7 Best MSW Programs in Georgia (Online & Campus) – 2025


Written By: Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH

Are you a Georgia resident who’s interested in helping others overcome challenges? Enrolling in one of the MSW programs in Georgia can help you leverage your caring nature professionally. A Master of Social Work degree in the Peach State opens many doors: You can help patients and their families in hospital settings, work with school children, provide community services, or help draft social policy and evaluate social programs. MSW-educated social workers in Georgia earn $57,640 a year on average, and their employment opportunities are projected to grow by 20 percent in the next decade. Sound good to you? Everything you need to know about the 7 best MSW programs in Georgia for 2025 is below.



RECOMMENDED ONLINE MSW PROGRAMS

WHAT ARE THE BEST MSW PROGRAMS IN GEORGIA (ONLINE & CAMPUS) FOR 2025?

(Based on our Ranking Methodology, the following are the 7 Best campus-based and online MSW Programs in Georgia.


1) University of Georgia - Athens


MSW Programs Offered: MSW (Full Time MSW (On-Campus), Extended Time MSW (On-Campus), and Advanced Standing MSW (On-Campus)) and Online MSW (Online)

MSW Concentrations Offered: Micro Practice, Macro Practice, and Integrated/Combined Practice

Online MSW Concentrations Offered: Micro Practice


About University of Georgia: What makes the University of Georgia’s Master’s of Social Work degree program one of the best MSW programs in Georgia? Its social activism, impactful field internships and research opportunities, and commitment to vulnerable individuals and communities in the Peach State and beyond.

UG offers a traditional MSW and an Advanced Standing MSW program on campus. Additionally, the university has an online MSW program. Its specialization tracks are Micro Practice, Macro Practice, and an integrated, combined Micro/Macro Practice track.

University of Georgia MSW Program Details: The 60-credit traditional MSW includes 1,152 hours of fieldwork. Like other MSW programs in Georgia, the curriculum is divided into generalist coursework, specialist coursework, and fieldwork. Generalist coursework includes classes like “Human Behavior in the Social Environment,” “Foundation Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families,” and “Introduction to the Social Work Profession and Field Education.” Full-time students can complete the curriculum in two years. UG also offers an Extended-Time MSW program, which allows you to complete the traditional MSW curriculum in three years.

The 40-credit Advanced Standing track requires 600 hours of fieldwork. Unlike the traditional MSW study plan, the Advanced Standing MSW study plan involves summer classes. MSW students enrolled at UG’s Athens campus should be able to complete this degree track in three semesters (one year), but MSW students at UG’s Gwinnett campus will need six semesters (two years.)

The online program is only open to Georgia residents. Its curriculum follows the traditional MSW curriculum with a Micro specialty focus and is designed to be completed in six semesters (three years.)

The University of Georgia’s fieldwork coordinators are responsible for assigning fieldwork placements. During the generalist portion of the curriculum, you’ll be assigned to an agency that will give you a new and different experience outside your previous experiences with human services organizations. During the specialist portion of the curriculum, you’ll be assigned to a school system, a substance abuse clinic, a mental health agency, or something similar that aligns with your chosen specialty.

University of Georgia MSW Admission Requirements: The traditional MSW program is open to any applicant who holds a baccalaureate degree, while the Advanced Standing MSW program is only open to applicants who have BSW undergraduate degrees. Your undergraduate GPA must be 3.0 or higher. You’ll need to submit three professional recommendations and a statement of purpose with your application, and preference is given to applicants with significant volunteer or professional experience in a social or human services organization.

Key Highlights For University of Georgia MSW Students

• In 2021, the University of Georgia awarded 178 MSW degrees.
U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Georgia’s MSW program the 28th best in the nation.
• UGA offers three dual MSW degrees: concurrent MSW/Master’s of Public Health (MPH) degrees, concurrent MSW/Juris Doctor (JD) degrees in conjunction with the University of Georgia School of Law, and concurrent MSW/Master’s of Divinity (MDiv) degrees in conjunction with Emory University’s Candler School of Theology.
• This MSW in Georgia allows you to earn professional certificates in substance use counseling, marriage and family therapy, nonprofit management and leadership, and gerontology.


