Program Mission
Located within the world's finest public university and one of the most diverse regions in the nation, the mission of UC Berkeley Social Welfare’s MSW program is to prepare multi-level practitioners who are trained to integrate multiple disciplinary sources of knowledge, build upon the strongest available empirical and practice-based evidence, and advance the pursuit for social and economic justice through anti-oppressive and anti-racist practices. Multi-level practitioners are adept at the theoretical and practical integration of direct and indirect forms of practice, coupled with critical thinking skills that employ a multi-level conception of social welfare values, ethics, and social justice.
Program Overview
The CSWE-accredited UC Berkeley Social Welfare Master of Social Welfare (MSW) Program is a full-time, on-campus degree program designed to be completed in two years. We do not offer a part-time degree plan option, admission with advanced standing status, or an online MSW degree.
Our multi-level practice curriculum requires graduates to complete a minimum of 23 courses, or 60 units:
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20 units of Generalist Practice coursework, focused on engagement, assessment, and interventions at multiple levels
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10 units of advanced, Elective coursework, 2 units of which must be individual and family intervention and 2 units of which must be community and organizational intervention and/or policy
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6 units of Social Research methods, inclusive of the UC Berkeley master’s capstone requirement
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24 units of Practicum Education, which includes two years of practicum placement
Practicum Placement
MSW students apply classroom learning through supervised practice in agency settings, with two distinct placements. For more information on practicum placements, please see the practicum placement page.
Multi-level Practice Curriculum & Coursework
Core MSW curriculum covers generalist practice concepts, advanced and elective coursework, social-work practicum based education, and social research methods. Visit the UC Berkeley Graduate Catalog to review course descriptions.