The Catholic University of America’s (CUA) National Catholic School of Social Service (NCSSS) offers an online MSW program with a concentration in clinical social work. This program is designed to train students for careers in mental health counseling and therapy, school social work, clinical work with families and children, community-based services for the elderly, and other fields that involve working closely with clients to help them manage social, mental, and emotional challenges. CUA’s program aims to prepare students for the Licensed Graduate Social Work (LGSW) exam, which is the first step towards obtaining licensure as a clinical social worker.

Learn More: Interview with Dr. Marie Raber – Associate Dean, MSW Program Chair and Associate Professor at CUA
“Our online MSW program is taught by faculty who are experts in their respective areas of social work…” Read more from Dr. Marie Raber’s interview

CUA’s online MSW program offers both traditional standing and advanced standing tracks. Class sizes are typically limited to 25 students to maintain a small student to faculty ratio. Small class sizes are designed to give students the opportunity to interact more closely with course instructors and to receive more individualized attention.

CUA’s online MSW program focuses on covering the most relevant and current issues that social workers encounter. Courses cover such topics as clinical work with individuals and families across the lifespan, diversity and multiculturalism, social ethics, and social welfare policy.

Students in the traditional standing program complete two field education placements for a total of 1,080 hours of field education. Students in the advanced standing program complete 600 field hours. Field placements also incorporate a seminar that allows students to share cases with faculty and their peers, and to discuss and receive feedback on their experiences.

The Field Education Office collaborates with students to help them find agencies where they can complete their field education requirements. Students are also able to propose field placement locations and if these locations match program standards, students can be matched to an agency of their choosing. Once students are matched to an agency, they must typically schedule and complete an interview at the agency to ensure that the placement will be a good match.

Students who wish to apply to The Catholic University of America’s traditional standing online MSW program must submit a statement of purpose, a professional resume, three letters of recommendation, and transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. Advanced standing students must hold an accredited BSW with a 3.5 GPA in social work courses (and a B or higher in each course), have a 3.2 overall undergraduate GPA, and obtain a recommendation from the chair of their BSW program. They must have completed a 480 hour field experience.

The Catholic University of America’s online MSW program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The Catholic University of America is also regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Department: National Catholic School of Social Service

Degree Types: Traditional Standing and Advanced Standing

Concentrations: Clinical Concentration

Program Structure: Online with field education (no campus visits required)

Instruction Methods: Program follows a asynchronous cohort model

Program Overview

Program Requirements

Program Length

Admission Requirements

Program Overview

Program Requirements

Program Length

Admission Requirements

The Catholic University of America’s MSW program information was last updated in March 2020. For more information, visit the university’s website above

If you have additional information about this program, email us at contactus@onlinemswprograms.com.