Earning a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from Keuka College will prepare you with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide effective, advanced psychotherapy and psychosocial services to individual, family, and group-level clients.
And because your academic program includes 500 hours of clinical field residency, you'll have the hands-on, practical experience prospective employers are looking for.
Not only will you be ready for advanced clinical practice, but you’ll also be positioned to work in an administrative capacity and function as a leader across various organizations and communities.
Get more information to make the decision that's right for you:
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Associate Director of Admissions - Online & Graduate Studies
You'll need to earn 35 credits and 500 hours of clinical field instruction in order to earn your MSW degree from Keuka College. If you've already started an MSW program elsewhere, some of your graduate-level credits may transfer in, saving you time and money.
If you have a bachelor's degree in something other than Social Work, you'll need to earn an additional 30 Social Work Foundations credits.
35 Credits
The MSW Core Courses provide an in-depth exploration of clinical assessment and treatment, ethical Social Work practice, social welfare policy, psychopathology, and a clinical placement in an agency near you.
As part of your core, you'll be able to fine-tune your MSW degree by choosing a focus on group therapy, narrative therapy, military Social Work, treating substance abuse, clinical practice in the LGBTQ community, or solution-focused interventions.
30 Credits
For those who do not have a bachelor's degree in Social Work, the Foundations courses provide an in-depth introduction and overview to generalist Social Work practice. You'll explore psychology, sociology, ethics and diversity, social policy, research methods, and more.
From the basics of clinical Social Work to advanced psychopathology, these are the courses that will teach you how to become an exceptional clinical Social Worker.
You'll work closely with extraordinary faculty who are not only outstanding teachers, but actively practicing psychotherapists.
Writing for Professionals prepares graduate students with the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully meet the scholarly demands of Keuka College as well as the writing standards of practitioners. This course provides the student practical experience in the application of APA writing skills that are necessary for graduate school and employment success. This is achieved through the completion of a writing portfolio and subsequent analysis of their individual writing strengths and areas of need, which will be shared with program course instructors.
Utilizing an ecological/systemic conceptual framework this course is designed to help students expand and integrate theoretical knowledge and skills through which social work assessment and intervention may be carried out. Course content draws upon concepts and principals of psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic and family/systemic theories that focus on intrapsychic and transactional dynamics of an individual within various systems. The course explores the interconnected nature of these theories with emphasis on integration of the use of theory with social work principles and values as a way to guide competent social work practice with individuals. Therapeutic challenges and opportunities embedded in the various phases of the helping process are examined. Particular attention is given to evidence based methods of assessment and intervention within agency-based and socio-cultural contexts.
Since mental health issues are ubiquitous in all social work settings and practice, it is essential that social workers be familiar with conceptualizations and current developments in the area of psychopathology. This course is designed to develop a students' understanding of the bio psycho social model of psychopathology, including theories of etiology and diagnostic assessment of behavioral or psychological syndrome or patterns that are associated with an individuals' present distress. Course content will primarily be focused on the accurate classification and diagnostic criteria for the major mental disorders and developing an adequate understanding of the limitations of diagnostic assessment. Students are familiarized with various assessment measures used for psychiatric symptomatology. Ethical and socio-cultural factors in diagnosis and culturally competent professional application of diagnostic knowledge will be emphasized throughout the course.
There are countless opportunities for clinical placements at hospitals, schools, community organizations, rehabilitation centers, and many other facilities in and around the Finger Lakes, Rochester, and Syracuse. The MSW Field Director will work with you to customize your field experience to reflect your educational goals, desired practice specialty, and scheduling requests to the fullest extent possible.
The clinical placement gives you at least 500 hours of real-world, hands-on clinical Social Work experience. Your professors, the MSW Field Director, and your field supervisor will be there to help you each step of the way.
A Master's in Social Work is an investment in your future and your family that has everlasting benefits. We're here to help make pursuing your professional goals even more affordable.
Financial Aid
Scholarships, state and federal grants, employer tuition remission, and military benefits are financial aid options that may be available to you.
As an LMSW, you can offer services spanning a host of mental, emotional, and social issues in a variety of clinical settings and, ultimately, sit for the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) exam so you can engage in private practice. But the possibilities with an MSW degree are nearly endless.
You'll be prepared for any of these exciting, rewarding Social Work careers:
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that job growth for Mental Health Counselors is projected to be much faster than average between 2019 and 2029 in the United States.
And according to the New York State Department of Labor, New York Social Workers with an MSW degree earn a mean salary of $71,000 and employment prospects in New York state are very favorable.
Experienced Licensed Clinical Social Workers with the "R" privilege can earn more than $100,000 per year in New York state.
