Online Flexibility
Distinguished Faculty
70+ Years of Social Work Experience
1000+ Practicum Affiliates
No GRE
MSW residencies occur virtually for all participants. Students will receive their residency schedules upon registration. Please reach out to our enrollment team with any questions at 888.252.4110.
The Preparation You Need for Advanced Professional Social Work
The Adelphi Online Master of Social Work (MSW) curriculum is characterized by:
- Experiential learning grounded in academic theory
- Robust professional development
- Hands-on instruction and personal advisement—online and on-campus
- Engaging, interactive online coursework
- 70+ years of social work experience
This direct practice degree was developed and is taught by the same full-time faculty members and adjuncts who teach the School of Social Work’s on-campus learners. The Online MSW is a part-time program, combining instruction with two online residencies each year.
Upon successfully completing the program, you not only hold a master’s degree, but also are eligible to apply for licensure as a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). In order to prepare our graduates for licensure, we offer exam preparation courses that draw on questions from prior New York state exams. Students in these courses can take a practice exam as many times as they would like, and receive immediate feedback on their scores. Exam information is also integrated into the coursework for the online MSW, so our graduates will finish the program uniquely prepared to succeed in becoming licensed.
Program Structure
Standard and MSW for Human Service Professionals Students
Students in the Standard and MSW for Human Service Professionals paths complete their degree in three years. For these students, the Online MSW program comprises eight to nine semesters, divided between a Foundation Year curriculum and an Advanced Year curriculum. Courses are sequential and students take 6 to 10 credit hours per semester, and complete 64 credit hours to graduate. Students take three elective courses for a total of 9 credit hours during the Advanced Year. Courses span 8 to 15 weeks, depending on the semester. Online students are required to participate in weekly synchronous class sessions on Thursday evenings between 6:30 p.m. and 9:50 p.m. ET and attend online residencies, which are held twice a year.
Students in the MSW for Human Service Professionals track are concurrently employed in human services and are eligible to complete an employment-based field placement. They must have at least two years of related experience over the past five years and are required to complete only one field placement.
Advanced Standing Students
Advanced Standing students hold a bachelor’s degree in social work from a university or college accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and are required to complete only the Advanced Year curriculum. These students can earn their degree in 15 months, but must begin the program in the Summer semester. Students are required to participate in weekly synchronous class sessions and attend online residencies, which are held twice a year. For more information on the Advanced Standing option for the Online Master’s of Social Work, click here.
Sample Course Plan by Term
Fall Start ▼
Spring Start ▼
Fall Start
| |
Standard |
MSW for Human Service Professionals |
| FY S1 Fall |
Orientation |
Orientation |
| SWK 502 - Professional Development Seminar |
SWK 502 - Professional Development Seminar |
| SWK 500 |
SWK 500 |
| SWK 510 - Orientation ROLE |
SWK 510 - Orientation ROLE |
| FY S2 Spring |
SWK 501 |
SWK 501 |
| SWK 511 |
SWK 511 |
| FY S3 Summer |
SWK 557 |
No Summer Classes |
| SWK 542 |
| FY S4 Fall |
SWK 520 |
SWK 520 |
| SWK 690 |
OSWK 601 - OYR Professional Seminar |
|
SWK 542 |
| FY S5 Spring |
SWK 521 |
SWK 521 |
| SWK 691 |
SWK 557 |
| AY S1 Summer |
SWK Elective |
SWK Elective |
| SWK 722 |
SWK 722 |
|
FIELD - SWK 790 (15 hrs/wk) |
| AY S2 Fall |
SWK 710 |
SWK 710 |
| SWK 776 |
SWK 776 |
| SWK 780 |
SWK 780 |
| FIELD - SWK 790 (15 hrs/wk) |
FIELD - SWK 791 (15 hrs/wk) |
| AY S3 Spring |
SWK 758 |
SWK 758 |
| SWK 782 |
SWK 782 |
|
