The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work is the first elite, private research institution in the country to offer a Master of Social Work program online — and we are constantly evolving to fit the needs of our students and their future practices.
With part-time and full-time options — as well as five optional tracks — MSW@USC is a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)-accredited online MSW program that is designed to meet the academic eligibility requirements to sit for the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) exam and prepares you to pursue licensure as a social worker.
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Program Options
Optional Program Tracks
Why Online
Practicum
Careers
Traditional Online MSW
Our integrative social work curriculum provides students with two semesters of comprehensive foundation content, followed by two semesters of advanced generalist training. Students can further specialize their degree by selecting one of five optional program tracks: Adult Mental Health and Wellness; Children, Youth and Families, Social Change and Innovation, Military Populations and Settings or School and Educational Settings.
Advanced Standing Online MSW
If you already earned a bachelor’s in social work, you may be eligible for our 24-credit advanced standing program. Earn your MSW online in as few as 12 months, and pursue licensure sooner.
Online MSW Admissions
To earn your MSW online, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. GRE scores are not required. We offer multiple start dates per year and review applications on a rolling basis.
The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work offers two online degrees in social work.
The MSW@USC prepares you to effect positive change at the individual, community or macro level through weekly online classes and an innovative virtual and in-person practicum. Each student receives a specialization in integrative social work, which provides foundational training that prepares them to practice across client populations and settings. The program can be further supplemented with one of five optional specialized tracks.
Alumni of our online MSW program are making a difference worldwide across a range of fields, including mental health, family counseling, military and community advocacy.
The online MSW program is available both full and part time. You can earn your MSW online in as few as 12 months through our accelerated Advanced Standing track if you have a bachelor’s in social work.
In just 24 months of flexible study, aspiring social innovators can earn a Doctorate of Social Work online. The DSW@USC prepares you to pursue leadership and management roles in which you can help solve pervasive social problems. You’ll complete weekly online classes, two in-person residencies and a capstone project addressing one of the 12 Grand Challenges for Social Work defined by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.
Applicants should hold an MSW from a CSWE-accredited program or a related master’s degree or doctorate. Learn more about DSW admissions requirements.
Jump to:
Program Options
Optional Program Tracks
Why Online
Practicum
Careers
As a student in the online Master of Social Work program, you can further customize your online MSW@USC program experience — with one of five optional program tracks, each designed to prepare you to meet the needs of specific populations, settings or systems.
All MSW students take the same courses during the first semester: Human Behavior and the Social Environment; Foundations of Integrative Social Work Practice | Diversity in Social Work Practice; and Applied Learning in Practicum Education.
Starting in your second semester and continuing through graduation, you will complete specialized research and evaluation courses and practice courses tailored to your chosen track or interests.
Adult Mental Health and Wellness Track
As an online Master of Social Work student in the Adult Mental Health and Wellness track, you will be prepared to work directly with clients aged 18 and older, including older adults. Course topics include wellness, recovery and integrated care; explanatory theories of health and mental health; and advanced practice with complex social work cases.
Children, Youth and Families Track
The Children, Youth and Families track prepares you to work directly with children, parents and families both individually and in groups. Your education will span research and critical analysis for social work with children and families; social work practice with children and families in early and middle childhood; social work practice with adolescents, young adults and their families; and policy and macro practice in child, youth and family services.
Social Change and Innovation Track
As an online MSW student in the Social Change and Innovation track, you will be prepared to become a social work leader at the policy level. Your education experience will include research and evaluation for community, organization and business environments; management and organizational development for social workers; social work practice in workplace settings; policy advocacy and social change; community practice; and grant writing and program development.
The online MSW Military Populations and Settings track prepares you to address the unique challenges facing service members, veterans and their families. Particular areas of focus include post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma, reintegration and crisis intervention.
Learn more about the Military Populations and Settings track.
The School and Educational Settings track prepares you to work with Pre-K–12 students in public and private schools across the state. You’ll learn to address problems that affect students’ achievement in the classroom. The courses and practicum education you will complete meet the academic requirements for the California Pupil Personnel Services Credential, which is required to practice school social work in the state in public school settings.
