An advanced standing online master of social work (MSW) degree is open to students who have received their bachelor of social work (BSW). The MSW, or master of social work, degree is a postgraduate degree in social work. The MSW degree is required for many advanced-level positions in the field so that professionals who have obtained their bachelor of social work (BSW) may choose to pursue an advanced degree for better opportunities, both in terms of the scope of the work and the salary. In fact, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) reports that master level social workers expected salary is $13,000 or more than bachelors level social workers.
IN THIS GUIDE
- Admissions Requirements
- Choosing the Right Program
- Advanced Standing MSW
- Online Programs
- List of Online Advanced Standing MSW Programs
- Career Outlook
- Salary Info
It stands to reason that BSW’s may choose to go this route. However, the desire to make a difference in the lives of others drives many people to consider a career in social work. So a bachelor’s degree in social work is not explicitly required for a master’s degree in social work. Any bachelor’s degree will do.
Therefore, there are many introductory-level MSW courses that a BSW has already taken. Furthermore, a typical Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited MSW program will require two field placements — essentially internships — at least 900 hours. A BSW from a CSWE program will have already completed one field placement at least 400 hours. For a BSW, then, enrolling in a traditional two-year full-time master of social work program essentially requires one year of redundancy. This may make many a BSW pause.
Enter the advanced standing master of social work degree.
Essentially, this degree takes a year off of the traditional master of social work program, providing credit for the foundational courses and field placement that the BSW student has completed. The advanced standing online MSW degree takes this one step further by allowing students to complete online courses. This can be very helpful for bachelor-level social workers already working in the social work field, allowing them to pursue their degrees with minimal disruption to their careers.
Furthermore, some programs will count some professional experience towards a field placement credit, though this will vary from school to school and depending on the nature of the job.
An important aspect to consider when choosing an advanced standing online degree program is to be sure it is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Many jobs require a degree from an accredited institution, so choose accordingly. Finishing your degree in half the time will do you no good if it does not help your professional advancement.
Admissions Requirements
Minimum
- Bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) from a CSWE institution
- GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Within five years post-bachelor degree
- Strong references from undergraduate field placement supervisor
- Academic letters of reference (typically two or more)
- Transcript
Additional (varies by school)
- Interview
- Background check
- Admissions essay or personal statement
- GRE
Choosing the Right Online Advanced Standing MSW Program
Once you have decided to take the next step in your education and pursue your Advanced Standing Online Master of Social Work degree, it is time to narrow down your options. There are several considerations to examine.
First, examine your primary career goals. For example, if you want to provide direct service,, look for a program with a solid clinical or direct practice focus. If you are looking to move into management, policy, or community organizing, then search for programs that have these as their strengths.
Then you can further narrow your focus. Determine the area you wish to specialize in. If you want to work in geriatrics, for example, look for programs that provide a strong focus in that area.
If you can’t decide or have multiple interests, you can look for a program that will allow you to take a dual specialization. Although this may add additional time to your program, you may find you can complete advanced coursework in two specializations in two years, the same amount of time you would have spent in a traditional MSW program with one focus. However, you will come out stronger with a dual degree or dual certificate.
Difference Between Traditional and Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs
As stated above, the primary difference between a traditional master’s in social work degree and an advanced standing master’s in social work degree is the time commitment. The advanced standing MSW recognizes the specialized coursework and field experience that the bachelor of social work graduate brings and credits them accordingly. This results in a waiver of the foundational courses that a first-year traditional MSW student will take. Many schools also count the time spent in a bachelor’s level field placement towards the field placement hours in the advanced standing online MSW program.
In short, the differences can be broadly categorized into courses, time, and cost.
Courses
The advanced standing online master of social work program is, at heart, a gift to students who have received their bachelor’s degree in social work. The beauty of the advanced standing online master of social work program is that it recognizes and respects your bachelor of social work education. The first year of a traditional master of social work program consists of foundational social work education courses.
For students who have not taken social work classes before these courses are an invaluable requirement, However, for BSW students, these same classes will be a review of knowledge you attained as an undergraduate student. Though the exact courses will vary from program to program, you can expect to waive at least a few of these courses.
These courses may include, but are not limited to:
- Introduction to human psychology
- Introduction to social policy and practice
- Introduction to human behavior and the environment
- Introduction to research methods and statistics
- Foundations of social work practice
Of course, the specific classes will vary depending on your chosen program. Some schools may also evaluate your transcript based on your BSW program. It is, therefore, essential to examine the requirements for each program you choose.
Since the advanced standing online MSW student will be skipping a year of graduate education that traditional MSW students will attend, there are some graduate-level skills that an advanced standing student will need to learn. To this end, many advanced standing online master of social work programs will require one or two bridge courses. These classes will teach graduate-level research and writing skills, advanced interview and evaluation skills, and a more in-depth examination of social work concentrations.
These classes are typically taught independently during the first summer session of an advanced standing master of social work program, so you will be ready to jump into the upper level classes with the second year students in the fall semester.
This is where the similarity with a traditional master of social work program comes in. Aside from the foundational courses and the bridge courses, in most cases, all of your other classes will be attended by students from a BSW background and students from all different backgrounds. They will have caught up with you by taking the foundational courses, and you will have caught up with them by taking the bridge classes, so you should all be on a level playing field as you take the advanced courses together.
