21 Best (12-MONTH) Advanced Standing MSW Online Programs


Written By: Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH


What Are The Best (12-MONTH) Advanced Standing MSW Online Programs In The Nation?

(Based on our Ranking Methodology, the following are the 21 best 12-month advanced standing MSW online programs. These MSW programs are for students who have earned their BSW. You can complete these programs in 1 Year or less.)


1. Columbia University - New York, NY


Concentrations Offered: Advanced Clinical Practice, Advanced Generalist Practice & Programming, Policy Practice, and Leadership, Management, & Entrepreneurship for Social Justice


Program Length: Advanced Clinical Practice (1 Year); Advanced Generalist Practice & Programming (1 Year); Policy Practice (1 Year); and Leadership, Management, & Entrepreneurship for Social Justice (1 Year)


Program Details: Columbia University’s 1-year online advanced standing MSW program starts with a summer intensive during which you’ll begin your 600 hours of field study and become familiar with the skills necessary for your chosen concentration. You’ll take an introductory statistics course and two seminars that will orient you to practicums and the advanced standing MSW experience.

In the subsequent fall and spring terms, expect to spend seven or eight hours a week in a virtual classroom utilizing synchronous technology. Your courses will specifically reflect the concentration area you’ve chosen, whether that’s Clinical Practice, Generalist Practice and Programming, Policy, or Leadership, Management, & Entrepreneurship for Social Justice. You’ll also spend 21 hours each week pursuing your practicum. Columbia University’s School of Social Work partners with more than 600 placement sites throughout New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut, as well as more than 300 placement sites in other parts of the country.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: Full-time students can complete this program in a single year, and part-time students in two.


Admission Requirements: You must have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited social work program within five years of your application date. You must submit a resume, a personal statement, and at least one recommendation from someone familiar with your professional work.


Why Choose This Program

U.S. News & World Report rates Columbia University’s graduate social work program as the fourth best in the nation.
• Within your core specialization, this 12-month online advanced standing MSW program will let you further customize a field-of-practice concentration, choosing from sub-specializations such as Aging/Gerontology; Contemporary Social Issues; Family, Youth, & Children's Services; Health, Mental Health, & Disabilities; International Social Work and Services to Immigrants and Refugees; School-Based and School-Linked Services; and World of Work.
• Are you employed as a professional in the human services field? You may qualify for Columbia University’s Reduced Residency pathway, which will allow you to earn your MSW over three years while you continue to work.

RECOMMENDED ONLINE MSW PROGRAMS

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, MI


Program Length: 1 Year


Program Details: The University of Michigan’s 1-year advanced standing MSW online program can save you time and money since it only requires 45 credits, 15 credits less than the university’s traditional MSW program. You’ll have two concentrations to choose from: Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, & Substance Abuse and Welfare of Children & Families. Full-time students will begin in the fall, while part-time students can begin in the fall, winter, or spring. The university accepts a new cohort of approximately 60 students into this program each fall.

Core MSW coursework includes classes like “Historical and Contemporary Issues in Social Work and Social Welfare,” “Theories of Change,” and “Proseminar in Social Work and Social Science I & II.” Actual classes use a synchronous format, but you’ll be able to access assignments, readings, discussion boards, and other educational materials at any time of the day or night. You must complete 684 hours of fieldwork. The university will work with you to find an appropriate practicum assignment near your home.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: If you enroll full-time, you’ll graduate in a year. It will take two years for part-time students to graduate.


Admission Requirements: This program is only open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who’ve earned a BSW within the last 10 years while maintaining a 3.5 grade point average.


Why Choose This Program

• Since 2012, U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work as the top social work school in the nation.
• This is one of the 1-year advanced standing MSW programs online that offers coursework that will allow you to earn a school social work certification, provided your fieldwork placement qualifies for that certification.
• More than 98 percent of this program’s graduates find work in their chosen field within one year of earning their MSW degree.


