15 Best Part-Time MSW Programs for Working Professionals [2025 Guide]

Your social work career can advance without putting your job on hold. Social work occupations will grow by 7% over the next decade, making it the perfect time to pursue a part-time MSW.

The options have never been better. Online education now offers more than 50 part-time MSW programs, while full-time programs remain at 30. Working professionals can complete these flexible programs in 2.5 to 4 years. Some accelerated tracks even allow graduation in just 9 months. Most programs have eliminated GRE requirements, making them more available to working professionals like you.

We have reviewed the top 15 part-time MSW programs for 2025 to help you find your ideal match. Medical social work positions offer an average salary of $57,630, and many other specialized paths exist. This piece will guide you toward a well-informed choice that aligns with your career goals.

University of Denver: Specialized Concentrations for Career Advancement

Ranked among the nation’s top 15 social work graduate programs, University of Denver has a resilient part-time MSW program built for professionals who work 20+ hours weekly. You can earn your degree in 3.5 years with this well-laid-out program and still keep moving forward in your career.

University of Denver’s Flexible Scheduling Options

The Denver Campus part-time MSW program lets you take evening classes that work around your schedule. On top of that, the curriculum moves logically from foundation courses about social justice to your chosen concentration. Working professionals can build key skills and use them right away in ground settings.

Mental Health and Trauma Concentration Benefits

The Mental Health and Trauma concentration gets you ready for roles as a behavioral health clinician, psychiatric social worker, or health policy promoter. This pathway has both micro-level courses about individual interventions and macro-level courses that tackle systemic mechanisms. You’ll gain vital skills to assess mental health across the lifespan, understand substance use policies, and implement evidence-based interventions for trauma.

Health, Equity and Wellness Career Pathways

Health care and medical social work positions are projected to grow by 20% through 2026, which makes this concentration especially valuable. The curriculum looks at health from a social justice view and shows barriers to health equity while preparing you to work in traditional medical settings, integrated health clinics, or wellness centers. You’ll learn how race and social determinants affect health disparities and develop skills to promote policy reform in systems of all types.

Field Placement Support for Working Professionals

University of Denver stands out by letting you choose from over 750 internship options. The university understands the financial challenges of unpaid internships—in 2021-22, 194 students completed employment-based field placements. The field team supports you throughout the process and helps you find placements that match your academic needs and work schedule.

Simmons University: Extended Part Time MSW Program

Simmons University offers an innovative extended part-time MSW program that helps working professionals advance their social work careers while keeping their current jobs.

Part-Time Expanded Program

Students can choose to continue working and stretch their education out from two years to 2.5, 3 or even 4 years. While the first year is a true part-time option with two days a week of classes and even some night options to accommodate working adults, the second year requires more commitment. In that year, students will need to devote five or six days to coursework.

Clinical Practice Certificates and Specializations

Your MSW can be enhanced with specialized certificates that boost your career opportunities in specific areas:

• Trauma Practice – Prepares you to work in various settings from schools to psychotherapeutic environments with children, adults, and families
• Mental Health Practice – Emphasizes serious mental health conditions and evidence-based treatments
• Clinical Practice with Military – Develops culturally-aware skills to help service members and their families

Each certificate needs two additional courses (six credits) beyond your MSW coursework.

Simmons’ Field Education Network

The program combines classroom learning with hands-on experience – traditional MSW students complete over 1,000 hours of field education, while advanced standing students need 672 hours. Simmons’ placement team helps you find practicum opportunities in your community and ensures supervision from professional social workers. The university’s Social Work Simulation Education lets you practice clinical skills in controlled environments before working with actual clients.

Career Outcomes for Simmons Part Time Graduates

Graduates thrive as clinical social workers in hospitals, mental health centers, family agencies, Veterans Affairs centers, and private practice. They make significant contributions in community health centers, primary care practices, and integrated behavioral health clinics. Simmons graduates prove themselves as “strong agents of change” with a passion to serve underserved populations.

