Social Work, M.S.W. in St. Louis

Saint Louis University's Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) prepares social work professionals to work with vulnerable populations facing health, social and economic challenges.

Social workers are educationally prepared to provide services including therapy, policy advocacy, case management, group work, crisis intervention, children and family practice and leadership for nonprofit organizations. M.S.W. level social workers are employed in a wide variety of human service organizations including family and community centers, mental health and treatment centers, hospitals, schools, nonprofit agencies, residential children’s or adult centers, justice centers and many more organizations.

Program Highlights

• SLU's M.S.W. program offers multiple course delivery formats to assist students who are working full-time or part-time and for students who want to progress faster by taking additional credits per semester.
• Formats include the online and in-person traditional 15-week format (two-hour-and-45-minute classes, fall and spring semesters) and a 10-week format (three-and-a-half-hour classes in the summer semester).

Curriculum Overview

SLU's M.S.W. curriculum includes generalist foundation courses, advanced practice courses in an area of concentration, hallmark and research courses, and field practica. The generalist foundation courses provide the basic social work theory and methods for working with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.

Students then select an advanced practice area of concentration and proceed with courses in these areas. Saint Louis University's School of Social Work offers three concentrations:

• Applied behavior analysis
• Clinical
• Community and organization

SLU's M.S.W. degree is 48 credits for clinical and community and organization concentrations (the applied behavior analysis concentration is 54 credits due to students' potential dual credentialing), with full-time and part-time options available. Students with a Bachelor of Social Work from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited program may earn up to 15 credits of advanced standing toward the M.S.W.

Applied Behavior Analysis M.S.W. Concentration

The applied behavior analysis concentration focuses on evidenced-based methods to assist children, adults and organizations in changing behavior. The curriculum prepares students to be eligible to become board-certified behavior analysts.

Clinical M.S.W. Concentration

The clinical concentration focuses on assessment, intervention and outcomes in clinical work with individuals, families, groups or larger systems. Courses focus on working with diverse families and family systems across a developmental life span using core clinical approaches to engagement, assessment, intervention and evaluation of outcomes in a variety of clinical practice settings.

Community and Organization M.S.W. Concentration

The community and organization concentration focuses on mezzo- and macro-level community work, such as community organizing and advocacy, nonprofit administration, and local, state and national policy advocacy and implementation.

Social Work Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

While completing coursework, students will be mentored by an M.S.W. field instructor and work in a social work capacity in the community.

M.S.W. students can further specialize their studies through coursework or practicum experiences in the following areas:

• Community mental health practice
• Criminal justice
• Gerontology
• Health practice
• Nonprofit administration
• Practice with children and youth
• School social work
• Substance use disorder treatment
• Therapy with individuals and families
• Trauma-informed practice
• Veteran services

Careers in Social Work

SLU's M.S.W. program is a highly ranked social work program nationally. Possible careers include work in the fields of health care, mental health, secondary education, child welfare, family services, criminal justice, gerontology, policy, advocacy, administrative and community development.

Admission Requirements

Successful applicants should possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00. Conditional admission may be considered for students with cumulative GPAs below 3.00.

Application Requirements

• Application form 
• Transcript(s)
• Two letters of recommendation (one academic, one professional)
  • One academic letter from a professor who has evaluated your academic performance in the classroom.
    • If you are entering the program directly from an undergraduate program, you may submit two academic letters.
  • One professional letter from a supervisor who has evaluated your work in the field or related volunteer experience.
    • If you have been out of school five or more years, you may submit two professional letters.
• Résumé
• Professional Statement

Requirements for International Students

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students. International students must also meet the following additional requirements: 

• Demonstrate English Language Proficiency. SLU's M.S.W. program requires a TOEFL of 92 or higher. 
• Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include:
  • Courses taken and/or lectures attended
  • Practical laboratory work
  • The maximum and minimum grades attainable
  • The grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations
  • Any honors or degrees received.
• Credential Evaluation Reports (such as the WES, ECE, Spantran, or Scholaro) are required. 

