Frequently Asked Questions

The cost per credit hour is the rate charged by the University’s College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences for graduate tuition. That rate changes from year to year; for additional information visit the Admission and Aid website.

DePaul University operates on the quarter system and the MSW degree requires 88 hours of course work for graduation.  The 88 credit hours include 24 hours of internship credit for the two required, academic-year long field placements.

The MSW program has had two enrollment options; the full-time program is designed to be completed in two years of academic study with students required to complete an average of four classes (16 credit hours) per quarter. In the part-time, three-year and four-year options, students complete an average of two to three classes (8-12 credit hours) per academic quarter.  Part-time students begin their internships in year two while full-time students complete their internships with their academic course work.

The DePaul MSW program requires students to complete two academic-year long placements at social service agencies. Each year in placement, students are expected to intern at their agencies from two to two and a half days each week for the entire academic (September thru June) year. While students cannot arrange their own placements, they can indicate their geographic (and other) preferences as well as any scheduling concerns during their pre-placement process. Students are charged with negotiating their schedules with their agency-based supervisors, keeping in mind that it is in their best interests to spend as much continuous time as possible in their internships.

Internships are daytime Monday through Friday. Occasionally an internship offers the opportunity for some evening and weekend hours, but students can expect that most internship hours must be completed during the traditional Monday through Friday work week.

Presently all of the required MSW courses are offered exclusively on the Loop campus which is conveniently located on the Jackson Red Line stop and is served by several major bus routes as well.  

Yes, the DePaul University MSW program will offer school social work as a concentration starting Fall 2026. More information is forthcoming. Contact msw@depaul.edu if you have questions in the meantime.

All graduate programs in social work are required to offer content on direct practice. Most of the content on professional work or directly with individuals comes during the first part of the curriculum. The second part of the curriculum, commonly called the ‘concentration’ in graduate programs in social work emphasizes professional work within the context of community, and this emphasis includes agency administration, fund development, program evaluation, and other skills central to guiding and directing community-based agencies and organizations serving individuals, families, and neighborhoods. The Forensic Social Work concentration will focus on the intersection of social work practice and the legal system.

An Advanced Standing option is not currently available in the DePaul University MSW program.

All applicants educated outside of the US must certify their proficiency in the English language by submitting an official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo score with their application.  A TOEFL score of 96 (ibt), a minimum 7.0 on the IELTS, or a 125 on the Duolingo are the preferred scores for this requirement.

Financial Aid information specific to the MSW Program is collected in the Student Resources section of this site: http://las.depaul.edu/academics/social-work/student-resources/Pages/default.aspx.