Social Work (M.S.W.)
https://chhs.unh.edu/social-work/program/msw/social-work
The University of New Hampshire's M.S.W. program provides a quality educational experience that prepares graduates for Advanced Generalist practice consistent with the purposes of the social work profession. It concentrates on strengths and empowerment models that encourage individuals and families, and communities and organizations to realize their full potential.
Fields of Practice
MSW students will be able to select three electives in one or more of the following:
- Health and mental health;
- Addictions and substance abuse;
- Children, youth, and families,
- Disabilities; or a self-designed field of practice.
Program Options
The Durham Campus Program is our traditional model with classes held on campus. It takes two years to complete the full time program, with part time course of study of three and four years. Required first year courses are scheduled Monday-Wednesday leaving Thursdays and Fridays open for first year internships. Second year courses are scheduled Wednesdays and Thursdays leaving Monday, Tuesday, and Friday for internships. The Durham program admits once a year in the fall.
The M.S.W Online Program allows students to earn their Master of Social Work degree online in 28 months. M.S.W online students are required to complete two internships at a program or agency in their local community and work with Social Work Department internship office to identify acceptable sites. Internship seminar and Practice classes will have weekly synchronous online classes help on Monday or Wednesday evenings. The online program admits three times a year (fall, spring, summer). No campus visits are required at any time.
Advanced Standing is an option for eligible students who have graduated from an accredited B.S.W. program within five years. This option is available in Durham or online. Admission to this program is every summer for Durham and every fall for online.
M.S.W. Degree Requirements
An M.S.W. candidate must complete 62 credit hours of 800- or 900-level courses including two, two-semester internships, comprising a total of 1,240 hours. Grades below the B level in a graded course or a "fail" in a credit/fail course are considered failing grades for the purposes of determining academic standing. Repeating a course does not remove the original failing grade from the record. Graduate students receiving failing grades in 9 or more credits, received either in three courses or in any combination of courses taken twice, will be dismissed from the M.S.W. program.
Although a significant portion of the curriculum is required, students will be able to complete three elective courses. At least one of these must be taken from among Department of Social Work course offerings.
Core MSW Program Advanced Generalist Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core courses | ||
| SW 820 | Social Welfare Policy I | 3 |
| SW 830 | Social Work Practice I | 3 |
| SW 831 | Social Work Practice II: Practice in Small Groups and Community Organizations | 3 |
| SW 840 | Implications of Race, Culture, and Oppression for Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SW 850 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment I (HBSE I) | 3 |
| SW 851 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment II (HBSE II) | 3 |
| SW 860 | Research Methods in Social Work | 3 |
| SW 880 | Internship I 1 | 3 |
| SW 881 | Internship II 2 | 3 |
| SW 926 | Social Welfare Policy II | 3 |
| SW 930 | Advanced General Practice III: Clinical Assessment and Intervention | 3 |
| SW 931 | Advanced Generalist Practice IV: Community and Administrative Practice | 3 |
| SW 952 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment III | 3 |
| SW 962 | Data Analysis and Statistics | 3 |
| SW 965 | Program and Practice Evaluation | 3 |
| SW 982 | Internship III 3 | 4 |
| SW 983 | Internship IV 4 | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Select three 3-credit elective courses of social work (other graduate programs with permission): | 9 | |
| Aging and Society | ||
SW 803 | ||
| Adolescents with Emotional and Behavioral Challenges | ||
| Child and Adolescent Risks and Resiliency: Program, Policy and Practice | ||
| Child Maltreatment | ||
| Mental Health Aspects of Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities | ||
| First Responders | ||
| SW and the Digital Age | ||
| Understanding Developmental Disabilities | ||
| School Social Work | ||
| Affirming Practice with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+ People | ||
| Understanding Suicide | ||
| SW & Creative Arts | ||
| Fund Development and Grantwriting | ||
| Adventure Therapy: Facilitation and Processing of the Experience | ||
| Intimate Partner Violence | ||
| Special Topics in Social Work and Social Welfare | ||
| Social Work Supervision | ||
| Theory and Practice of Family Therapy | ||
SW 979 | ||
| Total Credits | 62 | |
Durham Two Year Program
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| SW 820 | Social Welfare Policy I | 3 |
| SW 830 | Social Work Practice I | 3 |
| SW 840 | Implications of Race, Culture, and Oppression for Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SW 850 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment I | 3 |
| SW 880 | Internship I | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| SW 831 | Social Work Practice II: Practice in Small Groups and Community Organizations | 3 |
| SW 851 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment II | 3 |
| SW 860 | Research Methods in Social Work | 3 |
| SW 881 | Internship II | 3 |
| SW 926 | Social Welfare Policy II | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| SW 930 | Advanced General Practice III: Clinical Assessment and Intervention | 3 |
| SW 952 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment III | 3 |
| SW 962 | Data Analysis and Statistics | 3 |
| SW 982 | Internship III | 4 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| SW 931 | Advanced Generalist Practice IV: Community and Administrative Practice | 3 |
| SW 965 | Program and Practice Evaluation | 3 |
| SW 983 | Internship IV | 4 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Total Credits | 62 | |
Please refer to our MSW Handbook listed on our website for 3 year and 4 year Durham degree plan options.
