Social Work, MSW
Earn a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree at Seattle University. Prepare for impactful careers with a focus on social justice and clinical counseling.
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About this Program
Educating Advanced Clinical Social Workers Focused on Social Justice and Community
Advance your career and maximize your impact with advanced clinical social work education that’s focuses on social justice and community.
Seattle University's Master of Social Work (MSW) program prepares graduate students to become competent and effective specialized clinical social workers who
- value and respect diversity,
- anchor economic and social justice as central to their practice and
- seek to use their knowledge, values and skills to advance equity in access to excellent clinical social work practice
Our program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
As one of the best schools for social work, our advanced clinical MSW program is uniquely suited to prepare you to make a difference.
Two Program Options to Advance Your Career
We offer two paths to receiving your degree, depending on the amount of social work education you come into the program with.
Change Your Career: Two-Year Path
The two-year path of study is for applicants with an undergraduate degree in a major other than social work. Two-year students complete 66 credits and 1000 hours of field practicum and start in the fall.
Grow Your Career: Advanced Standing (AS) Path
The advanced standing path of study is for applicants with a baccalaureate degree in social work or social welfare from a CSWE-accredited program. Advanced standing students complete 39 credits and 600 hours of field practicum and start in the summer.
Learn from a diverse team of experts
66% of our faculty come form underrepresented communities, offering rich perspectives and real-world insights.
faculty identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community
Curriculum materials from non-dominant perspectives
At least 50% of our curriculum materials are sourced from non-dominant perspectives, fostering a broader, more inclusive understanding and a strong commitment to diverse viewpoints.
Explore Social Work
Learn about how the Master of Social Work program prepared Jamie Vo to be a clinical social worker and school-based therapist.
Upcoming Info Session
Upcoming Q & A Session
Join Field Director Professor Cole & MSW Director Dr. Dinh to learn about their career paths, research & practice areas plus get answers to your questions about the program, practicum & social work.
Designed for Your Success
Social Work for Social Justice
Dr. Hye-Kyung Kang, Social Work Professor, talks about the importance of social justice in the social work program.
Practicum: Real-World Experience
The MSW program offers field placements in diverse setting such as mental health counseling agencies, hospitals, child welfare organizations, schools, senior services, state and local justice systems and community-based programs focusing on children and adolescents, homelessness, immigration, domestic violence, and trauma.
Engaging Courses for In-Depth Learning
Ever wonder what it would be like to sit in on an MSW class? Take a look at a sample lecture to get a feel for how a lecture might be given in one of our classes.
Master of Social Work Field Placement
Along with social justice theory, mental health diagnosis and treatment and policy classes, you will take courses which center on social justice and build your skills in anti-oppressive practice. This helps prepare you for the MSW program field placements in diverse setting such as:
- mental health counseling agencies,
- hospitals,
- child welfare organizations,
- schools,
- senior services,
- state and local justice systems,
- and community-based programs focusing on children and adolescents, homelessness, immigration, domestic violence, and trauma.
Learning is enhanced by small class size and professors who have community-based clinical experience.
Many Career Opportunities
Below you will find just a few of the many organizations where MSW students have gained employment after graduation.
- Asian Counseling and Referral Services
- Bailey-Boushay House
- Bellevue Fire CARES
- Catholic Community Services of Western WA
- Cerebral
- The Child Center
- Cascade Behavioral Health
- City of Mercer Island Youth and Family Services
- City of Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs
- Discovery Mood and Anxiety Program
- Department of Social and Health Services
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Downtown Emergency Service Center
- Dura Vocational Services
- Encompass
- Fairfax Behavioral Health
- Fred Hutch Cancer Center
- Harborview (HMHAS)
- Harborview Medical Center
- ICHS PACE
- Impact Puget Sound Elementary
- Insight Behavioral Health (now called Pathlight Mood and Anxiety Center)
- King County Department of Public Defense
- King County Drug Court
- The Little School
- The Mockingbird Society
- Multicare
- Navos
- Northpoint the Evergreen-Seattle, WA
- Northwest Kidney Centers
- Optimism Counseling
- Poverty Action Network
- Sea Mar Community Health Centers
- Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
- Seattle Children's Hospital
- Seattle Counseling Service
- Seattle Goodwill
- Seneca Family of Agencies
- Solid Ground
- Sound
- Southwest Network Behavioral Health
- Swedish
- Therapeutic Health Services
- Trivium Life Services
- UW Medicine
- Veteran's Health Administration
- Water Street Mission
- Washington Council for Behavioral Health
- Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board
- You Grow Girl!
- Youth Care
CSWE Benchmarks
Seattle University’s MSW Program successfully achieved benchmarks for all CSWE competencies.
From Our Alumni
Kevin Skiena, ‘20
“Seattle University does have a more clinical focus than the other programs I had been looking at, while still providing a great education on social justice and policy issues. I don't think I realized at the time the value for me in going to a smaller program. I felt like my classmates and professors all got to know each other better because of it —and that the school as a whole is more responsive to our concerns as students.”
Master of Social Work
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Get in Touch
If you have any questions about the program or application, we’re here to help!
Ashley Miller
Senior Admissions Counselor