2) Georgia State University - Atlanta


MSW Programs Offered: MSW (Hybrid) and Advanced Standing MSW (On-Campus)

MSW Concentrations Offered: Community Partnerships

Advanced Standing MSW Concentrations Offered: Community Partnerships


About Georgia State University: Georgia State University’s MSW tracks may be the best MSW programs in Georgia for students who are interested in encouraging cooperation between social service agencies and interdisciplinary alliances. The concentration offered by this program is Community Partnerships. You can opt to enroll in a hybrid online/campus traditional MSW program or a campus-based Advanced Standing MSW program. This MSW program in Georgia is affiliated with the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.

Georgia State University MSW Program Details: The traditional MSW program entails 50 credits and 900 hours of fieldwork. Its curriculum includes core MSW classes, specialization classes, and fieldwork. Core MSW classes include “Foundations of Community Partnerships,” “Diversity & Social Justice,” and “Social Welfare Policy.” Community Partnerships specialization courses include “Skills & Techniques of Community Partnerships I & II.” You’ll also be required to take two elective courses.

Full-time students can expect to finish this curriculum in two years. Georgia State University also offers a part-time completion track that you can finish in three years.

Classes begin in the fall. GSU’s traditional MSW program can be completed at Georgia State University’s campus in Atlanta or as a hybrid of online and campus work.

If you’re enrolled in the Advanced Standing MSW track, you’ll need to take nine credits of bridge coursework before proceeding into 30 credits of Community Partnerships specialization classes. You’ll also be required to participate in 500 hours of fieldwork. Classes begin in the summer semester. This MSW in Georgia is designed to be completed in three semesters (one year.)

Fieldwork assignments are scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. GSU’s Field Office matches students with placements on the basis of students’ specific social work interests and the rostrum of social service agencies and organizations with which Georgia State University partners.

Georgia State University MSW Admission Requirements: Students admitted into the traditional MSW program must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. Students admitted as Advanced Standing MSW students must have a bachelor’s degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. You’ll need to submit a statement of purpose and three letters of recommendation with your application.

Key Highlights For Georgia State University MSW Students

• Georgia State University gave out 62 Master’s of Social Work degrees in 2021.
• GSU has been rated the 51st-best MSW program in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
• MSW students at Georgia State University can pursue certificate programs in Geographic Information Science (in conjunction with the Department of Geosciences), Health Literacy (in conjunction with the Department of Learning Sciences), Non-Profit Management & Social Enterprise and Planning & Economic Development (in conjunction with the Department of Public Management and Policy), Gerontology (in conjunction with the Gerontology Institute), and Public Health (in conjunction with the School of Public Health.)


3) Clark Atlanta University - Atlanta


MSW Programs Offered: MSW (Two-Year MSW (On-Campus), Three Year MSW (On-Campus), and Advanced Standing MSW (On-Campus))

MSW Concentrations Offered: Child & Family and Health/Mental Health


About Clark Atlanta University: Clark Atlanta University is a historically Black research university, and its Whitney M. Young Jr. School of Social Work approaches social work from an Afrocentric perspective. This MSW program in Georgia has a traditional MSW track and an Advanced Standing MSW track. Two concentrations are offered: Child & Family and Health/Mental Health. Both MSW tracks are taught on Clark Atlanta University’s campus near downtown Atlanta.

Clark Atlanta University MSW Program Details: Clark Atlanta’s traditional MSW is a 59-credit program. Like other accredited MSW programs in Georgia, Clark Atlanta University’s traditional MSW curriculum consists of foundational MSW coursework, classes related to your specific concentration, and fieldwork. Students are also required to take three elective courses.

Foundational MSW courses include “Human Behavior and Social Environment I & II,” “Social Work Practice with Diverse Populations,” and “Social Welfare Policy and Services.” Both the Child & Family and Health/Mental Health specializations utilize ecological models that study intergenerational patterns and draw heavily on themes like Afrocentric perspective, humanistic values, and autonomous social work practice roles.

Full-time students should be able to complete this curriculum in two years. Clark Atlanta also offers a part-time completion option, which will allow you to graduate in three years. This traditional MSW in Georgia starts in the fall semester.

