MSW Social Work

Saint Louis University's Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) prepares social work professionals to work with vulnerable populations facing health, social and economic challenges.

Social workers are educationally prepared to provide services including therapy, policy advocacy, case management, group work, crisis intervention, children and family practice, and leadership for nonprofit organizations. M.S.W.-level social workers are employed in a wide variety of human service organizations including family and community centers, mental health and treatment centers, hospitals, schools, nonprofit agencies, residential children’s or adult centers, justice centers and many more organizations.

SLU's M.S.W. curriculum includes generalist foundation courses, advanced practice courses in an area of concentration and field practica. The generalist foundation courses provide the basic social work theory and methods for working with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.

Students then select an advanced practice area of concentration and proceed with courses in these areas. Saint Louis University's School of Social Work offers three concentrations:

SLU's M.S.W. degree is 48 credits for Clinical and Community and Organization concentrations (*Applied Behavior Analysis concentration is 57 credits due to students' potential dual credentialing), with full-time and part-time options available. Students with a Bachelor of Social Work from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited program may earn up to 18 credits of advanced standing toward the M.S.W.

The applied behavior analysis concentration focuses on evidenced-based methods to assist children, adults and organizations in changing behavior. The curriculum prepares students to be eligible to become a board-certified behavior analyst.

The clinical concentration focuses on assessment, intervention and outcomes in clinical work with individuals, families, groups or larger systems. Courses focus on working with diverse families and family systems across a developmental life span using core clinical approaches to engagement, assessment, intervention and evaluation of outcomes in a variety of clinical practice settings.

The community and organization concentration focuses on mezzo- and macro-level community work, such as community organizing and advocacy, nonprofit administration and local, state and national policy advocacy and implementation.

While completing coursework, students will be mentored by an M.S.W. field instructor and work in a social work capacity in the community.

M.S.W. students can further specialize their studies through coursework or practicum experiences in the following areas:

SLU's M.S.W. program is ranked in the top 20% of social work programs nationally. Possible careers include work in the fields of health care, mental health, secondary education, child welfare, family services, criminal justice, gerontology, policy, advocacy, administrative and community development.

Successful applicants should possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00. Conditional admission may be considered for students with cumulative GPAs below 3.00.

SLU's M.S.W. program requires a TOEFL of 92 or higher.

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students. International students must also meet the following additional requirements:

WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Applications will continue to be accepted and reviewed for admissions until Aug. 1 for fall and Dec. 1 for spring. All applicants who apply are reviewed for merit-based scholarships. To be considered for a graduate assistantship, students must fill out the GA application found under "Scholarships and Financial Aid" by March 1.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The admissions committee considers several factors to determine a candidate's eligibility:

Students who have completed a bachelor's degree in social work from an eligible, CSWE accredited program, can receive up to 18 credits of “advanced standing” toward a Master of Social Work at Saint Louis University; approved advanced standing students will need to complete only 30 credits of master's coursework.

To be eligible, students must have:

We recognize that cost can be a concern when choosing to continue your education and have identified the following financial aid resources to assist you.

All incoming students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application. A step-by-step guide to submitting your FAFSA is available online. Saint Louis University Student Financial Services provides a Graduate Financial Aid Handbook that outlines the process of financing your graduate education.

The following links to resources in Saint Louis University Student Financial Services may also be helpful:

New and continuing students are eligible for merit-based scholarships. Prospective students will be automatically screened for scholarship eligibility. No additional application is required; awards are based on information provided in the admission application.

Please note that the terms of the scholarship are subject to change if a student petitions for a degree transfer or fails to remain in good academic standing.

The Doerr Fellowship for Equity and Inclusion is a full-tuition fellowship funded by the School of Social Work for new and continuing students. A separate application is required with a deadline of March 1. This fellowship requires that recipients serve as members of the School of Social Work's Equity and Inclusion Committee. Recipients will also be expected to actively participate in the diversity, equity and inclusion activities sponsored by the Doerr Center throughout the year.

Newly accepted master's or doctoral students and students in the first year of a program are eligible to apply for a University-wide Diversity, Dissertation or Presidential fellowship. You must first submit the full application minus the nomination letter to the School of Social Work by January 2 to be considered for nomination. Find more details on application components here.

By filling out a graduate assistantship application, you will automatically be considered for a full or partial graduate assistantship with the School of Social Work. Assistantships are appointed for one year. Students must reapply to be considered for a second year, and there are no guarantees that recipients will receive subsequent/continuing assistantships.

Full graduate assistantships are University-funded assistantships (UFA) awarded by the School of Social Work. They are assigned and funded for two semesters, a duration of nine months, 20 hours per week, working with designated faculty. Most full assistantships are assigned to help faculty with research (GRA), and a small number may be assigned to assist with administrative work (GA) or faculty teaching (GTA).

The full graduate assistant works with one or two faculty members, depending on faculty needs. Time is divided between both faculty mentors if the student is assigned two. Students who receive a fully-funded UFA in one year may not receive a UFA in subsequent years, although they remain eligible for partial assistantships throughout their pursuit of a graduate degree in the School of Social Work.

Partial graduate assistantships are funded and awarded by the School of Social Work. They are assigned and funded for two semesters, a duration of nine months, 8-16 hours per week, working with assigned faculty. Partial assistantships may be assigned to assist with administrative work (GA), research (GRA), or faculty teaching (GTA). Depending on the hours assigned, tuition benefits will differ; health insurance and stipends are not awarded partial assistantships.