Request Information

Become an agent for change

• Located in Washington, D.C.
• Flexible schedules on-campus and also available as a 100% Online learning option. Application fees are waived for online learners.
• Links to over 450 agencies
• Ideal for working professionals 
• Scholarships are available

The Master of Social Work program at the National Catholic School of Social Service (NCSSS) seeks to prepare advanced practitioners who, consistent with their chosen concentrations, act as agents of change to promote individual and societal well-being. The goals of the MSW program, in keeping with the goals of the school and grounded in the liberal arts, ensure the education of social workers whose practice is rooted in traditional and contemporary theories but is also current with the demands of the changing practice environment. The curriculum is designed so that all students in the MSW program will develop competencies as social work practitioners.

The MSW curriculum is comprised of foundation knowledge (30 credits) and advanced knowledge (30 credits). Its concentrations educate two types of advanced social work practitioners:

1. clinical social workers who will be effective practitioners.
2. social workers whose indirect practice reflects a depth and breadth of knowledge and skill for advanced policy analysis, planning and management, and community, administration, and policy practice.

MSW students may complete the 60-credit MSW program within a minimum of two years and a maximum of five years. During the graduate program, students complete 12 credits of field internships (two internships over four semesters) and 48 credits of course work.

Full-time students complete the 60-credit MSW program in two academic years. All part-time students must take at least six hours of academic credit per semester. All students must have completed or be concurrently registered for SSS 570, 571, 581 and 605 when registering for SSS 673; similarly, they must have completed or be concurrently registered for SSS 572, 582, 591 and 606 when registering for SSS 674.

Part-time students may have to take course(s) during summer sessions, depending on the number of credit hours taken during fall and spring semesters. While we make every effort to offer many courses during late afternoon and evening hours, it is imperative that students understand that they will not be able to complete the entire MSW curriculum only during evening hours. Part-time students generally complete the MSW program within four to five years. Most students in the part-time online clinical program generally complete the program in three and half years.

The National Catholic School of Social Service prepares social workers in the Catholic tradition of mercy, charity, justice and peace that is expressed in the teachings of Jesus Christ and Catholic Social Teaching.