuesday and Saturday evenings. The program also gives students the choice of four designated specializations: Behavioral Health; Community Development; Leadership and Management; Family and Child Wellness. In addition, the Department of Social Work offers a 16-credit School Social Work graduate certificate that is available to MSW students. The KU traditional track consists of 64 credits, which includes 960 hours of field education. Students can complete the program in two years of full-time enrollment or choose between three-year and four-year part-time completion plans.

Marywood University’s School of Social Work has a traditional MSW program that is offered through a blend of campus-based and online courses at its main campus in Scranton, as well as in two additional locations: at DeSales University in the Lehigh Valley; and at East Stroudsburg University in the Pocono area. The Scranton and Lehigh Valley locations have a full-time enrollment option with campus classes that meet during the week, and a part-time enrollment option with classes held on Saturday evenings. The East Stroudsburg program is only offered in the part-time format. Marywood University’s MSW program has an Advanced Direct Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Communities and Organizations curriculum with three options for specialization: Behavioral Health; Child and Family Studies; and Administration. Students complete a 60-credit curriculum that includes 920 hours of field education. Full-time students can graduate from the program in two years, while part-time enrollment generally leads to completing the program in three or four years.

The Millersville University of Pennsylvania and Shippensburg University Collaborative offers a joint MSW program through both the Millersville University (MU) and the Shippensburg University (SU) campuses. The MU-SU MSW program has Advanced Generalist curriculum that provides training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work and includes the option of earning a certificate in Home and School Visitor. The 60-credit traditional MSW program is offered in a campus-based format that incorporates some online instruction and requires students to complete 900 hours of field education. Students in the program have the option of completing their degree on a full-time basis, which takes two years, or enrolling part-time and earning their degree in four years.

Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest) offers a traditional MSW program with a Trauma-Informed Family Centered Social Work Practice specialization and a hybrid format option for students who would like to attend campus-based classes while also receiving online instruction. The program consists of 60 credits of graduate coursework, including 900 hours of site-based field education. Students in the program can complete their degree in two years of full-time enrollment or opt for a part-time enrollment schedule and complete the program in three to four years.

Slippery Rock University (SRU) has a traditional MSW program with an Advanced Clinical Practice with Children, Adults, and Families concentration that has an embedded certificate in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Students in the program can also pursue an optional certificate in Animal-Assisted Social Work. SRU utilizes a hybrid model of instruction for its MSW program, combining campus-based classes with online coursework. Students in the program complete 60 credits, including four field practicums for a minimum of 900 total hours of field instruction. The program has a two-year, full-time completion plan, although students who would prefer to earn their degree on part-time basis can do so in consultation with a program administrator.

Temple University offers a 60-credit, campus-based Regular Entry MSW program for traditional standing students. It has two specialization options: Clinical Practice with Individuals and Families; and Macro Practice in Organizations, Communities, and Policy Arenas. Students in the program have the option of a full-time, two-year completion plan, or a part-time enrollment plan that typically takes three to four years. The program requires students to engage in 1050 hours of site-based field education. During the summer term, courses are held on Temple University’s main campus, while fall and spring courses are held on Saturdays on the school’s Center City campus.

The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) offers a campus-based MSW program option for traditional standing students that has a two-year, full-time track and a three-year, part-time track. The MSW programs has both clinical practice and macro practice specializations. Students who opt for the clinical specialization can earn certificates in the following areas: Geriatric Social Work; Child Well-Being & Child Welfare; Cohen Veterans Network MSW Scholars Program; Criminal Justice; Global Human Rights; Home-School Visitor; Latin American and Latinx Studies (LALS); LGBTQ; and Social Work in Health Care. The macro practice track has the following certificate options: Geriatric Social Work; Child Well-Being &, Child Welfare; Criminal Justice; Global Human Rights; Latin American and Latinx Studies (LALS); LGBTQ; and Social Work in Health Care. Students in Penn’s MSW program are required to complete a minimum of 900 hours of field education while earning their MSW degree. (Prospective students should contact the school to determine the exact number of field education hours that are required to graduate.)

The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) offers three campus-based MSW program options for traditional standing students through its School of Social Work. The school’s primary MSW program is offered on Pitt’s main campus in Pittsburgh. It has a Direct Practice with Individuals, Families, and Small Groups specialization, and a Community, Organization, and Social Action (COSA) specialization. The Direct Practice specialization gives students the option of earning certificates in Children, Youth, and Families; Gerontology; Home and School Visitor/School Social Worker; Integrated Healthcare; and Mental Health. The COSA specialization has an optional Human Services Management certificate. Students are required to engage in 1080 hours of field education and can complete their degree in two years of full-time enrollment. Students who opt to earn their degree on a part-time basis are allotted up to four years to graduate.

The School of Social Work at Pitt also offers part-time MSW programs at the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford campus and at the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown campus. Both of these programs offer the Direct Practice with Individuals, Families, and Small Groups specialization with a focus on Children, Youth, and Families, and both require students to complete 1080 hours of field education. These programs are designed to accommodate students who work during the day and thus most classes are held in the evenings. The completion time for these two programs is three and a half years.

West Chester University offers an Direct Practice with Individuals, Families, and Communities traditional MSW program on its main campus in West Chester and at its Center City Philadelphia campus. Both sites offer the same 60-credit curriculum, which includes 952 hours of site-based field education. The primary difference between the two campuses are the enrollment options. The West Chester campus program has a two-year, full-time enrollment plan, as well as three- and four-year enrollment plans for part-time students. The Philadelphia campus program only offers the three- and four-year part-time enrollment options.

Widener University’s Center for Social Work Education offers a traditional, campus-based MSW program with a 57-credit curriculum, a Trauma-Informed Clinical Social Work specialization, and an optional Trauma certificate. Widener University’s traditional MSW curriculum includes 1100 hours of supervised, site-based field instruction. Full-time students can earn their degree in two years; part-time students have up to four years to complete the program’s requirements.

Online

Traditional Online MSW Programs in Pennsylvania

The Millersville University of Pennsylvania and Shippensburg University Collaborative has a fully online MSW program that is offered jointly through Millersville University (MU) and Shippensburg University (SU). The MU-SU MSW online program has a traditional track that can be completed in two years of full-time enrollment or four years of part-time enrollment. The online program has an Advanced Generalist curriculum, which prepares students for careers in clinical and/or macro practice social work. In addition, students in the program have the option of earning a certificate in Home and School Visitor. Students enrolled in the online program must complete 900 hours of field internships, which can typically be done at an approved location near one’s home or place of work.

Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest) has a fully online traditional MSW program option that does not require any campus visits and that allows students to find field placement sites near their place of residence. The 60-credit program has a Trauma-Informed Family Centered Social Work Practice specialization that includes 900 required hours of field education. While the program is designed to be completed in two years of full-time enrollment, students may choose to enroll on a part-time basis as well and graduate in three to four years.

Temple University offers its 60-credit Regular Entry traditional MSW program in an online format for students who would prefer not to have to attend campus-based classes. However, the program does include a required three-day, in-person training session at the school’s Philadelphia campus that takes place in the summer between the first and second year of the program. The program has two specializations options: Clinical Practice with Individuals and Families; and Macro Practice in Organizations, Communities, and Policy Arenas. Temple’s online MSW program includes 1050 hours of site-based field practicums and is offered in a part-time format that takes three to four years to complete.

Widener University’s Center for Social Work Education offers its traditional MSW program in a fully online format that does not require any campus visits. The program has a Trauma-Informed Clinical Social Work focus and offers students the option of earning a Trauma certificate. While all of the didactic instruction in the online MSW program is offered via distance learning, students are required to complete 1100 hours of supervised, site-based field instruction. The program is designed to be completed in two years by students who enroll full-time. Part-time students are allotted up to four years to complete the program requirements.