If admitted to the School of Social Work, the International Office will require additional documentation to issue an I-20. Questions about these requirements can be directed to internationalservices@slu.edu. 

Application Deadlines

Applications will continue to be accepted and reviewed for admissions until Aug. 1 for fall and Dec. 1 for spring. All applicants who apply are reviewed for merit-based scholarships. To be considered for a graduate assistantship, students must fill out the GA application found under "Scholarships and Financial Aid" by March 1.

Review Process

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The admissions committee considers several factors to determine a candidate's eligibility:

• Academic achievement
• Strength of the undergraduate program
• Application information
• Professional statement
• Work experience
• Any graduate degrees earned
• Motivation
• Leadership and service
• The undergraduate GPA is weighted with other criteria in the admissions process

Advanced Standing

Students who have completed a bachelor's degree in social work from an eligible, CSWE-accredited program, can receive up to 15 credits of “advanced standing” toward a Master of Social Work at Saint Louis University; approved advanced standing students will need to complete only 33 credits of master's coursework.

To be eligible, students must have:

• Undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0
• Earned grades of ‘B’ or better in undergraduate social work courses
• Completed their bachelor’s in a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education
• No additional transfer credits will be accepted.

Tuition

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

Net Price Calculator

Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Financial Aid

We recognize that cost can be a concern when choosing to continue your education and have identified the following financial aid resources to assist you.

FAFSA and Other Resources

All incoming students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application. A step-by-step guide to submitting your FAFSA is available online. Saint Louis University Student Financial Services provides a Graduate Financial Aid Handbook that outlines the process of financing your graduate education.

The following links to resources in Saint Louis University Student Financial Services may also be helpful:

• Graduate Loan Options
• Confirming Your Award
• Paying Your Bill and Payment Plans

Scholarships

All new incoming students will receive a partial scholarship upon admittance thanks to our generous alumni and benefactors. Students may also qualify for federal graduate student loans and apply for assistantship and fellowship opportunities.

Fellowships

The Doerr Fellowship for Equity and Inclusion is a full-tuition fellowship funded by the School of Social Work for new and continuing students. A separate application is required with a deadline of March 1. This fellowship requires that recipients serve as members of the School of Social Work's Equity and Inclusion Committee. Recipients will also be expected to actively participate in the diversity, equity and inclusion activities sponsored by the Doerr Center throughout the year.

Newly accepted master's or doctoral students and students in the first year of a program are eligible to apply for a University-wide diversity, dissertation or presidential fellowship. Find more details on application components here.

Graduate Assistantships and Internships

By filling out a graduate assistantship/internships application, you will automatically be considered for a graduate assistantship or a graduate internship with the School of Social Work. Assistantships are appointed for one year. Students must reapply to be considered for a second year, and recipients are not guaranteed to receive subsequent/continuing internships.

Graduate assistantships are University-funded assistantships awarded by the School of Social Work. They are assigned and funded for two semesters (a duration of nine months, 20 hours per week), working with designated faculty. Benefits include 12 months of health care coverage, a stipend and 18 credit hours of tuition remission. 

Depending on faculty needs, the graduate assistant works with one or two faculty members. Time is divided between both faculty mentors if the student is assigned to two. Students who receive a fully-funded University-funded assistantship in one year may not receive it in subsequent years. However, they remain eligible for graduate internship while pursuing a graduate degree in the School of Social Work.

Graduate internships are funded and awarded by the School of Social Work. They are assigned and funded for two semesters (a duration of nine months, 8 to 16 hours per week), working with assigned faculty. Graduate interns may be assigned to assist with administrative work, research or faculty teaching. Depending on the hours assigned, tuition benefits will differ; health insurance and stipends are not awarded for graduate internships.

Other Funding for Current Students

Accreditation

The social work bachelor's and master's programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). 

Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)

1701 Duke Street, Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 22314-3457
Phone: 703-683-8080 

Saint Louis University’s applied behavior analysis program is currently a Verified Course Sequence (VCS). Students who graduate from the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis program will have completed all requirements necessary to sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®) exam.

1. Graduates will be able to demonstrate ethical and professional behavior.
2. Graduates will be able to advance human rights and social, racial, economic and environmental justice.
3. Graduates will be able to engage anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion (ADEI) in practice.
4. Graduates will be able to engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
5. Graduates will be able to engage in policy practice.
6. Graduates will be able to engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
7. Graduates will be able to assess individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
8. Graduates will be able to intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
9. Graduates will be able to evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.

M.S.W. Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes

Students must earn a grade of B or better in all Generalist Foundation Courses.  Students must earn a grade of C or higher in all other courses.

¹

Students must earn a grade of B or higher or a grade of S or higher in each of the following courses:SWRK 5702 Social Policy (3 cr), SWRK 5725 Human Behavior & the Social Environment (3 cr), SWRK 5750 Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families, & Groups (3 cr), SWRK 5751 Social Work Practice with Communities & Organizations (3 cr), SWRK 5819 Foundation Integrative Practice Seminar (1 cr), and SWRK 5841 Master of Social Work Foundation Practicum (2 cr) or SWRK 5821 MSW/ABA Foundation Practicum (2 cr) 

²

SWRK 5821 MSW/ABA Foundation Practicum (2 cr) and SWRK 5749 Ethics in Behavior Analysis (3 cr) are for ABA students only.

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

For a complete list of GPA and professional behavior continuation standards, see the Master of Social Work Handbook.  

Applied Behavior Analysis Concentration (not available at learning sites)

Students must earn a grade of B or better in all Applied Behavior Analysis Concentration courses.

Clinical Concentration

 Students must earn a grade of C or higher in all Clinical Concentration courses.

†

Up to 6 credits may be taken outside of Social Work (SWRK) courses.

Community and Organization Concentration

 Students must earn a grade of C or higher in all Community and Organization Concentration courses.

*

These courses are only offered in an online format.

**

These courses are offered in both an online and an in-person format.

†

Up to 6 credits may be taken outside of Social Work (SWRK) courses.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Students must receive a B or better in all generalist courses to pass the course and matriculate.

Applied Behavior Analysis Concentration (Full-Time)

¹

Students must earn a grade of B or higher or a grade of S or higher in each of the following courses: SWRK 5702 Social Policy (3 cr), SWRK 5725 Human Behavior & the Social Environment (3 cr), SWRK 5750 Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families, & Groups (3 cr), SWRK 5751 Social Work Practice with Communities & Organizations (3 cr), SWRK 5819 Foundation Integrative Practice Seminar (1 cr), and SWRK 5841 Master of Social Work Foundation Practicum (2 cr) or SWRK 5821 MSW/ABA Foundation Practicum (2 cr)

²

SWRK 5821 MSW/ABA Foundation Practicum (2 cr) and SWRK 5749 Ethics in Behavior Analysis (3 cr) are for ABA students only.

³

This course is necessary to become a LCSW

Applied Behavior Analysis Concentration (Part-Time)

¹

Students must earn a grade of B or higher or a grade of S or higher in each of the following courses: SWRK 5702 Social Policy (3 cr), SWRK 5725 Human Behavior & the Social Environment (3 cr), SWRK 5750 Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families, & Groups (3 cr), SWRK 5751 Social Work Practice with Communities & Organizations (3 cr), SWRK 5819 Foundation Integrative Practice Seminar (1 cr), and SWRK 5841 Master of Social Work Foundation Practicum (2 cr) or SWRK 5821 MSW/ABA Foundation Practicum (2 cr)

²

SWRK 5821 MSW/ABA Foundation Practicum (2 cr) and SWRK 5749 Ethics in Behavior Analysis (3 cr) are for ABA students only.

³

This course is necessary for a LCSW.

