About Social Work at UW
The master of social work at UW is an advanced generalist degree program with a focus on rural and frontier practice. The graduate program curriculum allows you to acquire the theoretical and practical foundations of social work, along with advanced competencies. Plus, your two-part practicum and capstone give you the chance to customize your M.S.W. program to focus on an area meaningful to you. Our student-centric social work master’s offers two tracks: the two-year Standard Program, which does not require a B.S.W. for admission, and the one-year Advanced Standing Program, which requires a bachelor’s degree from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited school. The UW master’s degree program in social work qualifies you for state license exams and clinical licensure and for social work jobs in government, agency, health care, nonprofit and other settings.
Both full-time and part-time study options are available for this degree program:
- *Full-Time Option: A hybrid program based in Laramie, WY. This track combines five in-person intensive weekends per semester with weekly Zoom classes. The standard track takes two years, while the advanced standing track takes one year.
- *Part-Time Option: A hybrid program, based in Casper, WY, this option extends the curriculum over an additional year for greater flexibility (three years for standard track students and two years for advanced standing students). Delivery methods include three in-person weekends each semester, weekly Zoom classes and asynchronous online coursework.
*Our classes consist of both in-person intensive weekends and weekly courses delivered using distance technology.
Admission Requirements Overview
- Pay the application fee
- Complete online graduate application
- Complete and upload the necessary documents
- Three letters of recommendation
- Background check
How to Apply
Apply to the Full-Time MSW program (Laramie Campus):
- Full-Time STANDARD MSW Program Application
- Full-Time ADVANCED STANDING MSW Program Application
Apply to the Part-Time MSW Program (Casper Campus):
- Part-Time STANDARD MSW Program Application
- Part-Time ADVANCED STANDING MSW Program Application
Our MSW program is designed to accommodate both full-time and part-time students with classes scheduled during nights and weekends. Nightly classes occur 1-3 times per week from Monday through Thursday, between 4-7 pm. These sessions are delivered via Zoom, allowing you to participate from wherever you have a reliable internet connection.
Intensive weekend classes are a key component of the program and are scheduled periodically throughout each semester. In the full-time program, you will attend intensive weekend classes three times in your first summer semester, and five times during the fall and spring semesters each year. In the part-time program, you will attend intensive weekend classes three times per semester. While the specific schedule may vary from semester to semester, students in both the full-time and part-time programs should expect to be in class both Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm during intensive weekends. Full-time students should also plan for one Friday afternoon in both the fall and spring semesters. Attendance at these intensive weekend classes is mandatory for all students in both the full-time and part-time programs and requires in-person participation.
All students entering the MSW program begin their studies in the summer semester. This initial period includes three in-person intensive weekend sessions, during which students complete introductory courses specifically designed to match their respective program tracks—Standard or Advanced Standing.
Student Resources
- MSW Student Handbook
The MSW Student Handbook is an essential resource for all Master of Social Work students. It provides details on program policies, academic requirements and practical information to support your journey through the MSW program. This handbook is your guide to success, offering information about course planning, field placements and student services. - Admissions Information for Graduate Students
- General Student Resources
- Disability Support Services
- Anticipated Graduation Date Form
Submit this form to the Registrar at the beginning of the semester in which you intend to graduate. - Exception Request
If you need to register for a course past the add/drop deadline, complete the exception request form. - Overload Petition
If you need to overload credits in a semester, you will need to file an Overload Petition. This is typical for students who are concurrently enrolled in the MSW and School Social Work Certificate Programs.
What Can You Do With an MSW?
Graduates from our master’s program in social work find employment with public agencies, nonprofits, government agencies, community organizations and health care organizations. Some have also started their own practices.
Yes! UW’s social work master’s program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
UW social work graduates have gone on to work in the following roles:
- Social Worker, Sioux Falls VA Medical Center
- At-Risk Social Worker, Judson ISD
- Renal Social Worker, Fresenius Medical Care
- Licensed Clinic Social Worker, St. John's Living Center
- Regional CLinical Coordinator, Missouri Division of Youth Services
- Associate Professor, Utah State University
- Community Organizer, Powder Rivier Basin Resource Council
- Co-Founder, Creekside Collaborative Therapy
- UW Program Director, Native American Education, Research and Cultural Center
Elect to do a research-based thesis (Plan A) or complete a professional portfolio (Plan B). Example of a thesis title: Finding Where I Fit: An Autoethnography of a Daughter of Mexican Immigrants Living in White Spaces. Learn more about MSW capstone projects here!
Collaborate with faculty on social work research. Faculty research interests include grief and loss, individuals with disabilities, veterans, forensic social work, human trafficking, the impact of the pandemic, stress, international, qualitative inquiry, critical social work theory, feminist practice and social work education.
And hone your skills through 900 practicum hours over two years (Standard Program)
or 500 hours in one year (Advanced Standing Program). Students in the M.S.W. program
have completed field practicums at Wyoming Children's Law Center, VA hospitals and
clinics, Wyoming Behavior Health, and in schools across the state.
We have a whole webpage dedicated to frequently asked questions. Learn more about what life is like in the MSW program and get a better feel for our college!
"My education in visual art (BFA ’11), social work and environment and natural resources (MSW Summer ’21) has informed my interests in working to creatively and collaboratively advance social, environmental and climate justice. To me, these movements are inextricable from one another, and I’m fortunate to make a living putting that idea into practice."
- Conor Mullen | M.S.W. Candidate 2021
