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 practicum 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
Practicum 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.
- Practicum Placement: One practicum placement during each academic year; three days per week are spent in practicum. Learn more about practicum 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 practicum 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 must take an elective in place of the required course. Students who score a qualifying grade on a waiver exam for SWRK 6150 must 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 practicum placement begins in September and ends in April.
Fall Semester
- SWRK 6010: History and Philosophy of Social Work and Social Welfare* (may include Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 6020: Human Behavior in the Social Environment* (may include Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 6030: American Racism and Social Work Practice (may include Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 6040: Foundations of Social Work Practice I + Practicum*** (may include Joint Lectures)
Spring Semester
- SWRK 6140: Foundations of Social Work Practice II + Practicum*** (may include Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 6150: Introduction to Social Work Research* (may include 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 practicum placement begins in September and ends in April.
Fall Semester
- SWRK 7040/7080: Advanced Clinical/Macro Social Work Practice I + Practicum*** (may include Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 7xxx: Elective #2
- SWRK 7xxx: Elective #3
- SWRK 7xxx: Research Option
- SWRK 7100: Supervision Seminar (For students without an MSW Practicum Supervisor)**
Spring Semester
- SWRK 7140/7180: Advanced Clinical/Macro Social Work Practice II + Practicum*** (may include Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 7130: Understanding Social Change: Issues of Race and Gender (may include Joint Lectures)
- SWRK 7xxx: Elective #4
- SWRK 7xxx: Elective #5
- SWRK 7100: Supervision Seminar (For students without an MSW Practicum Supervisor)**
Advanced Standing
Penn’s Advanced Standing MSW Program accepts a limited number of exceptional BSW students who have graduated from CSWE-accredited, CASWE-accredited, or ISWDRES-evaluated programs 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.
- Practicum Placement: Includes either a clinical or a macro concentration practicum placement that begins in July and ends in April; students are in practicum three days per week. Learn more about practicum 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 Advanced Standing students, though you may customize your schedule due to participation in a certificate program the needs of your practicum placement, 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 + Practicum** (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 Practicum Supervisor)*
Spring Semester
- SWRK 7140/7180: Advanced Clinical/Macro Social Work Practice II + Practicum** (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 Practicum 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).
- Practicum Placement: CWEL students are required to complete both their foundation year and advanced year practicum placements in an agency focused on child welfare. Students may not use their normal employment to fulfill practicum placement hours, but they may choose to complete their practicum 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
Daniel Jacobson López, MSW ’15
“I chose Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) because of its educational reputation, faculty, and clinical focus combined with an emphasis on racial and social justice, as I had wanted to receive the best clinical education to effectively engage with individuals who had experienced racism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination. My time at SP2 and the larger Penn campus was unmatched in terms of community and providing a sense of purpose. I became actively involved in Latine and Black student organizations, often in leadership roles that allowed me to advocate for Black and Brown students, and made a lot of friends in the process.”
Practicum Placements
Practicum 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
02/07
Improving lives through data: SP2’s Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy boosts national impact through students and alumni
Like a number of SP2 students and alumni, Sharon Zanti, PhD in Social Welfare ’24, has taken a path that is interwoven with SP2’s Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP). An initiative co-founded by Professor Dennis Culhane, AISP has paved the way for state and local governments to better support residents by responsibly connecting data.
Faculty & Research
12/20
Journey to Joy
In a joint class within SP2 and the Annenberg School for Communication, Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor Desmond Upton Patton invites students to seek fulfillment in less tangible forms and dream big in Journey to Joy: Designing a Happier Life.
Alumni
10/18
Bringing social work to Penn’s community engagement
Tapping into his social work background to support and cultivate Penn’s relationship with the local community, Glenn Bryan, C’74, SW’76, has spent decades building connections between his alma mater and the place where he grew up.
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