Syracuse University: Technology-Focused Social Work Education

Syracuse University has created a groundbreaking MSW program that puts technology at the vanguard of social work education. This CSWE-accredited program prepares social workers who use digital tools as key components of modern practice.

Digital Innovation in Social Work Practice

Syracuse stands out because of its focus on technology integration throughout the curriculum. The program combines critical themes like trauma-informed care and social justice with modern approaches to social work in the digital world. Students learn to utilize emerging technologies such as telehealth and texting services to expand care access. This digital-first approach gives graduates the tools to serve vulnerable populations better in our connected society.

Syracuse’s Part Time Online Format

Working professionals find exceptional flexibility in the part-time online MSW program. Students can access courses through weekly live HD classes and self-paced coursework via a full-service mobile app. The program schedules classes at different times throughout the week to fit various work schedules. Students enjoy an immersive online campus with break-out rooms, progress reports, and smart platform features like dark mode and closed captioning.

Traditional MSW students complete the 60-credit curriculum in as few as 36 months. Part-time students start with a fully remote first year to ease into the program. Field education remains vital, with students completing 1,000 hours of practice from their second year onward. These hours split between two internships—foundation level and concentration level.

Advanced Standing Track Requirements

The Advanced Standing track substantially reduces program length for professionals with a BSW. This accelerated option has 36 credits plus 500 field placement hours and takes as little as 24 months to complete. Qualification requirements include:

• A bachelor’s degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program completed within the past 10 years
• A minimum 3.0 GPA in all social work courses
• Completed prerequisite coursework in liberal arts (30 credits minimum)

Students can choose between two concentration options: Advanced Clinical Practice for future mental health clinicians and Advanced Integrated Practice for those seeking leadership roles in human service organizations.

Howard University: Social Justice-Oriented Curriculum

Howard University’s MSW program stands out with its unique social justice-focused curriculum based on the Black Perspective – a framework that shows how oppression, self-determination and culture shape service to individuals and communities. Working professionals can complete the program part-time in 36 months for the traditional track and 24 months for the advanced standing track while keeping their full-time jobs.

Direct Practice Concentration for Clinical Careers

The Direct Practice concentration teaches you to work directly with individuals, families, and small groups. The coursework has assessment strategies, intervention planning, and psychopathology – key skills for clinical social workers. You’ll learn how to diagnose, treat, and support clients through life challenges. Social workers who graduate from this concentration excel as mental health therapists, family counselors, and medical social workers.

Community, Administration and Policy Practice Track

The Community, Administration and Policy (CAP) Practice track gives you the tools to create systemic change. You’ll learn to reshape policies and strengthen communities through courses in human service administration, advanced community organizing, and social policy analysis. The program teaches you resource development, grant proposal writing, and strategic planning – tools that macro-level practitioners need to tackle inequities in systems of all types.

Howard’s Legacy in Social Work Education

Howard’s curriculum, as a historically Black institution, shows its steadfast dedication to improving human well-being, especially for African Americans and other marginalized populations. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) fully accredits the program that focuses on research-driven knowledge and analytical skills. The Black Perspective helps students practice with empathy and affirm the strengths of all populations.

Part Time Field Placement Options

Students must complete 1,000 total clock hours of field education. First-year students work 16 hours weekly while second-year students complete 20 hours weekly. The university offers some evening and weekend placements to help part-time students. Howard also has Employee Based Field Education (EBFE) options that let you complete field requirements at your current workplace. A dedicated team helps match you with suitable agencies in your community.

Columbia University: Prestigious Part Time MSW Option

Working professionals can earn their MSW degree from Columbia University through a flexible part-time option that takes four years to complete. The program matches the full-time track’s high standards while letting students balance their careers.

