Accelerated Online MSW Program
What Is the Accelerated Online MSW Program?
Simmons University Online Social Work Programs offer accelerated online Master of Social Work (MSW) program tracks that allow students to graduate in as few as 16 months. Simmons’ online accelerated program does not require students to hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), but is designed for students who can commit to pursuing their degree full time.
As a student in the accelerated program, you will complete the same number of credits and required practicum hours as students in the traditional MSW programs, but within a shorter period of time. While the accelerated program track is intensive, it gives dedicated students with diverse academic backgrounds the opportunity to earn their MSW faster and begin serving clients as professional clinicians sooner.
Graduate in as Few as 16 Months and
Begin Making a Difference Sooner
If you have already earned your BSW, you may qualify for the advanced standing program track. In this program track, you may also graduate in as few as 9 months, enabling you to advance your social work career sooner. Learn more about the online advanced standing program.
If you need to dedicate time to commitments outside of your graduate studies or want to pursue your degree at a slower pace, Simmons offers other program tracks that allow you to earn your degree on a timeline that works for you. The standard full-time MSW program is six terms and can be completed in as few as 23 months. The extended MSW program is eight terms and can be completed in as few as 32 months.
View the Course Sequence page to learn more about the pace of each program track.
Program Requirements
While every MSW program track at Simmons features course work and a practicum component, your particular course load and your practicum education schedule will depend on the program track in which you are enrolled.
Accelerated, Full-Time, and Extended Tracks
For one term of the program, students on the accelerated, standard full-time, and extended tracks can expect to dedicate up to 10 hours per week in the Simulated Practicum Experience (SPX), a classroom course that prepares you for the placement-based practicum.
For the remaining terms of practicum, you’ll spend 24 hours per week at a community-based practicum site, graduating from generalist to specialist practice experience.
Advanced Standing Track
Students enrolled on the advanced standing program are not required to participate in the SPX. For your two terms of practicum, you can expect to spend 24 hours per week at a community-based practicum site.
65
Credits
4
Terms
1,000+
Practicum Hours
The accelerated program track consists of 65 credits. Of the credits, there are 48 course credits and 17 practicum credits. The program takes approximately 16 months to complete over the course of four 14-week terms. As a student in the accelerated MSW track, you will complete 15-17 credits per term — or four graduate-level classes — and complete a practicum component every single term.
Practicum in the Accelerated Program
Like all Simmons University Online Social Work Programs students, those in the accelerated programs will complete a minimum of 1,000 hours of practicum at Simmons-approved clinical social work sites. These immersive experiences will allow you to apply what you are learning in the online classroom to real-world social work settings in or near your community.
In the accelerated track, this is what your practicum education schedule looks like:
| Term | Practicum Type | Practicum Content |
|---|---|---|
Term 1 | Simulated Practicum Experience (SPX) | 10 hours/week of online learning with asynchronous and live session components |
Term 2 | Generalist Community-Based Placement | 24 hours/week of generalist practice at a community site |
Term 3 | Specialist Community-Based Placement | 24 hours/week of specialist practice at a community site |
Term 4 | Specialist Community-Based Placement | 24 hours/week of specialist practice at a community site |
Curriculum
The Simmons accelerated online Master of Social Work is an extremely intensive program. While it allows you to build foundations in social work with a focus on multicultural perspectives and social justice values, the program also incorporates rigorous, clinically focused coursework and experiences that prepare you for practice in challenging clinical settings.
As a student in the accelerated program, you will have the option to earn a certificate with your MSW. Pursuing a certificate prepares you to serve populations in specific areas of practice that interest you. Simmons University Online Social Work Programs offer certificates in:
Trauma Practice
Mental Health Practice
Military Practice
Below, see which courses you will take and in which terms you will take them as an accelerated MSW online student:
| Term 1 (14 weeks, 15 credits) | Term 2 (14 weeks, 16 credits) |
|---|---|
446X Simulated Practicum Experience (3 credits) 421A Social Work Practice (3 credits) 403 Social Policy & Social Work in Organizations & Communities (3 credits) 409 Dynamics of Racism & Oppression (3 credits) 411 Human Behavior in the Social Environment (3 credits) | 446B Practicum Education I (4 Credits) 421B Social Work Practice (3 credits) 441 Social Work Research (3 credits) 422 Substance Use and Social Work (3 credits) Elective or Certificate Course (3 credits) |
| Term 3 (14 weeks, 17 credits) | Term 4 (14 weeks, 17 credits) |
|---|---|
447AX Practicum Education II (5 credits) 424A Advanced Clinical Practice (3 credits) 509 Evaluation in Social Work Practice (3 credits) 414 Assessment and Diagnosis (3 credits) Elective or Certificate Course (3 credits) | 447BX Practicum Education II (5 credits) 424B Advanced Clinical Practice (3 credits) 404 Social Welfare Policy (3 credits) Elective or Certificate Course (3 credits) Elective or Certificate Course (3 credits) |