FIELD - SWK 792 (15 hrs/wk) |
| AY S4 Summer |
SWK Elective |
SWK Elective |
| SWK Elective |
SWK Elective |
|
FIELD - SWK 689 (15 hrs/wk) |
Spring Start
| |
Standard |
MSW for Human Service Professionals |
| FY S1 Spring |
Orientation |
Orientation |
| SWK 502 - Professional Development Seminar |
SWK 502 - Professional Development Seminar |
| SWK 500 |
SWK 500 |
| SWK 510 - Recitation Social Work Orientation "ROLE" |
SWK 510 - Recitation Social Work Orientation "ROLE" |
| SWK 510 |
SWK 510 |
| FY S2 Summer |
SWK 511 |
SWK 511 |
| SWK 501 |
SWK 501 |
| FY S3 Fall |
SWK 542 |
SWK 542 |
| SWK 520 |
SWK 520 |
| FIELD - SWK 690 (15 hr/week) |
SWK 601 - OYR Professional Seminar |
| FY S4 Spring |
SWK 521 |
SWK 521 |
| SWK 557 |
SWK 557 |
| SWK 691 |
|
| AY S1 Summer |
SWK Elective |
SWK Elective |
| SWK 722 |
SWK 722 |
|
FIELD - SWK 790 (15 hrs/wk) |
| AY S2 Fall |
SWK 710 |
SWK 710 |
| SWK 780 |
SWK 780 |
| SWK 776 |
SWK 776 |
| SWK 790 |
FIELD - SWK 791 (15 hrs/wk) |
| AY S3 Spring |
SWK 758 |
SWK 758 |
| SWK 782 |
SWK 782 |
| SWK 791 |
FIELD - SWK 792 (15 hrs/wk) |
| AY S4 Summer |
SWK Elective |
SWK Elective |
| SWK Elective |
SWK Elective |
|
FIELD - SWK 689 (15 hrs/wk) |
Online Learning Environment
All Online MSW courses are delivered on the Moodle learning management system. It serves as a hub for faculty and students and is the portal through which students access all coursework.
Some courses have no live components, and students can complete assignments largely on their schedule. Other courses are fully or partially live, requiring students to participate online at scheduled times. Online MSW coursework may include reading, viewing video lectures, completing case assessments, participating in multimedia VoiceThread discussions and working on group projects.
Students typically devote 10 to 12 hours a week to coursework. Though the online format provides flexibility, most assignments must be completed on schedule.
All practice courses, the Professional Development Seminar and the Field Instruction Integrative Seminar are live, meeting between 6:30 p.m. and 9:50 p.m. (ET) on Thursdays. Some of these live sessions are recorded and posted to Moodle for students to view at their convenience.
Before starting the program, students participate in a three-week, online learning orientation that provides an overview of the program and learning technology. The first on-campus learning experience also includes a brief orientation and technology training.
Residency
Personal relationships are at the core of social work, and students in our online MSW program build professional connections with each other and their professors by attending required residencies.
These two to four-day virtual experiences take place twice annually in August and January. During the residencies, you’ll have the chance to collaborate with peers and faculty as well as participate in networking opportunities.
“There is a sense of genuine investment on the parts of faculty and staff–they really care about their students and the residency provides a space that encourages relationship building. The first residency served as a foundation for meaningful relationships I now hold with the members of my cohort. We look forward to the start of each semester and to catch up, learn and grow together.”Courtney Oehl, First-Year Student, Cohort #6
Click here for a look at the residency schedule.
Field Education
Field education is a central component of graduate social work programs. It teaches students to apply the theory and knowledge learned in the classroom to social work practice in agency settings. You work at human service agencies—directly with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
You gain exposure to diverse problems and people including oppressed populations. Field work assignments consist of diverse practice opportunities. Assignments include conducting face-to-face interviews with clients both individually and in group settings.
As part of this training, students must also work with organizational or community representatives on behalf of clients. Your assignments may include community work, program development, social action or research.
