Best Advanced-Standing Online MSW Programs

You might meet people who assume that the field of social work is intuitive. But if you hold a bachelor’s in social work (BSW), you know that providing support and aid to our most vulnerable populations requires a highly evolved skill set. Skills that constantly change to include up-to-date, evidence-based practices, program evaluation findings, and the use of trauma-informed care.

As the field evolves, and through the advocacy of organizations like the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the term “social worker” is protected in many states. So, unless you have a degree in social work, you cannot hold a position with that title. If you hold a BSW and pursue entry-level social work positions, you will experience professional growth within your role in the years ahead.

For most positions, however, a Master of Social Work (MSW) is the preferred or required degree for clinical, administrative, or leadership positions in the field. If you have already earned a BSW, you’re closer to your MSW than a student whose undergraduate degree is in a different area.

By building on your existing knowledge of social work theory and other foundational principles, you can accelerate your studies in an advanced standing online MSW program. Many schools offer advanced standing MSW programs online, allowing even greater flexibility in advancing your studies and growth potential.

As you consider earning a master’s degree from an online MSW program, you might have questions about cost, flexibility, vetting the best program for you, and additional application requirements, to name a few. Please read our guide to learn what you’ll need to know as a prospective advanced-standing candidate to help you make the most informed and confident decisions as you apply to online MSW programs.

We’ve identified this year’s best 50 programs that offer online advanced standing MSW programs. After combing through data from The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), these select schools shine in crucial factors like overall affordability, online learning availability, and student support metrics. For more information on how we calculated our rankings, check out our “About the Ranking” button below.

An MSW earned through an online advanced standing curriculum program will adhere to the same rigorous standards set forth by the Council on Social Work Education in classroom and field practicum education. Applicants with a BSW are typically expected to have earned a 3.0 GPA in any previous social work courses, although standards vary by institution.

Students whose transcripts may not meet the standard requirements may take the GRE to demonstrate aptitude, although it is typically not required for MSW programs. Some advanced standing MSW online programs require you to complete your BSW within a prescribed period for continuity.

As a student with a BSW, you already have a great knowledge base about social work theory, human behavior in the social environment, and social justice covered in the early MSW curriculum. By drawing from your previous studies, you can focus on advanced skills in your MSW programs, such as clinical skills, advocacy, research, and policy, and working with different systems, such as education and government systems.

While most MSW programs do not include a capstone project, you will execute several large projects with your field placement, including projects related to social change or program evaluation.

Standards for an advanced standing MSW are consistent with standard MSW programs, which usually include a holistic review of each student as a prospective social worker and an addition to the field while considering their demonstrated aptitude for the rigors of the institution’s curriculum.

While the GRE or other exams are not required for admission, students with a lower undergraduate GPA may take the GRE to supplement their application and demonstrate their seriousness in master’s-level studies.

Many online MSW programs also seek to accept individuals with various lived experiences for what they contribute to classroom dynamics and debate and how they will continue to affect positive change in their communities.

• Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from a CSWE-accredited program
• Minimum GPA of 3.0
• B- or better in all undergraduate social work major courses

Generally, programs can be completed between three and six semesters, depending on your schedule and status. Most online advanced standing MSW programs offer the flexibility of full- or part-time study. Your online coursework may be paced differently than your on-campus colleagues and require more discipline, mainly if your courses are offered asynchronously, and you don’t have the accountability of gathering for a course meeting.

However, every online MSW student’s program is paced by their field placement, with at least 15 hours on-site per week, allowing everyone to implement content they are covering in their courses to the populations that they serve.

One of the benefits of being a social worker is having a plethora of choices in terms of concentration, specialization, professional trajectory, and work setting. Most online MSW program concentrations can be divided into three categories: direct practice social work (or macro/clinical social work), advanced generalist social work, and macro (or policy) social work.

Direct practice settings include settings in which you have one-on-one contact with the recipient of services and conceptualize an individual’s circumstances, presentation and treatment plan through a social work lens and set of values. Work in this area could include school social work, working with incarceration and re-entry, providing care in a substance use disorder treatment program, providing individual psychotherapy, medical social work, or other areas of direct interaction with the recipient of services.

Macro or policy social work focuses on advocacy, nonprofit organizations, and understanding leadership through social work theory and perspectives. Education and work in this area include a deeper understanding of the history of various social programs, such as housing or healthcare policy, learning skills to assume a leadership role in a nonprofit organization that provides social services, or advocating on a local, state, or federal level for improved programs to serve community needs.

Advanced generalist social workers are prepared for a wide variety of roles, which include providing services for housing, food resources, child and family services, job placement, and healthcare access. Advanced generalists may assume leadership roles in various settings or engage in program evaluations and will likely have direct contact with service recipients.