Online Master of Social Work (MSW)
Join the next generation of leaders for social change.
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Why Choose a low-residency Master of Social Work degree from Fairfield?
Choose Your
Pathway
We provide an Advanced Standing pathway tailored for those holding a Bachelor of Social Work, along with full-time and part-time enrollment options for our 60-Credit Hour program, available to individuals with any bachelor’s degree.
Pursue
Your Passion
Explore diverse clinical social work electives with the option to become a school social worker in Connecticut.
Unmatched
Support
Benefit from unwavering support throughout the program, with personalized field placements aligned with your passions and career aspirations.
Accomplished
Faculty
Our faculty are licensed clinical social workers nationally and internationally recognized for their significant contributions in the field.
Program Specifics
Fairfield University’s low-residency Master of Social Work program is designed as a clinical specialist program and prepares students to become leaders for social change. We prepare highly competent professionals with specialized knowledge and skills in the prevention, assessment, diagnosis, treatment and evaluation of emotional, mental, and behavioral health problems. Clinical social workers provide services in a variety of settings, including private practice, hospitals, community mental health, primary care, and agencies. Benefit from our low residency model that fosters enriching learning experiences through online and on-campus courses promoting a convenient and collaborative learning experience with faculty and peers.
- Program Starts: Fall (September), Spring (January), Summer (May)
- Advanced Standing – Begin in Summer for the shortest time to completion.
- Fall: Priority Deadline: May 15th, Final Deadline: August 1st
- Spring: Priority Deadline: November 15th, Final Deadline: December 1st
- Summer: Priority Deadline: February 15th, Final Deadline: April 15th.
- Schedule: Full-time or Part-time
- Credits:
- 30: Advanced Standing (Students with a CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work)
- 60: Two-year (Students with a bachelor’s degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution)
- Completion: 9 – 48 months
Our social work degree prepares graduates to acknowledge and uphold the worth and dignity of all people, promoting well-being, diversity, and justice for individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Our online MSW focuses on the promotion of social justice and social change. Our commitment to anti-racism, anti-oppression, intersectionality, and justice is at the core of our curriculum and fieldwork.
- Complete two courses (six credit hours) on Assessment Techniques and Psychopathology to enhance your understanding and skills in working directly with clients.
- Complete a field experience that will provide you with hands-on practical skills and real-world insights into your chosen area of study. We offer approximately 125 impressive community partner placement sites for diverse and enriching learning opportunities.
- Advanced Standing students complete 650 experience hours through enrollment in two fieldwork courses throughout the program.
- Two-year students need to complete 900 experience hours through enrollment.
- Engage in rewarding residencies throughout the program to refine your clinical mental health skills, fostering direct interaction with faculty and peers. Each term, we offer two required on-campus residency opportunities and one optional visit.
Advanced Standing: $28,200 ($940 per credit hour).
Two-year: $56,400 ($940 per credit hour).
Please see the Tuition and Financial Aid page for more information.
The Master of Social Work program is open to students with bachelor’s degrees in any discipline. An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better is preferred but not required.
Advanced Standing: The student’s bachelor’s degree must be in social work from a CSWE-accredited institution obtained in the last five years.
No GMAT/GRE required.
It’s easy to apply. Here are the steps:
- A completed online application.
- A non-refundable $65 application fee paid by credit card. (Application fee is waived for current Fairfield students and for anyone who attends an information session.)
- A professional resume. Applicants are required to submit a current resume that includes employment and education history.
- A personal statement that clearly addresses your understanding of the role of social work in producing a more equitable world for all.
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended demonstrating a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. All foreign transcripts must be evaluated by an approved evaluating service.
- Two recommendation letters — one of which, preferably, from a current employer or supervisor. Recommendations are completed online. At the time of application, candidates must provide the email addresses and names of their two recommenders.
- Interview. All candidates are interviewed after all application materials have been submitted.
The Master of Social Work program is accredited by the Council for Social Work Education (CSWE).
Career Outcomes
We offer the flexibility to customize the curriculum to meet your unique professional goals and expand your career choices. Our clinical-focused curriculum, extensive field experiences, and concentration options empower you to choose your path and receive unrivaled support to make a difference in people’s lives.
