University of Denver MSW Program

The University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) ranks among the finest social work education institutions in the United States. Ranked among the nation’s top 15 social work graduate programs, U.S. News & World Report places it at #12. This distinction makes it a standout choice among MSW programs in Colorado.

Social justice lies at GSSW’s heart. It shapes everything from teaching methods to research priorities. The school’s steadfast dedication to equity brings faculty, students, and partners together. They work together across disciplines to tackle urgent community challenges like homelessness and healthcare reform.

GSSW adopts innovative problem-solving methods and values its community’s diversity. The school works as an active community partner with organizations of all sizes at local, national, and global levels. Together they understand challenges, discover solutions, and create meaningful change.

Students who join the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work become part of a community driven by social justice leaders. These champions tackle inequity in racial, economic, environmental, and health systems throughout Colorado, the Rocky Mountain West, and beyond.

The school’s exceptional faculty includes:

• Bold, creative minds from diverse backgrounds
• Specialists in various research and practice areas
• Researchers working together across disciplines
• Professionals who create knowledge and establish evidence-based, high-impact practices

Faculty expertise covers essential areas such as:

• Addictions and substance use
• Public policy
• Youth development
• Housing and homelessness
• Child welfare
• Human-animal connection
• Civic and community engagement

Students learn traditional and innovative approaches to social work. The program teaches critical thinking and creative solutions to advance equity. Graduates become champions of social change who strengthen communities affected by oppression.

Denver, Colorado provides a perfect setting for the campus. Students enjoy one of America’s most beautiful and dynamic cities, with easy access to hiking, skiing, and outdoor activities. This environment creates an ideal space to grow personally and professionally in a program that values both academic excellence and real-life application.

The Graduate School of Social Work builds its curriculum and community on equity, inclusion, and diversity. It welcomes passionate change-makers ready to help create a fairer world. The school’s mentorship program will give you the support you need to build a career focused on positive change.

Choosing the University of Denver for your MSW degree means joining an institution that equips social workers to meet the needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations in our multicultural global society.

Programs offered

The University of Denver’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program gives you several options that fit your educational needs and career goals. These MSW programs in Colorado adapt to your academic background, schedule, and professional interests.

Programs offered

The University of Denver MSW program runs in multiple formats at several locations. You can choose from different program options to earn your MSW Denver degree based on your previous education and time constraints.

Students without a social work background need 81 graduate-level credits to complete the traditional MSW program. The first half covers foundation curriculum, while the second half lets you customize your Advanced Social Work Practice concentration. You’ll complete two field internships that add up to 900 hours of fieldwork.

Students with a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)-accredited institution can join the Advanced-Standing MSW program, whatever the year they graduated. This faster track needs 54 graduate-level credits and comes with two bridge courses, one seminar, and a concentration you can customize.

The traditional and Advanced-Standing programs let you choose your schedule:

Denver Campus Programs:

• Full-time Denver Campus MSW: Get your degree in under two years with weekday classes from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Part-time Denver Campus MSW: Take 3.5 years while working 20+ hours each week
• Full-time Denver Campus Advanced-Standing MSW: Complete your degree in one year
• Part-time Denver Campus Advanced-Standing MSW: Finish in 2.5 years

Online Programs:

• Online MSW: Choose full-time (27 months) or accelerated (21 months) tracks
• Online Advanced-Standing MSW: Pick full-time (18 months) or accelerated (12 months) tracks

The university also runs regional MSW programs at two other Colorado locations:

• Western Colorado MSW Program in Glenwood Springs helps you master rural social work practice
• Four Corners MSW Program in Durango prepares you for work in rural and tribal communities

Denver Campus MSW students can now specialize through new pathways starting fall 2023. You can choose from:

• Aging Services & Policy
• Child Welfare
• Children and Youth
• Ecological Justice
• Family Systems Practice
• Health & Wellness
• Mental Health
• Organizational Leadership and Policy Practice

Each pathway lets you focus on specific areas. Students in the Mental Health Pathway can specialize in trauma-informed practice, child and adolescent mental health, or substance use and addiction.

Online students can pick between Mental Health and Trauma or Health, Equity and Wellness pathways. The Mental Health and Trauma pathway teaches trauma-informed care for future behavioral health clinicians or psychiatric social workers. The Health, Equity and Wellness pathway focuses on integrated health settings.

Denver Campus MSW students can also join dual-degree programs and earn certificates in:

• Global Social Work
• Human–Animal–Environment Interactions
• Latinx Social Work
• School Social Work

The university’s network of 750+ field education partners matches you with quality internship placements that fit your specialization. The University of Denver’s MSW programs offer unmatched flexibility in program format, location, specialization options, and scheduling to fit different student needs.

About the online program

The MSW@Denver online program delivers a challenging curriculum through an innovative digital campus experience to remote learners throughout the US. Students connect and learn together through shared technology-based learning, which sets it apart from traditional classroom settings.

Students dive deep into theory and practice through virtual coursework and field internships in the online MSW@Denver curriculum. The standard online MSW program in Colorado requires 81 graduate-level credits. Students must complete 36 credits of foundation curriculum and 45 credits of concentration coursework.

Your chosen track determines how long it takes to graduate. The 9-Quarter Track students can complete their degree in 27 months, while the 12-Quarter Track typically takes 36 months. Students can start their journey in January, March, June, or September, and the program reviews applications on a rolling basis.

The University of Denver MSW program online features:

• Faculty experts lead weekly seminar-style classes
• Small class sizes for individual attention
• Interactive learning spaces instead of passive lectures
• Virtual classrooms available 24/7 for study groups and networking
• Break-out rooms for small group discussions
• Digital tools like quizzes and polls to check understanding

All but one group of online MSW students start with foundation courses to understand social work history, values, and ethics. Advanced-Standing students begin directly with the Advanced Social Work Practice concentration, which they can customize to match their career goals.

