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University of South Carolina

Master of Social Work (Online)

Master'sMSWMaster of Social Work

Overview

An online Master of Social Work from the College of Social Work, with a 60-credit full-time online pathway of about two years and an 11-month online advanced standing pathway for recent BSW graduates. Coursework is mostly asynchronous with some scheduled synchronous sessions, and students complete an in-person field practicum in their home state; online applicants must live in South Carolina, North Carolina or Georgia.

Official program name
Master of Social Work (Online)
Awarded degree
Master of Social Work
Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Degree level
Master's
University
Administering location
Columbia, SCWhere the university or its administering campus is located. Study is online; this is not a residency requirement and does not decide whether you may enroll from your state.
Subject
Required credits
60 credit hours (full-time and extended time); 36 credit hours (advanced standing)
Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Duration
two years (four consecutive semesters) full-time; 11 months on the advanced standing pathway (full-time online pathway)A minimum under the stated conditions, not a typical length.
Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Teaching language
English (not separately stated)
Why this program is listed

Online MSW pathways (full-time, advanced standing, extended time) with a required in-person field practicum near the student's home; applicants must live in SC, NC or GA.

Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026

We list online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from institutionally accredited US universities. Eligibility rules

Online format and attendance

“Online” is not one format. Delivery, campus visits, practical placements and class schedule are shown separately, each only as the university states it.
Academic delivery
Online coursework + local placementCoursework is online; a clinical placement, practicum, internship, fieldwork or student teaching is completed in person, usually near the student.Coursework is online; a clinical placement, practicum, internship, fieldwork or student teaching is completed in person, usually near the student.
Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Campus visits
Campus visits: not verified
Practical placement
Practical placement required
Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Class schedule
Mixed (live + self-paced)
Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Study intensity
Not verified

In-person and practical requirements as published

  • Fieldwork Required

    In-person field practicum in the student's state of residence; virtual placements are not offered

    Two full days per week (full-time online program) · Organization near the student's home in SC, NC or GA

    Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Curriculum

Accelerated options

  • Advanced standing pathway for BSW graduates (within five years) can be completed in as little as 11 months
    Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Other

  • Synchronous sessions are held most weeks, generally in the evenings
    Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the university states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.
Prior degree
RequiredBachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; advanced standing requires a CSWE-accredited BSW
Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Minimum GPA
RequiredMinimum 3 — Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale
Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Statement / essay
RequiredStatement of purpose
Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Recommendation letters
Required2 letters — At least two recommendations for full-time online applicants (three for advanced standing)
Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Résumé / CV
RequiredCurrent CV or resume
Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Interview
OptionalAn interview may also be required
Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Transcripts
RequiredTranscripts from all colleges and universities attended
Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Other requirement
RequiredOnline MSW applicants must live in South Carolina, North Carolina or Georgia
Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Tests

Entrance and English-language test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the university printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

  • Application deadline

    April 1 · for Fall (full-time online)

    The university does not print a year with this date.

    Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
    Year not printed

  • Application deadline

    March 1 · for Summer (advanced standing)

    The university does not print a year with this date.

    Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
    Year not printed

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.
CategoryAmountBasis and year
All online students — Specially priced online program rate (residents and non-residents)From the university-wide rate table covering online students at this level$572.25per credit · 2026-2027Estimated tuition$34,335 = 60 credits × $572.25 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required visits or placements, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
All online students — Total estimated tuition and fees, 60-credit pathwayFrom the university-wide rate table covering online students at this level$34,335entire program · 2026-2027Includes feesSource: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
All online students — Total estimated tuition and fees, 36-credit advanced standing pathwayFrom the university-wide rate table covering online students at this level$20,601entire program · 2026-2027Includes feesSource: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Scholarships and financial aid

Awards published by the university for this program or for online students at this level. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships; financial aid availability does not make a program “fully funded”. Scholarships & funding guide

Program-specific scholarships: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Accreditation, authorization and licensure

Three separate questions: is the university accredited, can it enroll students from your state online, and does the program meet licensure requirements where you live?

Institutional accreditation

  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

Programmatic accreditation

  • Council on Social Work Education — All MSW pathways are accredited by the Council on Social Work EducationSource: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026

State authorization

  • USC Columbia participates in NC-SARA and is authorized to enroll students in distance education and experiential learning coursework in NC-SARA member states; the authorization table lists the Northern Mariana Islands as not allowed. Official pageSource: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Professional licensure

  • Graduates may be eligible to sit for licensure in South Carolina; the program cannot confirm it meets licensure requirements in another state. State-by-state disclosureSource: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026
  • The programs leading to professional licensure or certification are only eligible for professional licensure or certification in the state of South Carolina unless specified otherwise in the chart below. State-by-state disclosureSource: sc.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Accreditation and state authorization do not establish that a program meets licensure requirements in your state.

International applicants

Not verified for this online program.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 10, 2026.
  1. DAPIP — SACSCOC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
  2. sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/bursar/tuition_and_required_fees/index.php — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 10, 2026
  3. sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/provost/our-offices/academicprograms/state-authorization/index.ph — Official disclosure page, verified October 10, 2026
  4. sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/provost/our-offices/academicprograms/state-authorization/professi — Official disclosure page, verified October 10, 2026
  5. sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/socialwork/documents/online_msw_program_faq_corrected.pdf — Official program page, verified October 10, 2026
  6. sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/socialwork/study/master_of_social_work/apply/index.php — Official admissions page, verified October 10, 2026
  7. sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/socialwork/study/master_of_social_work/index.php — Official program page, verified October 10, 2026
  8. sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/socialwork/study/master_of_social_work/licensure/index.php — Official disclosure page, verified October 10, 2026

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Same degree level and subject group. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

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