Full-Time Master of Social Work Program (MSW)
Our students find that the teaching of Social Work Practice knowledge, values, and skills with an analytic approach fosters the ability to acquire and translate knowledge into sound professional social work practice with individuals, families, groups, communities, and/or organizations.
Full information about the Full-Time MSW and Full-Time Advanced Standing MSW program requirements, focus areas, sub-focuses, and policies can be found in Guide and in the Program Guides found on the Student Resources page.
The first year (or Generalist Practice Year) is designed to provide you with foundational social work knowledge, values, and skills necessary for solid social work practice and to prepare you for advanced practice within the advanced generalist specialization.
In the second year (or Advanced Practice Specialization Year), students complete the advanced generalist specialization with an optional focus in:
- Aging;
- Child, Youth and Family Welfare (CYFW);
- Health; or
- Mental Health.
It is not possible to focus in more than one area. See the MSW Program Guide found in Student Resources for additional, optional sub-focus areas within each focus area. Students opting not to pursue study in a focus area, what we call the Advanced Generalist Focus, should speak with an advisor. Through the courses they choose, students deepen their social work practice knowledge, values, and skill base within that framework with either a direct practice or indirect practice emphasis.
In our MSW Programs you will find:
- A unique approach to Field Education
- Advanced standing available for BSW students
- Advanced generalist specialization
- A generalist approach and social problem focus to graduate education for practice
- More than 100 agencies and organizations provide opportunities in which to learn practice
- Prominent faculty in their fields of study
- State-of-the-art interview practice and videoconference rooms
- Dual or double degrees available (must be accepted into both programs, e.g., Law and Social Work, Public Policy and Social Work)
- A world-class university with excellent libraries and student resources
- The City of Madison – a safe, beautiful, and progressive place in which to live
Length of Program
The length of the graduate program will vary according to the student’s prior preparation and the number of credits completed each semester. Typically, for students without a BSW, completion of the MSW Program requires four full-time semesters of study. For students who do have a BSW and meet criteria, minimum time for completion of the MSW program is two full-time semesters if admitted with full advanced standing.
Professional Accreditation
Both our Full- and Part-Time MSW Programs are accredited through the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Information on when the program was first accredited and our last accreditation review are available on their Directory of Accredited Programs.
Ongoing Curriculum Reviews
To ensure our programs remain responsive to the evolving needs of students and the profession, the School of Social Work regularly reviews its curriculum. Guided by annual reviews of student feedback and competency evaluations, the Curriculum Committee actively enhances both the MSW and BSW programs to support student success. As a result, course offerings and requirements may change over time.
For More Information
Looking for more information about the Full-Time MSW Program at UW-Madison? Check out our FAQ page.
Are you a prospective MSW student? Sign up for a Group Information Session!
Students enrolled in the Full-Time MSW Program may earn a dual degree or double degree while pursuing graduate education at the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work.
Dual degrees are degrees earned between the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work and the professional Schools of Medicine, Law, Veterinary Medicine, or Pharmacy. All other combinations of graduate degrees would fall under the double degree category. Below, read more detailed information about these two options.
Please note: It is the student’s responsibility to understand the curricula for both degree program options and to work individually and collaboratively with an advisor from each program to discover how the two programs may work together, maintaining the integrity of the curricula of both programs.
DUAL DEGREES
Students enrolled in the Full-Time MSW Program may earn a dual degree—an MSW from the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work and an MPH, MD, JD, DVM or Pharm.D. from one of the following schools:
School of Medicine and Public Health
- MPH
- MD
Law School
- JD
School of Veterinary Medicine
- DVM
Pharmacy School
- PharmD
To receive a dual degree students must:
- Apply to and be admitted into both programs;
- Complete the specific degree requirements for each school; and,
- Fulfill the Graduate School minimum credit requirement for the Graduate Degree.
TUITION
Tuition is determined by a combined fee schedule table. Assessed fees are roughly halfway between graduate fees and professional fees. Credit limits each semester coincide with the professional schools’ higher credit maximums.
DOUBLE DEGREES
Students enrolled in the Full-Time MSW Program may earn a double degree—two Master’s degrees from two separate departments.
A student completing a double degree earns two degrees—an MSW from the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work and a Master’s degree in another area. Graduates receive two diplomas. Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work advisors work with students regarding the requirements to earn their MSW while an advisor from another department advises the same student to meet those requirements.
Students may apply for an additional program at the time of original application, add a program at any time during their enrollment, or reapply and pursue a second degree after completion of the first.
In all scenarios, regardless of whether double degree programs are completed consecutively or concurrently, students must:
- Apply to and be admitted to both programs;
- Fulfill the Graduate School’s minimum credit requirement for each degree;
- Complete the specific degree requirements for each program, including minimum credit requirements for each;
- Have no more than a 25% credit overlap between degrees, based on the lower credit requirement of the two programs; and,
- Have an advisor from each program and both advisors must be informed of each other.
Approval of the double degree: At the time of graduation, each program will submit to the Graduate School a list of the courses being used to satisfy that program’s requirements. Both advisors must sign the course lists as indication of approval. The Graduate School will review the course lists for credit overlap between degrees.
International students must contact International Student Services (ISS), 217 Armory and Gymnasium (Red Gym), 716 Langdon Street, 608-262-2044, before adding a second degree program.
TUITION
Tuition for double degrees will be calculated based on the number of credits being taken in both programs at the graduate level.
For additional information, contact the Graduate School’s Office of Admissions and Academic Services, 217 Bascom Hall, 608-262-2433, gsacserv@grad.wisc.edu.