University of Alabama Master of Social Work
Program Options: Full-Time, Advanced Standing
Tuition: $7,866
Acceptance Rate: 54%
GRE Required: No
1-Year/Accelerated Option: No
Campus Visits Required: Yes
Field Hours: 500-1,000
CSWE Accredited: Yes (1969)
Application Deadline: April 1
See our ranking of the Top 10 Affordable Master of Social Work Online (MSW) Degrees.
Overview
The University of Alabama is a large public university with an enrollment of more than 38,000 students. Established in 1820, it opened for classes in 1831 after spending funds to construct a new campus for its students. Also called Alabama and UA, the university appears on lists of the best colleges in the nation and the top colleges in the world issued by U.S. News & World Report, Washington Monthly, ARWU and similar groups. Its online MSW program also ranks as one of the top programs in the country based on both its low tuition and its curriculum.
Strengths
One of the oldest accredited MSW programs in Alabama is the UA program, which received accredited in the 1960s. University alumni work in agencies and organizations all across the country and use the skills they gained in this program every day. It allows students to learn more about the issues affecting social workers today and helps them develop the problem-solving skills that they will need on the job. The program focuses closely on the issues impacting residents of Alabama and prepares students to work with clients in settings all across the state.
Concentrations
UA understands that students may want to work in specialized fields, which is why the university offers two concentration options for online MSW students. The first concentration is in children, adolescents and their families. This concentration teaches students the skills needed to work with both older and younger children and their close friends and families. Many graduates work for child welfare agencies. UA also offers a concentration in adults and their families. Students who declare a concentration in this field take classes relating to the work that they’ll do with the aged in the field. They also learn how to work with the families of older clients.
Program Requirements
Students with social work experience can start the advanced standing program in the early summer or at the beginning of January, while traditional students will start their classes at the beginning of summer or near the end of August. The traditional program features 60 credits, but advanced standing students take just 42 credits. Students must also commit to face-to-face meetings. These meetings take place in laboratory settings in larger and smaller cities in Alabama. Students must attend each session to complete the program. The university offers these sessions on Saturday mornings and afternoons.
Admissions Requirements
The UA School of Social Work makes it easy for students to see exactly what they must do when applying because it provides students with a convenient checklist. Advanced standing students must have a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from a college or university with regional accredited. The university asks for a transcript, which must show that the student maintained a 3.0 grade point average. Students can only earn a “C” grade in one of the social work classes they took.
Students will visit the graduate admissions website and follow the link to the online application. They will create a new account on the site and then select the options for applying to the graduate school and to a distance education/learning program. The application asks for an essay of at least five pages that explains the student’s goals and interests, any previous experience and why the student wants to study at UA.
The university requires three letters of recommendation and an official transcript from each student. Though it does not require that students take the GRE, it does require that students have a 3.0 GPA in all classes taken within the last 60 credits hours or four semesters. Those who have a lower GPA can submit a GRE score or a score on another standardized test, but this score must be no more than five years old.
Faculty
Professors working for the UA School of Social Work receive millions of dollars in grants each year that they use to continue their research on popular topics. These instructors also received multiple awards for the work they did for the university and in the field over the years. Students form close relationships with their professors through the social work program’s interactive online system. They can also connect with and talk to their professors through email and over the phone.
Online Courses
UA divides its traditional MSW program into a foundation year and a concentration year. Students take foundation courses in the first year and then focus more on their concentrations in their second years. Some of the courses available have a lab component that requires students attend face-to-face sessions when taking those classes. These courses include Social Work Practice with Groups, Social Work Practice with Communities and Social Work Practice with Families. Some of the other classes that students take during the foundation year include Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Social Welfare Policy and Research Informed Practice. Students will take some classes during the summer sessions to graduate within two years. They will also take some electives and classes that relate to the concentrations they chose.
Internships
MSW students must do at least 500 hours of fieldwork to complete the UA program. Advanced standing students do one fieldwork placement and work 500 hours for an employer. Traditional students will do one 500-hour placement in the first year of the program and a second 500-hour placement in their second years. All students must work during normal business hours of eight am to five pm, and they must work two days a week to earn credit. The university requires that students make arrangements for their field placements by the middle of August each year.
Contact
670 Magnolia Dr.
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
(205) 348-7027
Program Website
Getting an advanced social work degree in Alabama is easy because the UA program allows students to attend some face-to-face sessions and take all their courses online. They can also do their fieldwork in their own neighborhoods. The University of Alabama online MSW ranks as one of the top programs in the state.