Program Overview

MSW Program

The Master of Social Work degree attests to the graduate's preparation for social work practice and achievement at a level of competence sufficient to serve as a basis for a professional career. The LSU School of Social Work is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and has been offering graduate education since 1937. The MSW degree requires 60 hours of study and students admitted to the MSW program must elect to enter either on campus or online.

Program Structure

The first 30 hours of the program is termed the generalist year, and the second 30 hours of study is termed the specialized year. The generalist year of the program is structured to provide the knowledge, skills, and values required for all social work practice. This includes courses in:

• Social work practice
• Social work history
• Research methods
• Social policy
• Human behavior in the social environment
• Generalist-year field internship

The specialized year provides instruction in:

• Advanced direct practice
• Advanced social policy
• Program evaluation
• Twelve hours of electives
• Specialized-year field internship

Concentration and Field Education

The School of Social Work has an Advanced Generalist Practice concentration in the specialized year to allow our students to work with many populations in a variety of social work settings. The field education office places students in an internship that will provide a good educational experience in a supervised setting for both the generalist and the specialized years.

Period of Study and Credit

The period of study for the MSW cannot exceed four years. No academic credit is granted for work or life experiences.

Admission Deadlines

The Baton Rouge on campus MSW program has a priority application deadline date of February 1 for the Advanced Standing, Full-time and Part-time programs. Applications received after February 1 and/or incomplete by February 1 will be considered on a space-available basis. Applications will be accepted until May 15th, and the field internship placement may be delayed. The MSW Online program has six admission dates throughout the year. The deadline for receipt of online applications is 2 months prior to the start date of the module.

Professional Licensure Requirements

The LSU School of Social Work's (SSW) MSW program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the only body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit social work education programs in the United States. The MSW program meets CSWE's curriculum and field education standards for the MSW degree.

The following states have additional licensure requirements that the SSW provides:

• Florida: clinical field placement during the specialized (i.e., second) year
• Michigan: training on identifying victims of human trafficking
• Missouri: 2 hours of training on suicide assessment, referral, treatment, and management
• Nebraska: 300 clock hours of direct client contact under supervision
• New Mexico: 3-hour seminar or course on New Mexico cultures
• New York: 2-hour training or coursework on the identification and reporting of child abuse
• Pennsylvania: 3-hour training on child abuse recognition and reporting
• Virginia: 600-hour clinical practicum that focuses on diagnostic, prevention, and treatment services