The highly acclaimed University of Southern California offers a master's degree in social work that is done completely online. This program is one of the most popular online master's degrees in Social Work (MSW) in the United States.
This important field's projected employment growth rate is higher than the average for most other fields of employment.
Social work is projected to be one of the fastest growing careers in the U.S. with employment estimated to increase 7% between 2023 to 2033, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is approximately four percentage points faster than the average for all other occupations.
There are a variety of employment opportunities where social workers are needed, such as federal and state government, private business, healthcare, education, and human resources.
University of Southern California's Master's in Social Work Online
This program is one of the most popular online master's degrees in Social Work (MSW) in the United States.
There are two ways of taking the program - Traditional or Advanced Standing:
Traditional Program: 48 Units
If you hold an undergraduate degree that is not in social work, you will complete the traditional MSW program. The program can be taken full-time or part-time.Advanced Standing: 24 Units
University of Southern California (USC)
If you hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from an accredited institution, you may be eligible for the advanced standing program, which can also be completed full-time or part-time.
Advanced Standing is half the credits of the traditional program. If your ambition is to get a master's, and you haven't yet chosen your major for your bachelor's degree, it would be important to be aware of this distinction, and perhaps get a bachelor's in Social Work, reducing the overall time and expense of the master's program.
Students will spend over 1,000 hours in completing their practicum either virtually or in a community:
USC
- Virtual Practicum: Online group sessions that provide a clinical simulation with an actor portraying a client. Guided by an experienced professor and only required in the traditional MSW program.
- Community-Based Practicum Placement: Hands-on, in-person training with real clients under the guidance of a supervisory practitioner.
Accreditation: the Council on Social Work Education.
This program is made to meet the requirements for the California Board of Behavioral Sciences and Association of Social Work Boards examination to get a license. The MSW program provides a pathway to licensure, but does not satisfy all requirements for licensure upon completion of the program.
If you're interested in helping to improve your community, this might be the career for you.
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