Four Specialized Concentrations

Students can choose from four method specializations at Columbia that define their final year:

• Advanced Clinical Practice – Prepares you for direct work with individuals, families, and groups, focusing on therapeutic interventions
• Integrated Practice and Programming – Develops skills in advocacy, evidence-based interventions, and program planning
• Policy Practice – Analyzes and advocates for policies that create societal change
• Leadership, Management, and Entrepreneurship – Gives you the skills needed for administrative roles in nonprofits and social service organizations

Each path combines specialized courses with matching practicum placements. This approach helps you build expertise in your chosen area instead of just general knowledge.

Columbia’s Evening and Weekend Classes

Students nationwide can join the part-time MSW program through its online platform. Your first year involves one or two courses each term without practicum requirements, which helps you adjust to graduate-level studies smoothly. Later terms require 14 hours of practicum work weekly, usually during the day. The curriculum follows CSWE guidelines and balances coursework in human behavior, social welfare policy, research, and social work practice.

Networking Opportunities in New York City

The online format doesn’t limit your professional connections. Columbia’s Career and Leadership Management team provides individual coaching, educational webinars, and recruitment programs. Students also get access to exclusive events where they can meet alumni and professionals from different sectors.

Alumni Career Advancement Statistics

Columbia MSW graduates earn competitive salaries, with 2023 full-time median pay reaching $67,500. Salaries range from $35,000 to $130,000, with most falling between $60,000-$76,000. The program boasts a 97% employment rate, with graduates working mainly in healthcare (38%) and nonprofit sectors (34%). Many alumni receive extra perks like professional development funds, retirement plans, loan repayment help, and guaranteed clinical supervision for licensure.

University of Michigan: Research-Focused Part Time Program

University of Michigan invests over $4.7 million annually in research](https://www.petersons.com/graduate-schools/university-of-michigan-school-of-social-work-master-of-social-work-program-msw-program-000_10068552.aspx) and offers a reliable part-time MSW program where research meets practice. Students who work full-time can pursue advanced social work credentials without putting their careers on hold, thanks to this research-focused environment.

Interpersonal Practice Specialization

The Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse pathway highlights the vital link between physical and behavioral health. This specialization prepares students to work in:

• Hospitals and health systems
• Behavioral health centers
• Community mental health clinics
• Substance use treatment programs

Students learn through interprofessional education opportunities that help them work effectively in healthcare teams. Mental health and substance abuse social work jobs are expected to grow 17% through 2029, which is nowhere near the average growth rate for other occupations.

Management and Leadership Track

The Management and Leadership pathway builds significant skills needed to lead philanthropic organizations. Students become skilled at:

1. Program planning and development
2. Fiscal management strategies
3. Fundraising techniques
4. Organizational strategy implementation

Leadership positions in nonprofit organizations should see an 8% growth by 2025. The curriculum reinforces social work values while teaching students to question policies that promote discrimination and systemic oppression.

Research Opportunities for Working Students

Michigan’s research focus creates unique learning opportunities for part-time students. The program smoothly combines evidence-based practices throughout the curriculum. Students learn to apply research methods that show how social, cultural, and political factors affect marginalized populations. This research-driven approach helps students assess their practice effectiveness and add to the field’s knowledge.

Michigan’s Flexible Course Scheduling

The part-time MSW program comes in two main formats:

Working professionals can choose the evening/weekend option that focuses on the Interpersonal Practice pathway. The day part-time option gives access to all eight specialized pathways.

Students start their field placement in the fourth term and complete 912 field hours. Michigan’s program allows employment-based field options for students who work in relevant positions. The program must be completed within four years of enrollment, providing a well-laid-out path to career advancement.

Boston University: Hybrid Part Time Social Work Degree

Boston University offers a hybrid part-time MSW program. The program combines online learning with valuable in-person sessions. This setup works great for professionals who want to advance their education while keeping their jobs.

