The social work field is expanding at a robust rate. It is estimated that job growth for social workers with a master’s degree in either clinical or healthcare social work will see a 20% increase in job demand between 2014 and 2024.
There are excellent quality master in social work (MSW) programs that can provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to work in clinical and healthcare social work. Three of these online MSW programs are reviewed below.
Overview
University of Southern California
The MSW program at USC is a fully online program that is designed for professionals who do not have a bachelor’s degree in social work. If you do have a BSW, you may apply for the advanced standing version of the program.
The advanced standing MSW program consists of 37 credit hours that allows you to skip the foundation courses, if approved by the university. Student may complete the advanced standing MSW in as little as one year.
Required courses in this program include:
- Research and Evaluation for Social Work with Adults and Older Adults
- Policy in Integrated Care
- Wellness, Recovery and Integrated Care
- Explanatory Theories of Health and Mental Health
- Clinical Interventions: Evidence-Based Practice in Health and Mental Health Settings
Rutgers University
Rutgers University offers a 100% online MSW program in clinical social work that is designed to be completed in three years. Each class is held in asynchronous format, so each student has the ability to take his or her classes at their convenience. However, third year MSW students have the option of taking advanced clinical classes either live online with other students, or recorded.
Field placement at a local social service agency commences at the end of the first year. The program has an advanced standing option that is available for students who have a BSW. This option allows you to complete the program in two years.
Required courses in this online MSW program are:
- Psychopathology
- Methods of Social Work Research I
- Social Work Practice
- Social Welfare Policy and Services I
- Clinical Social Work I
- Social Work Practice II
- Field Education Practicum
Simmons College
Simmons College has the oldest school of social work in the US, and offers an online MSW degree. You have the option of choosing from these specialties:
- Child and family
- Mental health and addictions
- Trauma and interpersonal violence
- Health and aging
The traditional, online MSW program is a total of 65 credit hours and may be completed in four, six or eight terms. The program is available both online and on campus.
Required courses in this 100% online MSW degree program include:
- Social Welfare Policy and Services
- Social Work Practice
- Social Work Research
- Field Education
- Dynamics of Racism and Oppression
- Social Work Practice
- Advanced Clinical Practice
- Advocacy and Social Action
Favorite Features
Our favorite features of each MSW program are outlined below.
It should be noted that each of these online MSW programs has been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, or CSWE. This is the highly respected, national accreditation agency for social work education recognized by the Department of Education. With this accreditation, each program has shown this accreditation body that it has met high quality standards in social work education.
USC
Ranked as the #12 Social Work School According to US News and World Report
USC is a highly respected university overall, and its social work school is ranked #12 according to US News and World Report in 2017. It is likely that of all of the schools on this list, this one would be viewed as the most highly respected and prestigious overall. It also has the highest national endowment of the three universities on this list – $4.6 billion.
Rutgers University
Ranked the #22 Social Work Program According to US News and World Report
Rutgers University states on its website that it is current ranked in the top 12% of social work graduate schools. It shows up #22 on the US News and World Report list of best social work schools in the US. This indicates that the degree program is of high quality and will be viewed as a respected degree by potential employers.
Simmons College
Ranked a #5 Best Value School by US News and World Report
Simmons College is ranked #5 as a Best Value School according to US News and World Report. It features a total undergraduate enrollment of only 1,741, making it the smallest college in this review.
It is an excellent value as well when one considers that it is possible to earn your MSW degree in only 16 months with its accelerated MSW program.
Least Favorite Features
Our least favorite features of each program are listed below.
USC
High Cost of Tuition
With the status of a highly respected university comes a higher than average tuition cost. The cost of this program is a rather high $1800 per credit hour. This means that the final cost for a social work master’s degree will likely exceed $100,000. However, if you qualify for the advanced standing program, this total price drops to approximately $66,000.
The median salary for social workers according to BLS is approximately $47,000 per year, and the top end salary seldom exceeds $80,000 per year. It would be important to try to get as many grants and scholarships as possible in this program.
Rutgers University
University Has a $300 Upcharge Per Online Course
The cost per credit hour for this program is a reasonable $900, but this is only part of the online student’s cost. You also most pay an additional $300 per online course. The total cost each semester can be as high as $8100. This seems to be a steep additional cost for taking an online program.
Simmons College
Simmons Has the Least Well-Known National Profile
Simmons College is a respected health and social work university, but it is much less well known than Rutgers University and USC. A degree coming from those two universities will probably have a higher perceived value by some employers.
Its tuition rate of $1,030 per credit hour is also fairly high for a less well known university.
Simmons College
General Information
- Founded in 1899
- Application deadline: Rolling
- Application fee: $50
- School type: Non profit, private
- Term Schedule: Semester
- Location: Boston, MA; online
- Student-faculty ratio: 10:1
Tuition Rates
- $1030 per credit hour
Degrees Offered
- MSW
Class Profile
- 100% female student body on campus
- Total enrollment of the entire university online and on campus is 5660.
Graduation and Retention Rates
- 4 year graduation rate for the entire university is 69%, which is about average
- 86% of students stay for a second year, which is very good
Rutgers University
General Information
- Founded in 1766
- Application deadline: Rolling
- Application fee: $50
- School type: Private, non profit
- Term Schedule: Semester
- Location: New Brunswick, NJ; online
Tuition Rates
- MSW: $900 per credit hour, plus $300 fee per course online
Degrees Offered
- MSW
Class Profile
- 58% overall acceptance rate
Graduation and Retention Rates
- High 80.2% overall graduation rate
- 92% of all students stay for a second year, which is excellent
USC
General Information
- Founded in 1880
- Application deadline: Rolling
- Application fee: $50
- School type: Non profit
- Term Schedule: Semester
- Location: Los Angeles, CA; online
- Student-faculty ratio: 9:1
Tuition Rates
- MSW: $1800 per credit hour
Degrees Offered
- MSW
Class Profile
- Overall acceptance rate is only 18%
- 51% of all students at the university are female
Graduation and Retention Rates
- 4 year graduation rate is 77%, which is well above average
- Total graduation rate within an expected time is 91%, which is excellent
- 97% of students stay for a second year, which is one of the best rates in the US
Final Verdict
Each of these are accredited and well regarded MSW programs. There is no doubt that the MSW from USC has the most prestige, but it is also the most expensive. Students who wish to attend a more expensive university for the prestige would be advised to attempt to obtain as many scholarships and grants as possible, especially in a relatively low-salary field as social work.
Additional Resources
- Online MSW Admissions: Low GPA + High Acceptance?
- MSW vs DSW Degree + 3 Online Options
- Online Masters in Social Work + 3 No GRE Options
- DSW (Doctorate of Social Work) Degree Salary + Best Jobs After
- Social Work vs Psychology Degree + Salary Outlook
References
- Social Workers. (2015, Dec. 17). Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm
