Taking the GRE used to be an absolute requirement for admission into any quality Master of Social Work (MSW) program. However, many schools now believe that standardized entrance exams like the GRE are not the best indicators of student success and that the additional cost and time needed to study for the GRE might be scaring off prospective students. As a result, many on-campus and online MSW programs are eliminating GRE admissions requirements, either entirely or through GRE waivers.
In this guide, you’ll learn about some of the best fully-accredited online MSW programs that don’t require GRE scores for admission. There’s also helpful information on admissions requirements and answers to frequently asked questions from prospective students like you. Get started on your search for the perfect no-GRE online MSW program by reviewing our school rankings list below.
Top 25 No-GRE Online MSW Programs in 2022
To help you start your program search, we’ve spotlighted 25 of the top no-GRE online Master of Social Work programs available. Our selections are based on data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and include the program elements we believe are most important to prospective MSW students. Those elements include accreditation, affordability, student-to-teacher ratios, access to student support services, and more. For detailed information on our rankings, click the “About the Ranking” button below.
The Master of Social Work program from Colorado State University Online features a unique hybrid format combining both online and in-person components. Most of the curriculum (e.g., assignments, exams, discussion forums, etc.) is delivered in an asynchronous online format. Classroom instruction is attended two weekends per semester, one in-person and one synchronously online, and classes are typically held between 8:30 am and 6:00 pm both Saturday and Sunday. Additionally, students must complete substantial in-person field service experiences (i.e., 945 hours for traditional students and 675 for advanced standing students). Students entering the program with Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degrees complete the two-year advanced standing cohort, while those entering with a non-BSW bachelor’s degree complete the three-year traditional cohort. Both cohorts are part-time, and no full-time options are available. Traditional cohort students attend classes at CSU’s Denver Center while advanced standing cohort classes are available at both the Denver Center and CSU’s main campus in Fort Collins.
MSW students can specialize by adding a graduate certificate in one of five subjects: Advanced Behavioral Clinical Health, Conflict Resolution and Mediation, Nonprofit Administration, Pre-K School Social Worker, or Social Aspects of Human-Animal Interactions. Certificates are nine credits each and can be earned online and concurrently with the MSW degree.
Program Highlights:
Master of Social Work
Credits: 39 or 64
Length: Two to three years
Cost: $725/credit
Mode: Partially-online
Accreditation: HLC (school); CSWE (program).
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | HLC |
Program options and study convenience are key features of the online Master of Social Work offered by Ohio State University. All coursework is entirely online asynchronously with no required campus visits whatsoever, making this an excellent program for students no matter where they’re located. Many classes are attended synchronously via live stream at the student’s option providing them with the opportunity for real-time engagement with instructors and fellow students. All students are also required to complete in-person field practicums at any of over 800 partner agencies in Ohio and throughout the U.S. Both traditional and advanced standing programs are available, each with full-time and part-time study options.
In-state tuition rates apply to all students regardless of residency. Traditional students begin their programs in the fall semester while advanced standing students begin their studies in the summer.
Program Highlights:
Master of Social Work
Credits: 43 or 63
Length: One to four years
Cost: $787.50/credit
Mode: Fully-online plus in-person field experiences.
Accreditation: HLC (school); CSWE (program)
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | HLC |
The University of Michigan School of Social Work’s Part-Time Online Master of Social Work – Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Pathway provides a comprehensive approach to patient care through the integration of physical, mental, and behavioral health. This is essentially an advanced standing program, but there are several means by which students gain admission into the program:
- Advanced Standing: BSW degree earned with a 3.5 or higher GPA.
- Master Track: Obtain your Master Track Certificate (100% online via Coursera) before starting the MSW program.
- U-M Sociology and Social Work: Earn your BA in Sociology through the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor.
- UM-Dearborn Human Services and Social Work: Earn your BS in Health and Human Services with Human Services Concentration through the University of Michigan – Dearborn.
Once admitted into the program, students complete 45 credits of part-time coursework over seven semesters. The curriculum combines online synchronous classes two hours per week with asynchronous online content consisting of approximately six and half hours per week of assignments, videos, readings, discussion boards, etc. It also includes field practicums of 16 hours per week over two semesters for Advanced Standing students and four semesters for all others attended at a human services agency near the student’s home.
Program Highlights:
Part-Time Online MSW – Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Pathway
Credits: 45
Length: Seven semesters
Cost: $46,819/program (Michigan resident); $74,201/program (non-Michigan resident)
Mode: Partially-online
Accreditation: HLC (school); CSWE (program).
