Social Work - Master of Social Work

For information, contact:
Department of Family Science and Social Work
101 McGuffey Hall, 513-529-2323, msw@miamioh.edu
https://miamioh.edu/graduate-school/

Admission Requirements

All prospective graduate students seeking admission to the Master of Social Work (MSW) Program at Miami University should go directly to the Miami University Graduate School to begin an application. Applicants will need to submit the Miami University graduate application, college and university transcript(s), resume, and a personal statement regarding their professional goals and accomplishments. Each of the aforementioned items should be uploaded in the Graduate School application. Students admitted to the Traditional MSW Program are expected to have an overall GPA of 3.00 or higher. Students admitted to the Advanced Standing MSW Program are expected to have an overall GPA of 3.25 or higher, as well as an undergraduate degree in Social Work obtained within the last 5 years.

Program Requirements

Miami University's MSW program seeks to prepare students to become advanced generalist social work professionals who use critical thinking skills, as well as social work knowledge, theories, skills, values and ethics. Our program focuses on building the capacity of our graduates to engage, assess, intervene and evaluate across multiple system levels (individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities). Our courses and field education program provide the necessary knowledge and skills to successfully empower our graduates for a successful social work career.

Emphasis in the graduate social work program is placed on the best practices and skills needed to enrich human diversity, promote social and economic justice, alleviate oppression in urban and rural areas. Our curriculum integrates foundational courses and with field placements and the opportunity to specialize (e.g., work with children and families). 

The foundation courses provide those students with an undergraduate degree outside of the social work field with the knowledge, values, and skills required for generalist social work practice. Students admitted into the Advanced Standing program (i.e., our accelerated program for students who have earned an undergraduate degree within the past five years) are exempt from taking the foundation courses.

Building upon the foundation courses are the Advanced Generalist concentration classes. Students in the program will develop expertise to use a range of prevention and intervention methods in practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Students will also apply ethical principles, critical thinking and build on the strengths and resiliency of all human beings by engaging in research-informed practice.

Traditional Program Students

(57 credit hours)

PSY/PSS+MSW Combined Program Students

(55 credit hours)

Note: Admission to the PSY/PSS+MSW Combined Program is restricted to current Miami students who are majoring in either Psychology or Psychological Sciences. Only FSW 515, 613, 621, 611, 622, and 642 may be taken while the student has undergraduate student status. The remaining courses should be taken once students have obtained graduate student status (either by graduating or by requesting graduate student status through the Graduate School), and paying the market driven tuition rate.

Advanced Standing Students 

(34 credit hours)

Field Education

Field education is the signature pedagogy of the MSW Program. All competencies and practice behaviors are applied and practiced in the field placement. Students demonstrate mastery of the practice behaviors by working collaboratively with the course instructors, field instructor, and Masters level social worker who acts as the field supervisor.

Students admitted to the Advanced Standing MSW program will complete a minimum of 500 hours of field education across two semesters. Students admitted to the Traditional MSW Program or the PSY/PSS+MSW Combined Program will complete 900 hours of field education across three semesters.