Delivered by the Baylor University Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, the Master of Social Work (MSW) online program, MSW@Baylor, prepares passionate, aspiring social work professionals to serve and empower vulnerable populations worldwide and address injustice from a strengths-based perspective. Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the MSW online program will equip you with the skills you need to serve others and help improve the well-being of individuals, families, and communities.
As a graduate, you will continue your journey as a culturally responsive and competent social work professional who is ready to pursue licensure and promote meaningful change in the world.
MSW Online Curriculum
You will learn the skills and theories necessary to make meaningful change and be challenged to think about the ethical integration of faith and social work practice. As an MSW@Baylor graduate, you will be prepared to serve as a trusted resource for your clients.
Program Tracks
There are two program tracks available online: standard and advanced standing MSW.
Standard MSW: A 60-credit program for students with a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. The standard MSW can be completed in 36 months part time, 24 months full time, or as few as 16 months accelerated. Visit our tuition page for an estimated cost breakdown of the standard MSW program.
Advanced Standing MSW: A 32-credit program for students with a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)-accredited college or university within the last five years. The advanced standing MSW can be completed in as few as 12 months full time. Visit our tuition page for an estimated cost breakdown of the advanced standing MSW program.
The Generalist Phase and the Specialist Phase
The MSW@Baylor curriculum features both generalist and specialist phases. Standard MSW students begin their coursework during the generalist phase while advanced standing MSW students begin their coursework during the specialist phase.
Generalist Phase: As a standard MSW student, you will begin the program building a foundation in direct practice, administration, and community development before proceeding to the specialist phase.
Specialist Phase: As a standard or advanced standing MSW student, you will choose a specialization in Clinical Practice or Community Practice to be the focus of your studies on advanced social work practice.
- Clinical Practice prepares students to evaluate and apply evidence-based practice theories and methods of intervention that reflect a strengths perspective. Graduates are prepared to work at the micro level with individuals in a variety of settings.
- Community Practice prepares students to work with public and/or nonprofit organizations, communities, congregations, and religiously affiliated agencies. Students learn to apply evidence-informed and strengths-based community practice frameworks and methods of intervention to develop responsive human resource systems, sustainable physical and social environments, and just public and institutional policies.
Visit the Course Descriptions page to learn more about the courses you will complete while enrolled in MSW@Baylor.
Field Placement
You will work with our dedicated field placement team to find a high-quality internship near your community that offers you meaningful experience and enables you to apply what you are learning in class directly in the field.
Your field instructor will offer constructive and ongoing feedback while you complete your field hours. As a full-time standard MSW student, you will complete a total of 1,030 field hours over four terms. As a full-time advanced standing MSW student, you will complete a total of 550 field hours over two terms.
Upon graduation, you will be a competent, evidence-based practitioner, well-prepared to work in any area of social work.
Join Our January 2021 MSW@Baylor Cohort
Serve and empower vulnerable populations worldwide and help improve their well-being. Request more information now and start earning your MSW online in January 2021.
MSW Online Admissions
To apply to Baylor’s standard MSW online program track, you must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. To apply to Baylor’s advanced standing MSW online program track, you must have earned a BSW from a CSWE-accredited college or university within the last five years.
GRE scores are not required for admission.
You can choose to complete the program on a full-time or part-time basis. The time to complete varies based on your chosen track:
- Accelerated standard: Complete in as few as 16 months.
- Full-time standard: Complete in as few as 24 months.
- Part-time standard: Complete in as few as 36 months.
- Full-time advanced standing: Complete in as few as 12 months.
Baylor’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work maintains the same admission standards for online programs as it does for residential programs.
Why Earn Your Master of Social Work Online From Baylor?
By offering our Master of Social Work online, Baylor is providing principled professionals across the nation an opportunity to address prevalent social work issues and directly help people in need in their own communities. Our MSW online program provides the same collaboration, engagement, and field placement opportunities available to students in our residential program.
As an MSW@Baylor student, you will attend classes each week via our online campus, which facilitates live, face-to-face interaction between you, your professors, and your peers, regardless of location.
Visit the student experience page to learn more about the MSW@Baylor online learning experience.
An additional benefit available to MSW@Baylor students is the option to enter into a mentorship program. You will be paired with a dedicated faculty member from the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work who will serve as your mentor.
The role of the faculty mentor is to provide personal and professional guidance as you begin to plan your social work career path. Our faculty mentors are active researchers, instructors, and social work leaders who offer students a wide range of perspectives. We will make every effort to pair you with a professor who reflects your individual goals and aspirations.
Our mentors serve as:
- Professional Advisors—sharing knowledge on the profession of social work and areas of personal expertise
- Supporters—fostering your intellectual and professional development
- Consultants—assisting you through the development of the program
- Sponsors—overseeing engagement with faculty on projects, publications or conference presentations
- Ambassadors—exemplifying the ideals and standards of responsible, ethical, and balanced social work communication
Reach out to our admissions team for additional information on the mentorship program.