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

Updated: January 14, 2022

Currently, there are two schools in Oklahoma that offer Master of Social Work (MSW) degree programs. Northeastern State University (NSU), a public university located in the city of Tahlequah, has a campus-based MSW program with an advanced generalist curriculum and three focus areas: Indigenous & Rural Communities; Behavioral Health; and Children & Adolescents. The Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work at The University of Oklahoma (OU), which has its main campus in Norman and a secondary campus in Tulsa, offers an MSW program with concentrations in Direct Practice (clinical social work) and Administration and Community Practice (macro social work). The OU program is offered in three formats: a campus-based format with classes that meet at the Norman campus; a hybrid format with classes meeting online and at the Tulsa campus; and an online format with no campus-based requirements.

The NSU program and the OU programs have traditional tracks that do not require an undergraduate degree in social work, as well as advanced standing tracks for students who hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from an undergraduate program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The MSW programs offered by Northeastern State University and The University of Oklahoma are fully accredited by the CSWE.

Northeastern State University (Accredited)
The University of Oklahoma (Accredited)

The MSW programs offered by NSU and OU are grouped below based on their format (campus-based, hybrid, and online) and admissions requirements (traditional and advanced standing). Details on each of the programs are provided in the following sections:

Traditional MSW Programs in Oklahoma

Traditional MSW programs are full-length master’s programs that provide training and instruction in clinical and/or macro practice social work and accept applications from bachelor’s program graduates regardless of their undergraduate major. Earning an MSW degree in a traditional program generally takes four semesters or two academic years for full-time students and three to four years for students who opt for part-time enrollment. In addition to didactic coursework, which can be offered on campus, in a hybrid format, or online, MSW programs require a minimum of 900 hours of site-based field education as required by the CSWE. These site-based requirements take place at program approved social work agencies, schools, and health and human services clinics and organizations that employ social workers. Both NSU and OU have traditional MSW program options.

Traditional Campus-Based MSW Programs in Oklahoma

Northeastern State University (NSU) offers a traditional, campus-based MSW program with an advanced generalist curriculum that provides training in both clinical and macro practice social work and emphasizes working with Native American population groups. In addition to advanced generalist training, students in the program choose from three focus areas: Indigenous & Rural Communities; Behavioral Health; and Children & Adolescents. The 58-credit program can be completed in two years of full-time enrollment, which includes two 225-hour practicums in the first year and two 250-hour practicums in the second year for a total of 950 required hours of field education. Students who would prefer to enroll in the program on a part-time basis have up to six years to complete the graduation requirements.

The University of Oklahoma (OU) offers a traditional, campus-based MSW program at its main campus in Norman. The 60-credit program has two specialization options: Direct Practice (clinical social work) and Administration and Community Practice (macro social work). Students who enroll full-time in the program can complete their degree in two years, while part-time students can opt to take three or four years to finish the program. The program’s first year for full-time students includes 460 hours of generalist social work field education and in the second year, full-time students complete an additional 550 hours of specialization field education. Part-time students begin their practicum work in the second year of the program.

In addition to the fully campus-based program on OU’s Norman campus, the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work at OU offers it MSW program in a hybrid format that combines online instruction with in-person classes once a week at OU’s Tulsa campus. Students in the hybrid program can choose between the Direct Practice and Administration and Community Practice specialization and must complete field education practicums at sites approved by the program. The hybrid program can be completed in two years of full-time enrollment or in three or four years of part-time enrollment.

Traditional Online MSW Programs in Oklahoma

The University of Oklahoma (OU) offers its 60-credit, traditional MSW program in an online format that is structured similarly to their traditional campus-based program. Students in the program complete all of their coursework via online instruction and can graduate in two years of full-time enrollment or three or four years of part-time enrollment. The program, which includes 1010 total hours of site-based field education, gives students a choice between two specializations: Direct Practice clinical social work, and Administration and Community Practice macro social work. The program does not require students to attend any campus visits.

Advanced Standing MSW Programs in Oklahoma

Northeastern State University (NSU) and The University of Oklahoma (OU) both offer an advanced standing track that takes roughly half the time to complete compared to a traditional, full-length MSW program. Advanced standing MSW programs are designed for students who hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program and thus have already taken all or most of the foundational social work courses that comprise the first year of a full-time traditional MSW program. Students are also given credit for the field education hours they completed as part of their BSW degree program.

Students in an advanced standing program can thus complete the coursework and field education required to earn an MSW degree in one year of full-time enrollment or two to three years of part-time enrollment. It is important to note that BSW graduates do not automatically qualify for admission to an advanced standing MSW program. Advanced standing programs commonly require applicants to have completed their BSW degree within the last five to seven years and many programs have additional requirements, such as a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0, 3.25, or higher on a four-point scale.

Advanced Standing Campus-Based MSW Programs in Oklahoma

Northeastern State University (NSU) offers a campus-based advanced standing MSW program for students who hold a BSW degree and have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. The program has an advanced generalist curriculum, which means that students receive training in both clinical and macro practice social work. Advanced standing students have a choice of a one-year, full-time track or a two-year, part-time track. Both tracks require students to complete two field education practicums for a total of 500 hours of site-based social work training.

The University of Oklahoma (OU) has a campus-based advanced standing MSW track for qualified students who hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited social work program that was completed within the last five years. The program also requires advanced standing applicants to have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, although BSW graduates whose GPA is below that number may be considered for conditional admission to the program. OU’s MSW program has specialization tracks in Direct Practice (clinical) social work and Administration and Community Practice (macro) social work. The 32-credit advanced standing track, which requires 550 hours of field education, can be completed in three semesters by students who enroll full-time and in two years by students who opt to enroll part-time.

OU also offers a hybrid MSW program with an advanced standing track on its Tulsa campus. The hybrid program has the same curriculum, field education requirements, and admissions standards as the Norman campus-based program. However, students in the hybrid program attend class once a week in Tulsa and receive the rest of their didactic instruction online.

Advanced Standing Online MSW Programs in Oklahoma

The University of Oklahoma (OU) is currently the only school in Oklahoma that offers an online advanced standing MSW program. The online advanced standing track requires applicants to hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program and to have earned that degree within the last five years. In addition, applicants must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA or 3.0 or higher for unconditional admission to the program. (Although applicants whose GPA is lower than 3.0 may be considered for conditional admission to the program.)

OU’s advanced standing MSW track allows students to choose between a specialization in Direct Practice (clinical) social work or Administration and Community Practice (macro) social work. Both specializations require students to complete 550 hours of field education at program-approved sites.