Washington State offers a range of online social work programs designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to tackle pressing social issues. These programs provide flexibility for individuals looking to balance their studies with personal and professional commitments.
These programs also ensure high educational standards and prepare students for licensure and practice. Whether you’re aiming for a career in clinical social work, community outreach, or policy advocacy, Washington’s online options cater to diverse interests and career paths, setting a strong foundation for future success in the field.
This guide highlights some of the popular online social work programs at the bachelor’s and master’s levels in Washington State.
Online Social Work Programs in Washington State
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering online social work programs in Washington State:
- Liberty University
- Arizona State University Online
- Grand Canyon University
- Simmons University
- UMass Global
- Walden University
- Syracuse University
- National University
- Chamberlain University
Liberty University
Online Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW)
Liberty University’s 120-credit online Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW) degree can assist you in addressing critical social challenges through an understanding of human psychology. You will learn to evaluate, engage with, and intervene for individuals, families, and communities. With the skills you acquire from this online bachelor’s degree in social work, you can assist the people of your community in taking a step toward healthier lives.
To earn your online BSSW degree, you will need to complete 120 credit hours, including 21 credits for Major Foundational Courses and 63 credits for Major Core. You must also maintain a 2.5 overall grade point average (GPA) throughout the program. This online program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
Liberty University’s online BSSW is taught by expert professors with years of real-world experience and a vested interest in your success. The program’s curriculum has been carefully developed using extensive research, the knowledge of social work professionals, and rigorous accreditation requirements.
Moreover, at Liberty, you won’t have to put your life on hold to earn your bachelor’s in social work degree online. The flexible nature of this online BSSW program allows you to complete your assignments when it’s most convenient for you.
The online delivery of the program also allows you to complete your field experience requirements at a location near you, so you can begin serving your community in a human-services capacity before you finish your degree.
Social work is not a one-size-fits-all field which is why Liberty University’s offer a variety of specializations tailored to meet diverse needs and interests. Each specialization is designed to help equip you with the specific knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience needed to begin your journey in your chosen area. You can study the ways to assess and address individual and community needs, develop and implement effective intervention strategies, and advocate for those who can’t always speak for themselves.
- Generalized Track (No Specialization): This track can give you a deep understanding of the practice of social work and develop effective intervention strategies to address social challenges. The flexible online coursework is paired with real-world field placements, allowing you to apply what you learn in your own community. This track can help you prepare for entry-level positions in healthcare, schools, and human services agencies, or for further education to advance your career in social work.
- Child and Family Track: This track is designed to help empower you with the knowledge and skills to help bring hope and healing to families facing a myriad of challenges. From addressing grief and family stress to tackling issues like neglect, substance abuse, bullying, poverty, and immigration, you can explore a range of critical areas that impact youth and their families today.
- Healthcare, Aging, and Medical Track: This track can help equip you with the core knowledge, competencies, and abilities essential for excelling in diverse healthcare settings. This track is meticulously designed to train you to address vital social issues through a comprehensive lens of human psychology. You can dive deep into assessing, connecting with, and providing crucial interventions for individuals, families, and communities, guiding them toward healthier lives.
Through Liberty’s online social work classes, you can receive specialized training in assessments, intervention strategies, and counseling techniques. These skills can help prepare you to practice as a human services professional in diverse communities. As a social worker, you can be empowered to help families and individuals make positive life changes, no matter their background.
Liberty University’s online BSSW degree can benefit you in several career paths. You can sharpen the skills you need for a career as a social worker — preparing for future graduate studies or for other behavioral science roles.
Your skills and hands-on experience with a degree in human services can lead to various career opportunities. Research, criminal justice, education, government, and other important management roles all require advanced training. Liberty University’s online BSSW degree can help prepare you to fill the increasing needs in the private, public, and nonprofit markets. With people-focused understanding, you can be a valuable human services asset.
To apply, you need to:
- Apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor.
- Send official high school transcripts or official GED test scores.
- Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system).
Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment.
Arizona State University Online
Online Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
If you are committed to supporting individuals, families, groups, and communities facing various challenges, the 120-credit online BSW at Arizona State University (ASU) may be the right choice for you. This program from ASU’s School of Social Work provides the knowledge and practical experience to build a fulfilling career in social work. You will graduate prepared to provide direct services and positively impact your community.
A BSW degree equips you to work as a social work generalist, interacting with individuals, groups, communities, and larger societal systems. In this role, you will engage in direct practice with those affected by issues related to mental health, aging, child welfare, criminal justice, disability policy, human rights, and more.
