Social Work - Master's
Why Should I Earn an MSW Degree?
The MSW鈥檚 advanced curriculum and expanded field work (900 hours) facilitate rigorous, diverse, and experiential learning that leads to confidence and competence for professional practice.
The MSW provides employment opportunities in clinical settings, where practitioners must be Licensed Master Social Workers.
Full- and part-time programs are available, with an advanced standing option in both if students meet requirements and are accepted; advanced standing reduces program hours (60 to 34).
The Council on Social Work Education accredits our MSW program. Students seeking Advanced Standing must hold a BSW awarded in the past five years from a CSWE-accredited program.
Licensure requirements vary by state. In Mississippi, the Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists oversees regulation for social workers.
What Will I Learn?
Course topics include:
- Human rights and social justice
- Problem solving for individuals, families, and groups
- Social welfare policy
- Addictions
- Programs and community development
- Consultation and supervision
- Trauma
- Forensics
- Aging
- Health
- Grant writing
- Human sexuality
- School social work
Full-time students finish in 5 semesters, or 3 if advanced standing; part-time students finish in 8 semesters, or 5 if advanced standing.
Students must designate if they are seeking full-time, part-time and/or advanced standing enrollment.
Admissions Requirements:
- Bachelor鈥檚 degree from an accredited college or university.
- Minimum 3.0 GPA on last 60 hours of courses.
- A Written personal statement.
- Three letters of recommendation from persons qualified to assess the applicant's readiness for graduate study.
- International applicants must submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores
Additional Requirements for Advanced Standing Admissions:
- Bachelor鈥檚 in social work from CSWE-accredited university within last five years.
- Minimum 3.0 GPA on last 60 hours of courses.
- Minimum 3.5 GPA in social work program; with no 鈥淐鈥漵.
- Passing score on qualifying exam given by the Southern Miss School of Social Work.
- Accepted for advanced standing by the MSW admissions review committee.
Meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee admission to the advanced standing program.
Two supervised internships 鈥� more commonly referred to as field work 鈥� are required for all MSW students, who gain practical experience in a professional setting under the supervision of licensed social workers.
With 200+ agency partners, the School typically places students in Mississippi, but out-of-state and international placements are possible.
Students first complete a foundational internship, followed by an advanced internship.
- Full-time students: a 300-hour placement over one semester and a 600-hour placement over two semesters
- Part-time students: two 450-hour placements, each over two semesters
- Advanced Standing students: two 300-hour placements, each over two semesters
Our MSW students conduct research with faculty mentors, including conference presentations and co-authoring articles in peer-reviewed journ