Clinical Concentration (Full-Time)

¹

Students must earn a grade of B or higher or a grade of S or higher in each of the following courses: SWRK 5702 Social Policy (3 cr), SWRK 5725 Human Behavior & the Social Environment (3 cr), SWRK 5750 Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families, & Groups (3 cr), SWRK 5751 Social Work Practice with Communities & Organizations (3 cr), SWRK 5819 Foundation Integrative Practice Seminar (1 cr), and SWRK 5841 Master of Social Work Foundation Practicum (2 cr) or SWRK 5821 MSW/ABA Foundation Practicum (2 cr)

²

Must be taken concurrently with SWRK 5819 Foundation Integrative Practice Seminar (1 cr)

³

This course is necessary for a LCSW.

⁴

SWRK 5733 Advanced Clinical Practice with Individuals (3 cr) must be taken either concurrently or after SWRK 5842 Clinical Practicum I (2 cr).

⁵

Must take concurrently with SWRK 5820 Integrative Practice Seminar (1 cr)

Clinical Concentration (Part-Time)

¹

Students must earn a grade of B or higher or a grade of S or higher in each of the following courses: SWRK 5702 Social Policy (3 cr), SWRK 5725 Human Behavior & the Social Environment (3 cr), SWRK 5750 Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families, & Groups (3 cr), SWRK 5751 Social Work Practice with Communities & Organizations (3 cr), SWRK 5819 Foundation Integrative Practice Seminar (1 cr), and SWRK 5841 Master of Social Work Foundation Practicum (2 cr) or SWRK 5821 MSW/ABA Foundation Practicum (2 cr)

²

Must take concurrently with SWRK 5819 Foundation Integrative Practice Seminar (1 cr)

³

This course is necessary for a LCSW.

⁴

 SWRK 5733 Advanced Clinical Practice with Individuals (3 cr) must be taken either in concurrently or after SWRK 5842 Clinical Practicum I (2 cr).

⁵

Must take concurrently with SWRK 5820 Integrative Practice Seminar (1 cr)

Community and Organization Concentration (Full-Time)

¹

Students must earn a grade of B or higher or a grade of S or higher in each of the following courses: SWRK 5702 Social Policy (3 cr), SWRK 5725 Human Behavior & the Social Environment (3 cr), SWRK 5750 Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families, & Groups (3 cr), SWRK 5751 Social Work Practice with Communities & Organizations (3 cr), SWRK 5819 Foundation Integrative Practice Seminar (1 cr), and SWRK 5841 Master of Social Work Foundation Practicum (2 cr) or SWRK 5821 MSW/ABA Foundation Practicum (2 cr)

²

Must be taken concurrently with SWRK 5819 Foundation Integrative Practice Seminar (1 cr)

³

Must be taken concurrently with SWRK 5820 Integrative Practice Seminar (1 cr)

Community and Organization Concentration (Part-Time)

¹

Students must earn a grade of B or higher or a grade of S or higher in each of the following courses: SWRK 5702 Social Policy (3 cr), SWRK 5725 Human Behavior & the Social Environment (3 cr), SWRK 5750 Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families, & Groups (3 cr), SWRK 5751 Social Work Practice with Communities & Organizations (3 cr), SWRK 5819 Foundation Integrative Practice Seminar (1 cr), and SWRK 5841 Master of Social Work Foundation Practicum (2 cr) or SWRK 5821 MSW/ABA Foundation Practicum (2 cr)

²

Must take concurrently with SWRK 5819 Foundation Integrative Practice Seminar (1 cr)

³

Must take concurrently with SWRK 5820 Integrative Practice Seminar (1 cr)

Apply for Admission

For admission questions, contact:

School of Social Work Graduate Admissions Office
socialwork@slu.edu
314-977-2752

For program questions contact:

Kristi Richter, M.S.W., LCSW, CDFT
Director of Master of Social Work Program
Assistant clinical professor of Social Work
kristi.richter@slu.edu
314-977-2738