On-campus M.S.W.
As social workers, we so often concern ourselves with the “next step” — for our clients, for our organizations, for our communities.
But what about for ourselves? How can we continue to meet our calling in the face of new challenges? How can we continue to develop our voices as social workers?
In our Master of Social Work Program, students seek to answer these very questions. Through intensive, specialized coursework, research and field experience, our students can truly find their focus as advanced practitioners and policy leaders, and position themselves to make immediate impacts in the lives and communities they touch.
What we offer
Our small class sizes afford our students the room and time to connect with their instructors and each other, to fully contemplate where their true passions lie and to reflect on their shared experiences. And through it all, they’re given the tools and encouragement to embrace their own unique insights and fashion themselves into the practitioners they most want to be.
Our home in VCU’s Academic Learning Commons provides our on-campus students with a centrally located hub that allows us to deliver our educational mission through state-of-the-art technology and accessible learning spaces. Also, with new graduate research space, students have access to the materials, supports and technology they need to further their own independent, community-engaged research goals.
Program details
Advanced standing
To earn the M.S.W. degree in the on-campus advanced standing option requires 42 credits of full-time graduate study. Students in advanced standing do not complete the generalist curriculum but instead take 12 credit hours during the summer prior to entering the concentration curriculum.
Regular standing
The regular standing format for the M.S.W. degree requires the completion of 60 credit hours of graduate study (two years of full-time study). The first 30 credit hours (the generalist curriculum) may be taken in one academic year on a full-time basis or may be extended to a maximum of two years in the structured part-time format.
Students in both the regular and advanced standing formats select a concentration (specialization) for the last 30 credit hours, which can be completed in one academic year on a full-time basis or extended to a maximum of two years in the structured part-time format. Students are usually in a field instruction practicum two days each week during the generalist curriculum and three days each week during the concentration curriculum. Course credit for work or life experience is not granted in lieu of M.S.W. course credit hours.
View full M.S.W. degree requirements for the macro social work practice and clinical social work practice concentrations in the Graduate Bulletin (*disclaimer).
Regular standing, full time (2 years/4 semesters)
60 hours. The on campus full-time option requires students enroll in four three-credit courses and one three-credit field placement each semester over two years.
Regular standing, accelerated part time (3 years/8 semesters)
60 hours. The on-campus accelerated part-time option allows students to complete the program over eight semesters, including two summer semesters. There are four semesters that are six credit hours each and four semesters with three nine credit hours each.
Regular standing, part time (4 years/10 semesters)
60 hours. This on-campus part-time option lets students complete their degree requirements over a four-year period, with six credits taken each semester, and includes three summer semesters.
Advanced standing (1 year/3 semesters) – B.S.W. required
42 hours. The on-campus advanced standing option is open to applicants who have earned a B.S.W. degree from a CSWE-accredited institution during the previous five years and have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0.
This sequence is completed in one year over the course of three continuous semesters (summer, fall and spring for on-campus students). Advanced standing is a full-time format only and cannot be pursued part time, and is available in both the clinical and macro practice concentrations.
The foundational generalist curriculum helps students develop the skill base that fosters competencies needed to work in a variety of social work settings. It includes courses in social work practice, human behavior theory, social policy, social and economic justice, research and agency-based field instruction.
After one year of generalist study, students enroll in specialized courses in the concentrations (specializations) of clinical social work practice or macro social work practice (*disclaimer):
- The clinical practice concentration prepares students for advanced practice in mental health, health care and community settings, among others. Grounded in trauma-informed, anti-racist and evidence-based approaches, the concentration emphasizes clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment with individuals, families and groups. Learn more
- The macro practice concentration equips you with the advanced skills needed to drive systemic change. Through a blend of critical and emergent theories and practice, you’ll learn to navigate complex social issues, develop leadership in community and organizational settings, and cultivate transformational relationships. Learn more
Regular standing: Students in 60-hour regular standing tracks have two field placements at separate agencies, totaling 900 hours and exceeding the requirements of our national accrediting organization, the Council on Social Work Education.
The general placement, 300 hours, comes first, followed by the the specialist placement, 600 hours. and 300 at the generalist placement.
In the generalist placement, students are expected to demonstrate generalized professional knowledge, values and skills studied in the generalist curriculum. In the second placement, students are placed in agencies according to their area of specialization.
Advanced standing: Students in the 42-hour advanced standing track have one placement all three semesters, totaling 750 hours (150 generalist and 600 specialist).
Time commitment: Students typically dedicate 14 hours per week to their generalist placement and 21 hours per week to their area of specialization placement in the second year. Students should anticipate these hours to be met during regular business hours.
Completing a field placement nights or weekends is rare, if not impossible. Students will find it challenging to work full time while in field placement; if attempting to do so, students should coordinate closely with their employer to accommodate learning needs.
An M.S.W. degree enables our students to empower others and effect change in prevalent areas such as:
- Addictions
- Aging/gerontology
- Child welfare
- Community organizing
- Corrections/criminal justice
- Developmental disabilities
- Domestic violence
- Health care – inpatient and outpatient services
- Homelessness/housing
- Immigration services/refugee services
- International social work
- Military (active duty and veterans) social work
- Nonprofit management
- Policy practice
- Private practice
- Psychiatry/mental health
- Public welfare
- Rehabilitation
- School social work
- Trauma and crisis intervention
Ready to learn more?
Complete a certificate, certification or dual degree
Our students can combine their M.S.W. studies with other programs to earn special certificates in Aging Studies, Child Welfare, Gender Violence Intervention or Nonprofit Management. Clinical M.S.W. students can earn the School Social Work Certification, offered through the Virginia Department of Education. Students also can do dual-degree study to combine their M.S.W. with law or public health degrees. Find out more about our certificate, dual-degree and certification options.
I chose VCU after a thorough search and comparison of other social work programs. VCU’s social work program is nationally ranked, and upon visiting for an informational session, I felt the support tremendously.”
Koren Satchell (she/her), M.S.W. graduate and scholarship recipient
Accreditation
VCU’s B.S.W. and M.S.W. programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education – the accrediting body for all schools of social work at both the baccalaureate and master’s levels. The VCU Bachelor of Social Work Program is accredited by CSWE through 2027.
Assessment data
All programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education measure and report student learning outcomes. View our most current results for M.S.W. student learning outcomes.
Have questions?
Prospective students interested in the on-campus M.S.W. option are encouraged to reach out to sswinfo@vcu.edu with questions. Looking for more information about online options? Visit our online M.S.W. site.