Advanced Standing Master of Social Work (MSW)
Overview
Serve the People in Your Community by Earning an Advanced Standing Master of Social Work Degree
If you already have your Bachelor of Social Work, then Liberty’s Advanced Standing Master of Social Work (MSW) can help you resume your education and advance your mission to help people in need. You can continue to aid the hurting and oppressed and help fight injustice in your community.
Our program can help you further your studies and gain advanced social work skills at an accelerated rate. You can also be equipped to sit for social work licensure exams* – so you can get the credentials you need to further your career.
This program offers a general cognate and an individual and family clinical cognate. Regardless of which one you choose, you’ll undergo training at an advanced level in social policy, research, and practice. Additionally, you’ll have the chance to implement what you’ve learned in real-world situations.
Get ready to foster social justice and put your undergraduate studies to the test as you embark on your advanced training in social work.
*Liberty maintains strict compliance with all licensure requirements for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Not a Virginia resident? We want to help find the best program for you! To view educational requirements and whether a specific program aligns with the licensure requirements for your state, please review our licensure/certification requirements webpage.
Credit Hours
View CoursesNext start date: Aug 18, 2025
CSWE Accredited
What is the Difference Between Advanced Standing and the Regular MSW?
When it comes to choosing an MSW, it’s important to note that “Advanced Standing” refers to what your undergraduate education background is, while the Master of Social Work refers to a specific degree specialization.
Our Advanced Standing MSW is designed for students who already hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or a Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW) from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). This gives you an opportunity to complete your MSW degree in less time and with fewer requirements. Through Liberty’s Advanced Standing MSW, your specialized training can help accelerate your journey to gaining your social work license and making a difference in others’ lives.
In contrast, our standard MSW program gives a very broad, well-rounded background in the topics you need to know about social work. We offer our traditional MSW program, which is the degree you should pursue if you don’t already have a CSWE-accredited BSW or BSSW, as it can help to fulfill the requirements you need to sit for social work licensure exams.**
**View the Admission Requirements tab on this page for more information.
Highlights of Our Advanced Standing MSW Degree
Enroll in an Accredited Program
Liberty University’s advanced standing MSW degree programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). You have the opportunity to pursue a degree with recognized quality.
Gain Real-World Experience
Before you graduate, you’ll complete at least 600 hours of field experience. This hands-on training is designed to prepare you for the challenges and responsibilities of the social work profession.
Prepare for Licensure and Career Success
This program is structured to help you meet the requirements to sit for social work licensure exams. You can also receive personalized mentorship from experienced professionals who are invested in your growth.
Build Skills That Make a Difference
Develop practical skills that can help you serve in diverse environments like schools, hospitals, adoption agencies, nursing homes, group homes, and mental health clinics. You’ll also explore how to deliver social work services across cultures and in both domestic and international settings.
Access Support and Professional Opportunities
Take advantage of Liberty’s modern facilities and student support services—including the career center, writing coaching, and professional development events. You may also explore graduate assistantship opportunities to further enrich your academic experience.
Career Potential
Potential Career Opportunities for Advanced Standing Master of Social Work Graduates
Liberty University’s Advanced Standing Master of Social Work can help prepare you to pursue the following occupations:
- Agency director
- Medical social worker
- Mental health social worker
- School social worker
- Social work supervisor
Courses
What Will You Study in Our Advanced Standing MSW Degree Program?
Liberty’s Advanced Standing MSW program is designed to build on your previous BSW or BSSW education and experience. Whether you’re looking to work directly in the field or help with policy development, our program can help provide the tools you need to succeed.
In our MSW courses, we seek to foster social, economic, and environmental justice as well as give you the opportunity to master the skills needed to provide clinically robust interventions. Once you graduate, you can prepare to assist diverse groups of people, whether they’re facing challenges with disabilities, substance abuse, unemployment, domestic strife, or poverty.
Throughout this Advanced Standing MSW program, you will experience a degree that integrates various dimensions of social work. You can learn how to advocate for socially just policies in line with biblical truths, developing a well-rounded approach that considers the social, biological, psychological, and spiritual facets of human life. You can explore issues pertaining to human rights and social justice as you engage in discussions on national and international events. You can also learn how to critically examine social policy in America through the lens of a Christian worldview.
As you delve deeper, you’ll discover advanced generalist methods for serving individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. The program emphasizes hands-on research skills, guiding you through the process of writing literature reviews, proposing research studies, conducting program evaluation research, and completing your own research projects.