3. The Ohio State University - Columbus, OH


Concentrations Offered: Aging & Health, Mental Health & Substance Misuse, Child & Youth Services, and Community & Social Justice


Program Length: Aging & Health (1 Year), Mental Health & Substance Misuse (1 Year), Child & Youth Services (1 Year), and Community & Social Justice (1 Year)


Program Details: You can begin Ohio State University’s 1-year advanced standing MSW online program in the spring, summer, or fall. This 43-credit program includes foundational coursework such as “Evidence in Social Work Practice” and “Professional Development,” as well as classes in advanced practice methods, practice evaluation classes, and four concentrations: Aging & Health, Mental Health & Substance Misuse, Child & Youth Services, and Community & Social Justice.

You’ll participate in 672 hours of advanced field placement. Ohio State University partners with more than 1,200 community organizations and agencies nationwide, and the College of Social Work will work diligently to find a placement that matches your interests and educational goals. Students may even have the chance to undertake international field placements.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: Full-time students can complete this program in three semesters (one year), and part-time students can complete it in six semesters (two years).


Admission Requirements: This Advanced Standing MSW is only open to applicants who’ve earned a social work baccalaureate within the past five years while maintaining a 3.0 GPA. Three professional references, a resume, and a personal statement must accompany your application.


Why Choose This Program

• According to U.S. News & World Report, Ohio State’s College of Social Work is the 12th best out of all the nation’s social work schools.
• Advanced Standing MSW students at Ohio State University can pursue a joint MSW/Master of Arts (MA) with the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, a joint MSW/Master’s of Public Health (MPH) with the College of Public Health, or a joint MSW/ Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP) with the Knowlton School of Architecture.
• Do you learn better at your own pace or in a more structured educational setting? Whatever your learning style, Ohio State’s Advanced Standing MSW can accommodate it because you’re the one who will get to choose between synchronous and asynchronous course formats.


4. The University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa, AL


Concentrations Offered: Children, Adolescents & Their Families and Adults & Their Families


Program Length: Children, Adolescents & Their Families (3 Semesters) and Adults & Their Families (3 Semesters)


Program Details: The University of Alabama’s 12-month advanced standing MSW online program begins in the summer semester. In that first semester, you’ll complete core social work courses like “Components of Human Development and Social Systems,” “Social Welfare Policies and Delivery Systems, Social Problems, and the History of Social Welfare,” and “Research – Informed Practice” before proceeding to specialization classes in the fall and spring. The university offers two specializations: Children, Adolescents & Their Families and Adults & Their Families.

Advanced Standing MSW students at the University of Alabama must complete at least 500 field practicum hours. Although your coursework—including virtual skills labs—will be accessible online, you must visit the campus in Tuscaloosa in May before you start classes for a face-to-face orientation.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: Full-time students should be able to finish this program in a year, and part-time students have up to four years to complete the curriculum.


Admission Requirements: To be admitted into this program, you must have majored in social work as an undergraduate no more than five years before applying to the University of Alabama. Successful applicants will score 70 or higher on the Social Work Education Assessment Project (SWEAP) BSW assessment. With your application, you must submit a resume and a statement speaking to your experiences with technology since your graduation from college or university.


Why Choose This Program

• The University of Alabama offers two concurrent MSW degree options: a joint MSN/MPH degree with the University of Alabama-Birmingham’s School of Public Health and a joint MSN/Juris Doctor (JD) degree with the University of Alabama Law School.
• The University of Alabama offers international MSW fieldwork placements in Ghana, India, Spain, South Africa, and elsewhere, in addition to Washington, D.C.


5. Tulane University - New Orleans, LA


Program Length: 12 Months


Program Details: What makes Tulane University’s advanced standing social work master’s one of the best 1-year advanced standing MSW programs online? For one thing, its focus on fieldwork: You’ll have to complete 948 practicum hours to graduate. For another, the innovative way this program integrates clinical and community practice so that graduates develop a commitment to social justice and a belief in the essential dignity of the clients they serve.

The program involves 48 credits with courses like “Research for Program Evaluation and Evidence Based Social Work,” “Community Organizing and Policy Advocacy,” and “Social Work Practice with Individuals, Groups, and Families.” While Tulane doesn’t offer any traditional MSW concentrations per se, the university does offer two specialized focus areas: Disaster and Collective Trauma and Mental Health, Addiction, and the Family. Courses begin in the summer semester.

