Social Work

Tam Q. Dinh, MSW, PhD, Director

Web: https://www.seattleu.edu/artsci/msw/

Objectives

The mission of the Seattle University (SU) Master of Social Work (MSW) Program is to educate students for social justice-focused and community-based advanced clinical social work practice. The program seeks to advance equity in access to excellent clinical social work practice for historically marginalized populations by preparing competent and effective practitioners who restore, maintain, and enhance human and community well-being with unwavering attention to social and economic justice. The program is committed to respectful engagement and collaboration with community partners in its scholarship, teaching, and service.

The MSW program’s clinical practice specialization is consistent with the definition of clinical social work adopted by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE):  

As a specialty within the practice of social work, clinical social work builds on the professional values, ethics, principles, practice methods, and person-in-the-environment perspective of the profession. It reflects the profession’s mission to promote social and economic justice by empowering clients who experience oppression or vulnerability. Clinical social work requires the professional use of self to restore, maintain, and enhance the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual functioning of individuals, families and groups.

The MSW Program offers two options for degree completion:

• Two-Year MSW program: designed for individuals who do not have a bachelor’s degree in social work. Two-Year MSW students complete 66 credits and 1168 hours of field practicum. Admittance is for fall quarter start.
• Ten-month Advanced Standing MSW program: designed for graduates from baccalaureate of social work (BSW/BASW) programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Advanced Standing MSW students complete 39 credits and 720 hours of field practicum. Admittance is for summer intersession start.

Admission Requirements 

See Graduate Admissions Programs for admission materials.

Please also see MSW admission application requirements and instructions on the MSW program website:

Programs

• Master of Social Work