Master’s in Social Work Degree Programs in Minnesota
Minnesota boasts several schools that have been operating for more than a century, and many have offered their master’s in social work degree programs in Minnesota for decades. From large state schools to small, private institutions, students may choose the learning environment they believe will suit them best when attending an MSW program in Minnesota. Social workers represent some of the most dedicated health care workers today, and a graduate degree can offer a student the knowledge required to advance his or her career.
Augsburg University
Department of Social Work
Augsburg University is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church and was founded by a group of Norwegians as a Lutheran seminary. The school first opened its doors in 1874. Approximately 3,800 students attend classes at its Minneapolis campus. One of the unique features of campus life is that the school requires that students participate in volunteer programs as a condition for receiving a degree. The school won an award from the Corporation for National and Community Service in 2010. Until 2017, the school was known as Augsburg College. The official colors of the school are gray and maroon, and the school’s mascot is the Eagle.
Master of Social Work Program
The Master of Social Work degree at Augsburg University offers a foundational curriculum, as well as concentration curriculum that students will complete over the course of their time at the school. The two available concentrations include Multicultural Clinical Practice or Multicultural Macro Practice. The choice of concentrations will depend on whether a student wishes to create change on the agency, governmental, or institutional level, or whether the student wants to work inside social work environments. Both concentrations offer students the choice of completing a master’s thesis or an equivalent final project. Courses in this master’s in social work degree program in Minnesota include Human Behavior and the Social Environment and History of Social Welfare Policy.
Accreditation
- The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
Contact
Augsburg University
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
1-612-330-1101
mswinfo@augsburg.edu
Capella University
School of Public Service Leadership
Capella University is a for-profit school headquartered in Minneapolis. The school was established in 1993 and has around 35,800 students attending classes through online study. Students from all fifty states, as well as several dozen other countries, take classes from the school. The school was once known as The Graduate School of America and eventually received regional accreditation in the late 1990s. The official colors of the school are red and black. The school once rented an office in a skyscraper in downtown Minneapolis, but it expanded its offices and took over much of the building in 2008 when it signed a new lease.
Master of Social Work
The MSW program at Capella University requires online and in-person study, completion of 15 core courses, and two elective courses, as well as an internship. Topics under discussion in the program include how to connect with clients, incorporating diversity, upholding ethics, working for human rights, and maintaining professional resilience. The program works on a quarter system where students take one to three courses during each 10-week quarter. In this Minnesota master’s in social work degree program, students participate in weekly assignments and classroom discussion. Courses a student may take include Micro Social Work Practice, Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Integrative Technology in Advanced Social Work Practice, and Mezzo Social Work Practice.
Accreditation
- The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
Contact
Capella University
225 South 6th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402
1-855-422-4133
admissions@capella.edu
https://www.capella.edu/online-degrees/masters-social-work/
College of St. Scholastica
School of Health Sciences
The College of Saint Scholastica is a private school in Duluth, Minnesota. The school as more than 24,000 alumni and was founded in 1912. Today, around 4,200 students attend classes at the college. The school is the result of the merging of two groups, the small town of Duluth and the Benedictine missionaries who inhabited the area in the 1890s. There were only six students at the college when it opened, and it became a for-year liberal arts school in 1924. The school’s official colors are royal blue and gold, and the school’s sports teams play in NCAA Division III games.
Master of Social Work (MSW)
The MSW program at the College of St. Scholastica requires that students spend time in an “intensive summer experience” but that the rest of the class requires weekly visits and small group activities. Students can finish their degree in as little as two years if they come to the program with Advanced Standing, or they may take two years if they are enrolled as Regular Standing students. This graduate degree in social work program in Minnesota is designed to provide a flexible and affordable path toward a graduate degree. The program meets the state’s licensure requirements where candidates must offer documentation of at least 360 clocked hours or 24 credit hours in six different clinical knowledge areas.