You’ll begin participating in practicums in your first semester. Tulane collaborates on field placements with more than 100 schools, hospitals, government agencies, and community organizations.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: You can complete this program in three semesters (one year) if you commit to enrolling full-time. Part-time students will take six semesters (two years) to graduate.


Admission Requirements: Tulane University’s Advanced Standing MSW option is open to applicants who’ve earned a BSW within the past five years while maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher. You’ll need to submit two letters of recommendation, a resume, and a personal essay with your application.


Why Choose This Program

• When you’re accepted into Tulane University’s Advanced Standing MSW program, you may be eligible for a merit award totaling $11,250.
• At Tulane University, you can pair your MSN with three other graduate degrees: a JD, an MPH, or a Master of Science in Disaster Resilience Leadership (MS-DRL.)


6. Fordham University - New York, NY


Concentrations Offered: Individuals & Families, Organizations & Community, Evaluation, and Policy Practice & Advocacy


Program Length: Individuals & Families (8 Months), Organizations & Community (8 Months), Evaluation (8 Months), and Policy Practice & Advocacy (8 Months)


Program Details: Fordham University offers one of the shortest 1-year advanced standing MSW programs online: Full-time students can earn their master’s degree in fewer than nine months. Once you complete a single required core course, “Advanced Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis,” you can begin taking classes geared toward one of four specializations: Individuals & Families, Organizations & Community, Evaluation, or Policy Practice & Advocacy. You can begin this program in January, May, or September.

In addition to 31 credits of coursework, you’ll need to complete 500 hours of fieldwork. Fordham University has an extensive network of community partners throughout the nation, and a placement specialist will work with you to find a fieldwork site within a reasonable driving distance from your home.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: Students who take 15 credits a semester can complete this 12-month advanced standing MSW online program in two terms (eight months). Part-time students will need four terms (16 months.)


Admission Requirements: You must submit a resume or CV, a personal statement, and one professional reference with your application. Fordham accepts students who are in the process of finishing their BSW degrees as well as students who hold a BSW degree.


Why Choose This Program

• Interested in expanding the scope of your commitment to social justice? Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Services partners with the School of Law on a dual MSW/JD degree.
• Fordham University offers Advanced Standing MSW students a number of scholarship and fellowship opportunities, including the Palliative Care Fellowship and the PIPELINE for Youth Health Fellowship Program.


7. Baylor University - Waco, TX


Concentrations Offered: Clinical Practice and Community Practice


Program Length: Clinical Practice (12 Months) and Community Practice (12 Months)


Program Details: Baylor University’s 30-credit Advanced Standing MSW program involves 550 hours of fieldwork. Throughout your enrollment, you’ll spend approximately 20 hours a week working with clients in a supervised setting that reflects your concentration choice, Clinical Practice, or Community Practice. Baylor’s Garland School of Social Work believes in empowering students to affect change within their own communities, and a dedicated placement team will work with you to find a practicum within 75 miles of where you live.

Foundational courses include “Introduction to Graduate Studies” and “Clinical Diagnosis in Social Work.” Online courses use both synchronous and asynchronous technologies. Baylor University’s accelerated MSN track begins in January and May.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: Full-time students will be able to finish this program in three terms (12 months), while it will take part-time students five terms (20 months.)


Admission Requirements: Applicants to this program must have a BSW from an accredited program they’ve earned within the last five years. You must submit a practicum evaluation with your application, along with an essay and three letters of recommendation.


Why Choose This Program

• Interested in combining social work with another discipline? Baylor University offers dual MSW/MBA, MSW/Master of Divinity (MDiv), and MSN/Master of Theological Studies (MTS) degree tracks.
• If you’re interested in practicing social work from a Christian perspective, this 1-year online advanced standing MSW program may be the ideal choice: While Baylor accepts students from all faith backgrounds, its Advanced Standing MSW program is grounded in a Christian worldview.


8. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville - Knoxville, TN


Concentrations Offered: Evidenced-Based Interpersonal Practice and Organizational Leadership


Program Length: Evidenced-Based Interpersonal Practice (12 Months) and Organizational Leadership (12 Months)


Program Details: When you enroll in the University of Tennessee-Knoxville’s 36-credit Advanced Standing MSN, you can choose between two specialization tracks: Evidence-Based Interpersonal Practice and Organizational Leadership. You’ll participate in fieldwork two or three days a week for a total of 600 hours.

