Earn Your MSW Online with Hands-On Fieldwork Experience
Designed for graduates of a bachelor’s degree program from another field of study, our online Master of Social Work combines the convenience of virtual classes with 900 hours of hands-on field experience at sites near you.
In as little as two years, you can develop the clinical knowledge, professional skills and personal competencies to make a positive impact in the lives of vulnerable people, from children in foster care to individuals struggling with substance abuse disorders.
Graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate ethical, professional behavior that engages diversity and difference in practice
- Demonstrate general clinical social work knowledge plus focused knowledge in your specialization area
- Advocate for the advancement of human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice
- Engage in policy advocacy, practice-informed research and research-informed practice
- Interact professionally with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
- Assess and intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
- Demonstrate a commitment to self-reflective practice, lifelong learning, and adherence to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics
After graduation, you’ll be equipped to pursue roles in a variety of health, social and human services settings. Applicable job titles may include:
- Adoption Social Worker
- Clinical Social Worker
- Family Service Worker
- Gerontology Social Worker
- Medical Social Worker
- Mental Health Social Worker
- Pediatric Social Worker
- Social Work Case Manager
- VA Social Worker
About the Online MSW Program
The online MSW program covers 60 credit hours of online coursework and field work. Online learning activities include course content you can access on your own time, virtual simulated experiences and live weekly interactions with professors. Credits break down as follows:
What Will I Learn in the Online MSW Program?
Courses cover clinical social work theory, program development and assessment, policy advocacy and practical skills for assessment, intervention and evaluation of clients. Core courses include:
- Advanced Clinical Social Work Theory and Practice
- Advanced Clinical Social Work Interventions
- Advanced Psychosocial Assessment and Clinical Diagnosis
- Advanced Research and Program Evaluation
- Advanced Policy: Social Justice and Advocacy
- Advanced Social Work Seminar
- Capstone Social Work Seminar
Specializations for the Online MSW
Herzing offers you the option to focus your degree on a specific area of demand. You can choose to specialize in Mental Health, Medical Social Work or Children, Families and Aging Services.
Mental Health Social Work
- Substance Use Disorders and Treatment
- Trauma-Focused Theory and Interventions
- Mental Health Services and Interventions
Children, Families and Aging Services
- Advanced Child Welfare Services and Interventions
- Clinical Practice with Families
- Gerontology Services and Interventions
Medical Social Work
- Medical Social Work Services and Interventions
- Community Health and Prevention
- Substance Use Disorders and Treatment OR Gerontology Services and Interventions
24 months | 60 credits
$536 per credit
after scholarship*
You are worth it.
*When student accepts awarded scholarship with Fall 2022 start.
Tuition & Cost
Our goal is your career advancement. That’s why we are always working to improve our curriculums and processes to make our MSW program as affordable as possible while preparing you best for success in your work.
With Herzing University, you are never alone, and we offer many options to help you invest in yourself and earn your master’s degree.
What Fieldwork Experience Will I Complete?
You’ll complete two supervised fieldwork experiences during your MSW program: a general experience that helps you develop essential skills for assessment and intervention, and an advanced experience related to your chosen specialization area. Both experiences are supervised. Placement settings can include hospitals, schools, substance abuse clinics, nursing homes, child welfare services and many other agencies and organizations.
You will complete learning activities designed to help you demonstrate social work knowledge, skills and values across nine areas of competence defined by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Your fieldwork also includes a seminar and weekly meetings with your supervisor.
Required Fieldwork Experience Hours
With 900 total clinical hours required across all fieldwork experiences, you will have plenty of opportunities to gain competence and confidence in your social work skills.
- Generalist Fieldwork Experience – 400 clinical hours
- Advanced Fieldwork Experience (related to your specialization) – 500 clinical hours
The Herzing University Difference
At Herzing, we want to help you prepare to serve your community as a social worker or other human services professional. That’s why we provide:
- Convenient online education that gives you more control over your schedule
- Mentorship and guidance from faculty with extensive experience in social work and human services
- Hands-on field experience that lets you apply theory in practice, build connections in the field and develop confidence in your skills
You're Much More Than a Number
At Herzing, we believe that providing you with a caring, supportive community will have a positive impact on your learning experience. We know our students by name and are committed to your academic, personal, and professional success. Discover why Herzing's student-first approach, individual attention, and caring community set us apart from other colleges and universities.