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Master of Social Work: Direct Community Practice Specialization

social worker meets with family of girl with special needs

Provide Skilled Counseling to Your Community With an MSW Online

Hands-on Community Practicum

Transfer up to 15 Credits

Led by Social Work Experts

In-Demand Industry

Learn More Today

Complete the form to learn more about this program.

  • Duration 3.5 years
  • Cost per Credit $840
  • Credit Hours 60

Program Benefits

  • Focus your degree with a specialization
  • Build the skills to pursue licensure
  • CSWE-Accredited

Help Communities Thrive

Serve others by identifying problems and pinpointing solutions. While completing the Sacred Heart MSW – Direct Community Practice program, you’ll pair up with social work experts who will provide mentorship as you practice in a supervised setting. SHU offers an extensive network of agencies for the social work practicum education experience. Once you finish your online coursework, you’ll enjoy experiential learning in community settings like schools, hospitals, adult mental health clinics and organizations focusing on juvenile justice, adult probation, substance abuse and children’s mental health.

Your convenient online curriculum provides the theories and research and your applied practices and hand-on experiences within social settings prepare you for clinical licensure. An advanced standing option for expedited program completion is available for students with a bachelor’s degree from a CSWE-accredited institution, among other requirements. Please see our admissions requirements for more information.

Career Outlook: Growth in Advanced Care

There are many factors contributing to high job growth in social work, including the advancement of progressive attitudes on issues like mental health and chemical dependency and an aging baby boomer population.

Careers related to direct practice social work are seeing considerable growth. From 2023 to 2033, community health employment is projected to grow by 13%,1 and demand for personal caregivers is expected to increase by 21%.2

Senior Social Worker:

$70,061/YEAR

As a senior social worker, you could lead the charge in addressing a variety of complex social work challenges, including child welfare, domestic violence, gender and race injustice and other critical issues.3

Behavioral Health Specialist:

$60,991/YEAR

As a behavioral health specialist, you’ll help people living with challenges such as chemical dependency, physical disability and mental conditions that impact quality of life.4

Careers and Salaries

Curriculum: Learn to Work Among Diverse Communities

Receive a comprehensive education on social welfare, human behavior, social justice and research methods, as well as an understanding of how policy impacts social work. Additionally, complete a course on direct community social work practice and a 1,100-hour community practicum.

You’ll graduate prepared to pursue licensure. Be sure to review licensure requirements ahead of time, as students are responsible for understanding the requirements of the state in which they intend to practice.

Course Spotlight: SW 587 – Social Work Direct Community Practice

Build knowledge on applying the generalist practice framework to community systems at the specialized level. Examine the interaction between person and environment in order to better meet the needs of diverse populations. Learn strategies for engaging stakeholders in capacity building, problem-solving, and decision-making. Consider trends in the political, economic and social environment that impact community change.

Preview Courses

Course Spotlight: SW 566 – Social Welfare Policy and Services

Gain an understanding of social policy and the process through which it’s formulated, implemented and analyzed. Examine the inequalities in social welfare as policy manifestations of institutionalized racism and sexism. Discover the impact of policy on service delivery networks and social service structures.

Focus Your MSW With a Specialization

MSW: Direct Clinical Practice

Learn to assess and treat mental, emotional and behavioral disorders, chemical dependency, youth counseling, chronic illnesses and domestic conflicts.

View Program

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question we don’t cover here, request more information or call 877-791-7181.

Sacred Heart University’s online MSW program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The CSWE’s Commission on Accreditation is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the United States and its territories.

Our accredited status lets you know the education you receive at Sacred Heart University is rigorous and prepares you for the realities of practice.

  • Bachelor’s degree (BA, BS, BSW) from an accredited college or university with a 3.0 GPA or higher (2.7 and up may be considered)
  • Official transcripts from all previously attended institutions
  • Résumé
  • Personal statement outlining why you are pursuing the MSW at SHU
  • Two letters of recommendation: Must be from an employer, professor or manager and be dated by no more than 2 years from the enrollment date
  • Interview with social work faculty
  • Bachelor’s degree earned within the last six years from a CSWE-accredited college or university, with at least grade B in each course
  • Practicum Education evaluation form(s) from all placements, completed by BSW practicum placement supervisor(s) after each BSW practicum placement. (It was likely provided to your BSW program director, practicum coordinator/director, academic advisor, or practicum liaison.)
  • Applicants will print a copy of the MSW program evaluation form and provide it to their BSW program director or designee (e.g., academic advisor, practicum liaison, etc.) for completion.

The MSW does prepare you for licensure. License requirements vary by state. Though students are responsible for verifying license requirements in the state in which they plan to practice, our friendly admissions team is ready to answer questions and guide you through this process. Reach out to them at 877-791-7181 or onlineadmissions@sacredheart.edu.

Sacred Heart University’s Catholic intellectual traditions guide the School of Social Work through the ethical principles of service, respect for human dignity, social and economic justice, and the needs of vulnerable and diverse populations. These principles guide the School of Social Work’s anti-racist mission, work with students, and service to the community.

If you have earned a bachelor’s degree in social work with a 3.0 GPA within the past six years, you’re eligible for our Advanced Standing program and can graduate within 20 months. If your undergraduate degree is focused in a field other than social work, you can complete the online MSW at Sacred Heart within 3.5 years.

Currently, Sacred Heart University does not offer scholarships. Please consider the following options regarding finances:

For assistance, please reach out to the SHU Online Admissions Office for further details at 877-791-7181 or onlineadmissions@sacredheart.edu.

Visit our FAQ page

Sources

  1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 August 29). Community Health Workers. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved March 4, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/community-health-workers.htm.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 August 29). Home Health and Personal Care Aides. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved March 4, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home-health-aides-and-personal-care-aides.htm.
  3. Payscale (2023 October 4). Average Senior Social Worker Salary. Retrieved March 4, 2025, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Senior_Social_Worker/Salary.
  4. Payscale (2024 November 25). Average Behavioral Health Specialist Salary. Retrieved March 4, 2025, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Behavioral_Health_Specialist/Hourly_Rate.