You’ll start the program in the summer semester with a two-part generalist seminar in Micro and Macro Social Work Practice before continuing throughout the fall and spring semesters with classwork that delves deeply into the concentration you’ve chosen. This 1-year advanced standing MSW online program deploys both synchronous and asynchronous learning technologies. At the end of your studies, you’ll have the option of writing a thesis or completing a capstone project that allows you to apply social work theory to a challenge you’ve encountered in your fieldwork.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: If you enroll in this program full-time, you can graduate in 12 months. It will take you 24 months to graduate as a part-time student.


Admission Requirements: Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in social work from an accredited program with a minimum grade point average of 2.7. A personal statement, three professional references, and a resume or a curriculum vitae must accompany your online application.


Why Choose This Program

• At UTK, you can augment your Advanced Standing MSW degree by earning certificates in Trauma, Veterinary Social Work, Gerontology, and Forensic Social Work. You can also complete the coursework necessary to qualify for School Social Work licensure.
• The same professors who teach the University of Tennessee-Knoxville’s campus-based MSW program teach its distance-learning Advanced Standing MSW program.


9. University of Kentucky - Lexington, KY


Program Length: 2 Semesters


Program Details: Although the University of Kentucky’s Advanced Standing MSW offers no concentrations as such, the university encourages students to take advantage of electives and the university’s six certificate options to develop an individualized plan of study. This 12-month online advanced standing MSW program entails 30 credits and 600 clinical practicum hours. You’ll take foundational MSW courses like “Psychopathology for Social Work Practice,” “Assessment and Treatment Planning in Social Work,” and “Advanced Social Welfare Policy and Analysis.”

The University of Kentucky partners with more than 1,000 community and government agencies and organizations for clinical practicums, and you’ll have more input into the field placement process than you might have at other 12-month advanced standing MSW programs online. UK accepts new cohorts into this program in the spring, summer, and fall.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: If you enroll in this program as a full-time student, you can graduate in 12 months.


Admission Requirements: This program is only open to applicants who’ve graduated from an accredited social work undergraduate program with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. You’ll need to submit a writing sample, a personal statement, two recommendations, and a resume with your application.


Why Choose This Program

• Graduates from the University of Kentucky’s College of Social Work have the highest pass rates on the clinical licensure exam in the Blue Grass State.
• When you enroll in this program, you can pursue six MSW certificate options, including Child Welfare Practice, Clinical Social Work Practice, Military Behavioral Health, School Social Work, Substance Use Disorder, and Trauma-Responsive Practice.


10. Georgia State University - Atlanta, GA


Concentrations Offered: Community Partnerships


Program Length: 1 Year


Program Details: Georgia State University is committed to preparing the students who enroll in its 39-credit Advanced Standing MSW for leadership roles within their communities. The program starts in the summer semester, during which you’ll take a social work elective and three bridge courses: “Foundations of Community Partnerships,” “Diversity and Social Justice,” and “Community Foundation Integrative Seminar.” In your following two semesters, you’ll dive deeper into the MSW program’s Community Partnerships concentration and begin 400 hours of practicum education. Coursework is accessible using asynchronous technology, which allows you to learn at your own pace.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: This 12-month advanced standing MSW online program was designed for full-time students to complete it in a single year.


Admission Requirements: Only applicants with a BSW awarded within the last five years are eligible to apply to this program. Three professional references and a statement of purpose must accompany your application.


Why Choose This Program

• Georgia State University's MSW program offers a unique Community Partnerships concentration, focusing on community-based solutions to issues like poverty, violence, and discrimination.
• Your studies will culminate with a capstone project during which you’ll partner with a community agency and collaborate with four or five other students to execute a social justice initiative.


11. University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, AR


Program Length: 1 year


Program Details: The University of Arkansas’s 1-year online advanced standing MSW program uses asynchronous technology so that you can schedule your job and other personal responsibilities around your educational commitments. The program consists of 39 credits and requires 660 hours of fieldwork. You’ll spend approximately 22 hours a week working with clients under the supervision of a licensed social worker in a community or government agency in your own geographical area.