Accreditation
- The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
Contact
The College of St. Scholastica
1200 Kenwood Ave.
Duluth, MN 55811
1-218-723-6046
gradstudies@css.edu
Minnesota State University
College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
Established in 1868, Minnesota State University at Mankato is about 75 miles southwest of Minneapolis. The school is the oldest university within the state college and university system and is considered the flagship institution of the state. The university has around 13,200 people attending classes at its small city campus that covers 303 acres. The school’s official colors are purple and gold, and the school’s sports teams participate in NCAA Division II games. Students may also take classes at one of two satellite campuses in the Twin Cities and Edina, as well as through internet study through the online campus.
Master of Social Work (MSW)
The MSW program at Minnesota State is a full-time program that provides a specialization emphasis in small and rural communities. At the conclusion of the program, students will find they are prepared for a variety of work environments, from public or private social service to medical and educational careers. Graduates will have the ability to work with many different populations, from infants to seniors citizens meeting the challenges of disabilities, health issues, poverty, abuse, and mental illness. To complete the program, students must finish 59 credits over the course of two calendar years. Additionally, students much complete two field education placements in a supervised setting.
Accreditation
- The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
Contact
College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
Department of Social Work
358 Trafton Science Center North
Mankato, MN 56001
1-507-389-6504
admissions@mnsu.edu
https://grad.mnsu.edu/programs/bulletin/socialwork.html
St. Catherine University and University of Saint Thomas
School of Social Work
The University of Saint Thomas in Minnesota was founded as a Catholic seminary in 1885 and was named after Thomas Aquinas who was a medieval theologian and philosopher. With around 10,000 students, the University of St. Thomas is Minnesota’s largest private, non-profit school. For its MSW program, the University of Saint Thomas offers the degree in a joint agreement with St. Catherine University. St. Catherine University is also a private, liberal arts school affiliated with the Catholic Church. Like St. Thomas, St. Catherine University is located in Saint Paul. Students in joint programs may take classes at both locations during their course of study.
Master of Social Work
This MSW program is offered as a joint effort between the University of St. Thomas and St. Catherine University. The program’s curriculum focuses on providing students with the knowledge they need to act as clinical social workers. Classes are offered in the afternoon and evening, and a weekend cohort with hybrid classes is also available. Students will complete 38 to 56 credits and will take an average of one to four years to complete this masters in social work degree program in Minnesota, depending on their chosen program track. Areas of practice where students may work after graduation include mental health, substance abuse, aging, healthcare, immigrant/refugee, and child/family/school environments.
Accreditation
- The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
Contact
University of St. Thomas, Minnesota
MSW
2115 Summit Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55105
1-651-962-5800
socialwork@stthomas.edu
https://www.stthomas.edu/socialwork/graduate/
https://www.stkate.edu/academics/graduate-degrees/academic-programs/msw
St. Cloud State University
Department of Social Work
St. Cloud State University was founded in 1869 in St. Cloud. The school is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system and is one of the largest schools in that system with more than 15,000 students. The school also boasts almost 110,000 alumni. The urban campus in St. Cloud covers 1000 acres. When it first opened its doors, the school was named the Third State Normal School and featured just a single building which was a renovated hotel bought by the state for the purpose of creating a school. The school would begin offering its first bachelor’s degrees in 1925 and graduate degrees in 1953.
Master of Social Work (MSW)
St. Cloud State University’s MSW program in Minnesota is available on campus, as well as in an evening/weekend schedule. The program helps students learn to think critically and prepares them for work in a variety of social services settings. The program is ideal for working professionals, and students may enroll in a part-time or full-time schedule. The program is limited in the number of students it accepts and offers an atmosphere where students get to know their professors and peers. The university holds several information sessions in advance of the school’s application deadline to help students decide whether they wish to apply.
Accreditation
- The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
Contact
St. Cloud State University
720 4th Avenue South
St. Cloud, MN 56301
1-320-308-0121
scsu4u@stcloudstate.edu
https://www.stcloudstate.edu/graduate/msw/default.aspx
University of Minnesota Duluth
College of Education and Human Service Professionals
The Duluth location of the University of Minnesota is a regional campus within the state system and offers bachelor’s degrees in 84 different majors and graduate programs in 25 different areas. The school also has a two-year program at its School of Medicine and a four-year program at its College of Pharmacy program, as well as a Doctor of Education program. Around 11,000 students attend classes at UMD on an urban campus that covers 244 acres. The school’s official colors are maroon and gold, and students who play on the school’s sports teams play in NCAA Division II games as the Bulldogs.
