Master of Social Work at UALR

UA Little Rock School of Social Work is essential to social work education in Arkansas. The program graduates more students than any other social work program in Arkansas. The school stands out as the only university in Arkansas that offers both bachelor’s and master’s programs in online and face-to-face formats.

The school’s location in Arkansas’ metropolitan capital lets students participate in hands-on learning experiences across the state. Students get unmatched opportunities for research, service, and practical education that affect local communities directly.

UA Little Rock School of Social Work has a steadfast dedication to its core values. The school strongly believes in diversity, human rights, and social justice principles. These values are woven into the curriculum and shape students’ professional growth. The school’s mission goes beyond teaching – it prepares ethical graduates who help communities and tackle poverty and social injustice.

Academic Excellence and Ground Application

Students learn from dedicated faculty and adjunct professors who bring their real-world experience to the classroom. This mix of academic knowledge and practical expertise creates a learning environment where theory and application come together.

Field education is vital to the curriculum. It gives students chances to:

• Get hands-on training in supportive environments
• Use progressive skills with new clients
• Combine intellectual points of view with practical work
• Learn from qualified and highly-skilled field supervisors

Program graduates have shown excellence through high pass rates for national licensing exams, including the Licensed Social Worker (LSW), Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) credentials.

The curriculum focuses on nine core competencies required by the Council on Social Work Education. Faculty members blend essential knowledge, values, and skills into each course. This detailed approach helps students develop theoretical understanding and practical abilities needed for successful social work careers.

The program holds full accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education. This accreditation proves the quality and rigor of both undergraduate and graduate programs.

UA Little Rock School of Social Work combines academic excellence, practical experience, and core values to prepare students. Graduates become ethical, skilled professionals ready to help individuals, families, and communities throughout Arkansas and beyond.

Programs offered

UA Little Rock’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program provides several paths toward advanced social work education. Students can prepare themselves for leadership roles and advanced practice. The program focuses on community wellbeing, social justice, and meeting Arkansas’s human service needs.

Traditional and Advanced Standing Options

The traditional MSW program needs 60 credit hours. Students complete 32 foundation hours, 22 concentration hours, and 6 elective hours. Students with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from a CSWE-accredited institution can choose the Advanced Standing program. This option requires 37 credit hours if the degree was earned in the last five years. Students can finish this accelerated track in 12 months full-time or 21 months part-time.

Campus and Online Flexibility

Students have two main choices:

• Main Campus Program: Classes happen in real-time with face-to-face sessions. Students can pick Advanced Direct Practice (clinical) or Social and Organizational Impact concentrations.
• Online Program: Most coursework happens at your own pace with some real-time sessions. This option focuses on Advanced Direct Practice concentration.

Both options let students graduate in two years (full-time) or three years (part-time). Students must live in Arkansas during their studies because of hands-on internship requirements. This rule applies to online students too.

Specialized Concentrations

Main campus students pick one of these tracks after their foundation year:

• Advanced Direct Practice (ADP): Students learn clinical social work skills to help clients directly
• Social and Organizational Impact (SOI): Students develop management and community practice abilities

Concurrent Degree Options

The school offers two ways to earn multiple degrees:

• MSW/Juris Doctor through UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law
• MSW/Master of Public Service through UA Clinton School of Public Service

Students can use credits from one program toward another. This approach saves both time and money.

Field Experience Integration

The MSW program includes vital internship components. First-year students spend about two days weekly at internships. This time increases to three days weekly during the concentration year. The school helps find suitable placements, and online students get support to locate internships near their homes.

About the online program

UA Little Rock’s online Master of Social Work program gives students the flexibility they need in their educational experience. Students can take a closer look at clinical social work practice through this online option that uses modern, evidence-informed approaches in a variety of settings and populations.

Students get the same quality education online as they would on campus. The program has full accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education[link_1], which means students receive the same educational quality no matter how they study.

The program offers two timeline options:

• Part-time students complete the program in three years
• Full-time students finish in two years

Students access course content through Blackboard’s asynchronous format. They complete assignments and join threaded discussions based on instructor deadlines. The program also uses Adobe Connect for live virtual classrooms where students and instructors interact directly.

Field education is the core of the online MSW experience. The MSW field coordinator helps each student find suitable placements near their location. Keep in mind that while coursework happens online, all students must complete their internships in person at coordinator-selected settings.

All students, including those studying online, must live in Arkansas while completing their MSW program because of internship requirements. This rule helps meet state licensing regulations and supervision standards.

The Office of eLearning supports online learning at UA Little Rock by providing technical support, training, and instructional design services. Regular quality checks make sure courses meet the standards for effective online education.

Like the main campus program, online MSW students can only choose the Advanced Direct Practice concentration. Students who want to study Social & Organizational Impact concentration need to ask the MSW Program Coordinator about transferring to the main campus program.

UA Little Rock’s online MSW program shows how committed the school is to providing high-quality social work education that’s available to more students while maintaining high standards.

Accreditation

The MSW program at University of Arkansas Little Rock has full accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the nation’s leading accrediting body for social work education. This credential proves excellence and certifies that both traditional and Advanced Standing tracks meet professional standards.

