Social Work (MSW)

MSW Practicum

Practicum education is an integral part of graduate social work education, providing a unique opportunity to integrate classroom learning with a supervised practice experience in various social work settings. Experienced practicum instructors and liaisons will work closely with you to guide your placement experience. Our faculty are dedicated to supporting the success of our students with strong partnerships with agencies throughout New Jersey.

Online MSW students complete two practicum experiences. The first practicum is 15 hours per week for a total of 400 hours. The second practicum is 18 hours per week for a total of 500 hours. Students can expect to complete practicum hours during daytime, business hours from Monday to Friday. Practicum placements will occur on-site, where students will have the opportunity to interact with diverse populations and implement direct practice skills.

Students will have the opportunity to complete their practicum placements at a wide range of settings including but not limited to mental health centers, non-profit agencies, school settings, hospitals and much more. Students employed in a social service setting may also apply for an employment based practicum placement, which provides a unique opportunity to complete practicum requirements at your current source of employment.

Admission Requirements

• Equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree.
• Deposit Required: An enrollment deposit is required upon admission and will be applied to your first semester’s tuition.
• Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the International Applicants page to review the US degree equivalency information.

Application Checklist

• Application Deadline:
  • Fall Admission (On Campus & Online Program Options)
    • March 15. Applications completed by March 15 will receive priority review and an admissions decision no later than April 15. Applications completed after the priority deadline will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the program is full.
  • Spring Admission (Online Program Only)
    • October 15. Applications completed by October 15 will receive priority review and an admissions decision no later than November 15. Applications completed after the priority deadline will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the program is full.
• Online Application: Submit application and $60 non-refundable fee (or waiver if applicable).
• Transcript: One from each college attended.
• Personal Statement
  • In-Person, On Campus Essay Prompt

  • Online Essay Prompt

• Letters of Recommendation: Two
• Resume: Required. The program faculty for the Master of Social Work program suggests you format your resume similar to this example.

Additional Requirements for applicants to the Advanced Standing MSW

• Final Field Evaluation: Applicants applying to the Advanced Standing program are required to submit a final field evaluation to be reviewed for admission to the Montclair State University MSW program. The admissions committee expects to see the following components on a final field evaluation:
  • Student Name
  • School Name
  • Agency Name/Placement Site Name
  • Rating/commentary of performance in social work competencies as outlined by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
  • Signatures from Field Instructor and student

  If an applicant’s field placement is still in progress at the time their application is complete, a midterm field evaluation may be submitted for admission decision review. If admitted into the program, a final field evaluation is required prior to enrolling in the program. All the above requirements also apply to any midterm evaluations that are submitted.

• Recommendation for Advanced Standing: Applicants applying to the Advanced Standing program are required to submit an assessment and recommendation by the applicant’s social work program director. Download this recommendation form here.