Clark Atlanta’s Advanced Standing MSW entails 39 credits and begins in the summer semester. Essentially, its curriculum comprises the second year of the traditional MSW curriculum, except that students enrolled in this track take bridge courses that emphasize social welfare policy in Georgia.

Traditional MSW students at Clark Atlanta are responsible for completing 900 hours of fieldwork, while Advanced Standing MSW students must complete 500. Clark Atlanta maintains numerous partnerships with social service agencies and organizations throughout the Greater Atlanta Metropolitan Area, where students are assigned to meet their fieldwork requirements.

Clark Atlanta University MSW Admission Requirements: You’ll need a baccalaureate degree from an accredited university or college with a broad liberal art focus for admission into the traditional MSW program. Advanced Standing MSW students must have a BSW. You’ll need to submit three letters of recommendation and a personal statement with your application.

Key Highlights For Clark Atlanta University MSW Students

• Although Clark Atlanta University is one of the largest and oldest HBCUs, it is open to MSW applicants of all races.
• Forty-nine Master’s of Social Work degrees were conferred by Clark Atlanta University in 2021.
• The Whitney M. Young Jr. School of Social Work is ranked #51 by U.S. News & World Report


4) Kennesaw State University - Kennesaw


MSW Programs Offered: MSW (On-Campus)


About Kennesaw State University: Wellstar College of Health and Human Services, the academic division that oversees Kennesaw State University’s graduate social work program, prides itself on instilling pragmaticism into the service disciplines it teaches. This MSW program in Georgia turns out social workers who are prepared to make a practical difference in the lives of their clients.

Kennesaw State University most established graduate social welfare program is a traditional MSW program that’s taught at its campus in the suburbs just outside Atlanta. The university debuted its Advanced Standing MSW program in the spring of 2023. KSU’s social work concentration is in Clinical Practice.

Kennesaw State University MSW Program Details: KSU’s traditional MSW program involves 60 credits and 1,200 hours of fieldwork. Like many other accredited MSW programs in Georgia, Kennesaw State University’s curriculum is divided into four components: foundation courses, concentration courses, electives, and fieldwork. The program can only be pursued full-time, which means you’ll graduate in two years.

Foundation coursework includes classes like “Social Work Foundations: Diversity, Social Justice and Ethics,” “Human Behavior in a Social Environment I & II,” and “Social Welfare Policy and Services.” Concentration courses include classes like “Advanced Clinical Practice I: Working With Individuals,” “Addiction Theory and Policy,” and “Psychopathology and Clinical Assessment, Diagnosis, and Service Planning I & II.”

The university’s 30-credit Advanced Standing MSW track is a one-year program that focuses on the concentration year of the traditional MSW track and includes 720 hours of fieldwork. You should be able to complete the advanced MSW track in one year.

You’ll be required to participate in fieldwork placements twice a week during your generalist year and three days a week during your concentration year. Field internship placements will be made to social and human service agencies throughout Greater Metropolitan Atlanta and nearby communities.

Kennesaw State University MSW Admission Requirements: The traditional MSW program is only open to applicants with a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning and an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. Only applicants with a BSW degree will be accepted into the Advanced Standing MSW program. You’ll need to submit two recommendation letters and a 1,500-word autobiographical essay with your application.

Key Highlights For Kennesaw State University MSW Students

• In 2021, 48 people graduated from Kennesaw State University with Master’s of Social Work degrees.
• Kennesaw State University offers a dual MSW/MBA degree in conjunction with the Coles College of Business Administration.
• KSU’s MSW program may be one of the best MSW programs in Georgia for people who are interested in nonprofit administration because the university offers the only nonprofit management and leadership credential in the nation that the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance recognizes.


5) Valdosta State University - Valdosta


MSW Programs Offered: MSW (Full-Time MSW (Hybrid), Part-Time MSW (Hybrid), and Advanced Standing MSW (Hybrid))


About Valdosta State University: There’s a significant shortage of social workers throughout southern Georgia, particularly social workers employed in substance abuse and mental health administration services. Valdosta State University’s MSW programs in Georgia, in part, were created to deal with this shortage.

VSU’s traditional MSW and Advanced Standing MSW programs are offered by the university’s Department of Human Services, which is affiliated with the James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services. Both these MSW tracks are offered as hybrid programs. You may choose between two specialization tracks: Direct Practice Social Work and Macro Practice for Social Workers.