Field Placement
Generally speaking, most traditional programs require two field placements, while an Advanced Standing Online Master of Social Work program requires only one. The traditional first placement is generally a more foundational oriented placement. The second placement is usually within the student’s chosen concentration.
The Council on Social Work Education requires a minimum of 900 field contact hours for a traditional master of social work program and a minimum of 400 contract hours for a bachelor of social work program. An advanced standing online master of social work program will typically waive some field placement hours. The exact number will vary depending on the program you choose. Some schools will have a set number of hours, while others may calculate the number of hours based on the number of fieldwork hours you completed in your undergraduate program.
Time
Compared with a traditional master of social work program, the advanced standing online master of social work program takes about half the time. This translates to two semesters plus one to two summer sessions for a full-time advanced standing online master of social work program compared to four semesters plus one to two summer sessions for a traditional full time program.
Also, some field placement hours will be waived. The exact amount of field time will vary according to the number of hours you put into your undergraduate placement and each program’s policy. Some programs may also allow you to use your current employment as a field placement for at least part of your hours, so you will want to explore this as you choose your school.
Typically, however, a traditional master of social work program requires two field placements, and an advanced standing online master of social work program requires only one.
Online vs Location-Based Advanced Standing MSW Programs
The primary difference between an advanced standing online master of social work program and a location-based advanced standing master of social work program is the delivery method. In both programs, the material is the same. The field work hours and classroom instruction hours are also the same.
In an online setting, students can attend class from wherever they choose as long as they can access a computer. The classes may be synchronous or asynchronous.
Basically, in synchronous classes, students will be required to attend a class at the same time, often at the same time as the traditional students, and can participate in group discussions and real-time instruction from the professor. The professor pre-records asynchronous classes, which can be viewed on the students’ schedules.
Classes may also be a hybrid of both, where students may be required to attend specific lessons “live,” perhaps for exams or oral presentations. Sometimes, asynchronous classes may be taught by different professors than synchronous or traditional classes.
In either case, the primary method of communication with the professors and other students will be through email. Professors may also offer virtual office hours when students can communicate directly with the professor over a video communications app.
For a complete list of advanced-standing MSW programs, head to AdvancedStandingMSW.com.
Available Advanced Standing MSW Programs Online
Alabama
- Auburn University – Website
- Samford University – Website
- Troy University – Website
- University of Alabama – Website
- University of North Alabama – Website
Alaska
- University of Alaska Anchorage – Website
Arizona
Arkansas
California
- Pacific Oaks College – Website
Colorado
- Colorado State University – Website
- Colorado State University Pueblo – Website
- Metropolitan State University of Denver – Website
- University of Colorado, Colorado Springs – Website
- University of Denver – Website
Connecticut
- Sacred Heart University – Website
Florida
- Florida International University – Website
- Florida State University – Website
- Saint Leo University – Website
- University of South Florida – Website
- University of West Florida – Website
Georgia
- Georgia State University – Website
- University of Georgia – Website
- Valdosta State University – Website
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
- Aurora University – Website
- Loyola University – Website
- Northeastern Illinois University – Website
- Southern Illinois University Carbondale – Website
- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville – Website
- University of Illinois – Website
- University of St. Francis – Website
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
- Fort Hayes State University – Website
- Kansas State University – Website
- Washburn University – Website
Kentucky
- Brescia University – Website
- Campbellsville University – Website
- Eastern Kentucky University – Website
- Northern Kentucky University – Website
- University of Kentucky – Website
- University of Lousiville – Website
- University of Pikesville – Website
Louisiana
- Louisiana Christian University – Website
- Louisiana State University – Website
- Tulane University – Website
Maine
- University of Maine – Website
- University of New England – Website
- University of Southern Maine – Website
Maryland
Massachusetts
- Boston College – Website
- Regis College – Website
- Salem State University – Website
- Simmons University – Website
- Westfield State University – Website
Michigan
- Ferris State University – Website
- Northern Michigan University – Website
- University of Michigan – Website
Minnesota
- Bethel University – Website
- College of St. Scholastica – Website
- St. Cloud State University – Website
- St. Mary’s University of Minnesota – Website
- University of Minnesota – Website
- University of St. Thomas – Website
- Winonna State University – Website
Mississippi
Missouri
- Missouri Baptist University – Website
- Missouri State University – Website
- Saint Louis University – Website
- University of Missouri – Website
Montana
- University of Montana – Website
Nebraska
Nevada
- University of Nevada, Reno – Website
Career Outlook
These days the skills of a social worker are in higher demand than ever. Unsurprisingly, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a seven percent increase in social work jobs between 2022 and 2032, which is faster than the average for all occupations.
Furthermore, a 2015 study predicts that by the year 2030, there will be a shortage of social workers in 30 states in the US and that there will be a national shortage of over 195,000 social workers.
Salary info
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that in May 2022, the median annual salary for social workers was $55,350. The highest ten percent earned more than $87,300.
Furthermore, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) reports research from the 2017 National Social Work Workforce Study, which shows that Master level social workers earn $13,000 or more than Bachelor level social workers.