Advanced Standing MSW Programs in Pennsylvania

All of the colleges and universities that offer traditional MSW programs in Pennsylvania also have advanced standing tracks for qualified students who hold a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) from an CSWE-accredited undergraduate program. These programs may have additional admissions requirements. For example, many programs require applicants to have earned their BSW degree within the last five, six, or seven years, and some programs require or prefer applicants to have attained a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale.

The primary advantage of being granted advanced standing status is a significant reduction in the number of credits required to graduate from an MSW program. Advanced standing students do not have to repeat foundational coursework and field practicums that are part of CSWE-accredited BSW programs. Thus, advanced standing students can typically complete their degree requirements in one year of full-time or two to three years of part-time study. All 13 schools in Pennsylvania offer campus-based and/or hybrid advanced standing MSW programs (i.e., programs that blend campus-based and online instruction). Four of the schools also offer programs that can be completed online.

Campus

Advanced Standing Campus-Based MSW Programs in Pennsylvania

Alvernia University offers its Clinical Social Work Practice MSW program in an advanced standing format for students who hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale. The program’s curriculum focuses on clinical practice in the areas of Addiction & Mental Health. Students who are granted advanced standing status complete 33 credits in order to graduate and can choose to attend classes at the university’s main campus in Reading or at its Philadelphia Center campus in Melrose Park. In addition to online and campus-based coursework, advanced standing students are required to complete 450 hours of site-based field practicums. This program can be complete in one year of full-time enrollment or in two years of part-time enrollment.

Bryn Mawr College has a CSWE-accredited Master of Social Service (MSS) program that is largely equivalent to an MSW degree program. The program has an advanced standing track for BSW graduates whose degree was conferred by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last five years. In addition, candidates for advanced standing admission are required to have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale. The MSS program has two concentrations: Clinical Social Work Practice with optional certificates in Child and Family Wellbeing, Home and School Visitor, and Social Work and the Law; and Communities, Organizations, Policy, & Advocacy, with optional certificates in Child and Family Wellbeing, Organizational Behavior & Management, and Social Work and the Law. Advanced standing students are required to complete a minimum of 450 hours of field education. The advanced standing track is designed to be completed in two semesters and one summer session, or one calendar year.

Carlow University has an MSW program with an advanced standing track for qualified students who hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better on a four-point scale. The program allows students to enroll in fully campus-based courses or low-residency hybrid courses that meet once per month on Saturdays. Advanced standing students complete a 45-credit curriculum that includes two 300-hour field practicums for a total of 600 hours of field education. The program has a Direct Practice specialization that provides training in clinical social work, as well as a Macro Practice specialization. Both specializations have a trauma focus. Advanced standing students in the Carlow University program can earn their degree in three semesters of full-time enrollment or five semesters of part-time enrollment.

Kutztown University (KU) has a hybrid-model advanced standing MSW program that combines campus-based classes with online instruction. Students in the program can choose to attend daytime classes that meet during the week or Executive Schedule classes that meet on Tuesday and Saturday evenings. The Department of Social Work accepts advanced standing applications from students who hold a BSW degree conferred by a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program. Students who are granted advanced standing status complete a 44-credit curriculum that includes 500 hours of field education. The program offers specializations in Behavioral Health, Community Development, Leadership and Management, and Family and Child Wellness, as well as an optional School Social Work graduate certificate. The time to completion for advanced standing students in the KU program is one-year for those who opt for full-time enrollment and two years for those who choose part-time enrollment.

Marywood University offers an MSW program with an advanced standing track for students who hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program, provided the degree was earned within the last five years. Students who are granted advanced standing status are given credit for up to 21 of the program’s 60 required credits and are thus able to graduate in one year of full-time enrollment. Advanced standing students are similarly only required to complete 480 hours of field education. The program is offered in a hybrid format that combines campus-based and online instruction. Students can choose to attend classes at Marywood University’s main campus in Scranton or at one of two off-site locations: at DeSales University in the Lehigh Valley; or at East Stroudsburg University in the Pocono area. Full-time enrollment with classes held on weekdays is available at the Scranton and Lehigh Valley locations; part-time enrollment with classes held on Saturday evenings is available at all three locations. The MSW program has an Advanced Direct Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Communities and Organizations curriculum with specializations in: Behavioral Health; Child and Family Studies; and Administration.