You’ll begin your studies in the summer semester with a bridge course: “Evidence-Based Social Work.” During the fall and spring semesters, you’ll pursue UArk’s generalist social work curriculum with classes like “Social Work Research & Technology” and “Advanced Practice Using the Multi-Systems Life Course Perspective.” At the end of the academic year, you can choose between writing a master’s thesis or completing a capstone project in which you’ll use the social work theory you’ve learned to propose a solution to a challenge you encountered during your fieldwork.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: The University of Arkansas doesn’t accept part-time students into its Advanced Standing MSW program. You should be able to complete this program full-time in one year.


Admission Requirements: All applicants to this program must have a BSW from an accredited school that they’ve earned within the past six years with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. You must submit a personal statement, an essay focusing on a case study, and three professional references with your application.


Why Choose This Program

• Are you interested in helping remediate the devastating effects of poverty? The University of Arkansas’s MSW program focuses on solving complex social challenges related to poverty and vulnerable populations.
• 90 percent of the students enrolled in this Advanced Standing MSW program receive funding (most often stipends) from the University of Arkansas.


12. Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge, LA


Concentrations Offered: Advanced Direct Social Work Practice


Program Length: One Year


Program Details: Louisiana State University’s Advanced Standing MSW distance-learning curriculum doesn’t use a traditional semester system. Instead, classes are taught over intensive seven-week modules with a one- to two-week break between modules. Full-time students will complete eight modules while pursuing this 1-year advanced standing MSW online program; part-time students will complete eight. You’ll be required to take a “Differential Diagnosis” course before beginning your Advanced Direct Social Work Practice coursework.

The 33-credit curriculum includes 480 practicum hours. Full-time students will pursue fieldwork 40 hours a week over 12 weeks; part-time students will pursue fieldwork 16 to 18 hours a week over 28 weeks. This Advanced Standing MSW program accepts new cohorts in March and October.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: You can complete this program in one year full-time or two years part-time.


Admission Requirements: To be accepted into this program, you must have earned a bachelor’s degree in social work within the past five years with a minimum GPA of 3.0 from an accredited program.


Why Choose This Program

• Louisiana State University will allow you to complete your fieldwork in your current place of employment if no other appropriate site can be found, provided your MSW supervisor is not the same supervisor you report to for work.
• Although writing a thesis isn’t mandatory, it’s encouraged, and if you do, the thesis requirement will replace six credits of elective classes.


13. Appalachian State University - Boone, NC


Concentrations Offered: Community & Organizational Practice and Individuals & Families


Program Length: Community & Organizational Practice (1 year) and Individuals & Families (1 year)


Program Details: Appalachian State University’s 12-month online advanced standing MSW program offers synchronous classes on Tuesday, Thursday, and Wednesday evenings. Although this program has two distinct concentrations, Community & Organizational Practice, and Individuals & Families, the two curricula were deliberately designed to overlap so that students choosing one specialization will have ample exposure to the other.

To graduate from this program, you must complete at least 33 credits and 480 practicum hours. You’ll participate in fieldwork in various human services settings, including health departments, schools, child and family service agencies, and community organizations close to your home.

This program begins in the summer semester. You’ll take an Advanced Standing transitional seminar during that summer, and during the following fall and spring semesters, you’ll focus on coursework related to the university’s two concentrations.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: Full-time students will complete the curriculum in one year; part-time students will complete it in two.


Admission Requirements: This program is only open to applicants who’ve completed a BSW within the past seven years while maintaining a grade point average of 3.2 or higher.


Why Choose This Program

• This is one of the best 12-month advanced standing MSW online programs for anyone interested in addressing issues like poverty, substance abuse, and limited access to healthcare services that are characteristic not only of Appalachian communities but of all rural communities.
• The cross-over design of ASU’s two concentrations, which integrate the micro with the macro, is unique to Appalachian State University and will imbue you with a more holistic understanding of social work.


14. New Mexico State University - Las Cruces, NM


Concentrations Offered: Advanced Generalist


Program Length: 1 Year

Program Details: New Mexico State University’s Advanced Standing MSW features an Advanced Generalist concentration that will prepare to work with vulnerable populations throughout a variety of multicultural settings. To graduate from this program, you must complete 30 credits and 500 practicum hours. You’ll interview with a practicum coordinator to whom you’ll describe your learning goals, and together, you will choose the fieldwork assignment best suited to your aspirations.

