Penn State’s MSW Program
Penn State’s Master of Social Work program provides a clinically focused educational pathway that gives graduates the professional capabilities needed in today’s complex social service world. The Penn State College of Health and Human Development offers this degree program through Penn State World Campus. Quality education becomes available to students whatever their geographic location.
Students gain essential values, knowledge, and skills to serve diverse populations effectively at this school. Experienced professionals with doctorates make up the faculty team. They bring decades of practical social work experience to their teaching roles.
Faculty Expertise and Program Philosophy
The Penn State MSW program stands out because of its exceptional faculty. These recognized experts specialize in various areas and bring combined social work experience across multiple domains:
- Clinical treatment methodologies
- Child welfare systems
- Mental health interventions
- Substance use treatment approaches
- Trauma-informed care
- Policy development and implementation
- Research methodologies and applications
The program goes beyond teaching theoretical concepts. It develops future professional leaders who show dedication to inclusivity, social problem-solving, and advancing human well-being among social justice principles. This vision fits perfectly with the program’s educational structure, which builds foundational knowledge before advancing to specialized clinical practice.
Student Experience and Community
The PSU MSW online program creates a vibrant learning community. Students can balance their educational pursuits with personal and professional responsibilities while building meaningful connections. Rich relationships develop between faculty and students that often continue beyond graduation.
MSW faculty remain dedicated to advising and mentoring students throughout their academic experience, despite the physical distance in online education. This supportive environment creates lasting professional networks dedicated to advancing social work practice.
Students learn social work ethics while embracing values of diversity, equity, and social justice. These ethical foundations pervade the curriculum. Graduates enter the field with both technical skills and a moral compass that guides their professional decisions.
Programs offered
Penn State World Campus offers a complete 60-credit Master of Social Work (MSW) program that prepares students for advanced clinical social work practice. The program welcomed its first group of students in fall 2024. Students learn practical skills to help them assess, intervene, and evaluate their work with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations.
Curriculum Structure and Focus Areas
The MSW program’s curriculum has two main levels: generalist and advanced. Students start with generalist courses that teach core social work knowledge, values, and skills. These include social work methods, human development theory, social policy, and research methods.
After building this foundation, students can specialize in one of two clinical areas:
- Children and Families Across the Lifespan – Students learn about child welfare services, how to assess at-risk children and youth, child welfare policies, and trauma theories/treatments for people who have survived child abuse
- Mental Health and Substance Use – The focus is on clinical social work practice with mental health and substance abuse, current policy issues, and ways to treat trauma in these situations
Course Requirements
Students need to complete 36 credits of required courses, 12 credits in their chosen specialty, and 12 credits of supervised clinical practice. Core courses cover foundations in clinical social work practice, clinical social work across the lifespan, and research methods. This program prepares students to become Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) in Pennsylvania and other states.
Field Education Component
Field education is just as important as classroom learning in social work. Students must finish 12 credits of field education courses with at least 900 hours spread over four semesters. Full-time students typically spend about 15 hours each week in the field. Students get hands-on experience at social service agencies, hospitals, schools, or similar facilities near their home.
Bachelor’s Degree Option
Penn State also offers a 122-credit Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program. This undergraduate degree gives students a broad education to work in private and public social services. BSW students study social issues while getting actual experience in community organizations, foundations, and government offices.
Employment Outlook
Social workers have many career paths available to them. They work in mental health clinics, schools, child welfare agencies, hospitals, and private practices. The job market looks promising – social worker employment in the United States should grow 6 percent from 2024 to 2034, which is faster than most other jobs.
About the online program
The Penn State online MSW program offers flexible coursework that you can complete at your own pace. This lets you balance your education with work and personal life. You don’t need to follow strict schedules or move to a new location to maintain high-quality education.
Students progress through a well-laid-out learning path. The program starts with classroom fundamentals and moves to clinical simulations. Skills-based learning during field education leads to a detailed capstone project. This step-by-step approach helps you build both theory and hands-on skills.
The program uses advanced clinical computer simulations and instructional methods to get you ready for real-life social work. The program makes all technology available to students of all technical backgrounds and experience levels.
The 60-credit curriculum explores social work practice throughout life stages. Students learn cultural competence to work with people in a variety of geographic settings. Your learning path has two main phases:
- Generalist Curriculum: This covers the foundations of social work practice. Students learn essential knowledge, values, processes, and skills including social work methods, human development theory, social policy, and research methods.
- Advanced Curriculum: Students build specialized skills in their chosen clinical concentration on these foundations.
Students develop practical skills in:
- Trauma informed therapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Play therapy
- Family and group therapy
- Comprehensive therapy approaches
- Telehealth and digital practice
Field education is a vital part of your training. Students complete 12 credits of practicum courses with 900 hours of supervised practice. The program ends with a capstone experience where you show your knowledge and skills in a variety of social work areas.
The program builds meaningful relationships despite being online. Faculty members show steadfast dedication to advising and mentoring. These supportive connections often last beyond graduation. Students never feel alone during their educational trip.
PSU’s MSW online program combines academic excellence with ground application. Students become professional leaders ready to tackle critical social problems and improve human well-being. Graduates can work in various employment settings with the skills needed for licensure and professional practice.