Online MSW Degree Plan - Example below is Fall cohort course of study
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
Term 1 | ||
| SW 820 | Social Welfare Policy I | 3 |
| SW 850 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment I | 3 |
Term 2 | ||
| SW 840 | Implications of Race, Culture, and Oppression for Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SW 860 | Research Methods in Social Work | 3 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
Term 3 | ||
| SW 851 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment II | 3 |
| SW 926 | Social Welfare Policy II | 3 |
Term 4 | ||
| SW 830 | Social Work Practice I | 3 |
| SW 880 | Internship I 1 | 3 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Summer | ||
| Elective | 3 | |
| Continuation of SW 880: Internship 1 | ||
| Credits | 3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
Term 1 | ||
| SW 831 | Social Work Practice II: Practice in Small Groups and Community Organizations | 3 |
| SW 881 | Internship II 2 | 3 |
Term 2 | ||
| SW 952 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment III | 3 |
| Continuation of SW 881: Internship 2 | ||
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
Term 3 | ||
| Elective | 3 | |
| SW 962 | Data Analysis and Statistics | 3 |
Term 4 | ||
| SW 930 | Advanced General Practice III: Clinical Assessment and Intervention | 3 |
| SW 982 | Internship III 3 | 4 |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Summer | ||
| SW 965 | Program and Practice Evaluation | 3 |
| Continuation of SW 982: Internship 3 | ||
| Credits | 3 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
Term 1 | ||
| SW 931 | Advanced Generalist Practice IV: Community and Administrative Practice | 3 |
| SW 983 | Internship IV 4 | 4 |
Term 2 | ||
| Elective | 3 | |
| Continuation of SW 983: Internship 4 | ||
| Credits | 10 | |
| Total Credits | 62 | |
- 1
Goes through Terms 4 and 5
- 2
Goes through Terms 1 and 2
- 3
Going through Terms 4 and 5
- 4
Goes through Terms 1 and 2
Accelerated Master's Overview
Accelerated Master’s programs offer qualified University of New Hampshire undergraduate students the opportunity to begin graduate coursework in select graduate programs while completing a bachelor’s degree. Accelerated master's programs are designed to provide students with an efficient and cost-effective pathway to earn both a bachelor's and master's degree or graduate certificate, enhancing career opportunities and long-term earning potential.
Accelerated Master's Highlights
- Begin studying advanced topics while an undergraduate student with the opportunity to complete a master’s degree or graduate certificate early.
- Master’s degree program students: Earn up to 12* graduate (800-level) course credits while completing a bachelor’s degree. This coursework will count as dual-credit toward both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
- Graduate certificate program students: Earn up to 8* graduate (800-level) course credits while completing a bachelor’s degree. This coursework will count as dual-credit toward both the bachelor’s degree and the graduate certificate.
- Students complete the bachelor’s degree, and then officially matriculate into the master’s or graduate certificate program to complete the remaining required graduate-level coursework.
*Some exceptions apply.
Accelerated Master's Admission Requirements
- A minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA is required.*
- A minimum of 90 undergraduate credits must be completed prior to enrolling in graduate (800-level) courses.
- Streamlined Graduate School Application (two letters of recommendation; most standardized tests and application fee are waived).*
*Some exceptions apply.
Accelerated Master's Requirements
- Students must attend a mandatory orientation session.
- Students must submit a special registration form each semester for dual-credit courses and note any DegreeWorks exceptions.
- Students may defer graduate matriculation for up to one year after earning their bachelor’s degree in most programs.
- See the Accelerated Master’s Catalog Policy and Accelerated Master’s Website for additional information and a list of programs. Note that some programs have additional requirements (e.g. higher-grade expectations) compared to the general policy.
Social Work (M.S.W.) Accelerated Option
This graduate degree program is approved to be taken on an accelerated basis in articulation with the following undergraduate program(s):
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Social Work (B.S.) | ||
| Students select from the following approved 800-level courses that can be completed in the undergraduate senior year for dual credit: | ||
| SW 802 | Aging and Society | 3 |
| SW 804 | Adolescents with Emotional and Behavioral Challenges | 3 |
| SW 805 | Child and Adolescent Risks and Resiliency: Program, Policy and Practice | 3 |
| SW 807 | Child Maltreatment | 3 |
| SW 808 | Mental Health Aspects of Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities | 3 |
| SW 810 | SW and the Digital Age | 3 |
| SW 812 | Understanding Developmental Disabilities | 3 |
| SW 815 | Affirming Practice with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+ People | 3 |
| SW 816 | Addiction Assessment | 3 |
| SW 817 | Understanding Suicide | 3 |
| SW 818 | SW & Creative Arts | 3 |
| SW 819 | Addiction Treatment | 3 |
| SW 821 | International Social Work | 3 |
| SW 840 | Implications of Race, Culture, and Oppression for Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SW 865 | Adventure Therapy: Facilitation and Processing of the Experience | 3 |
| SW 871 | Trauma-Informed Practice in School Settings | 3 |
| SW 885 | Study Abroad | 3 |
Additional Information
The Accelerated Masters (also referred to as early entry) program allows you to take graduate credit course senior year and have greater access to MSW elective options. It also provides students with the option of completing graduate certificates, such as the Child Welfare or Substance Use Disorder Graduate Certificates.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Student demonstrates ethical and professional behavior.
- Student engages diversity and difference in practice.
- Student advances human rights and social, economic and environmental justice.
- Engage in practice informed research and research-informed practice.
- Engages in policy practice.
- Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Intervenes with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Evaluates practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.