Clinical Practice Concentration

BU’s clinical practice concentration prepares you to work directly with individuals, families, and groups who face various life challenges. The pathway builds on these core frameworks:

• Cognitive-behavioral approaches
• Psychodynamic/attachment theories
• Family systems views

You’ll learn anti-oppressive skills, assessment techniques, diagnostic abilities, and intervention methods in this concentration. The program uses ecological systems theories as its foundation. These theories show how people and their environments affect each other. After graduation, you can work in mental health centers, child welfare agencies, healthcare settings, substance use treatment facilities, and school-based services.

Macro Practice for Administrative Careers

The macro practice track helps you change bigger systems like communities and organizations. This concentration gives you skills in:

• Leadership and human services management
• Community organizing and development
• Planning and program development
• Policy analysis and implementation

BU’s macro curriculum stands on core values of racial justice, anti-oppressive practice, participatory democracy, and community enablement. You’ll combine theory with practice through courses like Communities and Organizations, Human Services Management, and Planning and Program Development. This path fits well if you want to solve systemic problems through policy reform and organizational leadership.

BU’s Human Service Experience Track

The Human Service Experience (HSE) track offers a quicker path for seasoned professionals. You need minimum two years of full-time, paid experience with weekly supervision by a master’s-level professional to qualify. Your experience must come after your bachelor’s degree and include work like direct client care, case management, or advocacy.

The HSE track needs only one extended internship instead of two placements. You can finish your degree in seven semesters over 2.5 years. Your field education starts in the second year. You’ll need 24 hours weekly to complete the 1,000-hour requirement. This option cuts down your time commitment while giving you the same high-quality curriculum.

University of Houston: Industry-Connected Program

The University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work (GCSW) connects academic learning with Texas’s ever-changing social services sector through its industry-connected part-time MSW program. This 55-year-old program helps working professionals advance their careers without leaving their full-time jobs.

Texas-Based Field Placements

GCSW has built strategic collaborations with hundreds of agencies at local, national, and international levels. Students can access practicum opportunities throughout Texas, a state that ranks among the top five for social worker employment. Field placements include organizations like:

• Texas Children’s Hospital, which requires second-year students to complete 500 hours minimum
• University of Houston Counseling and Psychological Services
• Household-Centered Care Program serving East End and Third Ward neighborhoods

Supervised practical experience that matches your concentration will prepare you for licensure after graduation.

Clinical and Macro Practice Options

Students can choose between clinical and macro practice career paths. The clinical concentration prepares you for direct service roles with courses in assessment, DSM, and transtheoretical approaches. The macro track emphasizes community development, leadership dynamics, and administrative practice – perfect for students who want organizational management positions.

BSW degree holders can take advantage of the Advanced Standing option with reduced program requirements of 34 credit hours. This path leads to faster degree completion.

Houston’s Healthcare Social Work Connections

Houston’s program creates exceptional healthcare specialization opportunities through interdisciplinary teamwork. The university works with Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine on community health initiatives. Social work students gain direct experience addressing health disparities. Medical and social viewpoints come together to prepare students exceptionally well for healthcare settings.

Part Time Evening Course Schedule

Working professionals can complete the part-time program in three calendar years through hybrid or online formats. The hybrid option combines online learning with face-to-face classes that meet once or twice monthly on Saturdays. Students move through the program in cohorts and build lasting professional relationships. The program starts with 15-credit foundation courses before students transition into their chosen concentration.

Rutgers University: Weekend Intensive Program

Rutgers University’s part-time MSW program stands out with its blend of monthly in-person weekends and online learning. This setup works perfectly if you have a job and can’t attend regular weekday classes.

Rutgers’ Unique Weekend Format

The Intensive Weekend Program brings students together one weekend each month at various New Jersey locations – Bordentown, Jersey City, Mays Landing, and New Brunswick. Students learn in cohorts and complete online coursework at their own pace between face-to-face sessions. Many students say it feels like a “retreat-like atmosphere.” You can keep your full-time job while completing the program in three years, or two years if you’re an advanced standing student with a BSW degree.

