UNA Master’s in Social Work Program

The University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama welcomes approximately 8,086 students yearly. The UNA Social Work Department serves as the foundation for students who want to create meaningful change in society.

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) has nationally accredited the department’s Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Masters of Social Work (MSW) degrees. This accreditation will give you an education meeting professional standards that prepares you for licensure and practice.

The UNA Social Work Department stands out through its blend of hands-on experience and classroom learning. Students dedicate about 15,000 hours each semester to community social service agencies through internships. These numbers show how the program values real-world learning and helps local communities.

Students can choose programs at this school that fit their needs. The BSW program runs mostly in traditional classrooms, with some online options. The MSW program runs completely online (except for field internships), making it perfect for working professionals who want to advance without leaving their jobs.

Students in both programs get real experience through supervised field internships at local, state, or regional social services agencies. Before these placements, students complete hundreds of hours through service learning, volunteer work, and employment with area agencies.

UNA’s social work programs feature small class sizes. This relaxed setting lets you connect with faculty members who bring both academic expertise and genuine interest in your educational experience.

Students with a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program can take advantage of the MSW program’s one-year fast-track option. They can earn their master’s degree in 12 months instead of the usual 24 months required for students without a BSW.

The program’s popularity shows in its numbers. UNA awarded 39 bachelor’s degrees and 35 master’s degrees in social work during 2021-2022. These achievements made UNA the #4 ranked social work program in Alabama.

The department’s faculty members bring years of professional experience to the classroom. They combine theoretical knowledge with practical skills that are the foundations of successful social work careers.

Programs offered

UNA’s Social Work Department has degree programs that prepare you for professional practice at different levels. The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program builds your foundation through classroom learning, and some courses are available online.

Students looking for advanced education can enroll in UNA’s fully online Master of Social Work (MSW) program. The program gives you great flexibility with two paths. Students with a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited institution can complete the advanced standing option in one year with 30 credit hours. Students who have bachelor’s degrees in other fields can take the traditional two-year option with 60 credit hours.

The MSW program teaches Advanced Generalist Practice that helps you work in micro, mezzo, and macro practice settings. This training sets you up for success in a variety of environments – from helping clients directly to developing policies and organizing communities.

The advanced standing (one-year) program has these core courses:

• Advanced Social Welfare Policy Analysis
• Clinical Assessment and Diagnostic Psychopathology
• Advanced Generalist Practice with Children, Adolescents, and Families
• Advanced Generalist Practice with Groups
• Advanced Generalist Practice with Communities and Organizations
• Social Service Program Evaluation
• Non-Profit Management and Agency Administration

Students can pick specialized electives like Family Violence, Grant Writing Skills, Advanced Practice in Health Settings, Global Social Work, and Mindfulness interventions for Complex Trauma. These choices let you shape your education based on your career goals.

Field internships are a vital part of both programs. Students in the advanced standing MSW complete one 6-hour internship each semester. Traditional MSW students do two 12-hour internships per semester. These supervised experiences at professional social service agencies give you hands-on training.

UNA also offers a Certificate in Child Welfare Practice for undergraduate students. This certificate provides specialized training in this important field.

Students get both practical experience and theoretical knowledge that makes them ready for their careers. BSW graduates can work as social workers, case managers, child advocates, and community outreach coordinators. MSW graduates qualify for leadership roles in social work settings of all types.

About the online program

UNA’s Master of Social Work program runs completely online, with all but one component – the required field internships. Students can access their education from anywhere while getting the same quality as on-campus classes. The program has earned recognition for its excellence, ranked among the Top 25 Best Online Master’s Programs nationwide.

They designed the online MSW program for working professionals who want to advance their careers without putting their current jobs on hold. The program employs a cohort model with asynchronous learning that gives you the flexibility to balance work, personal commitments, and academic pursuits. This relaxed structure works best when you have busy schedules or existing professional responsibilities.

You’ll get hands-on experience through required field internships while progressing through the program. These supervised placements happen in professional social service agencies at local, state, or regional levels. Students must complete 1000 total hours of field practicum—500 hours of foundational practicum in the first year and another 500 hours of advanced practicum in the second year. Advanced standing students need to complete only the 500-hour advanced practicum.

Field experiences blend classroom learning with practical application smoothly. You’ll work under an agency field instructor and social work faculty liaison’s joint supervision during these internships. Two-hour weekly seminars help assess how well you apply classroom knowledge in field experiences. Plus, the program offers more than 200 field opportunities locally, nationally, and internationally.

Online students usually take 6-9 credits each semester. Advanced standing students need 30 credit hours to complete the program, with costs estimated at $10,500. This comes to about $350 per credit hour.

So, UNA’s online MSW program blends academic excellence with practical flexibility. You’ll develop expertise in micro, mezzo, and macro levels of social work practice. The program prepares you to work in social work settings of all types, from direct clinical practice to community organization and policy development. This online format makes quality education accessible without compromising the depth needed for advanced professional practice.

Accreditation

Accreditation plays a vital role in choosing a social work program. It serves as a quality seal that validates educational excellence. The University of North Alabama’s Social Work Department has earned national accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). This accreditation ensures your degree meets professional standards.

The CSWE is the only accrediting agency in the United States that evaluates social work education programs at bachelor’s and master’s levels. Social work professionals make up this organization. They work together to set quality standards and create innovative educational guidelines for programs. UNA’s Master of Social Work program has full CSWE accreditation, which shows its steadfast dedication to excellence.

The University of North Alabama also has accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). This allows the university to award degrees at various levels – from bachelor’s to doctorate. Your education gets an extra layer of quality assurance through this institutional accreditation.

