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Master of Social Work (MSW)

Graduate Program Online
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What You'll Learn

Calvin’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program develops leaders who can address complex social issues, empower communities, and lead meaningful change.  

You’ll be equipped with hands-on experience and essential skills like clinical assessment, intervention strategies, and advocacy—all through the lens of a Christian perspective.

Calvin’s MSW program provides flexible, online courses with additional opportunities to develop community through optional in-person sessions and networking with students, faculty, and practitioners. In this two-year program, the first year provides a strong advanced generalist social work foundation, while the second year prepares students to specialize in either a clinical track or macro track. In Fall 2025, our regular standing two-year program will launch, and in Fall 2026, our advanced standing year-long program will launch and be available to eligible BSW graduates. 

What Makes This Program Great

  • Built-in flexibility: Synchronous and asynchronous online and hybrid courses with in-person field education practicum experiences.
  • Faith-informed: Explore what it looks like to practice social work through the lens of faith and justice, seeing each person as an image bearer of God.
  • Practice-oriented: Develop valuable skills that can be applied immediately, such as ethical leadership principles, writing and documentation best practices, and a better understanding of legal responsibilities. 
  • Missionally focused: The MSW program will prepare students to be leaders and social work professionals, advancing social justice in their communities. Framed by the NASW code of ethics, the Council of Social Work Education competencies, the integration of Reformed Christian perspective, the dependence on evidence-based practices, and the engagement with scholarly research, the MSW degree at Calvin is designed for students who want to both deepen and broaden their understanding of the social work field. MSW students at Calvin will explore historical, global, environmental, and cultural influences as they prepare to competently collaborate with and serve others. Guided by the core belief of the dignity and worth of every person, the MSW program will equip students to work toward the advancement of social justice in a variety of clinical and macro level settings through teaching and by utilizing anti-racist, anti-oppressive social work practice.  

Program Details

  • Credits: 60 credit hours 
  • Program length: 2 years 
  • Cost: $690 per credit hour 
  • Start date: Fall semester 

  • SOWK 501 Foundations of Social Work  
  • SOWK 510 Spirituality, Faith, and Social Work 
  • SOWK 520 Diversity, Inequity, and Social Justice  
  • SOWK 550 Human Behavior and the Social Environment 
  • SOWK 555 Introduction to Applied Social Research 
  • SOWK 560 Social Welfare Policy 
  • SOWK 571 Introduction to Practice: Individuals, Families, and Groups 
  • SOWK 575 Introduction to Practice: Communities and Organizations  
  • SOWK 580 Field Education I  
  • SOWK 581 Field Education II  
  • SOWK 610 Understanding Trauma  
  • SOWK 620 Anti-racist and Anti-oppressive Social Work Practice  
  • SOWK 630 Mental Health and Social Work  
  • SOWK 640 Ethical Leadership and Social Work Supervision  
  • SOWK 650 Advanced Generalist Practice: Individuals  
  • SOWK 660 Advanced Generalist Practice: Families and Groups  
  • SOWK 670 Advanced Generalist Practice: Communities and Organizations  
  • SOWK 680 Advanced Field Education I  
  • SOWK 681 Advanced Field Education II  

Faculty

The Calvin University MSW Program is approved by the Higher Learning Commission and is currently seeking accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). 

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