We are affiliated with more than 1,000 human service agencies throughout the New York metropolitan region, including, but not limited to:
- Child welfare agencies
- Community centers
- Detention centers and correctional facilities
- Domestic violence agencies
- Mental health clinics
- Medical and psychiatric hospitals
- Nursing homes and extended care facilities
- Residential treatment facilities
- Schools
- Substance abuse treatment programs
- Veteran’s programs
- Youth service agencies
For more information about the comprehensive field education component of our program, visit the Field Placements page.
Field courses are graded pass/fail.
Online MSW Courses
This introductory course in social welfare policy focuses on four major themes: the development of social work as a profession; the emergence of social welfare institutions in the United States; the experience of oppressed populations in the United States; the contributions of social work and social movements to the reduction of oppression; and the changing role of government in social welfare. These themes are examined with an emphasis on the philosophical, economic, social and political forces that shaped the development of social work and social welfare in the United States. The course covers the period of time from the post-bellum or Reconstruction era to the present.
This course develops the student’s ability to analyze, design and enact social policies based on an understanding of the factors that contribute to the existence of contemporary social problems, especially economic and social inequality and the oppression of specific population groups. The course focuses on: frameworks for social policy analysis and development; conceptualizing; defining and developing solutions to social problems; the relationship between social constructions of the problems of oppressed groups and the ‘realities’ of their conditions; major political perspectives on the role of government in redressing inequality; the role of social movements in defining and reducing social problems; and how social workers can contribute to the achievement of social justice in the United States.
Prerequisite: SWK 500
The Professional Development Seminar is designed to support students in the Online MSW Program. This non-credit course meets online (synchronously and asynchronously) until students start field and will be facilitated by the program director. Social Work faculty and administrators will be invited to present at the seminars on specific topics related to social work. This seminar is expected to guide students through the field placement application process and the transition from the classroom to a practice setting. Invited speakers will focus on advanced practice related topics that will help students make the connections between theory and practice.
The professional development seminar will include topics such as technology tools, networking, writing a literature review, understanding individual learning styles, adult learning and professional education (roles, behaviors, personal attributes), professional and personal values, professional goals and developing professional identity.
This is the first of two courses that stress critical thinking in regard to theoretical perspectives on human behavior. The course presents the bio-psycho-social perspective with a particular emphasis on multiculturalism, followed by an exploration of the various social systems that impact human behavior. This exploration includes an analysis of a variety of theories and application to the social systems students address in practice. The course introduces theories about and perspectives on the human life span and begins a discussion of the life cycle, which is continued in SWK 511, covering conception through middle childhood.
The School of Social Work requires all new students to attend ROLE (Required On-Line Learning Experience). ROLE is an information literacy workshop designed to teach the basics of online research skills for researching and writing scholarly papers. In ROLE, students learn to identify, locate and harness scholarly information from a variety of sources (print, database and website) in Social Work and related disciplines. Students’ also learn how to critically evaluate information and use it in an ethical and legal manner. This content has been incorporated into the Professional Development Seminar.
This course builds on the foundations acquired in SWK 510 and continues with a multicultural perspective on the human life cycle. It begins with a brief review of the theoretical perspectives covered in SWK 510. It introduces ego psychology and functional and dysfunctional ego mechanisms as well as providing an exploration of concepts relating to stress and coping. It continues the discussion of the human life span in SWK 510 in the context of social systems and relevant theory, covering adolescence through death.
Prerequisite: SWK 510
This practice course provides foundation knowledge within the context of a generalist intervention model. Knowledge, values and skills for social work practice at the micro, mezzo and macro levels will be taught from an integrative practice framework. Students will be introduced to social work values, theoretical concepts and interventive activities common to all social work practice methods.
This course focuses on the theories and skills necessary for social work practice with individuals, families, groups and communities as a means of enhancing role performance and social functioning. The development of skills in facilitating the interaction of client systems and environments is emphasized using a systems perspective in relation to problem solving. Crisis intervention, ego support, linking clients to resources and alleviation of environmental stressors are considered. The small group and groups as representative of communities are examined as vehicles of growth, goal attainment and empowerment.