Your learning can further extend to creating social work programs grounded in cutting-edge research, ethical principles, and comprehensive needs assessment. Preparation for advanced social work services in various contexts like military, international, mental health, and nonprofit settings is also an integral part of this comprehensive program. Moreover, you can gain insights into the cultural values of diverse groups, evaluating how those values affect day-to-day living.
The general cognate offers additional flexibility for you to be able to choose the courses that best suit your personal and professional goals. You will have 9 credit hours to use on courses that can help prepare you for whatever direction your social work career takes you. Join us and equip yourself to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who need it most.
Featured MSW Courses
SOWK 600 – Advanced Generalist Bridge Course
SOWK 625 – Social Policy, Justice, and Advocacy
SOWK 650 – Diversity and Cultural Humility
SOWK 655 – Advanced Generalist Social Work Practice
Degree Information
- Explore further with the Degree Completion Plan or course catalog
- This program falls under our School of Behavioral Sciences.
Additional Degree Information
BENEFITS
Why Choose Liberty’s Advanced Standing MSW Program?
Prepare for Purposeful Impact
Liberty’s Advanced Standing Master of Social Work (MSW) program is designed to support both your academic success and professional development. You can gain the tools to serve diverse populations, engage in research-informed practice, and influence policy, while grounding your work in biblical truth.
Get Real-World Experience
You’ll complete at least 600 hours of field experience, giving you the opportunity to develop valuable, marketable skills in real-world settings. This hands-on training can help prepare you to make an immediate impact in your field.
Study Under Seasoned Experts
Our MSW faculty members all hold doctoral degrees and are recognized leaders in the field of social work. You’ll also benefit from supervised practice guided by an experienced master’s-level social worker who can help shape your skills with personalized mentorship.
Customize Your Degree to Fit Your Calling
You have the freedom to tailor your degree to match your interests and career goals. Choose the general cognate or a broad foundation, or focus your studies on children and family services through the individual and family clinical cognate.
Tuition & Aid
How Much Does it Cost to Attend Liberty On Campus?
Knowing up-front what you’re paying for and why can go a long way toward making you feel comfortable about your investment. This overview of major college costs can give you an idea of what’s coming so you can create an accurate budget from the start.
All Tuition & Aid
| Per Credit Hour | $560 |
#4 Best College Campus in America
At Liberty, you’ll find an affordable, high-quality education designed to help equip students like you for the real world. Our commitment to excellence has earned us recognition as the #4 Best College Campus in America by Niche.com.
Earning your degree from a nonprofit university with state-of-the-art resources like ours can help set you apart from your peers.
Specializations
Advanced Standing Master of Social Work Cognates
Choose a cognate that aligns with your professional goals and interests. Liberty’s Advanced Standing MSW program offers flexible options to help you shape your education. Whether you want a well-rounded foundation through the general cognate or prefer to focus on serving children and families with the individual and family clinical cognate, you can customize your degree to support the work you’re called to do.
Specializations
General
Individual and Family Clinical
Admissions
How Do You Become an Advanced Standing MSW Student?
Every application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and all applicants must submit the following documents and meet the minimum requirements for admission:
- Admission application
- Official transcripts showing a completed BSW or BSSW from a CSWE-accredited program (conferred within the last 7 years) with a 3.0 GPA for admission in good standing
- 3 reference names and contact information (including phone number)
- At least 1 reference must be a field faculty member or program director from the BSW/BSSW program
- Statement of Purpose (400-word minimum):
- In roughly 150 words, complete the following prompt: I desire to earn a Master of Social Work degree and attend Liberty University because…
- In roughly 150 words, complete the following prompt: I show a posture of learning and respect when interacting with diverse individuals, families, and groups by…
- In roughly 100 words, discuss the following prompt: Please share about a personal challenge in your life and discuss how you have worked through this challenge. (Please do not share about a challenge with your job.)
- Writing sample (5-page minimum)
- Final field evaluation from BSW/BSSW program
- Department questionnaire (online form or PDF)
- ACD – Department Admission Review approval required – upon all documents being received on the checklist, the application will be sent to the department for review.
- Listed recommenders are contacted by the department and a decision review will not be started until all recommender responses have been received, at which point decisions will be made within 1-2 business days (24-48 hours).
- Self-certification form (for students who are in the final term of their bachelor’s degree)
- Current Liberty undergraduate students seeking preliminary acceptance into a graduate program must complete a degree completion application through their ASIST account
Have Questions?
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