Valdosta State University MSW Program Details: Valdosta State University’s traditional MSW is a 60-credit program that requires 920 hours of fieldwork. The university’s Advanced Standing MSW is a 33-credit program that entails 460 hours of fieldwork. Like most MSW programs in Georgia, the traditional MSW curriculum is split into generalist coursework, specialization coursework, and fieldwork, and you must take academic courses sequentially.

Generalist coursework includes classes like “Human Behavior in the Social Environment,” “Diversity,” and “Generalist Practice in Research and Evaluation Methods in Social Work.” While VSU doesn’t require an exit examination or a master’s thesis, you must create a professional portfolio in order to graduate.

This MSW in Georgia can be pursued either as a campus-based or a hybrid program that integrates classroom experiences with distance learning. The hybrid program involves five intensive weekend sessions during the fall and spring semesters that start with a Friday class at 5 pm and include all-day classes on Saturdays; the remainder of the coursework is delivered online. Full-time students, whether pursuing the campus-based or hybrid track, should be able to complete the program in two years; part-time students should complete it in three. Advanced Standing MSW students must complete their studies in one year.

Fieldwork is an integral part of Valdosta State University’s MSW curriculum. You can count on doing approximately 16 hours of fieldwork a week during the first year of your traditional MSW studies and 18 hours a week during your second year. Advanced Standing students can expect to do 18 hours of fieldwork a week. VSU partners on fieldwork assignments with mental health clinics, senior citizen programs, child welfare agencies, public welfare departments, schools, courts and correctional facilities, and other human services organizations throughout southern Georgia.

Valdosta State University MSW Admission Requirements: As is the case with other accredited MSW programs in Georgia, the traditional MSW program is only open to applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher learning with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their last two years of undergraduate work of 3.0 or higher. Successful applicants to the Advanced Standing MSW program must hold an undergraduate BSW degree. You’ll have to complete and submit the VSU medical form and provide three letters of recommendation with your application.

Key Highlights For Valdosta State University MSW Students

• Forty-two students graduated from Valdosta State University in 2021 with Master’s of Social Work degrees.
• VSU’s social work program sponsors an activity center called My Friend’s House for seniors impaired by Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia and a CARE-NET program that aims to support their caretakers.
• Valdosta State University sponsors a study abroad program in Mexico where students can visit local social and human services organizations and attend social welfare courses at local learning institutions.


6) Savannah State University - Savannah


MSW Programs Offered: Full-Time MSW (On-Campus) and Advanced Standing MSW (On-Campus)

Full-Time MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical Practice and Social Administration Practice

Advanced Standing MSW Concentrations Offered: Clinical Practice and Social Administration Practice


About Savannah State University: Savannah State University is the oldest of the three historically Black public universities in the Peach State. Its Master’s of Social Work degree curriculum was designed to affirm the African American legacy and train students who will assume advocacy roles in rural, urban, and global settings.

This MSW in Georgia offers two tracks: a traditional MSW curriculum and an Advanced Standing MSW curriculum. Both these social work master’s programs in Georgia are taught at SSU’s campus on the outskirts of the historic city of Savannah. Savannah State University offers two social work specialties: Clinical Practice and Social Administration Practice.

Savannah State University MSW Program Details: SSU’s traditional MSW program involves 60 credits and 900 hours of field practicum. Like other MSW programs in Georgia, SSU’s traditional MSW curriculum involves foundational MSW courses, classes specific to the MSW specialization students select, and field internships.

You’ll take classes like “Ethics and Diversity in Social Work Practice,” “Social Welfare Policy and Services,” and “Social Work Practice with Groups, Communities, and Organizations” during the first part of your studies. Full-time students must begin in the fall and graduate within two years. Part-time students begin in the summer and have three and a half years to graduate.

If you enroll in Savannah State University’s 39-credit Advanced Standing MSW track, you’ll begin classes in the spring. The Advanced Standing MSW curriculum comprises the specialization portion of the traditional MSW curriculum. It’s designed to be completed in a single year. Advanced Standing students are required to complete 500 hours of fieldwork.

