SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
Master of Social Work at Illinois

Learn more about the multiple program options from the School of Social Work.

A Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois is a CSWE-accredited program that prepares you for advanced social work practice and research in public and private agencies. With a traditional on-campus program or a part-time fully online option--you can tailor your education to meet your needs. Choose from either Advanced Clinical or Leadership and Social Change Concentration with either degree option.

Applications for enrollment open August 1, 2023

Part-Time Online MSW Program On-Campus MSW Program PhD in Social Work
**Advanced Standing status is only eligible to students who have a Bachelor's of Social Work degree from an accredited program with the Council on Social Work Education within the past 7 years.

BE AN AGENT OF CHANGE

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Open House sessions and Virtual Information Sessions are available learn more about the School of Social Work program specifics and meet with staff who can help answer your questions.
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Value Top 10% Best Schools for Social Work U.S. News and World Report

Job Placement 90% job placement rate for MSW Graduates

Community 35% graduate student diversity

CHOOSE YOUR OWN PATH

Fully Online Part-Time iMSW Program

Choose from Advanced Clinical Concentration (direct practice) or Leadership and Social Change Concentration (macro practice).
Advanced Clinical Concentration students can choose from the following focus areas: Healthcare, Mental Health, Children, Youth and Family Services, and Schools*.
Designed for individuals that cannot relocate to Urbana-Champaign but wish to earn their MSW degree from anywhere in the nation.
While being a fully online program, students come together weekly via Zoom for class sessions.
Students can choose to do a full-time or part-time internship.
*Only Illinois residents are able to choose the school's focus area.
Apply by January 15th, 2024 for Summer 2024.

MSW Campus-Based Program

Enables you to pursue full- or part-time graduate coursework on the Urbana-Champaign campus.
Choose from Advanced Clinical Concentration (direct practice) or Leadership and Social Change Concentration (macro practice).
Advanced Clinical Concentration students can choose from the following focus areas: Healthcare, Mental Health, Children, Youth and Family Services, and Schools*.
Block Field Placement – Students will complete all core coursework before entering their internship. This allows students to complete the internship anywhere throughout the state of Illinois or even nationally.
Traditional Students can complete the program in 18 months.
Advanced Standing Students can complete the program in 12 months.
*Only Illinois Residents can choose the school's focus area.

PhD in Social Work

Prepares students for leadership roles in social work research, social work education, social policy, planning, and administration.
Equips students with tangible skills to use rigorous scientific methods to develop and disseminate knowledge, teach the next generation of social workers, and help serve their communities.
Each doctoral student is assigned an advisor based on the focus interest of the student and those of the faculty member.
The application deadline is January 15, 2024.

Hear More from others

Brandie Bentley, PhD Candidate

“Across my entire time in the program, I’ve been able to gain a lot of insight into the research and programming that’s happening at the state level and also at the agency direct provider level, and I’ve had the experience of listening to parent interviews and understanding the parent perspective,” she says. “Gaining the perspectives of diverse stakeholders and being able to translate them across contexts is something I’m super grateful for, and something the School really motivates us to do. I have felt a really strong sense of care and nurturing and support at the School, academically, professionally, and personally.”

Bruna Cardoso Lopez, Social Work Field Placement Coordinator, MSW '17

"The School of Social Work prepared me to critically analyze policy and how it impacts practice. With the research experience from the graduate program and the professional knowledge gained ever since, I can see the connections and the effect it has on client’s access to housing, nourishment, medical care, employment, and retirement."

Tatiana Villarreal, MSW '20

"I fell in love with the social work courses, with the professors, with the atmosphere the School provided,” she says. “It really hit home on that people-first mentality. It was everything I wanted, encompassing social justice and trying to break down these disparaging gaps of wealth and costs and race."

Yolanda O'Connor, MSW Student

Yolanda is extremely close with her cohort. “We encourage and strengthen each other,” she says. She receives great support from her professors. “I wasn’t expecting the hands-on, ‘Hey, how are you doing this week’ from department heads,” she says. She finds herself in what she calls a family atmosphere. “It’s an incredible program with incredible people. No question is too silly to ask. I expected support, but what I’ve received is tenfold.”

Araceli Carbajal, BSW '20, MSW Student

"Before I knew that an MSW was required to become a School Social Worker, I knew I wanted to attend graduate school. In this program, I get the opportunity to learn how social workers benefit the lives of students, families, and communities, and that’s exactly who I want to be. Right now, I am most looking forward to completing my upcoming two-semester internship at a local school and I am ready to take this next step."