- Submitted Online Application. All online applications and materials must be received by the deadline. Paper applications are not available.
- Application fee: A non-refundable fee of $50 is required for each application. This fee must be paid online by credit card.
- Statement of Purpose: Refer to the MSW admissions page for the Statement of Purpose Guidelines and supplemental questions to be answered.
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing Systems) Academic scores (International applicants only): All international applicants are required to submit official TOEFL or IELTS Academic scores.
- Three letters of recommendation: All letters should be submitted through the online application.
- Upload Transcripts from each post-secondary college/university attended.
- Upload each transcript to the Academic History section of the online application before submitting your application -or- upload to your application status page under the Upload Materials section if your application has already been submitted.
- Review requirements for submitting transactions.
- Failure to follow these requirements will delay your application processing.
What does it cost?
Check out our cost calculator or visit student financial services for information on estimated costs.
How long will it take?
Total degree hours: 60 semester hours for full-time and part-time students; 39 semester hours for advanced standing students.
Where will I take classes?
Atlanta Campus, Online
What is the course format?
This hybrid program comprises online and on-campus work. At least 50% of the coursework will be completed online.
Application Deadlines View Admissions Requirements
Fall
- Early Deadline: February 1
- Regular Deadline: April 1
Spring: Does not admit
Summer: Does not admit
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
Social Work, M.S.W.
Talk to an enrollment coach
LaToya and Moisés
Enrollment Coaches
404-413-4393
online@gsu.edu
Contact office of academic assistance
AYSEnroll@gsu.edu
404-413-0021
The part-time, hybrid Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) program prepares you for social work leadership roles in the effort to solve, in partnerships with others, the challenges facing our communities. This program focuses on community partnerships through the lens of a generalist practice model.
You will learn:
- Principles of community engagement and partnership to promote social and economic justice and maximize human potential.
- Practice models and interventions to work effectively with client populations and collaborative partners in a variety of contexts and social settings.
- Strategies and techniques to address social and economic disparities and injustice.
- How to critically analyze social issues facing communities through a social and economic justice framework.
Our program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
Part-Time, Hybrid Structure
Part-time study may be the right path for you if you work full time or need to balance a lot of other commitments while you go back to school. You can finish in three years. You will come to campus once a month during the semester and the rest of your coursework will be completed online.
Total degree hours: 60 semester hours for full-time and part-time students; 39 semester hours for advanced standing students.
The curriculum includes content on:
- Social work values and ethics
- Diversity
- Social and economic justice
- At-risk populations
- Human behavior and the social environment
- Social welfare policy and services
- Social work practice and research
- Two-semester supervised field placement
Specialization: Community Partnerships
Our M.S.W. focuses on community partnerships. Social work practice occurs in the context of communities where partnerships are developed for promoting social and economic justice and maximizing human potential.
This specialization requires social work practitioners to analyze social issues and develop solutions that are responsive to the broader community dynamics that impact individuals, families and groups with a particular emphasis on those considered to be vulnerable and at risk.
Program Details
The Curriculum Structure for the M.S.W. program consists of three components: (1) Liberal Arts Perspective; (2) Social Work Generalist Practice; (3) Social Work Specialization. The M.S.W. program can be completed in two calendar years of full-time study and three calendar years of part-time study. Total degree hours: 60 semester hours for full-time and part-time students; 39 semester hours for advanced standing students.
The liberal arts core will include course work in humanities and social sciences, a course with human biology content, statistics, and research.
The purpose of the professional social work generalist practice curriculum is two-fold. First, the generalist practice model provides core knowledge for competent social work practice through the presentation of new advances in practice knowledge, as well as the accumulated knowledge of social work education and the social work profession. Second, the generalist practice serves as preparation for the focused knowing and learning in the specialization year.
Students in the program have options for both full-time and part-time programs. In addition, an advanced standing option is available for students who have met the 30 credit hours of Social Work Generalist Practice course work as a result of their bachelor’s degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education
For up-to-date curriculum requirements, please visit the catalog.
You may also download the attached pdf resources.
Funding Your Graduate Education
Cost of attendance and funding opportunities are integral to your decision to attend graduate school. Georgia State University is proud to offer a variety of funding opportunities, from assistantships to fellowships.
Awards and Assistantships
Various awards, assistantships and fellowships are available to new and current graduate students. We encourage you to contact your department, college, school or institute of interest to get more information about the assistantships and fellowships that they offer their students.
The Scholarship Resource Center offers guidance and support to students seeking financial assistance through scholarship opportunities.
Fellowships
The Office of Graduate Programs’ Fellowship Advisor works with students interested in applying for nationally prestigious and competitive fellowships. The Office of Graduate Programs also coordinates the application process for students applying to the Second Century Initiative, the Provost’s Dissertation Fellowship and the Dissertation Library Travel Awards.
Cost Calculator
Our calculator can help you get an idea of the costs associated with attending the university.
To accomplish the mission of the M.S.W. program, the School of Social Work has set forth these goals: (1) students will be able to think critically and communicate effectively in the application of social work knowledge, skills and values to community partnerships practice and students will be able to engage as social work leaders to build and strengthen communities.
Field education at Georgia State is organized and implemented as a partnership between the educational community and the practice community in training future social work practitioners. Within this partnership, there are three key people to the success of the field education experience: the student, field supervisor, and faculty liaison. First is the student, who possesses the willingness and desire to observe, learn, take action, and reflect. The student’s professional development is guided and nurtured by the field supervisor whose role as teacher is pivotal in the student’s evaluation of self as an emerging professional social worker. The faculty liaison’s role is to provide ongoing support and information to the student and the field supervisor. Communication among all parties is critical in meeting the objectives of field education and maintaining a healthy partnership. Ongoing feedback is welcomed from all parties.
View more information about field education.
Download the School of Social Work Student Handbook.
Georgia State University
Master's Social Work Program
Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes.
Description
Careers
Social Work is a profession (like nursing) and our B.S.W. and M.S.W. programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education with a complete listing of all accredited B.S.W. and M.S.W. programs available here. Social workers are employed in mental health, substance abuse, aging, schools, military, child welfare, health, private practice, a huge range of nonprofits, criminal justice-based programs and many other fields.
Education programs leading to professional licensure or certification (nursing, education, social work, counseling, accounting, allied health professions, etc.) may require additional approval from separate licensing boards, depending on the state. Students who live or plan to live outside Georgia and are considering a professional program should contact the appropriate board in their state of residency prior to beginning a course of study. To help students find the best-known contact information for the appropriate state licensing board and for a list of Georgia State program contacts, visit the Student Consumer Information website.Contacts
General Questions
LaToya and Moisés
Enrollment Coaches
404-413-4393
online@gsu.edu
Curriculum Inquiries
AYSEnroll@gsu.edu
404-413-0021
Office Location:
AYSPS Office of Academic Assistance
14 Marietta St. NW,
Suite G-52
Atlanta, GA 30303
Nicholas Forge
nforge1@gsu.edu
14 Marietta St
Atlanta, GA 30303
The information shared here provides an overview of Georgia State’s offerings. For official details on admissions requirements, tuition, courses and more, refer to the university catalogs.