Master of Social Work
This MSW program in Duluth, Minnesota is designed as an Advanced Generalist program where students will exit the program prepared for roles in social work in a variety of areas. They may become therapists, work as case managers in the community, or play a role as an administrator. Specialized courses are available in areas like clinical and child welfare practice, and the program also offers one of the only curriculums with a special focus on American Indian social services. Students who focus on child welfare may qualify for scholarships and special educational opportunities. Graduates will also find they are well suited to work in rural areas as much as they are urban settings.
Accreditation
- The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
Contact
University of Minnesota, Duluth
School of Social Work
220 Bohannon Hall
1207 Ordean Court
Duluth, MN 55812
1-218-726-7245
umdsw@d.umn.edu
https://cehsp.d.umn.edu/departments-centers/department-social-work/programs/msw
University of Minnesota
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
The University of Minnesota features two campuses in Minneapolis and Saint Paul which are around three miles apart. Founded in 1851, the university is the largest in the state university system with more than 48,000 students and is the flagship school in Minnesota. Researchers, faculty, and former students have one 27 Nobel prizes and three Pulitzer Prizes. Walter Mondale and Hubert Humphrey, two of the nation’s vice presidents, studied at the university. The school’s official colors are gold and maroon, and the school’s “Golden Gophers” play in NCAA Division I games as part of the Big Ten Conference and the WCHA for women’s hockey.
Master of Social Work (M.S.W.)
This master’s in social work degree program in Minnesota offers as its central mission a program that prepares students for work in advanced social work practice. The program’s emphasis is on how social work professionals can make a impact as policy analysts, community organizers, case managers, and clinicians. Classes in the program are generally scheduled from Thursday to Saturday with the occasional class occurring on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. The field placement required by the program will tend to take place somewhere between Monday to Wednesday and will usually require work during regular business hours. The program boasts a diverse student body.
Accreditation
- The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
Contact
University of Minnesota
School of Social Work
105 Peters Hall
1404 Gortner Ave
St. Paul MN 55108
1-612-625-1220
admissions@cehd.umn.edu
http://www.cehd.umn.edu/ssw/Graduate/msw.html
Walden University
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Not to be confused with the fictional Walden College of “Doonesbury” fame, Walden University is a for-profit college headquartered in Minneapolis. Established in 1970, the school currently has more than 51,000 students attending classes online. Two New York teachers originally founded the university as an educational facility for working adults who wanted to pursue doctoral degrees. The first classes were actually given in Naples, Florida. The school was granted authorization to offer degrees in Minnesota in 1979, and the North Central Association gave the school accreditation in 1990. Programs offered by the school include a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, MBA, and Master of Public Administration, among many others.
Master of Social Work (MSW)
As an online degree program, this master’s in social work degree program in MN offers students the convenience of attending classes even if they don’t live near a school. The program offers students the choice of four different concentrations that include Advanced Clinical Practice, Social Work in Healthcare, Social Work with Children and Families, and Military Social Work. Additionally, students may attend classes in one of three different degree completion options that include Standard, Accelerated, and Advanced Standing. At the conclusion of study, students will develop an identity and professional orientation as a social worker, as well as have the understanding to apply ethical standards and legal principles to their roles as social workers.
Accreditation
- The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
Contact
Walden University
100 Washington Avenue South
Suit 900
Minneapolis, MN 55401
1-844-768-0214
admissions@waldenu.edu
https://www.waldenu.edu/masters/master-of-social-work
Related Resource: Top 10 Best Online Social Work Degree Programs
Earning a graduate degree takes dedication above and beyond the four years of study one might experience in an undergraduate program, and the narrow focus of classes within one’s area of study helps students become “masters” of their craft. Social workers may find employment in a variety of environments in not-for-profit organizations, government departments, and public businesses. Students who wish to advance their career and enter a more rewarding professional experience will want to explore master’s in social work degree programs in Minnesota.
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