MASTER OFSOCIAL WORK
Become a skilled, empathic social worker committed to impact and the pursuit of justice.
The Master of Social Work (MSW) Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) empowers you to become the type of committed and compassionate social work leader that today’s complex world needs more than ever. Learn more about our renowned faculty, curriculum, diverse field placements, and commitment to social justice and meaningful change.
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Director’s Welcome
“We embrace diverse identities, perspectives, and life experiences among all of the people involved in our program, including students, instructors, agency- and SP2-based staff, clients, and community members.”
The SP2 Difference
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One of the nation’s top-ranked and most highly respected MSW programs
Prepares you to develop and deliver high-impact services with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations
Small classes led by world-class faculty
Field placements at hundreds of sites throughout Philadelphia and beyond
A diverse global alumni network
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Fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education
Full Time (Two-Year)
The full-time MSW Program is designed for students who plan to complete their program on a full-time basis.
- Schedule: Earned over two academic years; begins with a required orientation in August and concludes the following academic year with commencement in May.
- Field Placement: One field placement during each academic year; three days per week are spent in the field. Learn more about field placement.
- Curriculum: Students take four courses per semester (eight courses per academic year).
This is the standard schedule and course of study for full-time students, though you may customize your schedule if pursuing a dual degree or certificate program, or if required in order to complete your field placement.
*Waiver Exams are offered for SWRK 6010 and SWRK 6020 every August, and for SWRK 6150 every October. Students who score a qualifying grade on a waiver exam for SWRK 6010 and SWRK 6020 may take an elective in place of the required course. Students who score a qualifying grade on a waiver exam for SWRK 6150 may take a relevant advanced research elective in place of the required course.
**Non-credit/non-tuition course.
***Practice classes are a year-long sequence. Students remain in the same section of SWRK 6040/6140 for the entire first year and in the same section of SWRK 7040/7140 or 7080/7180 for the entire second year.
First Year
Foundation-year field placement begins in September and ends in April.
Fall Semester
- SWRK 6010: History and Philosophy of Social Work and Social Welfare* (includes Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 6020: Human Behavior in the Social Environment* (includes Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 6030: American Racism and Social Work Practice (includes Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 6040: Foundations of Social Work Practice I + Field*** (includes Joint Lectures)
Spring Semester
- SWRK 6140: Foundations of Social Work Practice II + Field*** (includes Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 6150: Introduction to Social Work Research* (includes Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 7xx0: Policy Option
- SWRK 7600 or other elective (Some students complete the required clinical elective of SWRK 7600 prior to the start of the second year, though it is not required to be taken in this semester.)
Second Year
Advanced-year field placement begins in September and ends in April.
Fall Semester
- SWRK 7040/7080: Advanced Clinical/Macro Social Work Practice I + Field*** (includes Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 7xxx: Elective #2
- SWRK 7xxx: Elective #3
- SWRK 7xxx: Research Option
- SWRK 7100: Supervision Seminar (For students without an MSW Field Supervisor)**
Spring Semester
- SWRK 7140/7180: Advanced Clinical/Macro Social Work Practice II + Field*** (includes Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 7130: Understanding Social Change: Issues of Race and Gender (includes Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 7xxx: Elective #4
- SWRK 7xxx: Elective #5
- SWRK 7100: Supervision Seminar (For students without an MSW Field Supervisor)**
Advanced Standing
Penn’s Advanced Standing MSW Program Penn’s Advanced Standing MSW Program accepts a limited number of exceptional BSW students who have graduated from a CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work program within the past five years. Students earn their MSW degree in 10 months.
- Schedule: Begins with a required orientation in July and ends with commencement in May.
- Field Placement: Includes either a clinical or a macro concentration field placement that begins in July and ends in April; students are in the field three days per week. Learn more about field placement.
- Curriculum: During the summer semester, students take two credit-bearing courses and one non-credit-bearing course. During the fall and spring semesters, students take the equivalent of four courses per semester.
This is the standard schedule and course of study for part-time students, though you may This is the standard schedule and course of study for Advanced Standing students, though you may customize your schedule due to participation in a certificate program the needs of your field placement agency, etc.
