Master of Social Work
Nebraska Wesleyan’s Master of Social Work program equips you to help clients integrate the impacts of past or ongoing trauma within their lives. This trauma-conscious approach prepares you to pursue clinical licensure or practitioner certification.
Our evening MSW program fits the schedules of working adults. Take classes just one evening per week in eight-week sessions. Combine in-person classes in Lincoln and online coursework for personal attention and flexibility.
An MSW expands the scope of practice for social workers beyond mental health practice to include policy practice and advocacy, program administration and development and community organizing. That’s why employers often prefer the Master of Social Work degree over other behavioral health degrees.
At NWU, you can choose one of two paths to your Master of Social Work degree. Both offer full and part-time options and classes begin in August. Apply early decision by November 15. Apply priority decision February 15. If you apply after January 15, you’ll be accepted on a rolling basis until the cohort is full.
- MSW Generalist Program
If you have a bachelor’s degree in a subject other than social work, Nebraska Wesleyan’s generalist MSW program is for you. This 66-credit-hour program includes a 32-credit generalist year and a 34-credit specialized year. MSW students complete 400 hours of practicum experience in the first year and another 500 hours in the second year.
Hybrid classes are held in eight-week sessions, combining online coursework with in-person classes in Lincoln on Tuesday or Thursday evenings. If you’re a full-time student, you’ll take two classes each session and complete your degree in two years. If you’re a part-time student, you’ll take one class each session and graduate in four years.
Admission deadlines
When you apply for the generalist MSW program by November 15, you will receive an admission decision by December 1. When you apply for the generalist MSW program by February 15, you will receive an admission decision by March 1. If you apply after January 15, you’ll be accepted on a rolling basis until the cohort is full. If you are currently completing a bachelor’s degree, you will receive a contingent admission offer pending successful completion of your degree.
Admission criteria
Nebraska Wesleyan University uses a holistic process to review all applications and select students with a variety of skills, views and experiences. NWU’s Master of Social Work program requires the following for admittance.
- Undergraduate degree (3.0 GPA) from an accredited college/university with previous coursework in statistics as well as at least 9 credit hours of coursework in the social sciences, to include sociology, psychology, political science and similar disciplines.
- Resume documenting previous volunteer, internship and/or work experience.
- Two references
- one academic reference from a previous faculty member, if possible.
- professional references should speak to the student’s readiness for graduate school.
- Writing sample formatted in APA style with the use of citations. The sample should demonstrate sufficient writing skill needed for graduate level coursework. The writing sample should be no more than five pages plus a title page and reference page (no more than seven pages total). Applicants will be provided with a prompt to guide their response.
Transcripts
Contact your most recent degree-granting institution and request that they send official transcripts to the address below. If you graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan, you do not need to request transcripts from NWU.
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Graduate Admissions
5000 St. Paul Avenue
Lincoln, NE 68504- MSW Advanced Standing Program
You may apply for advanced standing in NWU’s MSW program if you earned your Bachelor of Social Work from an CSWE-accredited school within the last five years. Students who earned their BSW more than five years ago will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
This advanced 34-credit-hour program includes 500 practicum hours. Hybrid classes are held in eight-week sessions, combining online coursework with in-person classes in Lincoln on Tuesday or Thursday evenings. If you’re a full-time student, you’ll take two classes each session and complete your degree in one year. If you’re a part-time student, you’ll take one class each session and graduate in two years.
Admission deadlines
When you apply for the advanced standing MSW program by November 15, you will receive an admission decision by December 1. When you apply for the advanced standing MSW program by January 15, you will receive an admission decision by March 1. If you apply after February 15, you’ll be accepted on a rolling basis until the cohort is full. If you are currently completing a bachelor’s degree, you will receive a contingent admission offer pending successful completion of your degree and demonstration of competency as evaluated by your field instructor.
Advanced standing admission criteria
Nebraska Wesleyan University uses a holistic process to review all applications and select students with a variety of skills, views and experiences. NWU’s Master of Social Work program requires the following for admittance.
- Undergraduate degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program (3.0 GPA) from an accredited college/university with previous coursework in statistics as well as at least nine credit hours of coursework in the social sciences, to include sociology, psychology, political science and similar disciplines.
- Resume documenting previous volunteer, internship and/or work experience.
- Two references
- One academic reference from previous faculty member, if possible.
- Professional references should speak to the student’s readiness for graduate school.
- Writing sample formatted in APA style with the use of citations. The sample should demonstrate sufficient writing skill needed for graduate level coursework. The writing sample should be no more than five pages plus a title page and reference page (no more than seven pages total). Applicants will be provided with a prompt to guide their response.
Transcripts
Contact your most recent degree-granting institution and request that they send official transcripts to the address below. If you graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan, you do not need to request transcripts from NWU.
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Graduate Admissions
5000 St. Paul Avenue
Lincoln, NE 68504
MSW Accreditation
Nebraska Wesleyan University’s MSW Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA).
Accreditation of a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the BOA indicates that it meets or exceeds standards of program quality evaluated through a peer review accreditation process. An accredited program has sufficient resources to meet its mission and goals and the BOA has verified that it demonstrates compliance with all sections of the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS).
Accreditation applies to all program options, which includes locations and delivery methods
Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program.
Review our program’s accredited status in CSWE’s Directory of Accredited Programs. For more information about social work accreditation, contact CSWE’s Department of Social Work Accreditation.