Your future career benefits greatly from CSWE accreditation. Graduation from a CSWE-accredited program is mandatory for social work licensure in Arkansas and across the United States. This credential will give you an education that meets quality standards through peer review. The process balances program outcomes while allowing flexibility based on each institution’s unique context.

The University of Arkansas Little Rock MSW program holds this prestigious status for both campus-based and online formats. You’ll get the same professional recognition whether you choose campus or online learning. The program’s last accreditation review happened in 2020, and the current period runs through 2027-28. This eight-year cycle shows the program’s steadfast dedication to educational excellence.

Arkansas has only two CSWE-accredited MSW programs, which makes UALR’s program valuable in the state’s education system. The curriculum focuses on nine core competencies that CSWE requires. These standards are the foundations of the program’s complete approach to professional social work education.

Getting your degree from a CSWE-accredited school offers more than just recognition. This accreditation protects students by making sure programs:

• Have clear missions and goals that match social work practice expectations
• Create graduates who think critically, solve problems, and promote justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity
• Follow social work’s core values of justice, dignity, human relations, integrity, and competence
• Work with qualified educators and community partners to build student competency

A University of Arkansas Little Rock MSW degree with CSWE accreditation will support your entire career journey. These strict standards help prepare you better for professional practice and benefit the communities you’ll serve after graduation.

Admission Requirements

The University of Arkansas Little Rock MSW Programs welcomes new students each year. The application window starts on January 1st and stays open until March 1st for both traditional and Advanced Standing tracks.

The traditional MSW program requires these documents:

• A complete application for both the Graduate School and School of Social Work
• A baccalaureate degree with a liberal arts background from an accredited college or university
• Official transcripts with an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (you might get conditional admission with a lower GPA)
• Clear and well-thought-out answers to personal statement questions in the application
• Three references from professional, academic, or volunteer contacts (email addresses needed)

Students who want to take the Advanced Standing track must meet extra requirements:

• A Bachelor of Social Work degree from a CSWE-accredited program
• A cumulative GPA of 3.0
• A 3.0 GPA in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework
• A BSW degree earned within the last five years
• Your BSW field instructor’s email for a detailed reference

The admissions committee looks at more than just grades. Your volunteer work, job history, and life experiences related to social work matter too. These elements show your dedication to the field and how well you understand what social work involves.

The program strictly follows its deadlines. Advanced Standing summer admission and traditional fall admission applications must reach by February 1st. Traditional program waitlist applications can come in until March 1st. The committee reviews each application carefully and sends decisions by email around mid-May.

The School of Social Work has updated its requirements. You no longer have to submit GRE or MAT scores. This change shows how the program values your complete academic and professional background more than test scores.

Accepted students must get advising before signing up for classes. Main campus students need to attend a full-day orientation before classes start. Online students can pick between coming to campus for orientation or finishing it online.

Tuition

Planning your MSW education finances at University of Arkansas Little Rock deserves careful attention. The School of Social Work’s 2025-2026 tuition rates are at $335.00 per credit hour for Arkansas residents and $759.00 per credit hour for non-residents. Students must pay a technology fee of $15.50 per credit hour whatever their residency status.

The Advanced Standing track costs less than the Traditional track because it needs fewer credit hours. Students complete 37 credit hours in Advanced Standing compared to 60 hours in the Traditional program, which creates substantial savings.

Students should know they must pay their tuition even if their predicted financial aid doesn’t come through. Your account could face collection costs up to 33.3% of the balance if it becomes delinquent.

UA Little Rock helps make payments easier with flexible plans:

• Fall and spring semesters: Choose between four-installment or seven-installment plans
• Summer term: Three-installment plan available

Eligible students can access several financial support options. You need regular or conditional admission as a degree-seeking graduate student to qualify for aid. Available support includes:

• Graduate Assistantships (limited to regularly admitted students)
• Federal Aid Programs
• Scholarships
• Tuition Payment Plans

Graduate-level financial aid has more restrictions than undergraduate assistance – something first-time applicants should know. Early research into funding options is a vital part of your planning process.

The University’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid offers complete information about federal aid programs and other support opportunities. In spite of that, not all graduate programs have similar financial aid options available.

Your decision to join University of Arkansas Little Rock MSW Programs should balance the financial investment against your career growth potential. The university’s official website remains the best source for current graduate tuition and fee details.

Additional Information

The University of Arkansas Little Rock MSW Programs pack quite a punch beyond just academics. The future looks bright for MSW graduates. Social work positions should grow 7% between 2022-2032, which is double the national average for all occupations.

Money talks, and MSW graduates usually earn more than their bachelor’s-level counterparts. Professionals with MSW degrees pull in about $78,200 yearly, while bachelor’s degree holders make around $68,000.

The school’s financial support options make the program more accessible. Students can apply for graduate assistantships that open up each year. There are also stipends for qualified students – you’ll want to check with the field coordinator for details.

The rules about transfer credits are pretty straightforward. The school will only accept courses from other CSWE-accredited graduate social work programs. These courses must be less than seven years old and have at least a B grade. It’s important to note that UA Little Rock won’t give academic credit for life or work experience.

MSW graduates end up working in settings of all types. You’ll find them in schools, government agencies, hospitals, child welfare organizations, and mental health centers. The CSWE data shows that about 80% of MSW graduates plan to become clinical social workers. This really shows how much we just need advanced practice experts in the field.