SSU’s fieldwork assignments are designed to give students hands-on experience in the specialty they will be pursuing professionally once they graduate. Savannah State University maintains relationships with community service agencies and other human services providers throughout metropolitan Savannah and other parts of coastal Georgia. You must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher to remain in SSU’s MSW tracks in good standing.

Savannah State University MSW Admission Requirements: For admission into the traditional MSW program, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher. Applicants to the Advanced Standing MSW program must have a Bachelor’s in Social Work degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. You’ll need to submit a 500- to 1,000-word essay and three professional references with your application.

Key Highlights For Savannah State University MSW Students

• Savannah State University awarded 30 MSW degrees in 2021.
• Savannah State University’s Department of Social Work offers International learning opportunities in Trinidad, Tobago, Ghana, and Costa Rica.
• You can take up to six credits of graduate social work classes at Savannah State University even if you’re not enrolled in the university’s MSW program.


7) Albany State University - Albany


MSW Programs Offered: MSW (On-Campus), Advanced Standing MSW (On-Campus), and Online MSW (Online)

MSW Concentrations Offered: Children and Families Across The Lifespan

Advanced Standing MSW Concentrations Offered: Children and Families Across The Lifespan

Online MSW Concentrations Offered: Children and Families Across The Lifespan


About Albany State University: Albany State University’s Master’s of Social Work degree is one of the three best MSW programs in Georgia that’s affiliated with a historically Black university. This MSW program, offered under the auspices of the College of Professional Studies, is designed to prepare students for clinical work with vulnerable children, adults, and families from historically oppressed backgrounds, with a particular focus on the needs of southwestern Georgia.

ASU offers both a traditional MSW program and an Advanced Standing MSW program on its campus less than 100 miles north of the Florida border. The program’s concentration focus is Children and Families Across the Lifespan. The university is also one of the few MSW schools in Georgia that offers an online Master’s of Social Work degree program.

Albany State University MSW Program Details: The traditional MSW program involves 64 credits and 900 hours of fieldwork, while the Advanced Standing MSW program requires 32 credits and 450 hours of fieldwork. The primary curriculum is split into foundational courses, specialization courses, and fieldwork. Traditional MSW students complete the entire curriculum, while Advanced Standing MSW students take specialization courses and fieldwork. The traditional MSW program should take two years, while the Advanced Standing program will take a year to complete.

Classroom instruction begins at 5:15 pm to accommodate working and non-traditional students. All educational materials can also be accessed online. Courses must be taken sequentially. Foundational coursework includes classes like “Achieving Justice in a Diverse World,” “Hum Behavior in the Social Environment,” and “Research in Social Work.” Specialization coursework includes classes like “Family Dynamics Through the Life Cycle” and “Psychopathology and Psychopharmacology.”

Students will pursue field practicums in public child and family welfare programs, school-based services, group and residential care settings, and other human services organizations throughout Albany and adjacent communities in south-central Georgia. At the end of the spring semester in the specialization year, you must sit for a comprehensive exam according to the Georgia Board of Regents policy.

Albany State University MSW Admission Requirements: You must have a bachelor’s degree or higher for admission into the traditional MSW program. Applicants to the Advanced Standing MSW program must have a BSW with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. With your application, you’ll need to submit a professional resume, a personal narrative statement, and three professional references. All applicants must sit for an interview with the MSW Admissions Committees.

Key Highlights For Albany State University MSW Students

• Thirteen students graduated from Albany State University in 2021 with master’s degrees in social work.
• Though ASU is a historically Black university, it accepts students of all races into its graduate social work programs.
• Albany State University’s Department of Social Work offers continuing education courses and conferences for graduates of MSW programs in Georgia and other states who are interested in keeping up to date with advances in professional development within their field.


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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


What Are The Total Number Of Accredited MSW Programs In Georgia?

As per the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), currently, there are 7 accredited Master Of Social Work programs in Georgia.

Total MSW Programs
in Georgia
7


How Much Does An MSW Graduate Make Per Hour In Georgia?

The average salary of an MSW graduate per hour in Georgia is $26.30.


How Much Does An MSW Graduate Make Per Year In Georgia?

The average salary of an MSW graduate per year in Georgia is $54,710.


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.



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