Accreditation
Accreditation status plays a key role when you evaluate any MSW program. Penn State World Campus MSW program is currently in pre-candidacy for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA). This status marks the first step in the detailed accreditation process that new social work programs must complete.
CSWE is the only accrediting agency for social work education in the United States. This nonprofit national association started in 1952 and now represents more than 2,500 individual members and professional social work education programs at both graduate and undergraduate levels. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation recognizes it as the definitive authority for social work education accreditation across the country.
Pre-candidacy means the program’s standards have received draft approval. The next review for Candidacy status should happen within a year. This marks just the beginning of what usually takes three years to achieve full accreditation, assuming everything goes according to plan.
Penn State has already shown success with this process through its undergraduate program. The BSW program reached candidacy status with CSWE in October 2023. Programs that complete at least one year of the candidacy process can earn this status, and they typically move toward full accreditation within two years.
Students should know that program accreditation covers all approved locations and delivery methods. This applies when the degree comes from that program and lists social work as the field of study. Full accreditation works retroactively – every graduate from the program will have an accredited MSW degree.
The path to accreditation includes these classifications:
- Pre-Candidacy: Initial phase where standards are approved in draft form
- Candidacy: Program has completed at least one year of the candidacy process
- Accredited: Fully accredited program meeting all standards
- Accredited (Conditional): Accredited with documented noncompliance that must be addressed within a year
- Accredited (Withdrawal in Progress): Accredited with a planned closure date
PSU’s MSW program moves through these stages openly. The university’s transparency about its pre-candidacy status reflects its steadfast dedication to high educational standards while working toward full CSWE accreditation.
Admission Requirements
The PSU MSW program looks for candidates who match their standards and show a steadfast dedication to becoming skilled social workers. They want people who are passionate about helping communities and pushing forward economic and social justice principles.
You’ll need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a strong liberal arts background. Your grades should hit a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale throughout your undergraduate studies. The good news? Penn State’s MSW program doesn’t ask for GRE scores or other standardized tests.
Your academic record matters, but so do these personal and professional qualities:
- How well you connect and respond in relationships
- A genuine desire to help others
- The ability to adapt to change
- Good judgment and critical thinking
- Creative ways to solve problems
- Strong personal ethics
- Clear communication, both written and verbal
The J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School application portal is where you’ll submit everything. Here’s what you need:
- Completed Graduate School online application with fee
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions
- Current resume or CV
- Personal goal statement
- Professional letters of reference
The program offers an Advanced Standing track for qualified students. This option works for anyone who got their Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) in the last five years from a CSWE-accredited program with at least a 3.25 GPA. These students might skip first-year generalist courses, depending on how well their undergraduate coursework matches up (B grades or better required).
Advanced Standing students could also get six field education credits if their undergraduate practicum included 400+ hours with at least a B grade.
The program sticks to Council for Social Work Education standards. This means whatever life, volunteer, or work experience you have won’t count for course credit, transfers, or exemptions. International students need to prove their English skills through TOEFL/IELTS scores based on the university’s international admission guidelines.
The admissions team focuses on finding students who will thrive in both their studies and ground clinical practice settings.
Tuition
The PSU MSW program’s financial investment needs careful planning. World Campus tuition follows a cost-per-credit model that changes based on your enrollment status and program details.
Graduate students in the 2025-26 academic year will pay $1,037.00 per credit for 11 or fewer credits. Students taking 12 or more credits pay a flat rate of $12,448.00 per semester. The rates will rise to $1,048.00 per credit and $12,572.00 per semester in the 2026-27 academic year.
The online MSW program gives you a great advantage – all students pay in-state tuition rates. This differs from campus-based programs that charge higher non-resident fees. The complete 60-credit program costs approximately $62,973.00.
Your educational expenses go beyond tuition. The budget should include:
- Required textbooks and course materials
- A one-time $200.00 nonrefundable deposit
- Student activity fee of $15.00 per term
- Wellness fee of $140.00 per term
- Computing fee of $100.00 per term
Students must pay shortly after each semester starts. Good financial planning plays a vital role in program success.
Penn State offers several ways to manage these costs. Military students and veterans can access tuition assistance, including GI Bill® benefits. The Trade Adjustment Assistance Program might help unemployed students with educational benefits under certain conditions.
Students should look into all financial aid options right away. Start by checking scholarship opportunities and standard aid packages. Some students receive extra financial aid that can help buy books and special equipment after covering tuition.
Note that World Campus doesn’t provide book vouchers. You might need to buy materials before classes begin, even before aid disbursement.
Additional Information
The PSU MSW program opens doors to career opportunities that go way beyond entry-level qualifications. After graduation, you can take licensure exams to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Pennsylvania and many other states. This credential creates opportunities to practice clinically in a variety of settings.
Social work careers show remarkable growth potential. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 6% employment growth for social workers from 2024 to 2034. This means that the growth outpaces other occupations. The field will create about 78,300 job openings each year over the next decade.
Your academic performance plays a crucial role in the program. Students must earn at least B grades in all courses and field work components to progress successfully. Graduate minors are available to students who want specialized study in any approved graduate major or dual-title program, according to Graduate Council policy GCAC-218.
Graduates enter a profession committed to inclusivity and social justice principles that enhance human well-being and tackle critical social issues. World Campus Career Services provides valuable resources to support your job search and career advancement from the moment you enroll until graduation.