Brandon Jones '15 M'16, LMSW thinks that because of his time at Keuka College, he'll be fully prepared for whatever comes his way as a Social Worker.
The MSW Foundations program provides you with the knowledge and skills you need to earn your MSW and become an effective Social Worker. It gave me the basic clinical knowledge and skill I needed to be successful in changing my career path.
A high-quality, accredited Master's in Social Work you'll be proud to have.
Keuka College’s Master of Social Work 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.
Our students graduate prepared for the New York State licensing exam to become a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). Once graduates fulfill New York State's experience requirements, they may sit for the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) exam. Download our Assessment of Student Learning to learn more
Division Chair and Associate Professor of Social Work
Division Chair
Associate Professor of Social Work
(315) 279-5434
[email protected]
University of Rochester
Ph.D.
Roberts Wesleyan College
M.S.W.
Roberts Wesleyan College
B.S.W.
Professor of Social Work
Professor of Social Work
(315) 279-5120
[email protected]
Syracuse University
Ph.D.
Syracuse University
M.S.W.
SUNY Empire State College
B.S.
Associate Professor of Social Work
Associate Professor of Social Work
(315) 279-5120
[email protected]
Union Institute and University
Ph.D.
Nazareth College
M.S.W.
SUNY College at Buffalo
B.S.
Associate Professor of Social Work
Associate Professor of Social Work
(315) 279-5610
[email protected]
Syracuse University School of Social Work
M.S.W.
Binghamton University
B.A.
Assistant Professor of Social Work and MSW Program Director
Assistant Professor of Social Work
MSW Program Director
(315) 279-5361
[email protected]
Rutgers University
D.S.W. in
Social Work
Washington University in St. Louis
M.S.W. in
Social Work
Greenville University
B.A. in
Psychology
Assistant Professor of Social Work
Assistant Professor of Social Work
(315) 279-5059
[email protected]
University of Maryland
Ph.D. in
Human Development
University of Pittsburgh
M.S.W. in
Social Work
Cornell University
M.P.S. in
Africana Studies
Spelman College
B.A. in
Psychology
You can also get additional information by downloading a program guide, contacting your admissions counselor, or applying for admission today!
MSW stands for Master of Social Work, the terminal practice degree in the field of Social Work. Those who graduate from a clinically focused program in New York may ultimately earn enough practice experience to become an LCSW-R, a privilege that entitles you to independently bill insurance providers for psychotherapy services.
The MSW is the second-most popular master's degree in the United States, second only to the Master of Business Administration (MBA). The MSW is equivalent to the Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) and the Master of Science in Social Administration (MSSA).
If you have a bachelor's degree in Social Work, you can earn your MSW degree in 11 months as a full-time student, or 20 months as a part-time student.
If you have a bachelor's degree in something else, you can earn your Master's in Social Work in 20 months as a full-time student, or 31 months as a part-time student.
Yes. If your MSW degree is clinically focused, you can sit for the licensing exam to become a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). After passing the exam, you can begin to count your contact and supervision hours toward the State's requirements for the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) license and sit for the exam.
By meeting additional New York State client contact and supervision hours, LCSWs may earn the "R" privilege, which requires insurance companies to reimburse an in-network practitioner for services provided.
New York State recognizes two different Master of Social Work (MSW) practice degrees. The clinical degree, which is offered at Keuka College, and the generalist degree. There is not a separate Master's in Clinical Social Work degree.
No, you do not need to already be a social worker to earn an MSW degree.
Those who have a bachelor's degree in Social Work qualify for advanced standing entry to pursue their master's in social work. Those who have earned a bachelor's degree in another discipline may still earn an MSW degree, but must first study the fundamentals.
At Keuka College, the MSW Foundations program is designed for those who have a bachelor's degree in something other than social work and wish to become a clinical social worker.
Through competency-based experiential education with a strengths-based, person-in-environment framework, the Keuka College MSW program cultivates and mentors a select group of graduate students into ethical Social Work practitioners and leaders with evidence-based clinical practice intervention and prevention skills required to serve individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations while valuing diversity, the dignity and worth of all persons, and the importance of human relationships, to advance social justice by advocating equal human rights and eliminating poverty, both locally and globally, to enhance the quality of life for all.
Yes, the clinical MSW program is available in a 100% online format.
Attend a virtual session with our expert admissions counselors and learn more about the program that interests you most!
Meet one-on-one with an admissions counselor for guidance and answers specific to you.
The Senate majority leader is seeking $1.6 million for the College’s proposed outpatient facility, along with $2 million for the neighboring Finger Lakes Museum.
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