Master of Social Work
Graduate Program
Earn your MSW at Goshen College!
Goshen College, in partnership with Bluffton University, is proud to offer the Master of Social Work, designed to equip students with the advanced knowledge and skills required to meet the mental health needs of our communities. Specializing in mental health and emphasizing anti-racism and anti-oppressive practices, the MSW at Goshen College offers students a holistic approach to the field of social work. The MSW program also prepares students to integrate spirituality and religion into practice and to positively connect with and assist clients of diverse backgrounds.
As a small, private, liberal arts college, Goshen College is uniquely poised to offer a deeper look at the connections between diversity, equity, inclusion, spirituality and social work in a class setting that allows for greater connection between students and instructors.
Program Overview
Courses are offered through frequent group and individual Zoom sessions, as well as recorded micro lectures.
The number of credit hours for degree completion is dependent on the student’s background. Students holding a BSW may be able to be admitted with advanced standing and complete the program in 1-2 years. Students admitted at the foundation level can complete the program in 2-4 years.
Credit Hours
| Student’s Undergraduate Degree | Total Required Credit Hours | Admission | Types of Courses to Take |
| BSW from a CSWE-accredited program within the last 10 years (Students who earned the BSW degree more than 10 years ago will be considered for advanced standing based on social work experience.) |
30 | Advanced standing | Specialized courses only |
| Undergraduate degree other than BSW from any accredited institution | 57 | Foundation | Generalist + specialized courses |
Field education placement
Field education placement requirements will be fulfilled at an organization near you.
Students who enter the MSW program at the foundation level complete 900 hours in field education and students who enter the MSW program with advanced standing complete 500 hours in field education. The MSW Field Education Manual can be found here.
Cost and Financial Aid
Tuition per credit hour for 2025-26: $525
Graduate students must take a minimum of three semester hours to be eligible for loans.
Goshen College offers a 10% discount on tuition for post-baccalaureate programs to students that have earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree from Goshen College. Learn more here
Students who are employed by a Goshen College Affinity Partner will receive a 15% tuition discount for all of Goshen College’s adult and graduate programs.
Accreditation
Goshen College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and the MSW program is approved by the HLC. The Bluffton University and Goshen College Collaborative MSW program has achieved candidacy for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA).
Candidacy for an MSW program by the BOA indicates that it has made progress toward meeting standards of program quality evaluated through a peer review accreditation process. A program that has attained candidacy status has demonstrated a commitment to meeting the standards set by the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) but has not yet demonstrated full compliance.
Students that are admitted to candidate programs in the fall (or later) of the academic year in which the program is granted candidacy status will be retroactively recognized as graduates from a CSWE-BOA accredited program as long as the program attains initial accreditation. Candidacy is typically a 3-year process and attaining candidacy does not guarantee that a program will eventually attain initial accreditation.
Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program. Review our program’s candidacy status in CSWE’s Directory of Accredited Programs. For more information about social work accreditation, contact CSWE’s Department of Social Work Accreditation.