Prerequisite: SWK 520
This course emphasizes the systematic nature of oppression and the responsibility of social workers to engage in the struggle for social justice and human rights. The meaning and implications of related concepts such as discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, class, disability and aging are discussed. In addition to professional literature, there is an emphasis on experiential learning, encouraging students to get in touch with their own oppression and the biases they have toward others. Students gain an understanding of the practice principles and skills needed to be effective as change agents with diverse populations at the micro, mezzo and macro level.
This course provides students with the basic tools needed to understand and participate in social work research. It integrates material from epistemology, quantitative and qualitative research design, data collection, management and analysis into a coherent view of the social research process. This course further provides students with an introduction to basic statistical techniques used in social work research.
The purpose of this course is to prepare graduate students to understand the importance of social work research in the process of their development as professional social workers. This includes helping students to critically evaluate research knowledge and preparing them to use empirical evidence to guide their professional practice, to evaluate their own practice and to evaluate social service programs in which they work. Students will learn the fundamental concepts and operations in statistics that will aid in their ability to understand and use social work research.
The Professional Development Seminar is designed to support students in the Online MSW Program. This course meets online (synchronously and asynchronously) until students start field and will be facilitated by the program director. Social Work faculty and administrators will be invited to present at the seminars on specific topics related to social work. This seminar is expected to guide students through the field placement application process and the transition from the classroom to a practice setting. Invited speakers will focus on advanced practice related topics that will help students make the connections between theory and practice.
The professional development seminar will include topics such as technology tools, networking, writing a literature review, understanding individual learning styles, adult learning and professional education (roles, behaviors, personal attributes), professional and personal values, professional goals and developing professional identity.
SWK 690 comprises the first half of a yearlong, 600-contact-hour field instruction internship completed during the first year of the Online MSW program. The field instruction internship provides the experiential component of social work education in which students work directly with clients in a social agency under professional supervision, with an emphasis on developing foundation skills for work with individuals, families, groups and communities. Students are responsible for completing 21 hours per week of In-Field Placement.
Students are responsible for completing 21 hours per week of In-Field Placement.
Prerequisite: SWK 520
This course provides an understanding of psychopathology from a social work perspective. Concepts of mental health and mental illness are viewed from a historical and holistic perspective incorporating the impact of socio-economic, gender, racial, ethnic and cultural factors. The course discusses classification of mental illness, for example anxiety states, mood disorders, personality disorders, substance abuse, dementia and schizophrenia, as set forth in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (4th edition). Emphasis is placed on the explanatory power of theories to inform practice on behalf of people with mental illness.
Prerequisites: SWK 511, SWK 521
This course provides conceptual frameworks for understanding the role of professional social workers in organizational settings and expands students’ capacities to maximize their practice effectiveness in organizations, provide organizational leadership and contribute to constructive organizational change. Drawing on organizational sociology, social administration and students’ practice experiences, the course examines the organizational goals, structures, environments and processes that impact on service strategies, case decisions and the achievement of professional objectives.
Prerequisites: SWK 501, SWK 521
This course focuses on using and evaluating the knowledge base of social work practice. It applies concepts learned in Research I to the empirical evaluation of one’s own practice, the analysis and evaluation of empirical-based knowledge and its use in social work practice. The course stresses issues related to the conduct of research in a practice profession, including the relationship between research and practice, the application of principles of critical thinking to both research and practice and the ethical considerations crucial in research development.
Prerequisites: SWK 521, SWK 557
Students will gain familiarity with the content areas of the master’s-level licensing exam and be able to connect the purpose of the exam to the MSW curriculum, highlighting points of connection and points where they diverge, with specific examples from required courses in all sequences. Students will identify their own strengths and address the challenges related to taking the exam. Students will apply the information learned which contributes to their ability in passing the licensing exam.
Building on the foundation year, this course focuses on development of the knowledge and skills needed for advanced clinical social work practice with individual clients. Relying on ecological systems theory, the course will present various models for advanced practice, as well as the integration of these models. Teaching of all models will rely on the strengths perspective and be case-based.
