Master of Social Work

Tuition: $777/credit*

* Tuition rates are for the 2026-27 academic year. Additional fees and costs for course materials may apply. Total program cost and completion time varies depending on transfer credits and individual program plans. Tuition rates are subject to change. View the 2025-26 tuition and fees.

Fees

• Background check: $44 one-time fee
• Tevera-Practicum Documentation and Management Tool: $215 one-time fee
• St. Louis County Health and Human Services Conference Registration: $50 per year
• Pinning Ceremony: $50 one-time fee

Program Format and Location

At St. Scholastica, we designed our MSW program for working adults who want strong clinical preparation in a flexible format. Our classes meet live online on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, giving you regular opportunities to practice skills, connect with faculty and peers, and receive real-time feedback.

As you pursue your degree online, you will work toward gaining the knowledge and skills needed for Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) licensure. Because online learning is an integral part of this program, access to broadband internet is required to complete coursework.

The program also includes a 3-day summer residency in Duluth, where you’ll learn through live demonstrations, build community, and strengthen relationships with your cohort. Throughout the year, you’ll also have optional opportunities for connecting in person with your peers and professors on campus in Duluth.

A Program Built for Future Therapists

Our curriculum prepares you for advanced clinical social work practice with a strong foundation in diagnosis, treatment planning, therapy, and practice evaluation. You’ll build skills in evidence-based assessment and intervention while learning to approach clinical work with humility and curiosity, as well as the values that shape the therapeutic relationship. You’ll benefit from a focused approach that emphasizes:

Clinical Training with a Relational Focus

Develop practical skills for direct clinical practice, including assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and evidence-based therapy. Our faculty provide direct feedback to help you grow as a therapist, while emphasizing the importance of therapeutic alliance, self-awareness, and ethical, values-informed practice.

Small Classes and Personalized Support

Our small class sizes allow for richer discussions, individualized feedback, and meaningful advising. You won’t get lost in the crowd; instead, you’ll build relationships with faculty members who are invested in your academic and professional development.

Interprofessional Collaboration

You’ll take part in simulation-based learning that helps you to practice working effectively across disciplines. You’ll learn how to communicate as part of an interdisciplinary team and how to share information ethically to support better client outcomes.

Practicum Experiences Aligned with Your Goals

Our Practicum Director will help you identify placements that match your interests and career goals. Your practicum gives you the opportunity to apply classroom learning in real-world settings, with a range of populations and practice environments.

Focusing on Rural Mental Health

Located in Duluth and connected to communities across the region, our program helps you build the skills you need for effective and responsive rural practice. You’ll learn how to foster strong professional networks, navigate the unique dynamics of rural communities, support access to care, and respond thoughtfully to the ethical considerations that can arise in these settings.

An Ecological and Environmental Perspective

Our program also recognizes the relationship between well-being and the natural world. You’ll examine how environmental context and ecological justice can shape mental health, resilience, and balance in the lives of clients and communities.

View Requirements

View Learning Outcomes

Program Options

Regular Standing Track

Length: 2 years (63 credits)

This track is for students with bachelor’s degrees from fields other than social work. The track includes one year of foundational coursework built around core professional competencies. This is followed by a second-year within the program in an advanced concentration.

The Regular Standing track includes a minimum of 900 hours of supervised field practicum instruction.

Advanced Standing Track

Length: 1 year (38 credits)

This track, for students with a bachelor’s degree in social work, includes an advanced concentration, focusing a student’s studies on a particular area of interest within the field.

The Advanced Standing track includes a minimum of 450 hours of supervised field practicum instruction.

Areas of Advanced Concentration (Clinical Year)

During your clinical year of the program, you may pursue the following areas of advanced training (subject to change based on availability):

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Somatic therapy
• Relational cultural therapy (RCT)
• Treatment with families and couples
• Treatment of trauma
• Treatment of co-occurring disorders

LICSW Licensure

The College of St. Scholastica’s MSW program meets the Minnesota licensure standards which require LICSW candidates to document 360 clock hours (24 credits) in six clinical knowledge areas.

In addition to the completion of an MSW program, prospective licensees must complete 4,000 hours of practice. Of those hours, 1,800 are clinical and 200 are supervised. You’ll also need to pass an Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) exam.

Prepare for Advanced Clinical Practice

By pursuing your master’s degree in social work at St. Scholastica, you’ll be prepared to enter an in-demand field with opportunities to practice in a variety of clinical and non-clinical settings, including community mental health centers, hospitals, and clinics, state and local government, child welfare agencies, and more.

Be a leader for social change and use your career to advocate for others.

Prepare for Advanced Clinical and Community-Based Social Work Careers

A Master of Social Work from St. Scholastica prepares you for advanced practice in a continuously growing field where you can make an impact by providing support in a healthcare setting, helping families and children, working with clients to improve their mental health, leading teams, or shaping social policies.

With our program’s strong foundation in clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, evidence-based intervention, and interprofessional collaboration, you’ll be ready to serve individuals, families, and communities in meaningful and practical ways.
MSW Graduates can pursue roles in mental health, healthcare organizations, schools, child welfare, integrated care settings, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies. Whether your path leads to direct clinical practice, advocacy, program development, or leadership, the MSW can help you build a career centered on care, connection, and lasting impact.

A Growing Field for MSW Graduates

The field of social work is experiencing significant growth, indicating strong demand for qualified professionals:

Overall Growth

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of social workers to grow 6% from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations.

Healthcare Social Work

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates jobs in healthcare social work to grow by about 9.6% between 2022 and 2032, reflecting the increasing need for social services in healthcare settings.

Mental Health and Substance Abuse

The NASW anticipates positions in mental health and substance abuse to grow by 19%, highlighting the critical role of social workers in these areas.

St. Scholastica’s Master of Social Work Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). 

View Form AS m5.0.1(d) Public Reporting of Assessment Outcomes

Visit our admissions page for information about transcripts, online application, international admissions, financing, and the Center for Equal Access.

Application Deadlines

Both the Regular Standing Track and Advanced Standing Track offer two deadlines for applications. The priority deadline offers students an opportunity to learn of their acceptance into the program earlier in the application cycle. Applications will continue to be accepted until the application final deadline. Deadlines are:

Regular Standing Track Timeline

Cohort start time: Sept.
Application priority deadline: Feb. 15
Application final deadline: Aug. 1

Advanced Standing Track Timeline

Cohort start time: May
Application priority deadline: Feb. 15
Application final deadline: April 15

Eligibility

New Students

Prerequisites

• No GRE required