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

Updated: May 26, 2021

There are two universities with campuses in Montana that offer accredited MSW programs. The University of Montana (UM), the Montana University System’s flagship academic and research institution, offers a Master of Social Work (MSW) program in Advanced Integrated Practice, while Walla Walla University in Washington has two campuses in Montana (in Billings and Missoula) that offer MSW programs in Advanced Clinical Practice. Each of these MSW programs has received full accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

Both the School of Social Work at UM and the Wilma Hepker School of Social Work and Sociology at Walla Walla University utilize face-to-face classroom instruction and distance-based instructional approaches for their MSW programs, allowing students to choose whether to pursue their degree fully on-campus or in a hybrid format.

Further details about UM’s and Walla Walla University’s MSW programs, as well as information about additional options for Montana residents who are interested in pursuing an MSW degree, are provided in the sections below.

Traditional MSW Programs in Montana

Traditional MSW programs are full-length master’s degree programs that provide graduate training and instruction in the principles and practices of social work. These programs are designed for students who hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, and do not require applicants to have prior social work training. Traditional MSW programs typically consist of the equivalent of four full-time semesters of didactic instruction and field education. Students who enroll full-time in these programs generally graduate in two years. Students who opt for part-time enrollment generally take three or four years to earn their degree.

The University of Montana has a traditional MSW program that consists of 60 semester credits of coursework, including practicums that ensure students complete a minimum of 900 hours of field education prior to graduating. Full-time students can complete the program in two years (four semesters). UM also has a three-year, part-time enrollment option which can be completed in six semesters. Students spend the first year of the full-time program taking foundational coursework and completing 450 hours of general social work field education. The second year of the full-time program is devoted to Advanced Integrated Practice coursework and a second 450-hour practicum that aligns with an individualized learning plan (ILP) that each student develops with assistance from an academic advisor.

Students in the program may choose designated Micro-Practice (clinical) or Macro-Practice specializations as their ILP or use the program’s three elective courses to design their own specialization. While the program requires students to attend classes at UM’s Missoula campus on Thursdays and Fridays, the School of Social Work is incorporating online instructional weeks in order to make the program more convenient for students who live outside of the Missoula Valley.

Walla Walla University’s Montana campuses, located in Billings and Missoula, offer a traditional MSW program with an Advanced Practice Clinical focus. This 79-credit program (Walla Walla University uses a quarter system as opposed to a semester system) trains students to work with individuals, couples, families, and groups to support their well-being in a diversity of sociocultural contexts, and is divided into 37 quater credits of generalist courses and 42 quarter credits of advanced clinical courses. Students can complete this program in six quarters (2 years) of full-time study. Classes that students take cover topics such as the history of social welfare, privilege and oppression, family and small group practice, human behavior, psychopathology, and policy advocacy. In addition to the course content, students are required to complete a 300-hour foundational field practicum in their first year and a 600-hour advanced field practicum in their second year.

Advanced Standing MSW Programs in Montana

Students who majored in social work at the bachelor’s degree level and earned a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree through an undergraduate program accredited by the CSWE may qualify for admission to an advanced standing MSW program. These programs are designed for students who have already completed foundational social work coursework and field education. They offer a faster pathway to earning an MSW degree by omitting all or most of the general social work courses and practicums that comprise the first year of a typical full-time, traditional MSW program. Students in advanced standing programs are thus able to complete their MSW degree in roughly half the time it takes to complete a traditional program, which means students can often graduate in one year of full-time enrollment or two years of part-time enrollment.

Most advanced standing MSW programs have competitive admissions and do not accept all students who hold a BSW degree. Schools commonly require advanced standing program applicants to have earned their BSW degree within the past five to seven years and to have maintained an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher (some may be as high as a 3.5) on a four-point scale.

Walla Walla University is currently the only university in the state of Montana that offers a CSWE-accredited advanced standing MSW program. Both Walla Walla University’s Billings and Missoula campuses offer advanced standing tracks as part of their MSW program with an emphasis in Advanced Clinical Practice. The advanced standing program is largely equivalent to the second year of Walla Walla University’s traditional MSW program, and is comprised of 49 quarter credits and 600 hours of advanced field practicum. To be eligible for the program, students must have graduated from a CSWE accredited BSW program with a minimum GPA of 3.0.

In addition to Walla Walla University’s program, there are also numerous advanced standing MSW programs offered by out-of-state schools, including online programs that accept applicants who reside in Montana. Thus, Montana residents who qualify for an advanced standing track can earn their MSW through an online program without have to relocate to another state. For more information about advanced standing MSW programs that are offered online, refer to our Online Advanced Standing MSW Programs page.

Additional MSW Options for Residents of Montana

Outside of Montana, there are numerous schools that offer MSW programs, including colleges and universities in states that border Montana, such as schools in Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. These programs may be a good option for students who are able to relocate for graduate school, but would also prefer to stay close to Montana. There are also schools across the United States that offer traditional and advanced standing online MSW programs, which allow students to complete didactic instruction online and field education hours at approved sites in their community.

While many online MSW programs can be completed fully online with no required campus visits, some programs require students to attend a limited number of in-person, on-campus sessions for hands-on learning activities. MasterofSocialWork.com classifies programs that require two or fewer campus-based requirements per year as online programs. To access a complete list of CSWE-accredited online MSW programs visit our Online MSW Programs page. As noted above, while students in online programs complete their didactic instruction online, they must still complete field education hours in-person at a local health services agency approved by the program.