MSW Social Work at University of South Dakota

Programme overview

The MSW prepares students to serve diverse populations through policy, practice or research using a person-centered approach, blending in-person or online learning with field education. Full-time and part-time tracks are offered in Sioux Falls and online.

Faculty: School of Health Sciences | Department: Department of Social Work | Duration: 60 credit hours (non-social-work bachelor's); 36 credit hours (CSWE-accredited BSW) | Study mode: full-time | Location: Vermillion, SD, United States

What you will study

Coursework plus field education (500 to 1,000 hours depending on plan of study).

Career pathways

Clinical and therapeutic services, administration and staff supervision, policy analysis, community development and organizational planning; with licensure, assessing, diagnosing and treating emotional and psychological issues.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applications use the specialty CAS online application. Accelerated tracks: current USD sociology BS students or current NSU sociology BA students. USD graduate programmes, general requirements: official transcript showing a regionally accredited bachelor's degree (or equivalent), specialty CAS online application with a $38 non-refundable fee, letters of recommendation (number varies by programme), statement of purpose and resume. International applicants need English proficiency of TOEFL iBT 79, IELTS Academic 6.0, Duolingo 110 or PTE 53 (minimums listed for the Graduate School; individual programmes may set higher scores), unless they hold a degree from an exempt English-speaking country, plus a passport copy and Financial Ability Form before an I-20 is issued.

Requirements published at program group level.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate programmes admit for Fall and Spring terms; some programmes do not admit for the spring term and some have earlier deadlines (see the graduate catalog per programme).

Entry terms for international applicants: Spring 2027 classes start January 11, 2027 (new student arrival deadline January 10); Fall 2027 classes start August 23 (new student arrival deadline August 20).

International graduate applicants, Spring 2027: December 5 for MAcc, MBA and MS Business Analytics, and December 5 for MS AI and Computer Science. Fall 2027: July 15 for MS AI and Computer Science and August 1 for MAcc, MBA and MS Business Analytics. Other programmes have deadlines listed in the graduate catalog.

Graduate applications go through the USD Graduate Application or GradCAS; Audiology, Speech Language Pathology, Law, Medical, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies and Social Work use specialty CAS applications. Application deadlines are set per programme in the Graduate Catalog and are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The graduate application fee cannot be waived or deferred and is non-refundable.

Law (JD): applications open September 1 for the next year's admission; applicants apply through LSAC CAS and must submit the LSAT, GRE or JD Next. June LSAT scores are accepted for the same year if the application is submitted by July 1. Out-of-state applicants scoring 150+ on the LSAT receive in-state tuition.

Apply through the official page: https://www.usd.edu/Admissions-and-Aid/Apply

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