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Advance Your Passion for Social Service
The Master of Science in Social Work program propels your passion for social service and community engagement to the next level. Offering you the opportunity to complete your graduate degree online, you can enhance your knowledge of professional leadership, ethics, human rights and justice, and the biological, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions of an individual’s well-being.
On-Campus Option
Interested in completing your coursework at our residential campus in Abilene? We offer our MS-Social Work Advanced Standing program with face-to-face instruction.
About the Program
The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic and complex needs of all people, with a particular focus on those who are vulnerable, oppressed, and impoverished. Aiming to meet your career goals and vocational calling, ACU’s Master of Science in Social Work online option offers you the opportunity to earn your master’s degree while completing a field practicum, enabling you to obtain your license immediately after graduating.
Program Structure
All The Details On Your Degree
ACU’s School of Social Work is passionate about developing and equipping the next generation of social workers and practitioners, no matter where they choose to serve. As part of this vision, this degree will help you obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the needs of your clients, especially those in vulnerable, oppressed or at-risk populations.
Dual Degree Option
In cooperation with the Graduate School of Theology, the School of Social Work has developed plans whereby students can pursue the M.S. in Social Work degree concurrently with the Master of Arts in Christian Ministry degree.
Required Hours
Standard: 60 hours, 2 years 4 months time frame
Advanced Standing: 33 hours, 1 year 4 months time frame
Cost: $650/Hour with $200 resource fee per term
Example Coursework
Social and Racial Justice in Anti-Oppression Practice
Social Policy Practice and Advocacy
Spirituality in Diverse Populations
Integrated Health and Behavioral Health
Nonprofit Management
Upcoming Start Dates
August 20, 2025
January 14, 2026
Common Job Titles
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Nonprofit or Social Services Director
Medical/Healthcare Social Worker
School Social Worker
Substance Abuse Social Worker
Child Welfare Advocate
Sex/Human Trafficking Advocate
Sexual Assault Counselor
Immigration Policy Advocate
Military/Veterans Affairs Social Worker
For more info on the most common types of social work, click here.
Meet The Program Director
Dr. Rachel Slaymaker, Online Master of Science in Social Work
Dr. Rachel Slaymaker, Online Master of Science in Social WorkDr. Rachel Slaymaker is a professor and program director for the Master of Science in Social Work. She received a BS in Angelo State University, an MSSW from the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership at ACU.
Two Degree Plan Options
Standard Degree Plan
If you have completed a bachelor’s degree in another field of study (not social work), you may qualify for our Standard degree plan. This plan offers students the opportunity to complete their master’s degree in just over two years (60 credit hours), with the opportunity to become a part-time student (if necessary). During the program, you will complete the coursework as well as have two practicum placements, where you will integrate your skills in social work.
- 2 Years 4 Months Full-Time (Part-Time Available)
- 60 Credit Hours
- 2 Practicum Placements
Advanced Standing Degree Plan
If you have completed a bachelor’s degree in social work from an accredited program by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE), you may qualify to be in our Advanced Standing degree plan. This plan offers students the opportunity to complete their master’s degree in just over a year (33 credit hours), with the opportunity to become a part-time student (if necessary). During the program, you will complete the coursework as well as be required to complete a 500-hour practicum placement.
- 1 Year 4 Months Full-Time (Part-Time Available)
- 33 Credit Hours
- 1 500-Hour Practicum Placement
Field Education and Practicum
In social work education, internships are called field practicum. Field practicum experience is required by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) and is considered the “signature pedagogy” in social work higher education. The intensive field practicum experience allows students to obtain licensure immediately after graduating with a social work degree. With this emphasis, students spend a significant amount of time in field practicum experiences. Students are actively engaged in social work practice with clients in an agency setting for approximately 15-18 hours per week in two 15-week semesters.
- First Year/Standard degree plan students complete 400 hours of field practicum
- Second Year/Advanced Standing degree plan students complete 500 hours of field practicum
Students who complete the MSSW program have the ability to:
- Function as effective and ethical professionals who incorporate the best evidence in practice;
- Promote social justice for vulnerable persons everywhere through service and leadership roles;
- Advance social work knowledge through research and other scholarly activities
Students who complete M.S. in Social Work will be qualified to fill various social service and nonprofit leadership roles in various environments, including hospitals, nonprofit organizations and education. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, reports have indicated a 7% slight growth in employment opportunities from 2022-2032.
To be considered for admission, students must:
- Complete the online program application accompanied by a non-refundable processing fee.
- Submit official transcripts showing earned bachelor’s from a regionally accredited college or university or the equivalent.
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above, If undergraduate GPA is below 3.0, the GRE or MAT entrance exam may be required.
- Write a personal statement addressing your motivation for graduate studies and entering the social work profession, and reflections on the program’s four themes of human rights and justice, cultural and spiritual humility, holistic practice and empowerment.
- A video conference interview with the program director may be requested.
Advanced Standing degree plan:
- Students must have a bachelor’s degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited institution. Applicants who completed the BSW more than five years ago are eligible for Advanced Standing only if they are employed in the field of social services or hold a current social work licensure.
- Submit three letters of recommendation, two of which must represent people who can speak to the student’s abilities as an emerging social worker. Of the two academic references, at least one must be a program director, practicum director, or practicum instructor/supervisor.
- Submit a final BSW/BSSW practicum evaluation (mid-term evaluation can be reviewed for conditional admission).
Standard Program degree plan:
- To be accepted into the MSSW Program under the Standard degree plan, students must have a bachelor’s degree in any field. Students are expected to demonstrate a broad liberal arts background, including two courses from each of the following areas: science/math, social/behavioral sciences, humanities/fine arts, and communication/language.
- Submit three letters of recommendation, two of which must represent people who can speak to the student’s academic and/or professional behavior abilities, including but not limited to a faculty member, program director, internship supervisor, etc.
- Submit a writing sample in the form of a formal graded (returned with feedback highly preferred) upper-level assignment of at least five pages from the student’s undergraduate work (or an acceptable alternative).
ACU’s MSSW program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s Board of Accreditation. Accreditation of a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the Council on Social Work Education’s Board of Accreditation indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of program quality evaluated through a peer review process. An accredited program has sufficient resources to meet its mission and goals and the Board of Accreditation has verified that it demonstrates compliance with all sections of the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards. Accreditation applies to all program sites and program delivery methods of an accredited program. Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program.
For details on learning outcomes for the MSSW program, click here.