Why Earn Your Advanced Standing M.S.W. Online from Syracuse University?
The online Syracuse University Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) Advanced Standing program is designed for those who have completed a bachelor’s in social work already, and who now want their academic and field experience to count toward—and accelerate—obtaining their master’s degree.
The online M.S.W. Advanced Standing program—with its immersive fieldwork opportunities for students, and its live, online classes buzzing with student and faculty engagement—will empower you to advance human rights and social justice using a wide variety of engagement and evaluation methods.
Online Student Experience
At Syracuse University, we make it easy for you to stay organized and connected to our Orange community.
- An immersive online campus: Find everything in one place. From weekly Zoom HD classes and self-paced coursework to break-out rooms and progress reports, the online platform has everything you need to keep up with your studies.
- Adjustable schedules: Make your academic schedule work for you. The online M.S.W. program offers working professionals the opportunity to learn on their own schedule, thanks to classes scheduled at varying times throughout the week and coursework always accessible via our full-service mobile app.
- Smart platform features: Personalize your learning experience with features such as dark mode, castable content for larger screens, varying video speeds and closed captioning for recorded lectures.
Admissions Requirements
The program welcomes applicants from a wide range of academic fields. However, all students are required to have graduated within the past 10 years from an undergraduate social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Additionally, the admissions committee values a minimum 3.0 GPA in all social work courses for admission to the online Advanced Standing M.S.W. program.
Application requirements include:
- Transcripts: Required from all postsecondary institutions from which you have earned or will earn a degree, and from any other institutions where you earned prerequisite course credits specific to the program.
- Resume or CV: A resume with your employment history and academic accomplishments.
- Essay: A personal essay (600–800 words) that describes your professional goals, future professional plans and academic interests. Additionally, you should explain why you selected the Advanced Standing online M.S.W. program.
- Prerequisite coursework: In addition to a bachelor’s degree, applicants are required to have completed a minimum of 30 credits of liberal arts coursework. Prerequisite coursework includes Physical or Natural Science (3 credits), Computational Skills (6 credits), Humanities (6 credits) and Social Sciences (12 credits).
- Letters of recommendation: You will need to obtain letters of recommendations from three separate references. One letter should come from a practice instructor, one letter should come from either a field supervisor or field placement coordinator and one letter should come from any academic or professional source.
If you are applying as an international student, please visit our international applicants page.
Earn Your Degree Faster
Give back to your community sooner, thanks to an online Advanced Standing M.S.W. Request information today.
Online Advanced Standing M.S.W. Curriculum
Designed specifically for students with a bachelor’s degree in social work, the advanced standing M.S.W. curriculum allows students to bypass foundational coursework given their experience. The curriculum consists of 36 credits and can be completed in as few as 24 months.
Students in the online advanced standing M.S.W. program will learn to:
- advance human rights and social, economic and environmental justice;
- demonstrate ethical and professional behavior;
- engage diversity and difference in practice;
- engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice;
- engage in policy practice; and
- engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
Advanced Standing M.S.W. Concentrations
Choose an M.S.W. concentration that aligns with your unique career goals and desired social work career. The two concentrations are:
- Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP) Concentration: designed for those who wish to become mental health clinicians and practice in a clinical setting
- Advanced Integrated Practice (AIP) Concentration: designed for those who wish to pursue direct practice and leadership in a wide range of increasingly complex human service organizations
Social Work Licensure
The online M.S.W. program prepares you to earn your social work license by sitting for the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) licensing examination, which is required to become a licensed master social worker (LMSW) in New York and in most other states.
Prior to applying for your M.S.W. online from Syracuse University, you are encouraged to research the licensure requirements in your particular state.
Ready to Build Upon Your Social Work Experience?
Request information today for our online Advanced Standing M.S.W.