Master of Social Work Program

Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, the University of Washington’s MSW program prepares practitioners with a broad perspective on the field of social welfare, a basic foundation in social work knowledge, skills, values and ethics, and advanced specialized knowledge of social work interventions. The recipients of social work services include individuals and families, groups, organizations, communities, social networks, and institutions. Social work practice objectives encompass the prevention and resolution of societal, organizational, situational, and interpersonal problems, as well as the development and dissemination of knowledge regarding such problems. Our nationally recognized MSW degree prepares graduates for positions in a variety of areas and settings, including health and mental health, child, family, and elder services, community practice, anti-poverty programs, schools, multi-ethnic practice, social work administration, and policy practice.

We have crafted a responsive curriculum within which faculty and students collaboratively engage in the challenging task of preparing for social work practice in a rapidly changing, increasingly diverse, and deeply inequitable global environment. Each year we evaluate our curriculum in response to both these changing external demands and to evaluative feedback from students and faculty. Our ongoing process of assessment and revision means that the MSW curriculum and course descriptions are subject to change as curricular enhancements are implemented.