Your courses will cover a range of topics including micro and macro human behavior, ethics, and whole-person health. In your last two semesters, you will apply these concepts in a 480-hour practicum within your geographic region. Practicum sites may include hospices, youth organizations, and community centers.
This program is suited to those with varied backgrounds. If you have experience working or volunteering in social services, you may find this degree to be a good fit. Successful candidates typically have a passion for assisting others and addressing complex social issues that affect vulnerable communities.
Courses in this program are taken sequentially, building your understanding of social work concepts and skills. You will focus on key areas including advocacy, consultation, and education to develop skills in assessment, engagement, evaluation, intervention, intake, and research.
The program offers the following social work courses:
- Social Work Practice in Health Care Settings
- Domestic Violence and National AmeriCorps Service
- Technology, Interpersonal Relationships and Abuse
- Global Violence Against Women
- Child Welfare Practice
- Mastering Mindfulness
- Overview of Addictions
- Behavioral Health Services
- Legal Issues in Social Work
- Advocacy Strategies
- Intersecting Domestic Violence Child Maltreatment
- Aging in Context
- Indigenous Social Policy & Advocacy
In the 480-hour practicum, you will work under supervision at a site in your area, gaining hands-on experience and making an immediate impact in your community. This practicum solidifies your competencies and allows you to explore your professional identity. Practicum settings include schools, hospitals, nursing homes, correctional facilities, and more.
ASU offers this BSW program through ASU Sync for transfer students or those with an associate degree. ASU Sync enables you to attend live classes remotely via Zoom, with real-time discussions and collaboration.
Graduates of this program are prepared for generalist social work roles, focusing on advocacy, case management, and problem-solving with individuals, groups, families, and communities.
To apply, you must meet the following requirements:
- First-Year Students: You are considered a first-year applicant if you have never attended college or have fewer than 12 transferable credit hours. To be admitted to ASU, you must hold a high school diploma and have completed at least 14 core courses, including four years of math and English, three years of lab sciences, two years of social sciences, two years of the same second language, and one year of fine arts or technical education. You must also meet one of the following criteria:
- Top 25% in your high school graduating class.
- 3.00 GPA in competency courses.
- ACT score of 22 (Arizona residents) or 24 (nonresidents), or SAT score of 1120 (Arizona residents) or 1180 (nonresidents).
- High School Equivalents: If you do not hold a high school diploma, you may meet undergraduate requirements through GED, HiSet, TASC, or California High School Proficiency Examination. Specific scoring requirements apply.
- Transfer Students: You are a transfer applicant if you have attended college or university with at least 12 transferable credits. Transfer applicants with 12-23 credits must meet first-year student requirements and have a minimum cumulative transfer GPA of 2.50. Applicants with 24 or more credits must have a minimum cumulative transfer GPA of 2.50 to qualify.
Grand Canyon University
Online Master of Social Work (MSW) – Advanced Standing
At Grand Canyon University (GCU), you can apply your Bachelor of Social Work degree towards a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree to potentially complete your graduate education faster. If you are accepted into the advanced standing MSW program, you are eligible to move directly into the advanced year social work courses. The MSW program is accredited by the CSWE.
To qualify for an advanced standing MSW program, you must already hold a CSWE-accredited bachelor’s degree in social work. This background enables you to enter the program at an advanced stage, making the path to your degree shorter and more intensive.
In this program, you will acquire specialized skills and knowledge in areas such as social work theory, practice, and ethics. You will learn to work effectively with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities to address various social and behavioral health issues.
Most courses in this program are available online, providing you with the flexibility to study while managing your other responsibilities. You will be taught by knowledgeable faculty and have the opportunity to network with peers.
To complete GCU’s online advanced standing MSW program, you will need to earn 33 credits. You may choose to study at your own pace or enroll in back-to-back courses. Additionally, the program includes 250 hours of supervised field experience, allowing you to apply your skills in approved community agencies under professional supervision.
Core courses of the program include:
- Introduction to Graduate Studies in Advanced Standing Social Work: This course serves as an orientation for your graduate learning journey. You will develop skills that support success as a graduate social work student, explore career interests, set internship goals, and learn about licensure steps after graduation.
- Psychopathology and the Role of the Social Worker: This course prepares you to identify and understand various mental health conditions using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) criteria. You will learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of disorders and understand how culture can impact interpretation of these symptoms.
- Social Work Advocacy: In this course, you will study ethical responsibility in social work. You will also explore how to advocate effectively at various levels, including individual, family, group, community, organizational, and political contexts, to address social issues and work toward social justice.
