Prospective MSW students residing in Tennessee who wish to earn their degree online have several options they may wish to consider. There is currently one Tennessee-based university and several out-of-state schools that offer CSWE-accredited online MSW programs that accept students from Tennessee. At present, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) is the only university in Tennessee that offers an entirely online MSW program.
UTK offers an online Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) program with both traditional and advanced standing tracks. (An MSSW program is equivalent to an MSW program in terms of general course content and field education requirements, and is recognized by the CSWE as a Master of Social Work program). The online MSSW program also gives students two concentration options: a clinical social work program in Evidence Based Interpersonal Practice, and a macro social work program in Management, Leadership and Community Practice. UTK’s traditional standing MSSW program is comprised of 60 course credits that students complete over two years of full-time study or three to four years of part-time study. The advanced standing track for this program requires students to complete 36 credits over the course of 12 months of full-time study or 18 to 24 months of part-time study.
| SCHOOL | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Fordham University | An Online MSW with a Future-Focused Curriculum |
| Baylor University | Address Injustice from a Strengths-based Perspective |
| Case Western Reserve University | The Online Master’s Program Designed for Social Work Leaders |
| University of Southern California | Top-Ranked Program with Multiple Concentrations and Options |
| University of Denver | A Social Justice–Focused Online MSW |
| Simmons University | Top-Ranked Clinical Social Work Program with Specializations |
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UTK’s program utilizes both synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Students are not required to visit the campus at any point during the program. However as with all MSW programs, students are still required to travel to assigned field agencies to complete their field practicums. Traditional standing students complete 1,024 hours of field education, which is divided into one 352-hour foundation-level field practicum and one 672-hour advanced-level field practicum. Advanced standing students complete one advanced-level 672-hour field practicum.
Please note: All online MSW and MSSW programs require students to complete field practicums at an approved agency in their region.
In addition to UTK’s online MSSW program, 25 out-of-state universities offer online MSW programs that accept students from Tennessee. Of these 25 programs, 20 are fully online and require no campus visits, while 5 require students to attend a certain number of on-campus intensives. These intensives generally allow students to meet with course faculty and fellow students, and thus may be a good option for students who wish to interact with program participants in person as well. (Note: OnlineMSWPrograms.com defines an online program as any program that requires two or fewer visits to campus annually.)
Colleges in Tennessee with Online MSW Programs
| SCHOOL NAME | STRUCTURE OF PROGRAM* | PROGRAM OPTIONS |
|---|---|---|
| University of Tennessee at Knoxville | 100% Online | Traditional and Advanced Standing (FT & PT) |
Online MSW Programs that Accept Students from Tennessee
| SCHOOL NAME | STRUCTURE OF PROGRAM* | PROGRAM OPTIONS |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University | 100% Online | Traditional (FT & PT) |
| Boise State University | 100% Online | Traditional and Advanced Standing (FT & PT) |
| Boston University | 100% Online | Traditional and Advanced Standing (PT) |
| California State University, Northridge | 100% Online | Traditional (PT) |
| California State University, San Bernardino | Limited Campus Visits Required | Traditional (FT) |
| Case Western Reserve University | 100% Online | Traditional and Advanced Standing (PT) |
| Edinboro University | 100% Online | Traditional and Advanced Standing (FT) |
| Humboldt State University | Limited Campus Visits Required | Traditional and Advanced Standing (PT) |
| Indiana University | Limited Campus Visits Required | Traditional and Advanced Standing (PT) |
| Louisiana State University | 100% Online | Traditional (FT & PT) and Advanced Standing (FT) |
| Our Lady of the Lake University | 100% Online | Traditional and Advanced Standing (PT) |
| Portland State University | Limited Campus Visits Required | Traditional (PT) |
| Simmons University | 100% Online | Traditional (FT & PT) |
| The Catholic University of America | 100% Online | Traditional (PT) |
| Texas State University - San Marcos | 100% Online | Traditional (PT) and Advanced Standing (PT) |
| University at Buffalo (SUNY) | 100% Online | Traditional and Advanced Standing (PT) |
| University of Denver | 100% Online | Traditional (FT) |
| University of Houston | 100% Online | Traditional and Advanced Standing (PT) |
| University of Louisville | 100% Online | Traditional and Advanced Standing (FT & PT) |
| University of Missouri | 100% Online | Traditional and Advanced Standing (PT) |
| University of New England (UNE) | 100% Online | Traditional and Advanced Standing (PT) |
| University of New Hampshire (UNH) | 100% Online | Traditional (FT) |
| University of North Dakota | Limited Campus Visits Required | Traditional and Advanced Standing (PT) |
| University of Southern California (USC) | 100% Online | Traditional and Advanced Standing (FT & PT) |
| Western New Mexico University | 100% Online | Traditional (FT & PT) and Advanced Standing (FT & PT) |
| Widener University | 100% Online | Traditional (PT) |
*All online MSW programs require field education at a local health services agency. Programs that are 100% online do not require students to visit the campus during the program. For schools that are not 100% online, we classify any program that requires two or fewer visits to the campus per year as an online program.