Intensive Applied Learning
Complete 360-hour Foundation Practicum, followed by a 600-hour Concentration Practicum at one of our 400+ partner organizations.
Master of Social Work
Join our legacy of producing leaders in research, policy, and practice
Degree Options
Full-time Master of Social Work
At a Glance
Format: In-Person
Duration: Two years
Best fit: Students seeking immersive on-campus experience with personalized options.
Ranked #2 nationally, the WashU Brown School MSW program pairs rigorous, evidence-based research with concentrated and curated practicum placements. Our interdisciplinary approach encourages students to collaborate across disciplines and address diverse social challenges, fostering solutions that reach beyond traditional classroom boundaries. Students gain hands-on experience in the community while receiving full tuition funding for required practicum credits as well as a monthly living stipend.
Backed by a century of leadership in social work, Brown School graduates enter the field with the tools, vision, and expertise to drive change, joining a global network of alumni actively influencing policy, leading organizations, and advancing social justice worldwide.
WashU Brown School By the Numbers
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MSW Curriculum and Coursework
Grounded in evidence-based research and enriched by practice, our MSW curriculum prepares future social workers to drive change at every level. The two-year program requires 60 credits across four semesters, blending foundation and concentration courses, electives, and hands-on practicum hours with optional summer study. Students begin the MSW program with essential foundation-level coursework and then tailor their concentration studies and electives based on their preferred career pathway and professional goals.
All curriculum and required credit hours are subject to change.
Full-time MSW students begin their study 25 credits of with foundation coursework, electives, and foundation practicum hours.
Foundation Coursework
Research Methods with Statistical Applications – 3 credits
Human Behavior – 3 credits
Social Justice and Human Diversity – 3 credits
Social, Economic, and Political Environment – 3 credits
Social Welfare Policies and Services – 3 credits
Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families, and Groups – 3 credits
Social Work Practice with Organizations and Communities – 3 credits
Foundations of Field Workshop – 0 credits
Integrative Foundation Field Seminar – 1 credit
360 Hours of Foundation Practicum – 3 credits
MSW Concentrations
MSW students select a required concentration focus and career pathway from two options designed to focus learning in courses that align with their interests and career goals. Working with guidance from their faculty and academic advisors, students use their 35 concentration, advanced, and elective credits to select specific courses that build intentional depth within a practice area.
This concentration is designed for students who are motivated to address systemic inequities and the ways that power, policy, and institutions shape access to opportunity and contribute to well-being. The flexible curriculum emphasizes leadership, strategic thinking, and the design, implementation, and evaluation of programs and policies that drive social impact.
All students in this concentration participate in three required common core courses and a 600-hour concentration practicum:
- Leadership and Professional Skills (3 credits)
- Intervention Design, Implementation, and Evaluation (3 credits)
- Power, Policy, Care and Community (3 credits)
- Concentration Practicum (5 credits)
Students will also select from one of three career pathways within their concentration that will inform their 21 credits of advanced and elective coursework. Each career pathway has specific faculty advisors and suggested courses to guide students as they build their plan of study.
Community, Economy, and Environment
Prepares students for macro-level practice in community and economic development, intersecting those fields with ecological stewardship and environmental justice to tackle challenges such as homelessness, structural racism, climate change and more.
Career outcomes
Environment Justice Advocate
Community Organizer for Native Nations
Financial Social Worker
Community Wealth-builder
Economic Mobility Specialist
Community Development Director
Organizational Leadership and Management
Focuses on mezzo-level practice in non-profit, for-profit, and government human service organizations, preparing students for a variety of leadership positions as well as developing expertise in program design and organizational analysis.
Career outcomes
Fund Developer
Operations Manager
Social Entrepreneur
Corporate Responsibility Officer
Program Evaluation Specialist
Non-profit Executive Director
Policy, Politics, and Government Administration
Equips students for macro-level practice in U.S. policy and politics across all branches of government and at the local, state, and federal levels, with training in advocacy, lobbying, policy evaluation and implementation, and elections.
Career outcomes
Policy Advocate
Legislative Aide
Campaign Staffer
Lobbyist
Election Compliance Officer
Public Administrator
This concentration is designed for students who want to work directly with individuals, families, and groups to support healing, resilience, and well-being. Students are drawn to relational practice and seek to understand how trauma, environment, and lived experience shape human behavior. The flexible curriculum builds advanced skills in assessment, diagnosis, and evidence-informed intervention across diverse populations and settings.
All students in this concentration participate in three required common core courses and a 600-hour concentration practicum for a total of 14 credits:
- Contexts and Challenges of Social Work (3 credits)
- Evidence-Based Interpersonal Practice (3 credits)
- Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating Programs (3 credits)
- Concentration Practicum (5 credits)
Students will also select from one of three career pathways within their concentration that will inform their 21 credits of advanced and elective coursework. Each career pathway has specific faculty advisors and suggested courses to guide students as they build their plan of study.
Children, Youth, and Families Practice
Focuses on prevention, promotion, intervention and treatment that enhances resilience and social-emotional development among youth and families, reduces disparities, and supports thriving communities.
Career outcomes
Youth Development Specialist
Youth Crisis Counselor
Juvenile Justice Social Worker
School Social Worker
Child and Adolescent Therapist
Case Manager
Child Welfare Practitioner
Clinical Social Work Practice
Prepares students for licensed clinical practice in diverse behavioral health settings with emphasis on assessment, diagnosis, planning, and delivery of evidence-based interventions with individuals and groups.
Career outcomes
LCSW/Therapist
Sexual Health Counselor
Substance Use Disorder Therapist
Geriatric Social Worker
Behavioral Health Clinician
Clinical Social Worker with Tribal Communities
Health Promotion and Prevention Practice
Equips students for practice that involves prevention, health promotion, psychoeducation, harm reduction, violence prevention and other evidence-informed risk-reduction approaches with individuals, families, and groups .
Career outcomes
Violence Prevention Practitioner
Prevention Specialist
Advocate for Intimate Partner Violence
Harm Reduction Counselor
Palliative Care Social Worker
Sexual Assault Crisis Interventionist
Practicum Support Award
Every MSW student receives financial support for required practicum credits, including tuition coverage and a living stipend.
Practicum: Real-World Experience, Expertly Guided
Your practicum is the bridge between theory and practice, designed to build your leadership, clinical skills, and professional network.
Self-Directed Selection
You curate your path. With support from expert field advisors and our Foundations of Field course, you choose a site that matches your specific interests and goals.
Unrivaled Support
From local placements to global opportunities, our Office of Practicum Education provides the guidance you need to navigate the selection process and maximize your impact.
Integrated Research
Opportunities exist to fold research and evaluation projects into your placement, allowing you to use your site as a hub for advanced academic inquiry.
Three Advisors, One Dedicated Team
Our 3:1 advising model pairs every student with three distinct mentors to ensure complete support across academic, professional, and practical areas.
Academic Advisors
Navigate degree requirements and keep your timeline on track.
Faculty Advisors
Shape your course of study around your specific professional interests.
Practicum Faculty Advisors
Support your growth and assess your performance in the field.
