Program Contact: Carol R. Awasu 203-582-6433
Quinnipiac’s MSW Advanced Standing program is designed for those who have already completed a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW). To qualify, students must have a BSW conferred from a CSWE-accredited program prior to beginning the MSW Advanced Standing program.
Students complete 30 credits of coursework over two semesters, including 700 hours of field education (total of 30 credits). Students may complete this curriculum in one academic year by studying full time, or within 2 years if they choose to study part time. Students in both plans of study also are required to complete 30 hours with the Quinnipiac Center for Interprofessional Healthcare Education by the time they graduate.
Graduates from the MSW Advanced Standing program are eligible to sit for the LMSW license exam and are prepared for employment in a full range of clinical social work positions, including jobs in health and mental health care, substance abuse, aging services, child and family welfare and justice, and school social work.
First cohort to start falll 2025.
Advanced Standing MSW - online Program of Study
Students can choose among two plans of study (full-time or part-time) for the Advanced Standing MSW. Full-time students complete the degree in one academic year. Part-time students complete the degree in two academic years. In addition to their classes, students are required to complete a specialized practice field placement.
The curriculum for the professional courses in the program is subject to modification as deemed necessary to maintain a high-quality educational experience and keep current with best practices in the profession. Students will take the following courses during their degree program:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SW 580 | Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis | 3 |
| SW 600 | Specialized Practice Field Education Practicum in Health/Behavioral Health I | 3 |
| SW 601 | Social Work Practice III: Specialized Clinical Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SW 602 | Specialized Practice Field Education Practicum in Health/Behavioral Health II | 3 |
| SW 603 | Social Work Practice IV: Specialized Organizational Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SW 604 | Evaluation Research Work Programs and Practice | 3 |
| SW 607 | Anti-Racism, Social Justice: Health and Mental Health | 3 |
| 3 Electives (at least 2 must be clinical electives) | ||
Admission
To be eligible to apply for admission, applicants must have earned a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program prior to the beginning of the MSW Advanced Standing program in early July. All BSW courses must have grades of B or better.* Admission is selective and not guaranteed.
*Applicants to the advanced standing program may be admitted conditionally if their GPA or BSW course grades do not meet the required admission criteria. Such cases will be considered on an individual basis by the admissions committee. Students who are admitted conditionally must earn at least a 3.00 their first term to continue in the advanced standing program as a fully accepted student.
Background Check and Drug Screening
To ensure their safety and maintain high-quality care of patients, clinical affiliates of the university require students to have a criminal background check. All students entering the Quinnipiac MSW program are required to undergo a criminal background check (through the university vendor) prior to beginning classes. This is a mandatory component of the program. In addition, MSW students may be required to undergo a criminal background re-check and/or drug screen prior to any of their field placements. The results are made available to the student through their own personal and secure online portal. Whenever a Quinnipiac MSW student may need proof of criminal background check for field placements, the student will release the information directly from their personal portal to the clinical site. The cost of the criminal background check and any re-checks and/or drug screens is the responsibility of each individual student.
Additional Program Costs
As a clinical education program, the MSW program requires some expenses that go beyond standard university tuition and fees:
- Clinical/Fieldwork Education Travel (gas, parking, public transportation): You are responsible for the costs associated with travel to and from field internships. Costs – variable.
- Background Check: Quinnipiac University and its clinical affiliates require that all students undergo a criminal background check, through the university vendor, prior to beginning classes (University Criminal Background Check Policy). Please note that placement sites may require that students participate in the agency’s background check, in addition to the one required by the university.
- University background check cost – $63 for all domestic addresses for the past 7 years or $158 for students who have resided in New York state in the last 7 years due to NY state surcharge.
- Some students may be required to do an annual re-check one year after the initial background re-check. Cost – $32 per annual re-check.
- Drug Screening: Some sites require physical and/or substance use drug screens as well as fingerprinting. MSW students are expected to comply with all agency requirements prior to beginning field internships.
- Liability Insurance: All students have liability insurance coverage through the university, free of charge, while performing required clinical activity. Students may choose to purchase additional coverage at their own expense.
- Exxat and APPROVE: Students enrolled in the MSW program must enroll in Exxat and APPROVE.
- Exxat is the clinical tracking and assessment program used by the School of Health Sciences. Cost – one-time payment of $150 per student enrolled in the MSW program (students are responsible for this cost).
- APPROVE is the program within Exxat that tracks all student health and safety records, provides documentation to prospective clinical sites, and provides notification of impending expiration dates. Cost – $35 - first year, after which it is $10 per year.