Prerequisite: SWK 521
Students examine group work practice in depth with application to social work within an agency context. The course creates a link with the foundation practices courses taught in the first year, as well as content taught in the foundation human behavior and social environment courses. Emphasis will be on addressing conceptual understanding, analytical process and interactional skills necessary for group work practice.
Prerequisite: SWK 521
SWK 790, SWK 791 and SWK 792 comprise a three semester, 900-hour field instruction internship for students in the OYR program. Students are assigned to a field agency or complete a work/study field placement under the auspices of their human service employment during which they engage in supervised advanced direct practice with individuals, couples, families and small groups. Students are responsible for completing 15 hours per week of In-Field Placement.
Prerequisite: SWK 521
SWK 790, SWK 791 and SWK 792 comprise a three semester, 900-hour field instruction internship for students in the OYR program. Students are assigned to a field agency or complete a work/study field placement under the auspices of their human service employment during which they engage in supervised advanced direct practice with individuals, couples, families and small groups. Students are responsible for completing 15 hours per week of In-Field Placement.
Prerequisite: SWK 780
SWK 790, SWK 791 and SWK 792 comprise a three semester, 900-hour field instruction internship for students in the OYR program. Students are assigned to a field agency or complete a work/study field placement under the auspices of their human service employment during which they engage in supervised advanced direct practice with individuals, couples, families and small groups. Students are responsible for completing 21 hours per week of In-Field Placement.
Electives:
Students complete three electives as part of their MSW degree:
- Students may choose from the following courses to fulfill their elective requirements. Please note that not all courses are offered each semester and may vary by term.
Elective Courses
This course is designed to prepare students for practice with immigrants and refugees. One in five clients of social workers is likely to be foreign-born or have a foreign-born parent. This is a result of growing trends of relocation and increasing numbers of immigrants, refugees and asylees relocating for political, economic, familial and personal reasons. Social workers are required to be knowledgeable about and capable of developing strategies to address immigration-related issues. Building on knowledge acquired in the foundation-level courses, this course focuses on the application of this knowledge. The theoretical underpinnings of the course are stress, acculturation and trauma theories, the ecological approach and the strength perspective. The nature of immigration is discussed from a global and national perspective, deepening and expanding content on immigration taught in the undergraduate level course on the culture of ethnic and immigrant groups.
This course is aimed at developing the knowledge and skills necessary for working with individuals with a diagnosis of serious mental illness, using recovery-oriented, evidence-based practices. It is designed for MSW students and MSW mental health practitioners. Students will become familiar with evidence-based practices within a recovery-oriented paradigm as a general approach to practice. They also will learn about specific evidence-based interventions to use for individuals with a diagnosis of serious mental illness. Though it is assumed that students will have a basic knowledge of serious mental illness as a prerequisite or corequisite, a review will be provided. Students will learn to examine research literature to determine the various levels of support for specific interventions and essential principles for translating research into practice. Additionally, they will identify the appropriate treatment outcomes that reflect effective, quality mental health practice. Each evidence-based practice presented will also be examined for its utility with diverse groups. Providing assessment and treatment to a diverse group of individuals with a diagnosis of serious mental illness is the focus of this course and will be discussed in detail. The prerequisite for this course is completion of the foundation year in the MSW program or equivalent, along with completion of SWK 710, Social Work Assessment and Diagnosis.
This course examines critical issues in social work practice in health care. Building on core knowledge common to all fields of practice, the course explores advanced practice skills and strategies for work with individuals, families, groups, interdisciplinary teams and service providers in a variety of health care settings. Social work practice is examined in the context of psychosocial consequences of illness, current health care delivery systems and technological advances, as well as changing regulatory approaches and organizational structures.
This course investigates the social, psychological and emotional issues of separation and loss and subsequent grieving. It examines the impact that cultural diversity and one’s own values, attitudes and fears have on the grieving process. Legal, political, medical and ethical issues will be analyzed to heighten students’ ability to empower their clients.
This course examines critical issues related to social work practice with older people and their families. It encompasses individual counseling and therapy, support group, psycho-education, research models, service delivery systems and relevant policies. Topics include biological, psychological, sociological, economic and spiritual perspectives with emphasis on contemporary problems.