The Millersville University of Pennsylvania and Shippensburg University Collaborative’s (MU-SU) MSW program is offered in an advanced standing format for qualified students who hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program that was conferred within the last eight years. In addition, advanced standing students are required to have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a four-point scale, as well as a 3.25 GPA in their BSW major courses and field placements. The program combines in-person classes on both of the school’s campuses (students can choose between the two) with online instruction. Students complete an Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice curriculum that requires students to engage in 500 hours of site-based field education. The program also offers an optional certificate in Home and School Visitor. Advanced standing students can complete the program’s 36 credits in one year of full-time enrollment or two years of part-time enrollment.

Pennsylvania Western University’s (PennWest) hybrid MSW program has an advanced standing track that is designed for CSWE-accredited BSW graduates whose degree was conferred within the last five years. In addition, advanced standing candidates are expected to have attained a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale. Students who are admitted to the advanced standing track are eligible to waive up to 27 of the 60 total credits required to graduate, provided they earned a grade of B or better in those courses at the BSW level. Similarly, advanced standing students in the program complete 500 of the program’s 900 required hours of field education, provided they completed at least 400 hours of field education during their BSW program. PennWest’s MSW program has a Trauma-Informed Family Centered Social Work Practice specialization that can be completed in one year by advanced standing students who are enrolled on a full-time basis.

Slippery Rock University (SRU) offers its Advanced Clinical Practice with Children, Adults, and Families MSW program in an advanced standing format for students who hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program. Students in the program attend campus-based classes and receive online instruction. The program’s advanced clinical concentration has an embedded certificate in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy included and students also have the option of perusing a certificate in Animal-Assisted Social Work. The completion time for SRU’s advanced standing program, which includes 500 hours of field education, is one year for full-time students and two years for students who opt for part-time enrollment.

Temple University offers a campus-based advanced standing MSW program track that is designed for students who hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program, provided the degree was conferred within the last five years. Temple’s School of Social Work also requires applicants to have attained a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a four-point scale. Advanced standing students complete a 34.5-credit curriculum that has two specialization options: Clinical Practice with Individuals and Families; and Macro Practice in Organizations, Communities, and Policy Arenas. The program requires students to engage in 600 hours of field education. The completion time for Temple University’s campus-based advanced standing program is 12 months for full-time students and 18 months for part-time students. Depending on the term, courses are held on Temple University’s main campus or their Center City campus.

The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) has a campus-based MSW program with an advanced standing option for qualified students who hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program, provided the degree was conferred within the last five years. In addition, advanced standing applicants are expected to have passed all undergraduate social work major courses with a grade of B or better. Penn’s advanced standing program has clinical practice and macro practice specializations. The clinical specialization gives students the options of earning certificates in following areas: Geriatric Social Work; Child Well-Being & Child Welfare; Cohen Veterans Network MSW Scholars Program; Criminal Justice; Global Human Rights; Home-School Visitor; Latin American and Latinx Studies (LALS); LGBTQ; and Social Work in Health Care. The macro practice track has the following certificate options: Geriatric Social Work; Child Well-Being &, Child Welfare; Criminal Justice; Global Human Rights; Latin American and Latinx Studies (LALS); LGBTQ; and Social Work in Health Care. Advanced standing students at Penn are required to complete a minimum of 500 hours of field education. (Prospective students should contact the school to determine the exact number of field education hours that are required to graduate.)