Clinical Social Work Concentration

Rutgers’ Clinical Social Work specialization takes you beyond basic psychotherapy. You’ll learn everything about working directly with clients. The program has detailed courses in clinical assessment, diagnosis, advanced practice methods, and specialized electives. You’ll become skilled at engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation. These skills help you work effectively with people facing various challenges – from child welfare to mental health issues.

Management and Policy Specialization

The Management and Policy track gives you leadership skills needed in nonprofit and public service organizations. You’ll take courses in program planning, supervision, and human resource management. The program’s partnership with The Network for Social Work Management gives you an automatic qualification for the Human Services Management Certificate – a great addition to your resume.

New Jersey Licensure Preparation

The curriculum meets all requirements for future licensing in New Jersey. Rutgers partners with experts like Dawn Apgar, who wrote many accessible exam prep materials. You get access to interactive workshops, practice questions, and content reviews. These resources are a great way to get ready for passing your licensure exams on your first try.

Ohio State University: Affordable Part Time Option

Ohio State University runs the oldest continually accredited public social work program in the country. The university’s affordable part-time MSW program comes with specialized tracks that working professionals can choose from. Students learn evidence-informed, strengths-based approaches that help them make real change in social work settings of all sizes.

Specialized Aging and Health Track

The Aging and Health concentration gives you specialized knowledge about working with older adults in healthcare settings. This track opens career paths in hospice care, senior centers, and hospitals where you’ll promote elderly populations’ wellbeing. The curriculum builds your expertise in policies, theories, and best practices that address aging-related challenges.

Mental Health and Substance Misuse Concentration

Students passionate about clinical mental health work will find the Mental Health and Substance Misuse track valuable. This path provides detailed training in assessment and intervention techniques. The concentration readies you for roles in community mental health centers, addiction treatment facilities, and private practices. Students learn evidence-based approaches while understanding how social factors shape mental health outcomes.

Child and Youth Services Specialization

The university’s fully online MSW program with Child and Youth Services focus needs no campus visits. Students develop expertise in child welfare, school social work, and family services. Future welfare professionals learn ethics and child advocacy as core elements. Full-time students typically finish this program in 2 years.

Ohio State’s Tuition Value

Ohio State’s MSW program stands out for its competitive tuition rates. Students pay in-state tuition rates regardless of location – even those outside Ohio. This creates substantial savings compared to similar programs. Part-time study costs about twice as much as full-time because it takes longer to complete. Ohio residents can apply for the Great Minds Fellowship that offers grants up to $10,000 when they complete field placements at community health centers.

University of Washington: Healthcare-Focused Program

The University of Washington’s part-time MSW program shines with its healthcare focus. Students learn to work in modern treatment settings while completing the program in 9-11 quarters (~3 years). You can keep your full-time job until specialized practicum starts.

Healthcare Systems Specialization

You’ll be ready to work in hospitals, community health centers, and integrated care settings with this specialization. “Advanced Social Work Practice in Health Settings” helps you learn assessment and intervention techniques. These skills help people who deal with trauma or chronic illness-related pain. The program gives you strong foundations in biopsychosocial, family systems, and multicultural approaches that make healthcare social work successful.

Mental Health Concentration

Recovery-oriented practice with adults who face severe mental illness sits at the heart of this concentration. You’ll become skilled at handling co-occurring disorders, supported housing programs, and treatment approaches that work together. Your work could span community mental health centers, psychiatric hospitals, residential programs, and crisis intervention services.

Children, Youth and Families Track

This track readies you to work in:

• Child welfare agencies
• School systems
• Youth justice programs
• Family support services

Students learn trauma-informed interventions and culturally relevant practices that help heal communities. “Social Work in Schools” shows you evidence-informed methods that work in educational settings. You’ll tackle real issues like truancy, homelessness, and special education needs.