This is another one of the 1-year online advanced standing MSW programs that begins in the summer semester. You’ll take courses like “Social Work Skills Application,” “Social Work Mental Health Practice,” and “Practice with Organizations and Communities.” During your final semester, you’ll complete a project that involves applying the social work theory you’ve learned in a case study. Courses use asynchronous technology so that you can create a study schedule that meshes with your work and family obligations.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: Full-time students will graduate in one year. If you choose to enroll part-time, it will take you two years to complete the program.


Admission Requirements: This 12-month advanced standing MSW online program is open to students who’ve completed a Bachelor of Social Work within the last five years with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. You’ll need to submit two recommendation letters, a resume, a personal statement, a case study written by you, and signed copies of your field evaluation with your application.


Why Choose This Program

• New Mexico State University’s School of Social Work partners with the university’s Department of Public Health Services on a dual MSW/MPH degree.
• New Mexico State University offers significant tuition discounts for active military members.


15. The University of Memphis - Memphis, TN


Concentrations Offered: Advanced Practice Across Systems


Program Length: 1 Year


Program Details: The University of Memphis offers a 37-credit Advanced Standing MSW that requires 560 hours of fieldwork. This 1-year online advanced standing MSW program starts in the summer semester with three foundational MSW courses: “Assessment, Diagnosis, Psychopathology,” “Social Welfare Policy/Services,” and “Advanced Standing Fieldwork.”

In the following fall and spring semesters, you’ll move on to the Advanced Practice Across Systems specialization and spend 18 to 20 hours participating in practicums in your own local area. UofM Global, the University of Memphis’s distance learning system, offers most coursework asynchronously, but the program also includes some synchronous remote meetings in practice courses, which will give you the opportunity to network with other members of your MSW cohort.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: You’ll be able to complete this program in a year as a full-time student and two years as a part-time student.


Admission Requirements: This program is only available to students who have completed a BSW within the past five years with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. You must submit a writing sample or entrance examination scores, a resume, and three professional references with your application.


Why Choose This Program

• If you’re a licensed social worker, the University of Memphis may admit you into its Advanced Standing MSW program even if you completed your social work bachelor’s degree more than five years ago.
• The University of Memphis offers several graduate certificates in fields related to social work, including an Interprofessional Graduate Certificate in Substance Abuse, a Graduate Clinical Social Work Certificate, a Graduate Nonprofit Management and Leadership Certificate, a Graduate Certificate in Local Government Management, an Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Disability Studies, a Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies, and a School Social Work Graduate Certificate that will qualify you to apply for Tennessee licensure.


16. Our Lady of the Lake University - San Antonio, TX


Program Length: 1 year


Program Details: Our Lady of the Lake University’s 1-year advanced standing MSW online program entails 30 credits and 500 fieldwork hours. You’ll take courses like “Professional Writing for Social Work,” “Theories and Perspectives: Hispanic Children and Family,” and “Psychopathology.” OLLU’s Worden School of Social Services maintains partnerships with an extensive network of government and private social service agencies throughout the nation. It will assist you in finding a practicum placement that aligns with your educational goals. The program has rolling admissions and start dates every year in January, March, May, July, August, and October.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: If you’re a full-time student, you’ll complete this program in 11 months; part-time students, however, typically finish in two years.


Admission Requirements: Our Lady of the Lake University’s Advanced Standing MSW program is only open to students holding a BSW from an accredited social work program. You’ll need to hand in a resume, three letters of recommendation, and a personal statement with your application.


Why Choose This Program

• If you’re interested in serving the needs of the Hispanic community, this is one of the best 1-year advanced standing MSW programs online. It is one of only three MSW programs in the U.S. that focuses on the unique social service needs of the nation’s fastest-growing demographic.
• Students enrolled in OLLU’s Advanced Standing MSW program are eligible to earn a Certificate in Business Essentials for Health Care Professionals.
• Our Lady of the Lake University is affiliated with the Catholic church, though the MSW curriculum does not reflect Catholic precepts, and the university accepts students of all faiths.