Faculty Spotlight
Suzanne Marmo, a licensed clinical social worker since 2001 and Certified Advanced Palliative and Hospice Social Worker (APHSW-C) since 2019, holds a Master’s Degree from The State University of New York at Stony Brook and a PhD from Fordham University. Specializing in grief, bereavement, medical and oncology social work, hospice, and palliative care for older adults, she has received national acclaim for her published research. Awards include two peer-reviewed journal article awards (2019, 2022) and the 2022 Award of Excellence in Policy and Advocacy from the Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network. Dr. Marmo, a master trainer for ESPEC, is dedicated to educating social workers in palliative and end-of-life care.
Julie Berrett-Abebe received masters degrees in Social Work and Pastoral Ministry from Boston College in 2004 and a PhD from Simmons University in 2017. Julie’s clinical background is in oncology, hospice, and community based care for older adults. Julie’s clinical practice has informed her scholarship in health equity, interprofessional education, and collaborative models of practices. She is the PI/PD of a $1.6 million BHWET HRSA Grant (2021-2025), FCHC Scholars (fairfield.edu/fchc-scholars). Julie enjoys teaching across the MSW curriculum.
Dr. Yeddi Park, a Ph.D. graduate from the Silver School of Social Work at NYU, brings over 20 years of social work practice, earning her MSW from the University of Michigan in 1999. Her diverse experiences encompass working with refugees, individuals with chronic mental illness, the elderly, and children in public schools. Dr. Park’s research focuses on intergenerational issues in immigrant families, health service utilization among immigrants, and adolescent mental health. Actively engaged in community-based research and educational programs, she has contributed significantly in New York and New Jersey.
Jay Taylor, a social worker with a Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, specializes in gender transformative interventions, focusing on equity and violence reduction. In Milford, CT, he works in private practice, addressing men’s issues, and actively advocates for non-violence and gender equality. As an educator for a decade at Fairfield University, Jay teaches courses in therapy, substance abuse treatment, social justice, and policy. Committed to intersectional social justice, he strives for a liberated world of safety and equity. His work with men promotes healthy masculinity, proven to reduce violence. Outside work, Jay enjoys CrossFit, comic books, movies, live music, and global culinary experiences.
Dawn DeBiase is the Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs at Fairfield University’s College of Arts and Sciences and has been integral to the institution’s growth. With a BA in Psychology from the College of the Holy Cross and an MSW from Boston College, she brings a rich academic background. Dawn’s impact extends beyond administration – she has created and taught courses in Human Behavior, Generalist Social Work Practice, Social Work Fieldwork, and Motivational Interviewing, showcasing her dedication to shaping the next generation of social work professionals.
Degree Courses
At Fairfield University, our online Master of Social Work program features courses designed to build both foundational and advanced skills in social work practice. Through a mix of theory, fieldwork, and research-based learning, students engage with topics such as social justice, human behavior, and clinical interventions in diverse settings. Our online MSW program prepares students for a broad range of career opportunities in clinical and community settings.
By earning your MSW degree online with us, you gain the flexibility to advance your education on your schedule, while still engaging in meaningful, hands-on experiences. Our Master of Social Work online curriculum supports professional growth and equips graduates to serve individuals, families, and communities with confidence and compassion.
SWRG 5433 Social Justice and Diversity in Professional Practice
Credits – 3
Students will examine issues in professional practice with individuals, couples and families from diverse ethnic, cultural, racial, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Students increase their self-awareness of their own social identity, values and biases, and impacts on their clinical (other professional) work. Collaboration and interdisciplinary contextual factors will be considered. The course addresses the role of power, privilege, and oppression in the lives of individuals, families, and the society. The course addresses the issues of gender role stereotyping and changing sex roles, and integrates professional contributions from the professional literature. Crosslisted with MFTH 5433. Previously SK 0433.
*$195 one-time TEVERA fee required
Fairfield Mission
Visionary by nature. Jesuit through mission. Transformative by design. The driving force of Fairfield is our mission — to impact the world. It prompts us to ask important questions, to embrace our social responsibilities, and to lead by example. And it’s what has made us a premier institution in the Northeast. Let the mission be part of your journey.