The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) has an MSW program that it offers at its main campus in Pittsburgh, as well as at satellite campuses in Bradford and Johnstown. All three have advanced standing tracks that accept applications from CSWE-accredited BSW graduates whose degree was conferred within the last seven years and whose cumulative undergraduate GPA is 3.0 on a four-point scale. The main campus program offers two specializations: Direct Practice with Individuals, Families, and Small Groups; and Community, Organization, and Social Action (COSA). The Direct Practice specialization has five additional certificate options: Children, Youth, and Families; Gerontology; Home and School Visitor/School Social Worker; Integrated Healthcare; and Mental Health. The COSA specialization has a Human Services Management certificate option. Pitt’s main campus advanced standing program includes 720 hours of field education and has 12-month and 16-month full-time completion plans.

The advanced standing MSW programs offered at the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford and at the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown campuses are similar to the main campus but have several curricular differences. Rather than two specialization options, these programs offer only the Direct Practice with Individuals, Families, and Small Groups specialization. In addition, the Bradford program has a Children, Youth, and Families focus, and the Johnstown program offers a Mental Health certificate option. The field education requirements are the same as the main campus program (720 hours), but instead of offering a full-time completion plan, the Bradford and Johnstown advanced standing programs have a part-time completion plan, which can be completed in one and a half to two years, with most classes scheduled in the evenings to accommodate students who work full time.

West Chester University has an Direct Practice with Individuals, Families, and Communities MSW program that is offered in an advanced standing format at both its main campus in West Chester and at its Center City Philadelphia campus. To qualify for advanced standing status, applicants must have a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program that was conferred within the last seven years, as well as a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 out of four in all social work major courses. The advanced standing curriculum consists of 36 credits and includes 504 hours of field education. Students can complete the West Chester campus program in one year of full-time enrollment or extend the time to completion to two years by enrolling on a part-time basis. Only the part-time enrollment option is available to advanced standing students in the Philadelphia campus program.

Widener University’s campus-based Trauma-Informed Clinical Social Work MSW program has an advanced standing track for students who hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program that was conferred within the last six years. In addition, advanced standing applicants must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale, and a GPA of 3.3 or higher in all social work major courses. Students in the program complete a 36-credit curriculum that includes 680 hours of site-based field education. The program is designed to allow advanced standing students to graduate in one year of full-time enrollment or to take up to three years to earn their degree on a part-time basis.

Online

Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs in Pennsylvania

The Millersville University of Pennsylvania and Shippensburg University Collaborative (MU-SU) offers a fully online MSW program with an advanced standing track for CSWE-accredited BSW graduates whose degree was conferred within the last eight years and whose cumulative undergraduate GPA was 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale. In addition, applicants for advanced standing status are expected to have a 3.25 cumulative GPA in their BSW major courses and field placements. The MSW program has an Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice curriculum that includes 500 hours of required field education. Students in the program receive training and instruction in clinical and macro practice social work and have the option of earning a certificate in Home and School Visitor. The program is designed to be completed in one year of full-time enrollment. Part-time enrollment generally leads to graduating in two years.

Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest) offers its Trauma-Informed Family Centered Social Work Practice MSW program in a fully online format with an advanced standing track for qualified applicants who earned a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last five years and maintained a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale. Students who meet these qualifications are eligible to waive up to 27 of the program’s 60 required credits and 400 of the program’s 900 required field education hours provided they earned a grade of B or better in the equivalent courses and field practicums at the BSW level. Advanced standing students can then complete a 33-credit curriculum (including 500 hours of site-based field practicums) in one year of full-time enrollment. Advanced standing part-time students generally graduate in two years.

Temple University offers its online MSW program in an advanced standing format that requires applicants to have earned a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program within the last five years, and to have achieved a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a four-point scale. This 34.5-credit advanced standing program gives students a choice between two specializations: Clinical Practice with Individuals and Families; or Macro Practice in Organizations, Communities, and Policy Arenas. Advanced standing students are required to engage in 600 hours of field education and can complete the program in 18 months of part-time enrollment.

