Social Work
MSW
Why study Social Work?
The University of Cincinnati Master of Social Work (MSW) program prepares you for a career in advanced social work practice. The program is designed to promote the integration of learning in the classroom with learning in a field practicum in an agency setting.
When you graduate with a Master of Social Work from the UC School of Social Work, you can expect to be prepared for advanced social work practice with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations and can become a licensed social worker in the state of Ohio after passing your licensing exam. Some students also choose to pursue a PhD at one of many universities across the country.
Flexible Program Options
The Master of Social Work program has a variety of curriculum options:
- accelerated part-time
- full-time
- part-time
We also have an accelerated full-time program for students who want to start in the summer and finish in one year.
Each program incorporates a thoughtful blend of on-campus and online coursework, giving you the best of both words in a hybrid learning environment.
The program has a direct practice concentration and is designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills needed for specialized practice. You may specialize in three areas of study: children & families, health & aging, or mental health. Your curriculum and field placements will be tailored to fit your area of interest and through these specialized areas, you will learn to use evidence-based interventions to assist individuals, families, and groups to make changes, solve problems, and become empowered.
Field Education
Field education is incorporated throughout into the curriculum, giving you real-world experience in one of our 200+ social service agency partners.
Throughout the program, you will be assigned to an agency for 14 to 17 hours per week to work under the supervision of a qualified field instructor, who is a social worker employed at that agency.
State Authorization
Federal regulations require the University of Cincinnati to publicly disclose whether completion of certain programs that lead or may lead to professional licensure or certification would meet a given state’s educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification required for employment in an occupation (regardless of whether the program is on-ground, online, or hybrid). To learn whether a University program meets a given state’s educational requirements, please visit the University of Cincinnati State Authorization webpage.
Admission Requirements
Please see the Admission Requirements for detailed information about what you need in order to be a successful applicant.
Program Volunteer Requirement
Students without a human services degree requiring an internship will be required to volunteer for 30 hours prior to beginning the placement portion of the social work program. Volunteer hours must be completed within the past two years at one human services agency*. The agency must not be owned or led by a friend or family member of the student, and the student must not be supervised by a friend or family member. The supervisor for the student’s volunteer hours does not have to be a social worker. Students who are currently employed by a human services agency for three months or more are not required to complete volunteer hours, but are required to provide verification of employment.
After the volunteer hours are completed, the student should complete the Social Work Volunteer Requirement Supervisor Request Form to request verification and evaluation from their supervisor
Evaluations must be submitted by the supervisor via the form sent to their email by April 25 for the BSW-DL program, by July 15 for the BSW program, and by Aug. 1 for the MSW program of the year the student is to begin the placement for the social work program. Failure to provide this documentation by the deadline will mean that the student will not be permitted to begin the placement or any coursework that is concurrent with the placement and will delay their progression through the social work program.
Poor feedback on the evaluation could create the need for further requirements and training in order to begin placements.
* A human services agency is defined as an agency providing social services to an under- or un-served population.
Social workers practice in many settings, working with people and communities to find solutions to problems. Fields where social workers provide direct service to individuals, families, and groups include:
- Children and family services in child protective services, foster care agencies, adoptions, schools, and counseling agencies.
- Health services in hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, and nursing homes.
- Mental health and substance use services in treatment and case management agencies and private practice.
- Aging service in home care agencies and senior living communities.
- Legal services in correctional facilities, treatment agencies, and mediation services.
Other social workers work with community members to improve conditions in their area. Still others work in leadership roles in social service organizations.
One third (1/3) of the minimum credits needed to earn the UC MSW degree may be transfer credits. To receive transfer credits, you must have:
- Completed those courses within 5 years of being admitted to the MSW Program
- Earned a B grade or better in each class.
Application Deadlines
Visit the How to Apply page to find information on application deadlines, fees, where to send your materials and more.
The Master of Social Work (MSW) program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
Contact Information
Health Sciences Building
3225 Eden Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45267
(513) 556-4615
socialwork@uc.edu
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Program Code: 35MAS-SW-MSW