Summer Term
- SWRK 6030: American Racism and Social Work Practice
- SWRK 6200: Integrative Practice Seminar*
- SWRK 7xxx: Research Option
Fall Semester
- SWRK 7040/7080: Advanced Clinical/Macro Social Work Practice I + Field** (includes Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 7xxx: Elective #1 (SWRK 7600 is a required elective for clinical concentration students; may be taken in either semester)
- SWRK 7xxx: Elective #2
- SWRK 7xxx: Elective #3
- If Required: SWRK 7100: Supervision Seminar (For students without an MSW Field Supervisor)*
Spring Semester
- SWRK 7140/7180: Advanced Clinical/Macro Social Work Practice II + Field** (includes Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 7130: Understanding Social Change: Issues of Race and Gender (includes Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 7xxx: Elective #4
- SWRK 7xxx: Policy Option
- If required: SWRK 7100: Supervision Seminar (For students without an MSW Field Supervisor)*
**Non-credit/non-tuition course.
***Practice classes are a year-long sequence. Students remain in the same section of SWRK 6040/6140 for the entire first year and in the same section of SWRK 7040/7140 or 7080/7180 for the entire second year.
Part Time (Three-Year)
Child Welfare Education for Leadership (CWEL)
The University of Pennsylvania is proud to be one of 12 accredited schools of social work in Pennsylvania that is part of the Child Welfare Education for Leadership (CWEL) Program, designed to provide graduate-level educational opportunities for public child welfare personnel. Throughout the program, CWEL students receive support from CWEL classmates and mentoring from SP2’s faculty who specialize in child welfare issues.
- Eligibility: CWEL applicants are reviewed under the admissions criteria set forth for all MSW Program applicants. Applicants must also submit an application to CWEL and, as outlined on the CWEL program page through the University of Pittsburgh, must;
- Be an employee of a Pennsylvania county child welfare agency;
- Have the prerequisite academic degree from an accredited institution of higher education;
- Be employed by the same agency for a minimum of two years;
- Have satisfactory performance evaluations;
- Be granted an educational leave by the employing agency for the purpose of enrolling in the CWEL Program (if applying for full-time study) or receive county agency approval for CWEL participation (if applying for part-time study).
- Schedule: Penn accepts CWEL students for either full- or part-time study (dependent upon the approval of their employing agency).
- Field Placement: CWEL students are required to complete both their foundation year and advanced year field placements in an agency focused on child welfare. Students may not use their normal employment to fulfill field placement hours, but they may choose to complete their field placement(s) at their employing agency in a role that is different from their usual employment.
- Additional Information: Please visit the CWEL Program page through the University of Pittsburgh.
Joint Lectures
Sequences in the MSW Program may schedule sequence-wide lectures for all sections at various points in the semester. These lectures feature experts in the field and are a mandatory component of the course(s). Joint lectures are scheduled on Wednesday evenings (6:30 – 8:00 PM); students should not register for other courses on Wednesday nights that conflict with the joint lecture time slot. Students who have extenuating circumstances that prevent them from attending the joint lectures must make arrangements with their course instructors to receive the lecture content in another way.
Ready to join the MSW community?
Dual Degree Options
Certificate Programs and Specialization Options
Interdisciplinary Partnership
FEATURED ALUMNI
Jamila Harris-Morrison, MSW’17
Jamila Harris-Morrison, MSW’17, is the Executive Director of ACHIEVEability, where the mission is to break the generational cycle of poverty for single parent families.
“SP2 prepared me to be a leader in my community and reinforced my passion to be a social change agent. From field placement to hone my clinical skills, to courses that allowed me to serve as a strategic consultant to local nonprofits and exposed me to diverse perspectives, I feel confident in my ability to positively impact my community.”
Field Placements
Field education is an integral and required part of the overall MSW curriculum, connecting classroom learning with the practical work of an agency setting. Our students gain important knowledge and skills and make meaningful contributions at organizations such as hospitals, community centers, and hospice agencies, both here in Philadelphia and beyond.
Related News
Faculty & Research
09/14
Working to understand & prevent intimate partner violence: A Q&A with Assistant Professor Millan AbiNader
A long-time advocate for survivors of gender-based violence, Millan AbiNader, MSW, PhD, is a mixed-methods researcher and macro social worker who seeks to understand how systems and communities affect individuals' experiences of gender-based violence. AbiNader began working as a victim services advocate as a college student and aims to stay connected to those roots as she leads research that supports survivor healing and perpetrator change.
Student Life
08/16
Jessie Harper joins SP2 as director of inclusion education and Social Justice Scholars Program
Dr. Jessie Harper has joined SP2 as the inaugural director of inclusion education and the Social Justice Scholars Program. Dr. Harper comes to SP2 after nearly two decades at Penn’s Graduate School of Education (GSE), where she most recently served as assistant dean of faculty affairs and diversity.
Alumni
08/02
Alumni Q&A | Dr. Javier Garcia-Perez, MSW’17, NPL’17
SP2 postdoctoral fellow and alumnus Dr. Javier Garcia-Perez, MSW’17, NPL’17, is an interdisciplinary, intersectional, and community-centered researcher focused on improving the quality of life for the LGBTQ+ and Latinx community across the lifespan.
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