- Advanced Social Work Practice Skills: Building on your foundational knowledge, this course emphasizes theories and models for treatment planning and interventions with individuals and families, promoting a culturally inclusive approach to mental healthcare.
- Advanced Standing Field Instruction: This course provides practical experience with individuals, families, groups, and communities in supervised community agencies. You will apply concepts and skills from your coursework.
- Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work: In this course, you will learn to apply evidence-based practices at micro, mezzo, and macro levels, practicing ethical and culturally informed delivery of programs, policies, and services to support effective social work practice.
GCU is committed to providing quality social work education, with a focus on key areas, including:
- Ethical and professional behavior.
- Diversity and difference in practice.
- Human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.
- Practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
- Engaging, assessing, intervening, and evaluating individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
Graduates of this program have career options across various settings, such as schools, healthcare organizations, and agencies supporting families. You could specialize in fields, including gerontology, criminal justice, or healthcare. With an advanced standing MSW, potential career options include:
- Social and community service manager
- Marriage and family therapist
- Counselor
- Mental health and substance abuse social worker
- Postsecondary social work educator
You could also become clinical licensed social worker, which requires licensure and supervised postgraduate practice.
To be considered for GCU’s advanced standing MSW online program, you need a Bachelor of Social Work from a CSWE-accredited program and to meet specific GPA requirements.
Simmons University
Online Master of Social Work – Traditional
Simmons University’s clinically focused, CSWE-accredited online MSW curriculum is rooted in social justice values and a multicultural perspective, preparing you for direct practice across a wide range of clinical settings.
The online MSW program at Simmons University includes weekly, interactive classes with an average of 20 students or fewer, giving you a chance to discuss social work concepts and practice methods. Live classes allow direct communication with classmates and expert faculty who are dedicated clinicians. As a student, you will have 24/7 access to tools, features, and course content.
The online MSW program offers full-time, part-time, and accelerated tracks, as well as an advanced standing track for BSW graduates, allowing you to earn your degree at the pace that best fits your lifestyle.
The program can be completed in as few as 9 months or as many as 40 months. This hands-on program enables you to connect with your classmates and professors and build relationships that continue after graduation. You will benefit from one-on-one time with faculty during online office hours and study groups with fellow students.
The online MSW program offers five tracks:
- Advanced Standing: If you hold a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program, you may be eligible to apply to the advanced standing program. In this track, you complete only 34 credits and earn your MSW in as few as 9 months with a two-term option, or 12 months with a three-term option.
- Accelerated: This intensive track is for students who are able to fully commit to their studies. It requires 65 credits and allows you to earn your MSW in as few as 16 months.
- Full Time: The full-time track enables you to complete a standard course load each term. This option requires 65 credits and allows you to earn your MSW in as few as 23 months.
- Extended: The extended track lets you earn your degree at a more manageable pace. It requires 65 credits and allows you to earn your MSW in as few as 32 months.
- Extended Plus: This slower-paced track is for students who need more time to focus on personal and professional responsibilities. You will complete 65 credits and earn your MSW in as few as 40 months.
Throughout the program, you will study different theoretical frameworks and practice methods, including:
- Ecological systems theory
- Human development
- Sociocultural theory
- Psychodynamic theory
- Cognitive behavioral theory
- Solution-focused therapy
- Motivational interviewing
Upon graduation, you will have a strong foundation in evidence-informed approaches and intervention skills for use in your practice.
This online MSW program provides traditional MSW students with over 1,000 hours of practical experience in community settings; advanced standing students complete 672 hours of practicum education. These hands-on experiences help you apply classroom knowledge in a real-world context.
You will participate in both generalist and specialized practicum experiences. Traditional MSW students begin their practicum with the Simulated Practicum Experience (SPX), a supportive online course that lets you practice your skills through simulated client encounters. After completing SPX, you will move on to a community-based agency to continue with three additional terms.
Simmons University’s placement team helps you secure a practicum placement in or near your community, supervised by professional social workers.
To apply, you must have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum 3.0 GPA (B average). Relevant work or volunteer experience is also required. If you are or have been enrolled in another CSWE-accredited MSW program, you may apply as a transfer student.
During the admissions process, a dedicated admission counselor will be available to answer any questions you may have about the program and application process.
How Much Does a Licensed Social Worker Make in Washington State?
As of January 2025, the average annual salary for a licensed social worker working in Washington State is $127,393. More experienced and top earning social workers in Washington State make over $170,000 per year.
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