Field internships play a vital role in your training beyond academic coursework. Students apply classroom theories in real-life settings during 900 hours of field internships. A field placement specialist helps secure a school-approved internship near your community, even if you live far from campus. Licensed social work professionals supervise your work, while field liaisons help you reach curricular milestones.

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Educational Policies and Accreditation Standards guide the curriculum’s structure. It focuses on nine connected competencies including ethical behavior, human rights promotion, anti-racism, research, policy practice, and client engagement.

Students cooperate with peers, promote social justice, and develop skills to create positive change whatever their location. The program prepares champions of social change who enable populations affected by oppression and advance equity in communities everywhere.

Accreditation

Accreditation is a vital factor when evaluating the quality of any MSW programs in Colorado. The University of Denver MSW program holds prestigious credentials that confirm its academic excellence and professional standards.

The Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver has been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) since 1933. This 90-year old recognition shows the program’s excellence through the decades. The American Association of Professional Schools of Social Work gave the program its original accreditation, and it has managed to keep this distinguished status continuously.

The University of Denver has also earned regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association. This institutional credential further proves the university’s academic quality and operational integrity.

Both the on-campus and online MSW Denver programs have similar accreditation status. The MSW@Denver online program and the traditional on-campus program currently hold CSWE accreditation. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation recognizes this specialized accrediting body as the definitive authority for social work education standards in the United States.

Your professional future benefits greatly from this accreditation. CSWE accreditation confirms that the curriculum meets high standards of social work education. This verification will give a clear standard to measure your education against professional requirements in the field.

The CSWE-accredited program prepares you for the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) examination requirements. This preparation matters because passing the ASWB exam is a key step to get social work licensure in most states.

The accreditation status also shows that the program gives you the knowledge, skills, and field experience to meet your state’s specific education licensure requirements. Since licensure requirements differ by state, graduating from an accredited program meets these basic prerequisites.

CSWE accreditation tells potential employers your education meets recognized professional standards. Many social work positions, especially in clinical settings or those requiring licensure, consider this credential mandatory.

The University of Denver’s long accreditation history demonstrates its steadfast dedication to providing social work education that meets rigorous external evaluation standards consistently.

Admission Requirements

The MSW Denver program has specific criteria and needs a detailed application package. You must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. Your undergraduate GPA should be at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. The program will look at either your overall GPA or your last 60 semester/90 quarter credits.

Your application to the University of Denver MSW program must include:

• Official transcripts from all institutions attended
• Optional letters of recommendation (up to two)
• Current resume highlighting relevant experience
• Career goals statement (four to six pages)
• Application fee of $65.00 (with waiver options available)

Your Career Goals Statement is a vital part of the application. This document should explain why you want to pursue social work, address any ethical conflicts, and describe your relevant experiences. The statement format will change from fall 2026, when you’ll need to respond to two essay prompts.

The program lets you start in January, March, June, or September. While applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, early submission gives you better chances. Students hoping to join the June 2025 cohort should apply by April 25, 2025.

Students who enter with a GPA between 2.5-2.74 will be on probation. From summer 2026, these students need to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA in their first quarter to stay enrolled.

Advanced-Standing applicants can take a faster route if they have a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from a CSWE-accredited program. This path requires fewer credits than the traditional track.

International students need to prove their English skills through standardized tests. The minimum scores accepted are TOEFL (95), IELTS (7), C1 Advanced (185), or Duolingo (125).

Among other MSW programs in Colorado, the University of Denver stands out by accepting electronic transcripts for the initial review. You can submit unofficial transcripts during the application process, but you’ll need to provide official ones when you enroll.

Students interested in dual degrees can combine their MSW with Law, Business Administration, Public Policy, or Theology programs. Each combination has its own requirements.

Additional Information

Your MSW Denver education requires thoughtful financial planning. The Online MSW@Denver program needs 81 total credits at $1,200 per credit hour, which adds up to $97,200 for the complete program. Students in the Online Advanced-Standing Program complete 54 total credits at the same rate, with a total cost of $64,800. Each credit carries a $4 technology fee. Students must also pay a one-time $300 non-refundable commitment deposit when they enroll.

The University of Denver MSW program provides substantial financial support to students. Every year, the Graduate School of Social Work awards over $9 million in scholarships and helps all admitted students with financial aid. Students receive merit scholarships based on their academic achievements, personal accomplishments, and experience. Public servants get extra support – Peace Corps, Teach for America, and AmeriCorps alumni qualify for an additional $5,000 scholarship on top of their merit award. City Year AmeriCorps members and alumni receive the Jane Addams Scholarship, which provides $21,000 for Advanced-Standing students and $42,000 for traditional program students.

Military veterans can get full tuition coverage through the Yellow Ribbon Unlimited Benefit if they qualify as Post-9/11 GI Bill recipients.

Students can access several funding options:

• Federal loans including Direct Unsubsidized loans (up to $20,500 annually) and Graduate PLUS loans (up to total attendance cost)
• Federal Work-Study opportunities that pay around $5,000 annually for 10-15 hours weekly
• Research assistantships that pay up to $25 hourly
• Stipend programs that distribute $520,000 yearly

The university takes electronic checks, paper checks, and cash payments. Students can choose quarterly payment plans with a $20 application fee. The university also offers employer reimbursement and Third Party Direct Bill options for eligible students.

When you look at other MSW programs in Colorado, public schools like CU Denver charge $19,000 annually, while MSU costs $45,000 for two years. Denver University’s detailed financial aid packages often bring actual costs nowhere near these amounts for qualified students.