17. Dominican University - River Forest, IL


Concentrations Offered: Child Welfare, Gerontology, Military Social Work, School Social Work, Health & Well-Being, and Working With Immigrants & Refugees


Program Length: Child Welfare (9 Months), Gerontology (9 Months), Military Social Work (9 Months), School Social Work (9 Months), Health & Well-Being (9 Months), and Working With Immigrants & Refugees (9 Months)


Program Details: You can complete Dominican University’s 30-credit 12-month online advanced standing MSW program in just two semesters. You’ll begin taking courses in your chosen concentration track right away, choosing between specialties like Child Welfare, Gerontology, Military Social Work, School Social Work, Health & Well-Being, and Working With Immigrants & Refugees.

Dominican University offers a live orientation for new students at its campus in River Forest. However, if you live in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, or Wisconsin, this face-to-face orientation is optional because you can attend it online.

You’ll be responsible for completing 20 hours a week of fieldwork, a total of 600 hours in all. Dominican University partners with more than 350 social service agencies in the Greater Chicago Metro Area, and if you live too far away to take advantage of them, the university will guide you through the process of identifying and securing a field placement closer to where you live. Dominican University accepts new cohorts into this program each fall.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: If you pursue this program full-time, you can graduate in just nine months. Part-time students should be able to graduate in two years.


Admission Requirements: Only applicants with a BSW from an accredited school are eligible to apply to this 12-month advanced standing MSW online program. Your application must be accompanied by a personal statement, a resume, and two letters of recommendation.


Why Choose This Program

• Dominican University offers three joint degrees in conjunction with its MSW: a joint MSW/MBA, a joint MSW/Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS), and a joint MSW/Master of Arts in Mediation and Conflict Resolution (MMCR.)
• Dominican University is one of the few 12-month advanced standing MSW online programs that offers international fieldwork placements.


18. Western Kentucky University - Bowling Green, KY


Program Length: 1 Year


Program Details: Western Kentucky University’s 1-year online advanced standing MSW program is dedicated to helping alleviate the severe shortage of social workers throughout the southwestern part of the Blue Grass State. WKU’s Advanced Standing MSW track offers a generalist approach to social work with no specific concentrations as such. You’ll complete 33 credits of coursework.

You’ll take courses like “Social Work Administration and Supervision,” “Social Work in Diverse Rural Communities,” and “Rural Social Welfare Policy.” To graduate, you must complete a capstone course during which you apply the theories you’ve learned in your coursework to an issue you’ve confronted in your fieldwork. Students must also pass a comprehensive examination before they are awarded their degrees.

You must participate in at least 500 fieldwork hours to graduate. You’ll be matched with a social service organization in your own community under the supervision of a field instructor who is a licensed social worker. This program accepts a new cohort every other fall.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: Part-time students can complete this program in two years; full-time students can complete it in one.


Admission Requirements: WKU’s Advanced Standing MSW program only accepts students who’ve graduated from an accredited BSW undergraduate program with a GPA of 3.0 within the past seven years. You must apply separately to Western Kentucky University’s graduate division and the Department of Social Work. Submit three applications, a resume, a writing sample, and a personal statement with your application.


Why Choose This Program

• Interested in the social issues that beset individuals and families in non-urban communities? Western Kentucky University has a reputation as one of the best 12-month advanced standing MSW online programs for practitioners who want to meet the social work needs of rural populations.
• WKU caps its online MSW class sizes at 15 to afford students plenty of opportunity to interact with their distance learning instructors.


19. St. Ambrose University - Davenport, IA


Concentrations Offered: Empowerment


Program Length: 1 Year


Program Details: St. Ambrose University’s unique Empowerment concentration enables Advanced Standing MSW students to identify the resources that can help bring about constructive social change. This 1-year advanced standing MSW online program involves 36 credits and 912 hours of fieldwork practicum. Your coursework will begin during the eight-week summer term, during which you’ll take two courses: “Diversity and Social Policy” and “Social Work Program Evaluation.” You’ll complete core specialization coursework, electives, and fieldwork during the subsequent fall and spring semesters. You can expect to spend between 18 and 20 hours each week participating in practicum experiences.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: If you’re a full-time student, it will take you 10 months to finish St. Ambrose University’s Advanced Standing MSW track. Part-time students can finish this major in approximately two years.


