About our Advanced Standing Track
If you already earned a B.S.W. from an institution accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and now want to pursue your Master of Social Work degree, you may qualify for UNE’s Advanced Standing Track, which puts you on an accelerated path to your M.S.W.
Rather than completing 64 credit hours of graduate course study and two field placements (internships) over four semesters, you will complete 32 credit hours and one field placement in just two semesters, saving you both time and money.
You may choose to complete the Advanced Standing Track in one year as a full-time student or in two years as a part-time student.
I chose UNE’s Advanced Standing M.S.W. program because it dropped me right into the clinical focus I was hoping for. I was able to build on my B.S.W. degree, rather than going through an extended program, and really gain the clinical skills I was hoping for through practice and education. As a father and partner, receiving my M.S.W. in only a year has allowed me to reach my professional goals without taking me away from my professional life.” — Graham Botto, M.S.W. ’22
Advanced Standing Curriculum
The first year of the Traditional Track of the Master of Social Work program, known as the Generalist Year, is waived for Advanced Standing Track students, which allows you to dive right into the Specialization Year.
In your specialized courses, you will glean clinical skills necessary for advanced social work practice with individuals, families, and groups while also taking advanced courses in policy and program development, administration, supervision, political advocacy, community practice, and evaluation.
To view the full Advanced Standing Progression, see the M.S.W. curriculum section.
I chose to pursue my M.S.W. at UNE through the Advanced Standing Track because I wanted to stay in the wonderful city of Portland while finishing my degree in just seven months. My experience at UNE has been rich and fulfilling for many reasons: the wonderful/knowledgable professors who will always make themselves available to you outside of class, the collaboration and support among my peers, and the wide network of social work connections in the greater Portland community that will be invaluable as I pursue social work career.” — Eva Goldfinger, M.S.W. ’22
Academic Standards and Application Requirements
Applicants are required to meet all requirements for the traditional M.S.W. track listed in the Admissions section in addition to the following:
- Submission of an official transcript reflecting conferral of a Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) degree from a CSWE accredited B.S.W. program, preferably within the last seven (7) years.
- Completion of coursework equivalent to UNE’s Foundation courses at the undergraduate level with a “B” or better is strongly preferred.
- Evidence of field placement with M.S.W. supervision. Please submit copies of field evaluations and verification of completed field hours as part of your application.
- One (1) reference must come from a faculty member within your previous B.S.W. program who can speak to your academic abilities (this can serve as one of the required recommendations).
- Applicants who submit a complete application prior to the conferral of a bachelor's degree may be conditionally accepted upon satisfying all requirements listed above.