Master of Social Work (MSW) Programs in Nebraska - Campus, Online, and Hybrid

Currently, there is one school in the state of Nebraska that offers a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree program. That school is the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO), a publicly funded, state-administered research university with three campuses in the city of Omaha. UNO has several MSW program format options, including campus-based, online, and hybrid formats that allow students to earn their degree in-person/on-campus or fully online through distance learning.

In addition, UNO offers its MSW program in a hybrid format with classes held on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK). All of these program options are offered through UNO’s Grace Abbott School of Social Work, which is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), and they all have an advanced generalist curriculum that combines foundational training in social work with advanced training in both clinical and macro practice social work. The Abbott School of Social Work also offers an advanced standing MSW program track that requires applicants to have completed a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program.

Details about the MSW program options offered by UNO are provided in the sections below, as is information regarding additional program options for Nebraska residents who want to explore programs offered by out-of-state schools.

• Traditional MSW Programs in Nebraska
• Advanced Standing MSW Programs in Nebraska
• Additional MSW Program Options for Residents of Nebraska

Traditional MSW Programs in Nebraska

Full-length or traditional MSW programs are similar in terms of length, time commitment, and admissions requirements to master’s degree programs in many other fields. Applicants to traditional MSW programs must have a bachelor’s degree from an institutionally accredited college or university and are typically eligible for these programs regardless of their undergraduate major. In terms of length of commitment and time to completion, earning an MSW degree generally takes four semesters of full-time enrollment, or roughly two years. Students who enroll part-time in a traditional MSW program take three or more years to earn their degree. Integral to all CSWE-accredited MSW programs are field education practicums, which require students to gain a minimum of 900 hours of relevant, supervised work experience while earning their degree.

The University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) offers a traditional MSW program with a flexible format that allows students to complete their didactic coursework via campus-based classes, fully online instruction, or a mix of online and campus-based classes. The program, which is offered through the CSWE-accredited Grace Abbott School of Social Work, has an advanced generalist curriculum, which means that the program is designed to prepare students for clinical and/or macro practice social work. The program’s 63 required credits, including four practicums for a total of at least 900 hours of field education, can be completed in two years of full-time enrollment or three to five years of part-time enrollment. UNO’s traditional MSW program is also offered in a hybrid format on the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s campus (UNK) with the same advanced generalist curriculum.

The Abbott School of Social Work gives students who enrolled in its MSW program the option of training to become a Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselor (LDAC) in the state of Nebraska. The LDAC training program consists of three courses that students must complete in addition to MSW program requirements, although one or more of those courses may can be counted toward the MSW program’s elective requirements.

Advanced Standing MSW Programs in Nebraska

The advanced standing designation applies to MSW programs and MSW program tracks that allow qualified students who hold a BSW degree from an undergraduate program accredited by the CSWE to begin their master’s-level studies in what would typically be the second year of a full-time, two-year, traditional MSW program. Students admitted to an MSW program’s advanced standing track are often able to complete their degree in one year of full-time enrollment or two years of part-time enrollment. This is possible because coursework for CSWE-accredited BSW programs typically covers the same material and concepts as courses taken by first-year MSW students. BSW programs also require a minimum of 400 field education hours, which advanced standing students can use towards the 900 hours required as part of an MSW program.

The University of Nebraska Omaha’s (UNO) Grace Abbott School of Social Work offers an advanced standing MSW program with the same advanced generalist focus as the school’s traditional MSW program. The advanced standing track allows students who hold a BSW degree to earn their master’s degree by completing 36 credits instead of the 63 credits required for traditional students. Qualified students can complete their MSW coursework and two field education practicums in one year of full-time enrollment. Students who opt for part-time enrollment can spread their studies out over two or more years to earn their degree. Like UNO’s traditional MSW program, the advanced standing program is offered on campus, fully online, and in a hybrid format that includes both campus-based and online courses. Students can also complete the program through hybrid instruction with classes on the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s campus.

Students in the advanced standing program also have the option of taking three courses in drug and alcohol counseling and treatment that can prepare graduates to become Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselors (LADCs) in the state of Nebraska.

Additional MSW Program Options for Residents of Nebraska

In addition to the programs offered by the University of Nebraska Omaha, there are numerous out-of-state schools that offer MSW programs that accept applicants from Nebraska. For students willing to relocate, there are campus-based programs offered by colleges and universities in neighboring states, such as those in South Dakota (one school), Wyoming (one school), Colorado (four schools), Kansas (four schools), Iowa (four schools), and Missouri (seven schools). There are also online programs that offer all or most of their didactic coursework via distance-learning technologies and allow out-of-state students to complete field education hours at approved sites in their region.

Online MSW programs provide Nebraska residents with access to a broad range of options, including MSW programs with specializations in clinical social work, macro social work, and advanced generalist practice, as well as programs that offer specific training in military social work or other specialized areas of social work practice. In addition to traditional online MSW programs, there are also online advanced standing MSW programs offered by out-of-state schools.

While some online programs require students to attend a limited number of campus visits, many do not have campus-based requirements. MasterofSocialWork.com classifies programs that require two or fewer campus visits per year as online programs. Programs that require three or more campus visits per year are classified as hybrid-online, hybrid, or campus-based programs as they may not be a practical option for students who do not live within commuting distance to the school offering the program. For details about CSWE-accredited online MSW programs offered by out-of-state schools, refer to our Online MSW Programs page.

All Master of Social Work Programs in Nebraska

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)