The Master of Social Work, Advanced Standing program is an expedited pathway to the MSW degree. This hybrid program, that is almost entirely online, offers qualified students with a Bachelor of Social Work the opportunity to complete the MSW degree in one year. The program is highly competitive and prepares graduates for advanced practice and leadership in the social work field.

Prior to the start of the fall semester, students admitted to this program will take online foundational degree courses, which replace the MSW first-year courses. In the fall and spring semesters, MSW Advanced Standing students will complete the same final-year courses and field hours as students in the typical MSW program.

 

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Program Features

1. Hybrid Schedule

   Synchronous courses are held online, on weekday evenings. Students are expected to complete a year-long internship component, 16 hours or more per week, along with required academic courses. Internships are typically completed in-person and traditionally occur during regular weekday agency business hours near your geographic location.

2. Complete in One Year

   Bridge courses allow qualified students with a BSW degree to fast-track their MSW degree.

3. Outstanding Faculty

   Faculty actively collaborate with various California agencies to engage in community-based research.

4. Transcultural Perspective

   Graduates of this program are committed to enhancing the well-being of diverse communities and advocating for social justice.

 

Your Career Opportunities

The MSW degree prepares you for multiple job opportunities such as medical social worker, child welfare specialist, aging and adult services specialist, school social worker, community program administrator, school counselor, clinical social worker, substance abuse counselor and many more.

Social Workers have multiple job titles:

• Child and family social workers
• Clinical social workers
• School social workers
• Healthcare social workers
• Geriatric social workers
• Hospice and palliative care social workers
• Medical social workers

 

 

Applying to the Program

The application process for the MSW Advanced Standing program requires submitting two applications, one to SJSU through Cal State Apply, and one to the School of Social Work through the MSW Program Application Portal. Students must complete both applications to be considered. Follow the steps to apply.

 

Admission Requirements*

• Bachelor’s degree in social work from a program accredited by CSWE at the time of admission or within the last seven years
• A minimum grade point average of 3.5 and minimum grade of A- in all BSW/BASW (social work major) courses
• At least 400 hours of recent social work related experience (cumulative internship, paid, or volunteer experience) in addition to the minimum internship hours requirement for the BSW/BASW degree
• Three letters of recommendation specific to qualifications for Advanced Standing, in addition to the usual scored recommendation forms
• Evaluations from BSW/BASW field internships
• Personal statement
• Personal interview
• An English language proficiency test is required if a student's baccalaureate was earned outside of the US. Applicants must satisfy the school’s minimum requirements. 550 minimum paper-based, 80 minimum internet, or 213 computer-based TOEFL Score or 7.0 Minimum IELTS Score

*Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission into the program. Currently the MSW Advanced Standing program is only accepting students resident in California. If admitted, students must be able to study and do their internships in California.

 

 

Program Deadlines

Application Period: October 1, 2021 through December 1, 2021.

Application Deadline	Document Deadline
December 1, 2021	December 20, 2021

 

To participate and receive credit from online classes at San Jose State University, your state of residence, if other than California, must have a reciprocity agreement in place with CSU. This agreement provides online students with consumer protection. For a complete list of participating states and details on the regulation, please visit sjsu.edu/extend/state-auth/.