Washington’s Part Time Online Format

The part-time MSW “Extended Degree Program” now focuses on clinical social work specialization. Students start with core generalist courses before moving to specialized clinical practice. Classes meet in the evening from 6-9pm Monday through Thursday. Saturday electives might pop up occasionally. Most classes happen in person, though some may run online.

Your field work starts in the fourth quarter. The generalist practicum needs 360 hours while the specialized practicum requires 680 hours. Students ended up having access to more than 600 practicum sites across Washington state. These range from behavioral health agencies to hospitals.

Temple University: Urban Social Work Focus

Temple University’s MSW program provides a unique urban social work education based on social justice principles and trauma-informed approaches. The School of Social Work has stayed true to its mission of preparing professionals who tackle complex challenges in metropolitan environments since it opened in 1969.

Clinical Practice in Urban Settings

The Clinical Practice concentration gives you specialized skills to work directly with urban populations. This pathway helps you become skilled at engagement, assessment, and intervention techniques that work for city populations. Students learn about social justice frameworks, research methods, and evidence-based interventions designed for urban communities. Cultural competence and trauma-informed care stand out as crucial skills needed to work in complex urban social service environments.

Macro Practice for Community Development

The Macro Practice concentration teaches you to create systemic change in urban organizations and communities. Students learn to become change agents within human service agencies and community settings. The coursework covers community dynamics, policy practices, organizing strategies, and green approaches. A specialized course analyzes white supremacy in social work practice and addresses structural barriers common in urban environments.

Temple’s Flexible Part Time Schedule

Working professionals can spread their coursework over three to four years with Temple’s part-time MSW format, including summers. Students start with six credits per term and progress to nine credits. Temple offers campus-based and fully online part-time options, and students can start in Fall or Spring terms. Online students follow the same curriculum as on-campus students, and classes maintain small student-to-faculty ratios of 15-20 students.

Philadelphia Field Placement Network

Temple’s program stands out with access to over 500 field placement sites throughout Philadelphia. Students complete two distinct practicum experiences that total 1,050 hours. The first placement builds foundational skills through 450 hours, while the second focuses on your chosen concentration with 600 hours. Temple’s Office of Field Education matches students with placements that fit their professional goals in Philadelphia’s diverse urban setting.

University of Louisville: Specialized Certificates

The Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) program at the University of Louisville stands out with its specialized certificates. These certificates help part-time students build expertise and create better career opportunities.

Alcohol and Drug Counseling Certificate

The alcohol and drug counseling concentration at Louisville helps address the nationwide shortage of qualified addiction counselors. Students can prepare for the Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) certification, which treatment agencies value highly. The program:

• Meets many CADC certification requirements
• Builds essential knowledge and clinical skills
• Helps graduates find immediate work in substance abuse treatment settings

Students learn case management skills and become familiar with clinical supervision methods that treatment programs use.

Gerontology Specialization

The gerontology concentration helps students work effectively with older adults and their families as America’s population ages. The US Department of Labor lists geriatric social work among the fastest-growing jobs with excellent job security. Students get the skills they need to help senior populations and work in healthcare settings, senior centers, and community agencies.

Military Social Work Focus

Students in the military social work concentration learn to help active duty personnel, veterans, and their families. The coursework covers theories and program interventions related to military service. Service members often look for help outside traditional military support systems, which makes this training valuable in many practice settings.

Louisville’s Part Time MSSW Structure

Students can complete their degree in several ways. They can take classes in traditional classrooms, fully online, or mix both approaches. The MSSW curriculum has two year-long field placements that need 16-18 hours each week. BSW graduates can choose an advanced standing option that cuts the standard 60-credit program to 30 credits. Students can use nine elective credit hours to shape their degree around their chosen specialization.

University of Southern California: Innovative Virtual Platform

USC’s Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work has created a flexible part-time MSW program through its innovative Virtual Academic Center. This platform helps working professionals advance their careers while pursuing their educational dreams.