A CSWE-accredited degree will give you several career advantages. You’ll get an education that meets national standards and prepares you well for your licensing exam. Most employers prefer to hire graduates from CSWE-accredited schools. This preference gives you an edge in the job market.

There’s another reason why CSWE accreditation matters – career mobility. The nationwide consistency in educational standards makes it easier to switch between social work positions across the country. Alabama requires graduates to complete CSWE-accredited programs for licensure. This makes accreditation a must-have, not just a nice-to-have.

CSWE offers a special service for international students and those with foreign degrees. The International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Service checks if academic credentials match U.S. accredited degrees. This service helps with job hunting, graduate school admission, professional organization membership, and state licensing requirements.

The path to accreditation is thorough. Programs must pass a complete evaluation against set criteria. Regular reviews happen to check if programs follow all standards. This ongoing assessment by CSWE makes sure accredited programs deliver quality education that prepares you for professional practice.

Admission Requirements

Getting ready to join UNA’s Master of Social Work program? Here’s what you need to know. The application deadline for Spring 2026 falls on October 1, 2025. Good news – UNA’s MSW program doesn’t require GRE scores for admission.

Students aiming for the two-year traditional program need a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.85. The advanced standing option calls for a higher GPA of 3.25. The admissions committee might look at just your last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework if your GPA doesn’t meet these marks.

Your application package should include:

• Undergraduate transcript showing your degree
• Professional resume or curriculum vitae
• Personal narrative essay answering specific questions
• Two letters of recommendation
• A 15-minute interview with two Social Work faculty members

Your recommendation letters need specific sources. One must come from academia – usually a current or former professor. The second can be from either an academic or professional contact. These letters should showcase your character, integrity, maturity, and readiness for graduate-level Social Work training.

The personal narrative essay comes with specific rules. It should be 2,000 words or less, written in Times New Roman 12-point font, double-spaced, with numbered responses. You’ll need to cover seven key areas: your long-term goals, reasons for pursuing an MSW, how you match with NASW ethical values, your grasp of diversity, interest in social problems, and what personal qualities you bring to the program.

Your resume needs a standard format too – one-inch margins and 12-point Times New Roman font. Make sure it lists your personal data, education background, work history in order, volunteer experience, and any professional memberships or honors.

Qualified candidates move on to a fifteen-minute online interview with two MSW faculty members. This final step helps determine if you’re the right fit for the program.

UNA’s admission process looks at your academic ability, professional background, how well you match with social work values, and your dedication to the field. This thorough approach helps find candidates who will excel in advanced social work practice.

Tuition

Smart financial planning helps you invest in your education. UNA provides competitive tuition rates for its social work programs that beat most institutions in Alabama.

The graduate tuition structure at UNA keeps things simple yet detailed. Starting Fall 2023, both in-state and online program students pay $495.00 per credit hour. Students from out-of-state and international locations pay $990.00 per credit hour. These rates stay the same through the 2025-2026 academic year, with MSW tuition fixed at $495.00 per credit hour plus fees.

Students also need to pay the College of Education & Human Sciences fee of $75.00 per credit hour. This fee helps provide specialized resources needed for social work education.

The total cost varies based on your chosen track:

• Advanced Standing (30 credits): About $14,850.00
• Traditional (60 credits): About $29,700.00

Books cost around $1,000 per semester, plus you’ll need to budget for personal expenses. Online students pay the same tuition rate whatever their location, making the program available nationwide.

UNA’s rates give you great value in Alabama’s higher education world. Graduate students at UNA pay $7,140.00 yearly in in-state tuition and fees, which is nowhere near what other schools charge:

• Auburn University: $11,826.00
• Jacksonville State University: $10,600.00
• Troy University: $8,550.00
• University of Alabama: $11,470.00
• Alabama State University: $10,156.00
• Alabama A&M University: $11,542.00
• Samford University: $21,575.00

The online BSW coursework costs $340.00 per credit hour, setting up affordable education at all program levels.

UNA’s steadfast dedication to reasonable tuition rates lets students get quality social work education without breaking the bank. This mix of affordability and flexibility makes it perfect for students who want advanced social work credentials without piling up huge debts.

Additional Information

UNA social work students enhance their academic knowledge with hands-on experience that greatly affects their communities. These students provide around 15,000 hours of service each semester to local agencies through their internships. This hands-on community work prepares them for ground-level practice after graduation.

A master’s in social work from UNA creates paths to various career opportunities. The program equips you with professional skills needed to advance in private practice or agency positions. Career fields typically include:

• Mental health and substance abuse treatment
• Medical and healthcare settings
• School-based social work
• Children and family services
• Gerontology

Applications for Spring 2026 are due October 1, 2025. Your education’s foundation begins with submitting a Field Placement Preference form to start the placement process. The next step involves agency interviews, which should be treated as professional job interviews. Field supervisors mentor students through weekly supervision meetings and complete mid-term and final evaluations of their performance.

Students working at human service agencies can request employment-based field placements with approval from the Field Director. The field practicum runs alongside MSW academic courses. Advanced Standing students must complete a minimum of 500 field internship hours, while 2-Year students need at least 900 hours.

Students can secure field placements in their city or state of residence if the agency meets university requirements. Most students reach their hourly requirements by working 16 hours weekly at their placement. They must arrange transportation to placements and get student liability coverage through NASW Assurance Insurance.

UNA Works strategic collaborations might help reduce tuition through employer programs. Smart financial planning helps explore various support options to fund your education while preparing for this meaningful career path.