*Students interested in the School and Educational Settings track may require a modified schedule to ensure a positive placement experience. For additional information about placement requirements, reach out to an admissions counselor at 877-700-4679 or sswvac@msw.usc.edu.
The School and Educational Settings track allows students who wish to practice in California the opportunity to pursue the Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPSC). This allows them to work as a social worker in school settings. Students who reside or intend to practice in a state outside of California may complete this track, but are not guaranteed licensure as a school social worker. Requirements may vary from state to state. Therefore, a student enrolling in this program and selecting the School and Educational Settings track should research the requirements in the state in which they reside or intend to practice.
The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work offers a unique set of electives designed to prepare you for practice in your chosen area. While enrolled in the online Master of Social Work program, you will take one general elective. Sample electives include:
Jump to:
Program Options
Optional Program Tracks
Why Online
Practicum
Careers
We’ve taken big strides to change what a modern MSW program can look like. The online Master of Social Work program has the same admissions standards, curriculum, graduation requirements, degree and diploma as the on-campus MSW program.
The difference? You’ll attend classes, complete coursework and engage with the USC community online.
Each seminar-style class is taught by USC faculty in real time within a state-of-the-art, virtual Zoom classroom, limited to approximately 12 students.
Interactive coursework reinforces classroom discussions and is available 24/7 both online and via a mobile app.
You will have access to USC’s libraries throughout your enrollment and beyond.
Comprehensive technical and academic support is available from admission through graduation.
Jump to:
Program Options
Optional Program Tracks
Why Online
Practicum
Careers
Get a head start on your clinical training. As an online MSW student, you will complete a minimum of 1,100 practicum training hours through internship with a Community-Based Placement and VFP* that will prepare you for real-world practice.
*Students are required to complete a minimum of 100 placement hours through attendance and participation with their practicum class, and orientation and evidence-based intervention training (if applicable).
For online MSW students, you will master advanced skills before you start working with clients face to face through our supportive online environment that we refer to as the Virtual Practicum, or VP. During the VP experience, you will:
Both advanced standing and traditional online MSW students complete in-person practicum education at sites near their community where they can gain real-world skills. During your practicum placement, you will:
Jump to:
Program Options
Optional Program Tracks
Why Online
Practicum
Careers
Social work is a fast-growing field with a diverse array of career paths available. Our innovative online master’s in social work program will help prepare you to pursue a variety of in-demand roles.
Our CSWE-accredited online MSW program prepares you to pursue licensure as a social worker. As a social worker, you can work with individuals, groups and families to help navigate a number of issues.
In many states, earning an MSW from a CSWE-accredited institution is one of the requirements to earn a social work license and be able to practice. The requirements vary by state, so it’s important to check with your state’s social work board.
Learn more about becoming an LCSW in your state.
Direct Practice Careers
Your classes, coursework and placement experience will help prepare you to work directly with clients in roles such as:
Macro social workers address problems on a broader scale to create a more just world for marginalized and underrepresented communities. As advocates for whole communities, regions and states, they work to shape laws and policy.
Macro Social Work Careers
As an online MSW student in the Social Change and Innovation track, you’ll gain the skills you need to help you pursue a policy-level career, such as:
The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is the nation’s primary organization overseeing social work education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. CSWE offers accreditation to schools that meet its high standards for competent preparation. To achieve CSWE accreditation, a school must pass a variety of steps overseen by the CSWE Office of Social Work Accreditation, including site visits by CSWE personnel and self-studies evaluating the school’s curriculum and placement education.
Because of CSWE’s high standards, many states require candidates for social work licensure to earn an on-campus or online MSW from a CSWE-accredited institution such as the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. When you earn your MSW online from a CSWE-accredited school, you receive a high-quality education that meets 21st-century standards for practice and prepares you to pursue your next step professionally.
Take the next step toward becoming a social work leader. Request information about the online MSW program today.