Admission Requirements: You must have a bachelor’s degree in social work from an accredited program with a grade point average of 3.0 or better to be accepted into this Advanced Standing MSW program. Submit two letters of recommendation and a personal reference with your application.


Why Choose This Program

• At St. Ambrose University, you can earn dual MSW/MBA and MSW/MPH degrees.
• If you’re looking for a school that’s rooted in Catholic educational values but welcomes students from many different backgrounds and religions, St. Ambrose University’s Advanced Standing MSW may be an ideal choice.


20. University of South Dakota - Sioux Falls, SD


Program Length: 1 Year


Program Details: The University of South Dakota’s 12-month online advanced standing MSW program requires 36 credits and 500 hours of supervised fieldwork. You’ll start your degree in the summer term with courses like “Diversity and Social Justice in Rural and Urban Communities,” “Advanced Mental Health Practice,” and “Advanced Practice in Social Work Practice.” You’ll continue with more comprehensive coursework in the fall and spring semesters. Though the University of South Dakota’s Advanced Standing MSW program doesn’t offer a discrete concentration, its curriculum focuses on preparing professionals to provide social work services such as therapeutic services, organizational planning, and community planning to diverse communities throughout South Dakota and surrounding regions.

You’ll start your fieldwork at the same time you start your coursework, completing between 16 and 20 hours of fieldwork per week. You’ll be responsible for finding your own fieldwork placement, but you’ll have the support of the university’s field education staff in identifying and securing your site.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: Full-time students can finish this program in as little as a single year, and part-time students can finish it in two years.


Admission Requirements: Only candidates with a baccalaureate degree in social work will be granted admission into this program. You must apply through the Social Work Centralized Application Service (SocialWorkCAS) online application.


Why Choose This Program

• The University of South Dakota offers the only graduate social work program in the Mount Rushmore State.
• The University of South Dakota participates in the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP), which means that students from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming can pay the same tuition to attend this Advanced Standing MSW program as South Dakota residents.


21. Northern Arizona University - Flagstaff, AZ


Program Length: 1 year


Program Details: Though Northern Arizona University’s Advanced Standing MSW doesn’t offer a formal concentration, the program is well known for its focus on diverse populations and the well-being of clients who live in rural areas. This 1-year online advanced standing MSW program comprises 39 credits and 450 practicum hours. You’ll take three bridge courses, “Research Methods in Social Work,” “Diversity and Social Justice in Social Work,” and “Contemporary Developments: Bridge to Social Work Practice,” before you begin the advanced generalist curriculum and your fieldwork.

This program accepts new students in the summer and spring, but students who plan to do fieldwork outside Flagstaff can only begin the program in the spring semester. Anticipate spending two and a half days a week at your placement during the summer term and two days a week during the fall and spring semesters.

How Fast Can You Complete This Program: Full-time students can complete this program in one year.


Admission Requirements: Successful applicants will have completed a BSW at an accredited school with a GPA of 3.3 or better within the past five years. Your application must be accompanied by two professional references and a personal statement.


Why Choose This Program

• Northern Arizona University’s Department of Social Work participates in the Child Welfare Training Project. This field placement initiative awards participants up to two years of in-state tuition, any required program/course fees, and a $500 monthly stipend in exchange for agreeing to work for the Arizona Department of Child Safety upon graduation.
• Advanced Standing MSW students at Northern Arizona University can choose a Healthcare emphasis that teaches practice skills, theories, and evidence-based modalities that will prepare them to advocate persuasively for culturally responsive healthcare services and policies.


VIEW OUR RANKING METHODOLOGY



Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
Pattie Trumble is a nurse who worked in both California and New York for many years as an emergency room nurse. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an Associate Degree in Nursing from the Samuel Merritt Hospital School of Nursing. After 10 years of providing direct care, she went back to school and earned concurrent Master’s degrees in both public policy and public health from the University of California, Berkeley. Thereafter, she worked for various public health agencies in California at both the community and state levels providing economic and legislative analysis.