Widener University’s Center for Social Work Education has a fully online MSW program with an advanced standing track for qualified students who have a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program conferred within the last six years, a 3.0 or higher cumulative undergraduate GPA, and a GPA of 3.3 of better in all of their social work major courses. The program has a Trauma-Informed Clinical Social Work curriculum that consists of 36 credits. Advanced standing students are required to engage in 680 hours of site-based field education while earning their degree. Widener University has a flexible enrollment policy for its online MSW program that allows students to complete their degree in one year of full-time enrollment or to enroll on a part-time basis and take up to three years to complete the program requirements.

Directory of All Master of Social Work Programs in Pennsylvania

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)
Filter By Program Type:

Alvernia University

(Reading)
Department: Social Work Program
CSWE Accreditation Status: Fully Accredited
Reading Programs:

Bryn Mawr College

(Bryn Mawr)
Department: Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research
CSWE Accreditation Status: Fully Accredited
Bryn Mawr Programs:

Carlow University

(Pittsburgh)
Department: Analytical, Physical & Social Sciences
CSWE Accreditation Status: Fully Accredited
Online Programs:

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

(Bloomsburg)
Department: Anthropology, Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Social Work
CSWE Accreditation Status: Fully Accredited
Bloomsburg Programs:

Eastern University

(Saint Davids)
Department: Social Work Department
CSWE Accreditation Status: Fully Accredited
Online Programs:

Kutztown University

(Kutztown)
Department: Department of Social Work
CSWE Accreditation Status: Fully Accredited
Kutztown Programs:

La Salle University

(Philadelphia)
Department: School of Arts and Sciences
CSWE Accreditation Status: Fully Accredited
Philadelphia Programs:

Lancaster Bible College

(Lancaster)
Department: Counseling & Social Work Department
CSWE Accreditation Status: Fully Accredited
Online Programs:

Marywood University

(Scranton, Center Valley)
Department: School of Social Work
CSWE Accreditation Status: Fully Accredited
Scranton Programs:
Center Valley Programs:
Online Programs:

Messiah University

(Mechanicsburg)
Department: School of Graduate and Professional Studies
CSWE Accreditation Status: Granted Candidacy
Online Programs:

Millersville University of Pennsylvania and Shippensburg University Collaborative

(Millersville, Shippensburg)
Department: The School of Social Work (Millersville University), Social Work and Gerontology Department (Shippensburg University)
CSWE Accreditation Status: Fully Accredited
Online Programs:

Moravian University

(Bethlehem)
Department: School of Behavioral and Community Health
CSWE Accreditation Status: Granted Candidacy
Bethlehem Programs:

Pennsylvania Western University

(California)
Department: College of Health Sciences and Human Services
CSWE Accreditation Status: Fully Accredited
Online Programs:

Saint Joseph's University

(Philadelphia)
Department: School of Education and Human Development
CSWE Accreditation Status: Granted Candidacy
Online Programs:

Slippery Rock University

(Slippery Rock)
Department: Social Work Department
CSWE Accreditation Status: Fully Accredited
Slippery Rock Programs:
Online Programs:

Temple University

(Philadelphia)
Department: School of Social Work
CSWE Accreditation Status: Fully Accredited
Philadelphia Programs:
Online Programs:

University of Pennsylvania

(Philadelphia)
Department: School of Social Policy & Practice
CSWE Accreditation Status: Fully Accredited
Philadelphia Programs:

University of Pittsburgh

(Pittsburgh, Bradford, Johnstown)
Department: School of Social Work
CSWE Accreditation Status: Fully Accredited
Pittsburgh Programs:
Bradford Programs:
Johnstown Programs:
Online Programs:

West Chester University

(West Chester, Philadelphia)
Department: College of Education and Social Work
CSWE Accreditation Status: Fully Accredited
West Chester Programs:
Philadelphia Programs:

Widener University

(Chester)
Department: Center for Social Work Education
CSWE Accreditation Status: Fully Accredited
Chester Programs:
Online Programs: