Master of Social Work (MSW) Programs in Arizona - Campus and Online

There are two state-funded public universities in Arizona that offer Master of Social Work (MSW) programs: Arizona State University (ASU); and Northern Arizona University (NAU). In addition, Grand Canyon University (GCU), a private school with its main campus in Phoenix, offers an MSW program. Students who are interested in earning an MSW degree from a university in Arizona can choose from clinical and macro practice specializations, or they can complete an advanced generalist curriculum that offers training in clinical and macro practice.

ASU’s School of Social Work and the Department of Social Work at NAU are both accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). GCU’s MSW program and its College of Humanities and Social Sciences have applied for and are in the candidacy phase of CSWE accreditation.

• Arizona State University (Accredited)
• Grand Canyon University (Accredited)
• Northern Arizona University (Accredited)

For detailed descriptions of the programs offered by these schools, continue reading below. Programs are separated into the following sections:

• Traditional Campus-Based MSW Programs in Arizona
• Traditional Online MSW Programs in Arizona
• Advanced Standing Campus-Based MSW Programs in Arizona
• Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs in Arizona
• Directory of All MSW Programs in Arizona

Traditional MSW Programs in Arizona

Arizona State University (ASU), Northern Arizona University (NAU), and Grand Canyon University (GCU) offer traditional, full-length MSW programs for students who do not hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program and who thus do not qualify for admission to an advanced standing MSW program. ASU offers both an on-campus and online program; NAU’s program is offered online; and GCU’s program is offered on-campus with evening classes at the school’s Phoenix location.

Traditional Campus-Based MSW Programs in Arizona

Arizona State University (ASU) offers a CSWE-accredited MSW program that is fully campus-based and designed for students who hold a bachelor’s degree in a field other than social work. This program has two concentration options: Advanced Direct Practice (clinical); and Policy, Administration, and Community Practice (macro). This traditional MSW is offered through the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions within ASU’s School of Social Work, and holds classes at ASU’s Downtown Campus in Phoenix and the university’s ASU@Tucson campus. Both of the program’s concentrations require students to complete 60 credit hours of general and specialization training, including field education placements for a total of 960 hours.

Students who opt for the Advanced Direct Practice concentration can choose from four areas of clinical social work specialization: Children Youth, and Families; Health/Behavioral Health – Adult; Health/Behavioral Health – Medical; and Public Child Welfare. Coursework for the program depends on students’ chosen concentration, but all students study human behavior, foundational social work principles, diversity and social justice, and social work policies, infrastructure, and services. Students of the Advanced Direct Practice (ADP) concentration can explore courses in areas such as assessing mental disorders, cognitive behavioral therapy, clinical trauma treatment, substance use treatment, social work with adolescents, promoting holistic health, child welfare services, and crisis interventions. Students of the Policy, Administration, and Community Practice (PAC) concentration can take courses in areas such as planning social services, program evaluation, and social work administration. In addition to their practicum requirement, students of ASU’s traditional MSW program must complete a culminating experience, with students in the ADP concentration completing an Integrative Seminar and students of the PAC concentration completing either a thesis or a professional portfolio.

Grand Canyon University (GCU) offers a campus-based traditional MSW program through its College of Humanities and Social Sciences that requires the completion of 62 credits of coursework. The program has an advanced generalist focus, which means it provides advanced training in clinical social work and community-based macro practice social work. Classes in the program integrate human behavior and mental health, diversity in practice, human rights, economic and environmental justice, and assessment and interventions for individuals, groups, and families. Students in the program attend evening classes at GCU’s Phoenix campus and complete four field education practicums at program-approved sites for a total of 960 hours of off-site work experiences.

Traditional Online MSW Programs in Arizona

Arizona State University (ASU) offers an online, traditional MSW program with two concentration options that also use different online learning platforms and instructional modalities. The first concentration is Advanced Generalist Practice, which combines training and instruction in clinical social work principles with macro or community practice social work. This concentration is delivered through ASU Online’s asynchronous mode of instruction. The 60-credit program covers courses on diversity and oppression, designing community education programs, social work interventions, empowering individuals and groups, and human behavior and community across the lifespan. In addition, the program has mandatory field education courses in which students spend a combined 960 hours at two different practicum sites. Students must also complete a culminating experience in the form of a professional e-portfolio that highlights their projects and achievements during their second field practicum.

The second concentration for ASU’s traditional online MSW program is in Advanced Direct Practice, which emphasizes clinical social work theories, methods, and best practices when working with diverse populations. The 60-credit Advanced Direct Practice concentration prepares students to work closely with individuals and small groups from vulnerable populations, and offers four specializations in Children, Youth and Families; Health/Behavioral Health – Adults; Public Child Welfare; and Health and Behavioral Health – Medical. This program uses ASU Sync, which is a synchronous learning platform. Students take evening classes that are held in real-time over Zoom, interacting with peers and professors through live lectures and discussions. Coursework for this program covers topics such as mental health assessments, social work research, theoretical frameworks for working with clients, and direct practice interventions. Specialization coursework delves into areas such as cognitive behavioral therapy, social work practice in healthcare settings, child welfare services, crisis interventions, and preventing and addressing domestic violence. Students must complete 960 hours of field practicum at sites that are relevant to their professional goals, and also complete an Integrative Seminar for their culminating experience.

The Northern Arizona University (NAU) program is a two-year, 60-credit online Advanced Generalist MSW program with 225 hours allotted for field education during each of the program’s four semesters for a total of 900 hours of fieldwork. In their first year, students take foundational courses in social policy, social services, social work research, human development and behavior, and social work principles at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. In their second year, students engage in coursework that covers mental health assessments and treatments for individuals across the lifespan, organizational leadership in social work, and program development, evaluation, and improvement. Through their courses, students in the program receive training in clinical social work, including direct practice with children, adolescents, adults, and aging populations, as well as in community-based macro practice social work.

Advanced Standing MSW Programs in Arizona

Both of the public universities in Arizona that offer MSW programs have designated advanced standing tracks for eligible students. As noted previously, to qualify for an advanced standing MSW program, an applicant must hold a BSW degree from an undergraduate social work program accredited by the CSWE. Arizona State University (ASU) has a campus-based Advanced Standing MSW program that it offers at its West Campus in Phoenix and its ASU@YUMA campus. In addition, ASU has an online advanced standing MSW program with an Advanced Generalist Practice concentration. Meanwhile, NAU offers both an online and a campus-based MSW with an Advanced Generalist concentration at its Flagstaff campus location.

Advanced Standing Campus-Based MSW Programs in Arizona

Arizona State University (ASU) has a campus-based Advanced Standing MSW program with three concentration options in Advanced Direct Practice; Advanced Generalist Practice; and Policy, Administration and Community Practice. While the Advanced Direct Practice concentration focuses on micro-level social work, the Policy, Administration and Community Practice specialization has a macro-level focus and the Advanced Generalist Practice concentration combines micro and macro social work concepts. Regardless of students’ chosen concentration, this program consists of 39 credits of coursework, including Professional Experience field placements that require a total of 480 hours and a culminating experience, which depending on the concentration can take the form of an applied project, professional portfolio, or Integrative Seminar.

The Advanced Direct Practice concentration allows students to specialize in one of four areas: Children, Youth and Families; Health/Behavioral Health – Adults; Public Child Welfare; and Health and Behavioral Health – Medical. Furthermore, students who qualify for ASU’s Advanced Standing program are also eligible to apply for admission to the school’s Child Welfare Education Program (CWEP), a special MSW specialization track that prepares students for work in Arizona’s public child welfare system and which includes a field placement coordinated with the Arizona Department of Child Safety.

The coursework for ASU’s Advanced Standing MSW program differs according to students’ chosen concentration. Advanced Direct Practice students complete courses in areas such as assessing mental disorders, crisis intervention, cognitive behavioral therapy, treatment of trauma, substance use treatment, and behavioral health support for vulnerable populations. The Advanced Generalist concentration includes micro and macro-level courses in mental health disorders, family and group social work, interventions for organizations and communities, policy practice and analysis, and research for program development. The Policy, Administration and Community Practice concentration features courses in social work administration, community participation, program planning and evaluation, and social services leadership.

Northern Arizona University (NAU) has a campus-based Advanced Standing MSW program that consists of 39 credits of coursework and which includes a 450-hour field education internship. The program has an Advanced Generalist specialization, with students embarking immediately on their specialization coursework covering mental health assessments and treatments, mental health issues for specific populations (children, adolescents, adults, geriatric populations, and minorities), and organizational leadership and administration. Students also take courses covering areas like contemporary issues in social work, supporting special populations, social work with Native American populations, and navigating the child welfare system. NAU’s Advanced Standing MSW program is designed to be completed in one calendar year. In addition, students of this MSW can incorporate online courses into their course of study to create a more flexible hybrid program.

Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs in Arizona

Arizona State University has an online version of its advanced standing MSW program with a concentration in Advanced Generalist Practice. This 39-credit program uses ASU Online’s asynchronous learning platform, which maximizes scheduling flexibility for students. The coursework for this program is the same as ASU’s campus-based advanced standing MSW program with an Advanced Generalist concentration, described above in the campus-based advanced standing program section. As with the campus-based program, students must complete 480 hours of advanced field practicum. Additionally, in order to graduate, they must complete a Culminating Experience that takes the form of a professional portfolio that highlights and reflects upon students’ achievements during their advanced field practicum.

Northern Arizona University (NAU) has an online version of its Advanced Standing MSW program. As with the campus-based program, NAU’ s online Advanced Standing MSW comprises 39 credits of coursework and requires a 450-hour field education internship. Through this program’s Advanced Generalist specialization, students learn how to support vulnerable individuals, groups, and communities, including Indigenous populations and people struggling with racial discrimination, socioeconomic hardship, and trauma. Students take courses in social work interventions, behavioral and mental health across the lifespan, social work administration, community engagement, child welfare, geriatric social work, supporting Native American populations, and principles of culturally compassionate social work. NAU’s Advanced Standing MSW program can be completed in one year of full-time study.

Directory of All Master of Social Work Programs in Arizona

T Traditional programs, Advanced Standing programs, Campus programs, Hybrid programs (campus and online instruction), Hybrid-Online programs (3 to ~6 campus visits per year), Online programs (fully online to 2 campus visits per year)

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