This course is designed to integrate all aspects of the curriculum in order to prepare students to address practice concerns that are linked to social problems and policies. Students will be able to address these issues in a knowledgeable, professional and rational manner. They will learn to analyze and synthesize theory and research concerning a social problem experienced by their clients. They will be able to utilize both domestic and international information to develop relevant, informed solutions and interventions. This comprehensive process provides a template for students to address any social concern in the same manner, moving from “Case to Cause,” reflecting social work’s most salient mission.
This course focuses on understanding stress, crisis, trauma and coping as well as their short- and long-term consequences along the life cycle in diverse socio-cultural contexts. Students develop evidence-based knowledge and skills for best practices when working with affected individuals, families and communities.
This course prepares students for effective practice with diverse individuals living with neurocognitive disorder, or dementia, and their families from across practice settings. Students will apply and integrate the competencies necessary for effective clinical social work practice with this population.
Residency Schedule
Fall 2020 Cohort – Residency Dates:
| Semester |
Dates |
Duration |
| Fall 2020 |
August 27-30, 2020** |
4 days |
| Spring 2021 |
January 21-24, 2021 |
4 days |
| Fall 2021 |
August 26-29, 2021 |
4 days |
| Spring 2022 |
January 20-23, 2022** (on-campus) |
4 days |
| Spring 2022 |
January 15-16 & 18-19 (virtual) |
4 days |
| Fall 2022 |
August 25-28, 2022 (on-campus) |
4 days |
| Fall 2022 |
August 20-23, 2022 (virtual) |
4 days |
| Spring 2023 |
January 14-15 & 17-18, 2023 (virtual) |
4 days |
| Spring 2023 |
January 19-22, 2023 (on-campus) |
4 days |
Spring 2021 Cohort – Residency Dates:
| Semester |
Dates |
Duration |
| Spring 2021 |
January 21-24, 2021 |
4 days |
| Fall 2021 |
August 26-29, 2021 |
4 days |
| Spring 2022 |
January 20-23, 2022** (on-campus) |
4 days |
| Spring 2022 |
January 15-16 & 18-19 (virtual) |
4 days |
| Fall 2022 |
August 25-28, 2022 (on-campus) |
4 days |
| Fall 2022 |
August 20-23, 2022 (virtual) |
4 days |
| Spring 2023 |
January 14-15 & 17-18, 2023 (virtual) |
4 days |
| Spring 2023 |
January 19-22, 2023 (on-campus) |
4 days |
Fall 2021 Cohort – Residency Dates:
| Semester |
Dates |
Duration |
| Fall 2021 |
August 26-29, 2021 |
4 days |
| Spring 2022 |
January 20-23, 2022** (on-campus) |
4 days |
| Spring 2022 |
January 15-16 & 18-19 (virtual) |
4 days |
| Fall 2022 |
August 25-28, 2022 (on-campus) |
4 days |
| Fall 2022 |
August 20-23, 2022 (virtual) |
4 days |
| Spring 2023 |
January 14-15 & 17-18, 2023 (virtual) |
4 days |
| Spring 2023 |
January 19-22, 2023 (on-campus) |
4 days |
| Fall 2023 |
August 26 & 27, 2023 (virtual) |
2 days |
| Spring 2024 |
January 20 & 21, 2024 (virtual) |
2 days |
Fall 2022 Cohort – Residency Dates:
| Semester |
Dates |
Duration |
| Fall 2022 |
August 25-28, 2022 (on-campus) |
4 days |
| Fall 2022 |
August 20-23, 2022 (virtual) |
4 days |
| Spring 2023 |
January 14-15 & 17-18, 2023 (virtual) |
4 days |
| Spring 2023 |
January 19-22, 2023 (on-campus) |
4 days |
| Fall 2023 |
August 26 & 27, 2023 (virtual) |
2 days |
| Spring 2024 |
January 20 & 21, 2024 (virtual) |
2 days |
Students will receive their residency schedules upon registration. Please reach out to our enrollment team with any questions at 888.252.4110.
