Make a Positive Impact on the People in Your Community with Liberty’s Advanced Standing MSW – Individual and Family Clinical
Are you passionate about promoting the well-being of individuals, families, and entire communities? Do you want to become a licensed social worker* who knows how to help people overcome addiction and mental health issues? With Liberty University’s Advanced Standing Master of Social Work (MSW) – Individual and Family Clinical, you can learn all of this and much more.
The Advanced Standing MSW is designed for students who hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW) from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). What does this mean for you? If you’ve earned your CSWE-accredited bachelor’s in social work,** you can pursue our Advanced Standing MSW rather than the traditional MSW – so you’ll only have to complete 31 credit hours instead of the 60 required for the traditional program! That way, you can finish your degree faster, launch your career sooner, and save money on your education.
By pursuing the individual and family clinical cognate, you can become equipped to address challenges in mental health, substance abuse, diagnosis, and therapeutic practice using clinical skills and research-informed practice. Whether you aspire to work with children, adults, families, or other vulnerable groups, our Advanced Standing MSW – Individual and Family Clinical can help you make a difference through nonprofit work, mental health services, refugee resettlement, trauma recovery, human trafficking intervention, and more.
*Liberty maintains strict compliance with all licensure requirements for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Not a Virginia resident? We want to help find the best program for you! To view educational requirements and whether a specific program aligns with the licensure requirements for your state, please review our licensure/certification requirements webpage.
**View the Admission Requirements tab on this page for more information.
Award-Winning Campus
At Liberty, you’ll find an affordable, high-quality education that equips students like you for the real world. Our commitment to excellence helped us rank as the #4 Best College Campus in America by Niche.com. Earning your degree from a nonprofit university with state-of-the-art resources like ours can help set you apart from your peers.
Why Choose Liberty’s Advanced Standing MSW – Individual and Family Clinical?
Our Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program offers a blend of academic rigor and faith-based learning. Grounded in Christian values, the curriculum emphasizes ethical practices and compassionate service, preparing you to become a Champion for Christ in your community. Additionally, our degrees are backed by accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), ensuring a commitment to high academic standards.
As an Advanced Standing MSW student, you’ll learn from expert faculty who are not only distinguished scholars but also dedicated mentors. They embody Liberty’s Christian mission and dedication to excellence, providing you with insightful instruction and valuable guidance that can foster both your personal and professional growth. Their expertise, coupled with the academic quality of the program, offers you a well-rounded and comprehensive educational experience.
Beyond the classroom, the Advanced Standing Master of Social Work gives you the opportunity to gain hands-on field experience. You’ll complete at least 600 hours of social work practice experience under the supervision of a master’s-level social worker before graduation. By working in real-world settings, you can apply your theoretical knowledge and engage in practical social work practice – allowing you to build your résumé and prepare to enter the workforce with confidence. This immersive experience is essential in preparing you for a successful career as a skilled and ethical social work professional.
What Will You Learn in Our Advanced Standing MSW – Individual and Family Clinical?
Throughout this program, you can develop skills that are essential for working in schools, hospitals, adoption agencies, nursing homes, group homes, and mental health clinics. You’ll take core social work courses as well as courses that are unique to the individual and family clinical cognate.
To help you get started, you’ll take a bridge course that can equip you for graduate studies in social work by emphasizing advanced writing skills, technology proficiencies, the biblical underpinnings of the profession, and the importance of social work values and ethics. As you complete other core courses, you’ll study topics such as policy, advocacy, diversity, applied research and ethics, and cultural humility. You’ll also complete a minimum of 600 field experience hours, which can help you apply theoretical and conceptual concepts from the classroom to practical, real-life scenarios.
Within the individual and family clinical cognate, you can learn how to work with individuals, families, and groups who struggle with mental health and substance abuse issues. Additionally, you’ll take a course in psychopathology that will cover mental health diagnoses and addictive behavior. In particular, you’ll examine how the DSM-5 diagnostic manual and ICD-10 classification/coding system are used to help diagnose symptoms and direct patients toward treatment. Other cognate courses will discuss topics such as therapeutic practice for children and families – including how to use research-informed practice to help these populations thrive.
View the Degree Completion Plan and check out our featured courses below for more information!
Featured Courses
SOWK 625 – Social Policy, Justice, and Advocacy
SOWK 641 – Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice
SOWK 643 – Child and Family Social Work Clinical Practice
SOWK 645 – Psychopathology and Addictions
Highlights of Our Advanced Standing MSW – Individual and Family Clinical
- Liberty is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
- Complete at least 600 hours of field experience prior to graduation.
- Meet the requirements to sit for social work licensure exams.
- Receive hands-on guidance and mentorship from industry experts.
- Develop core skills needed to work in schools, hospitals, adoption agencies, nursing homes, group homes, and mental health clinics.
- Learn how to provide social work services to diverse populations in a variety of settings, both domestically and internationally.
- Explore opportunities for graduate assistantships.
- Take advantage of our state-of-the-art facilities and resources – including a career center, writing coaching, and professional development events.
Advanced Standing MSW – Individual and Family Clinical Information
- Residential
- 31 total credit hours
- Transfer in up to 3 credit hours
- This program falls under the School of Behavioral Sciences
- Download and review the Degree Completion Plan
- View our course catalog for more information
- A background check is required for students in practicum courses
- Students will complete at least 600 hours of social work practice experience
Potential Career Opportunities for Graduates of Our Advanced Standing Master of Social Work – Individual and Family Clinical
- Adoption consultant
- Agency director
- Child and family social worker
- Clinical social worker
- Elementary and secondary school social worker
- Nonprofit organization director
- Social work supervisor
Admission Requirements for the Advanced Standing Master of Social Work
Every application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and all applicants must submit the following documents and meet the minimum requirements for admission:
- Admission application
- Official bachelor’s degree transcripts showing a completed BSW or BSSW from a CSWE-accredited program (conferred within the last 7 years) with a 3.0 GPA or higher
- 3 reference names and contact information (including phone number)
- At least 1 reference must be a field faculty member or program director from the BSW/BSSW program
- Statement of Purpose (400-word minimum):
- In roughly 150 words, complete the following prompt: I desire to earn a Master of Social Work degree and attend Liberty University because…
- In roughly 150 words, complete the following prompt: I show a posture of learning and respect when interacting with diverse individuals, families, and groups by…
- In roughly 100 words, discuss the following prompt: Please share about a personal challenge in your life and discuss how you have worked through this challenge. (Please do not share about a challenge with your job.)
- Writing sample (5-page minimum)
- Final field evaluation from BSW/BSSW program
- Department questionnaire (online form or PDF)
- Department approval
- Self-certification form for students in the final term of their bachelor’s degree
- Current Liberty undergraduate students seeking preliminary acceptance into a graduate program must complete a degree completion application through their ASIST account
