Master of Social Work
The University of Delaware’s Master of Social Work program, housed in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), prepares graduates to accept positions as social workers. Social workers support individuals and families through a wide range of life changes or challenges, including adoption, divorce, aging, terminal illness, loss of housing or employment, mental health, substance use and more.
Through research-informed coursework taught by faculty experts, community-engaged practicum experiences and specialization areas that meet community needs, the UD MSW prepares students to address the social problems affecting our global community—regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, religion, gender and/or sexual orientation. The program also teaches students how to apply social work ethics and values in promoting human rights, social justice and anti-oppressive practices.
With one-year, 16-month, two-year and three-year pathways to degree completion, students of the program can customize their timeline toward graduation. Students who begin the program with at least two years of professional experience in human services organizations are eligible to pursue a specialized pathway.
Program Director: Ohiro Oni-Eseleh, MBA, Ph.D., LCSW
For inquires and more information, email cehd-info@udel.edu.
Specializations
This specialization includes courses on theories of human development, family practice, childhood and adolescent trauma, social work practice in schools and more. Students engage in practicum experiences at schools and children and family services, healthcare and mental health organizations.
This specialization includes courses on theories of aging, end-of-life care, palliative care and social work practice with older adults and more. Students engage in practicum experiences at nursing and assisted- living facilities, hospitals and more.
This specialization includes courses on theories of human development, family practice, severe mental illness, clinical diagnosis and substance use treatment and more. Students engage in practicum experiences at healthcare and mental health organizations.
Complete the online UD Graduate Admissions application form. Requirements specific to this program include:
- A bachelor’s degree in any field of study earned from a college or university accredited by a recognized regional accrediting agency.
- Transcripts of all previous college-level academic work.
- A Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a scale of 4.0. Admission to graduate programs at the University of Delaware is selective and competitive based on the number of well-qualified applicants and the limits of available faculty and facilities. Those who meet stated minimum academic requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths.
- Two letters of reference with at least one from a former or current professor when available.
- A personal statement essay that demonstrates alignment between the candidate’s statement of objectives and interest in social work values. The essay should discuss the candidate’s personal and professional backgrounds, goals, mentors and reasons for pursuing social work education.
- Applicants for Advanced Standing status will be required to have earned a bachelor’s degree in social work. Advanced standing is also awarded to applicants with a Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE)-accredited bachelor’s of social work degree (recognized through an MOU with the Council on Social Work Education and CASWE) and internationally earned ISWDRES-evaluated degree comparable to a bachelor’s of social work.
- For international applicants whose first language is not English, a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT score of 100 or a score of 7.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required.
This program offers five pathways to graduation, allowing students to tailor the program to their schedule, previous experience and career goals:
Advanced Standing
- Designed for students with a bachelor’s degree in social work
- Students will complete 30 total credits in 1 year:
- 15 credits of required courses
- 9 credits of electives
- 6 credits of practicum education
Accelerated
- Students will complete 60 total credits in 16 months:
- 39 credits of required courses
- 9 credits of electives
- 12 credits of practicum education (internship)
Human Service Practitioners
- Designed for students with an interest in working in the field of human services
- May be completed either full-time or part-time, with degree completion in 2-4 years
- 39 credits of required courses
- 9 credits of electives
- 12 credits of practicum education (internship)
Regular Full-Time
- Students will complete 60 total credits in 2 years:
- 39 credits of required courses
- 9 credits of electives
- 12 credits of practicum education (internship)
Regular Part-Time
- Students will complete 60 total credits in 2 to 4 years:
- 39 credits of required courses
- 9 credits of electives
- 12 credits of practicum education (internship)
Full-time graduate students may qualify for financial aid, assistantships and scholarships to help offset the cost of tuition, housing and other expenses. Graduate students are also eligible for several competitive merit-based financial awards at UD. Special aid may be available for students whose home state is Delaware. For more information about tuition and financial aid, visit CEHD’s Graduate Tuition and Financial Aid webpage.
UD’s MSW program is currently in the process of pre-candidacy for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA). Students who are admitted to the program in the Fall of 2024 (or later) will be retroactively recognized as graduates from a CSWE-BOA accredited program when the MSW attains full accreditation, expected in 2026. Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program.
“I am a very strong believer in the use of research to inform practice, and so, I always crave opportunities where I can see research informing practice and practice informing research as well. The University of Delaware, as a Research I university, actually provides an opportunity to expand thinking, and I think in social work, that’s what we need.”
-Ohiro Oni-Eseleh, Program Director, M.S.W. Program
