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Michigan State University MSW and PhD programs

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Michigan State University MSW and PhD programs

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Michigan State University MSW and PhD programs

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About

Whether someone has worked in the field for decades or is just completing a bachelor's degree, the MSW Program at Michigan State University offers a wide variety of formats to educate the social work practitioners of tomorrow.

Throughout the MSW Program, students take courses in research and practice methods, and benefit from intensive field experience. While the first half of the program provides students with a generalist foundation of social work knowledge, the second half prepares students for advanced practice in one of two concentrations:

 
  • The Clinical Social Work concentration focuses on micro-level interventions appropriate for work with individuals, families, and groups. Learn more
  • The Organization and Community Leadership concentration focuses on macro-level interventions appropriate for work within communities and organizations. Learn more

MSW Applications Open: September 1, 2020 for the 2021 academic year

(PLEASE NOTE: Applications started prior to September 1 will not be considered)

Early bird deadline: December 1, 2020

Final deadline: January 10, 2021

MSW Application Instructions: https://socialwork.msu.edu/Programs/MSW/Application-Process 

MSW Scholarship Information: https://socialwork.msu.edu/Students/Scholarship-Information

Master of Social Work Program Options

If you have questions about which program is appropriate for you, please contact Stephanie McCann.

If you have questions about the admission process, please contact the Graduate Office Support Staff at 517-355-7519 or swgradoffice@ssc.msu.edu.

Program Options

In addition to a Regular and an Advanced Standing program, we have six different program options to meet the needs of different students. Use the flow chart to help identify the best fit for you.

Flow chart to decide which MSW Regular program is right for you
MSW Regular Flow Chart

Regular MSW Program

The Regular Program is for you if your undergraduate degree is not in Social Work or you received a BSW, but it was not from a CSWE accredited program, the degree was granted more than 6 years ago, or your undergraduate GPA is below 3.25.

Students in the Regular Program must complete a minimum of 57 credits through one of the following options:
  • East Lansing (Michigan State University campus, East Lansing, MI)
  • Flint (Mott Community College campus, Flint, MI)
  • Statewide Blended (Blended face-to-face/online option)
    • Part time (3 years)
    • Starts fall semester
    • Attend the Summer Institute annually mid-August at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center on MSU's main campus in East Lansing
    • Attend class one Saturday per month during the Fall and Spring semesters via Zoom videoconferencing software. Remaining coursework done independently online.
    • To be eligible, students must live more than 30 miles from the East Lansing and Flint campuses and, if out of state, must live within 50 miles of the Michigan border
    • Learn more about this program and the curriculum requirements
  • Weekend (Blended face-to-face/online option)
    • Part time (3 years)
    • Starts fall semester
    • Attend class at the James B. Henry Center in Lansing once per month. Remaining coursework done independently online.
    • To be eligible, students must be a Michigan resident or live within 50 miles of the Michigan border
    • Learn more about this program and the curriculum requirements
Flow chart to decide which MSW Advanced Standing program is right for you
Advanced Standing Flow Chart

Advanced Standing Program

The Advanced Standing Program is for you if you have a Bachelors of Social Work earned from a CSWE accredited university within the last 6 years and and your undergraduate GPA is 3.25 or higher.

Students in the Advanced Standing Program must complete a minimum of 38 credits in one of the following formats:

  • East Lansing (Michigan State University campus, East Lansing, MI)
  • Oakland (Oakland University campus, Rochester, MI)
    • Full time (1 year) or part time (2 years)
    • Starts summer semester with combination face to face and/or online classes
    • Classes meet in Fall and Spring on the Oakland University campus two days and/or evenings per week, usually on Mondays and Tuesdays
    • Oakland OCL students are required to commute to East Lansing during the last two semesters of the program
    • Learn more about this program and the curriculum requirements
  • Mid-Michigan (Mott Community College Northern Tier Center, Clio, MI)
    • Full time (1 year) or part time (2 years)
    • Starts summer semester with combination face to face and/or online classes
    • Classes meet in Fall and Spring at the Mott Community College Northern Tier Center two days and/or evenings per week, usually on Mondays and Tuesdays
    • Mid-Michigan OCL students are required to commute to East Lansing during the last two semesters of the program
    • Learn more about this program and the curriculum requirements
  • Statewide Blended (Blended face-to-face/online option)
    • Part time (2 years)
    • Starts summer semester with fully online classes
    • Attend the Summer Institute annually in mid-August at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center on MSU's main campus in East Lansing
    • Attend class one Saturday per month during the Fall and Spring semesters in the 2nd year of the program via Zoom videoconferencing software. Remaining coursework done independently online.
    • To be eligible, students must live more than 30 miles from the East Lansing, Oakland and Mid-Michigan campuses and, if out of state, must live within 50 miles of the Michigan border
    • Learn more about this program and the curriculum requirements

Dual Degree Options

Students may pursue one of the following dual degree options:
  • Joint MSW/JD
    • Full-time for 4 years
    • JD classes meet on the MSU campus in East Lansing. Students in off-campus MSW program options must be willing to commute.
    • The admissions criteria for the MSW Program are the same as those for all MSW program options.
    • Students must apply separately and be accepted to the MSU College of Law's JD program
  • Joint MSW/MPH
    • MPH courses are fully online
    • The admissions criteria for the MSW Program are the same as those for all MSW program options
    • Students must apply separately and be accepted to the MSU College of Human Medicine's MPH program


The School currently offers nine certificate programs at the MSW level:

Please see our Frequently Asked Questions for more general information about our certificates.


PhD in Social Work Degree Program

PhD Program Flyer
Download our PhD flyer

The PhD program in Social Work is designed to prepare social workers for leadership positions in the profession as:

  • Social work educators
  • Researchers of social problems and social work intervention methods
  • Planners, administrators, and evaluators of social service programs
  • Policy makers and analysts

It emphasizes the development, analysis, and application of social work knowledge related to professional practice and research in selected settings and to social work education at the undergraduate and graduate levels in order to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the Social Work profession and the field of social welfare.

It is also interdisciplinary in nature, requiring course work in both social work and a particular social science, or across disciplines, while focusing on a selected area of study. This focused cognate is designed by the student and his/her Guidance Committee (a group of faculty chosen by the student that represents social work and the focused cognate area). Courses for the cognate may be taken from any department within the University, with appropriate approval, and are organized around a student's specific area of scholarly interest.

In addition to the designated areas of course work, all students must satisfactorily complete a statistics sequence and a sequenced research internship. Finally, students must complete a comprehensive examination and a doctoral dissertation that reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the degree.

The doctoral program is a member of GADE, the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work.

Joanne Riebschleger, PhD, LMSW
PhD Program Director
Baker Hall Room 108
riebsch1@msu.edu (preferred method of contact)
517-353-9746

PhD Office Support Staff
swgradoffice@ssc.msu.edu
517-355-7519

The application deadline for 2021 admission to the MSU PhD Program in Social Work is December 7, 2020 at 5:00 PM   

PhD Admissions: https://socialwork.msu.edu/Programs/PhD/Admissions