Master of Social Work (MSW)

Regular Admission

• A baccalaureate degree from a regionally-accredited college or university.
• Submit ALL official transcripts from colleges and universities attended (regionally accredited colleges and universities only).
• Complete and submit a Daemen College graduate school application (application fee: $25.00) and fulfill the graduate admissions requirements of Daemen College.
• Complete and submit a 3-4 page typed personal statement that focuses on the following points:
  • Your experience in social work, including volunteer experience.
  • The life experiences that impacted your interest in social work.
  • Your personal qualities that will be useful in serving others as a social work professional.
  • Your values that will be useful in serving others as a social worker.
  • Your career goals and how social work education will help you achieve these goals.
• Provide three letters of reference: 2 from an academic source and 1 from a volunteer experience/internship/employer. No personal references accepted. 
• Provide documentation of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) completion within five years prior to application for admission. Note: You may submit your application for committee review before completing examination. 
• Have an overall GPA of 2.7 or higher.
• Have completed courses in Human Biology and Statistics with a grade of “C” or better.

Advanced Standing

Applicants desiring to gain admission to the Master of Social work Program at Daemen College must meet the following admissions criteria for advanced standing:

• Earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work (BA, BS or BSW) within the last five years from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)-accredited program.
• Submit ALL official transcripts from colleges and universities attended (regionally accredited colleges and universities only).
• Complete and submit a Daemen College graduate school application (application fee $25.00) and fulfill the admission requirements of the Graduate School at Daemen College.
• Complete and submit a 3-4 page typed personal statement that focuses on the following points:
  • Your experience in social work, including volunteer experience.
  • The life experiences that impacted your interest in social work.
  • Your personal qualities that will be useful in serving others as a social work professional.
  • Your values that will be useful in serving others as a social worker.
  • Your career goals and how social work education will help you achieve these goals.
• Provide three letters of reference: 2 letters from academic sources (BSW/BASW Program Director encouraged) and 1 letter from a volunteer experience/internship/employer. No personal references accepted.
• Provide a copy of final field evaluations (Field Instruction I and II).
• Provide documentation of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) completion within five years prior to application for admission. Note: You may submit your application for committee review before completing examination. 
• Have an overall GPA of 3.0 and GPA of 3.2 or higher in major courses such as:
  • Social Work Methods I/II
  • Research Methods I
  • Human Behavior in the Social Environment I/II
  • Field Instruction I/II
• Have completed courses in Human Biology and Statistics with a grade of “C” or better.
   

Provisional Admission

Applicants not meeting one or more the minimal requirements for admission will be evaluated for provisional admissions to the Master of Social Work Program at Daemen College. Applicants who are admitted provisionally must enroll in at least 9 credit hours (full-time) during the first semester and must achieve a 3.0 overall GPA at the end of their first semester in the Master of Social Work Program at Daemen College.

* Daemen College’s MSW Program does not award credit for life experience

Students in the Two-Year MSW Program begin their professional training by developing generalist social work practice skills. Courses focus on practice with individuals, groups, organizations, and communities; human behavior and development; diversity; basic and applied research; social welfare policy; and ethics. Students must also complete a year-long, 450 hour generalist internship under the supervision of a licensed master (LMSW) or clinical (LCSW) social work professional. 

Advanced year students focus on the development of clinical practice skills related to assessment, diagnosis, use of evidence-based practice, treatment, and practice evaluation with an emphasis on children and families. Students complete a year-long, 500 hour clinical internship under the supervision of a licensed clinical social work professional (LCSW). 

Students select from a wide variety of electives that support their professional goals. A licensure preparation course is also built into the curriculum to assist students in successfully passing the Association of Social Work Board (ASWB) examinations.

An overview of the program curriculum is provided below: 

GENERALIST YEAR (First Year of Two-Year Program)

ADVANCED (CLINICAL) YEAR (Second Year of Two-Year Program; Advanced Standing Students Complete Advanced (Clinical) Year ONLY)

Students will take two courses at a time in eight week segments fully online.

While the majority of the classwork will be done independently, there will be some live, one-on-one engagements where students and faculty meet together. This is especially important in social work practice courses where students will engage clinical skills and techniques. It is anticipated that students will have up to five hours of one-one-one class time each month, depending on the course and class size.

Students will attend classes on-line; engage in interactive coursework; and gain an in-depth understanding of social work theories, methodologies, and techniques. Along with their classes, students will gain practical experience by applying their skills under the direction of a licensed social work professional at field placement sites within their community.

Students will also complete a field placement (approximately 18-20 hours per week) under the supervision of a Licensed Master Social Worker or a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Advanced year field placements focus on clinical interventions with children, youth, and/or families.

Full-time students working towards a graduate degree in Social Work MSW, are eligible for a 30% tuition-only scholarship applied to the full tuition rate.  For information, email msw@daemen.edu or contact Megan Beardi in Admissions at (716)-566-7861.
 

Students can obtain two undergraduate degrees in four years and their Master of Public Health or Master of Social Work in one additional year. LEARN MORE

What can I do with an MSW?

• Clinical Practice (shortage of LCSWs in WNY and NY)
• Private Practice
• Work in a variety of settings including hospitals, correctional facilities, nursing homes, schools
• Why an MSW at Daemen?

One of the most popular fields of social work practice is with children and families. Studies have shown that there is a shortage of social work professionals who work in the child welfare/family services arena. The program concentration offers advanced training that allows practitioners to enter into a therapeutic relationship with children and their families in hope of resolving concerns and conflicts. In the future, the program hopes to establish concentration tracks in other areas such as Military, Geriatrics, and Immigrants/Displaced populations.