Program Options: Full Time and Part Time
Tuition: $7,707 per year
Acceptance Rate: 64%
GRE Required: No
1-year/Accelerated Option: Yes
Campus Visits Required: No
Field Hours: 1080 hours
CSWE Accredited: Yes, in 2011
Application Deadline: August
The Metropolitan State University of Denver was founded in 1965 with the mission of providing an accessible college education to anyone who wanted it. Because of these principles, MSU Denver has remained one of the most affordable universities in the country. MSU Denver was the first university to accept recipients of the DREAM Act in alignment with their values of providing educational opportunities for all. In 2011, MSU Denver began offering masters level degrees in social work. The online and hybrid MSW options were launched in Fall 2016. The online MSW program can either be completed through full online classes or hybrid courses that have some face-to-face requirements. Because of their fieldwork placement process, the online programs at MSU Denver are only available for residents of Colorado. Online courses are facilitated through Blackboard, and online student training is available for learning the basics of the class structures. A mix of online discussion, video conferencing, recorded lectures, and weekly assignments make up the mostly asynchronous online-only MSW program.
MSU Denver’s online MSW program is notable for its small class sizes and stringent fieldwork guidelines. While most MSW programs mandate 960 hours of total fieldwork, MSU Denver requires a total of 1,080 hours over the two-year course of the program. This requirement assures that students are continually connecting academic learning with hands-on experiences and training. MSU Denver also offers one of the most affordable CSWE accredited online MSW programs in the country. Online students have the opportunity to access MSU Denver’s exceptional academic and professional advising counselors, who can help students launch successful careers.
There are two concentrations available for online MSW students: Individuals and Families and Macro Practice. The Individuals and Families concentration prepares students for a career as a licensed social worker who implements direct interventions and treatment strategies with individuals. Students in this concentration may further specialize their education through choosing a track that will determine electives and fieldwork placement. Available tracks include Children, Youth, and Families, Adults, Older Adults, and Child Welfare. Each track includes classes and fieldwork that teach skills and knowledge specific to the specified population. The Macro Practice concentration focuses on the skills necessary to bring about large systems changes through advocacy and policy work. Graduates with this concentration work in roles such as Agency Director, Grant Writer, or Program Designer.
Candidates for MSU Denver’s online MSW must complete 60 credits of class and field education. Full-time students will complete the credits in two years at a rate of 15 credits per semester. Part-time students will complete them in three years, at the rate of 6-9 credits per semester. The program requires 1,080 hours of fieldwork that must be coordinated through the university’s fieldwork department. All coursework must be passed with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Any classes that are passed with a grade lower 3.0 will be considered on a case-by-case basis and may need to be repeated. MSW students for the online, hybrid or traditional programs must live in the state of Colorado to be accepted to the program.
Accepted applicants to the MSW degree program will have completed a bachelor’s degree with a GPA of at least 3.0. Additionally, they will have completed the following classes with a grade of C or higher:
Applicants may apply online and must submit a $50 fee with their program application. In order for an application to be considered, the university must receive the program application, official transcripts, a current resume, personal essays, and three letters of recommendation from academic or professional references.
There are 17 students per faculty member at MSU Denver. The School of Social Work has a highly qualified faculty with the combined experience of 50 years in the field of social work education. All faculty members are licensed social workers who have contributed to research or work within the field. Many of the professors for the MSW online program have PhDs and are involved in continuing social work research.
The following are required courses for online MSW students in the Macro Practice concentration. Electives include: Family Violence in Social Work, Exploring Diversity, Health and Health Care, Crisis Intervention, Trauma and Disaster Response.
Each MSW candidate will be paired with an MSU Denver fieldwork director who will guide their experience and monitor their performance. First-year fieldwork for full-time students consists of 16 internship hours per week. The first year will teach students basic social work skills as well as tools for critical self-assessment. Students will be taught to integrate theories of treatment and cultural competency into their hands-on work with clients. Second-year fieldwork will require 20 hours per week at a qualifying agency set up through MSU Denver’s fieldwork department. The second-year placement will take the student’s concentration and chosen track into account. Each online student will be required to participate in an online weekly field seminar to discuss and receive feedback on their progress.
Jo Bailey, Ph.D., MSW Program Director and Associate Professor
MSU’s School of Social Work provides a well-rounded and rigorous education for applicants in the state of Colorado. Their affordable price point and top-notch fieldwork program make Metropolitan State University at Denver’s online MSW degree an excellent value.