USC’s Virtual Academic Center

Students experience authentic clinical scenarios in a safe learning environment through the Virtual Academic Center. The Virtual Field Practicum (VFP) lets students work with simulated clients—often played by professional actors—before they step into real agency settings. Students can build their confidence while completing 210 of the required 1,000 internship hours. The platform comes with HD video sessions, iOS mobile apps, and tools that track your progress effectively.

Adult Mental Health and Wellness Concentration

This concentration teaches human behavioral theory and shows how neuroscience connects with the mind-brain-body system. Students learn evidence-based intervention skills they can use in clinical settings of all types. The program blends traditional mental health principles with new trends in digital mental health and evidence-based decision-making.

Children, Youth and Families Specialization

Students learn to promote children and youth’s wellbeing in a variety of social environments. The coursework helps them understand family dynamics, childhood development, and build culturally-responsive programs. This specialization gives students the skills they need to work in child welfare agencies, schools, and family support organizations.

Social Change and Innovation Focus

The Social Change and Innovation track (nicknamed “SCI” or “sky”) teaches students to create lasting change on a broader scale. Students receive cross-disciplinary training to tackle major social problems like homelessness, human trafficking, and poverty through diversity, equity, and inclusion views. Graduates find diverse career opportunities in nonprofit management, public affairs, community organizing, and corporate social responsibility.

Arizona State University: Advanced Generalist Practice

U.S. News & World Report ranked Arizona State University’s online MSW program as the “#1 university for innovation,” ahead of Stanford and MIT. Students can access this complete social work education through their part-time MSW program.

ASU’s Flexible Online Format

Students can complete the part-time MSW program in two or three years through ASU’s online platform. You can access course materials at your own pace since most coursework runs asynchronously. The program has two professional seminars with synchronous components that allow immediate interaction with instructors. Working professionals can easily balance their full-time jobs with advanced education through this structure.

Advanced Generalist Curriculum Benefits

The 60-credit advanced generalist track builds your micro skills for direct practice and macro skills for community development. The foundation year covers everything from direct practice to organizational change, social policy, human behavior, and research. Students then take a closer look at specialized topics like mental health, behavioral health services, policy development, and social work’s legal aspects. This approach equips you to deliver culturally competent interventions at every practice level.

Arizona State’s Field Education Network

ASU’s program centers on field education with two key practicum experiences:

• Foundation practicum placement (480 hours)
• Specialization practicum placement (480 hours) in a different setting

The Field Education Office connects you with suitable agencies in your area. These field experiences span two consecutive semesters at the same agency, which helps you develop deeper skills.

Career Advancement Outcomes

Social worker employment will grow 7% from 2022 to 2032, faster than average occupational growth. ASU graduates work in a variety of roles from case management to administration. The program prepares you specifically for positions as mental health providers, medical social workers, human service agency administrators, and school social workers. 

Compare Part-Time MSW Programs

Get Your Part-time MSW Started Today

Part-time MSW programs provide excellent flexibility to working professionals who want career advancement. You can choose evening classes at University of Denver, attend monthly weekend sessions at Rutgers, or complete your degree through Syracuse’s HD platform online. These programs work around your schedule without disrupting your career.

Every program has its strengths. Columbia’s prestigious networking opportunities lead to median salaries of $67,500. University of Michigan’s $4.7 million research investment advances state-of-the-art practices. On top of that, specialized tracks prepare you for high-demand roles in healthcare, mental health, and child welfare services.

Social work occupations will grow 7% through 2033. This makes it the perfect time to get your MSW. Howard University’s social justice curriculum and USC’s Virtual Academic Center show how traditional social work values blend with modern educational technology effectively.

Your next step is finding the program that matches your career goals and lifestyle. Take a look at program duration (9 months to 4 years), field placement hours (500-1,050), and specialized concentrations that line up with your practice area. This full picture will help you pick a program that boosts your professional expertise and earning potential.