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | HLC |
You’d be hard-pressed to find a no-GRE online MSW program with a greater variety of format and content options than the Master of Social Work Online from the University of Kentucky. As with most MSW programs, both traditional (i.e., non-BSW bachelor’s degree holders) and advanced standing (i.e., BSW degree holders) tracks are available, each with accelerated full-time and regular part-time study options. In addition, all these program options are offered in both fully-online and hybrid formats. Fully-online students can start their programs in the fall, spring, or summer, while fall and spring starts are available for hybrid format students.
Regardless of format, all MSW online students at UK complete in-person field practicums (i.e., 900 hours for traditional students and 600 hours for advanced standing students). Additionally, all MSW students complete either a nine-credit certificate in substance use disorder or clinical social work practice or a nine-credit individualized plan of study. Each option takes the place of elective courses and does not increase the number of credits required to earn this MSW degree.
Program Highlights:
MSW Online
Credits: 30 or 60
Length: One to three years
Cost: $700.50/credit (one to eight credits); $6,291/semester (nine or more credits)
Mode: Fully-online plus in-person field experiences
Accreditation: SACSCOC (school); CSWE (program)
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | SACSCOC |
The online Master of Social Work program at the University of Nebraska Omaha features an advanced generalist curriculum founded on concepts of ethnic and cultural diversity and movement toward ending all forms of social injustice. The program is particularly noteworthy for featuring tuition rates that are among the lowest available for no-GRE online MSW programs anywhere, including for Nebraska and out-of-state residents alike.
All didactic coursework for this MSW is completed entirely online. In addition, students participate in substantial generalist and advanced social work practicums requiring face-to-face participation at program-approved social services agencies throughout Nebraska and in several other states. Both Foundational Level (i.e., for non-social work bachelor’s degree applicants) and Advanced Standing (i.e., for BSW degree applicants) program options are available.
Program Highlights:
Master of Social Work
Credits: 39 or 63
Length: Maximum of six years
Cost: $375/credit (Nebraska residents); $617/credit (out-of-state residents)
Mode: Fully-online plus in-person field experiences
Accreditation: HLC (school); CSWE (program).
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | HLC |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | HLC |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | SACSCOC |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | SACSCOC |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | SACSCOC |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | MSCHE |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | HLC |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | SACSCOC |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | MSCHE |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | HLC |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | NWCCU |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | HLC |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | SACSCOC |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | MSCHE |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | SACSCOC |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | HLC |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | HLC |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | SACSCOC |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | HLC |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | SACSCOC |
School Services & Accreditation
| Career Services | Yes |
| Academic Counseling | Yes |
| Accreditation | HLC |
Admissions for No-GRE Online MSW Programs: What You Need to Know
The admission requirements for no-GRE master’s in social work degrees vary somewhat from program to program, but there are many common elements. Most programs are quite competitive, so you must set yourself apart from other applicants by not only meeting the minimum admissions requirements but also by exceeding them wherever possible.
-
Bachelor’s Degree
-
Grade Point Average
-
Letters of Recommendation
-
Admissions Essays, Statements of Purpose, and Personal Statements
-
Additional Admissions Requirements
The foundational requirement for admission into any no-GRE online MSW program is possession of a bachelor’s degree from a properly accredited college or university. Applicants with a previously-earned bachelor’s in social work are eligible for admission into programs with advanced standing, meaning they’re not required to complete what is commonly a year of full-time foundational social work courses. Applicants with bachelor’s degrees in non-social work majors are also typically eligible for admission but must complete the full traditional course of study with this foundational coursework.
All no-GRE online MSW programs include minimum cumulative grade point average requirements on all or part of an applicant’s bachelor’s degree coursework. A 3.0 or higher GPA is most common for those applying to traditional format programs. Advanced standing programs often require a higher average, at least on all undergraduate social work coursework. For example, the University of Michigan’s Advanced Standing Online Part-Time MSW Program requires a minimum 3.5 GPA for the equivalent of the applicant’s final two years of undergrad study.
Most no-GRE online MSW programs require two or three letters of recommendation as part of the application packages. Effective letters of recommendation are ones with specific information that paints a vivid picture of who you are and why you would be an outstanding choice for a program. These letters should be professional and from authoritative academic and work-related sources who know you well.
A quality admissions essay, statement of purpose, and personal statement may end up being the determining factor in your acceptance into an MSW program of choice. Some schools require multiple types of statements, while others combine them in some way. The University of Michigan, for example, requires applicants to its MSW program to submit a single statement that incorporates all three. Make sure you have a clear understanding of the specific content your program is looking for in your essays and statements and provide it in the most well-written and compelling fashion possible.
Application packages for no-GRE online MSW programs also usually include official college transcripts, a professional CV or resume, previously-completed social work-related coursework, and volunteer or paid work experience in the social work field. A face-to-face or online interview with an admissions committee or program faculty member may also be required.
For more great information and advice on applying to your no-GRE online master of social work program, visit our How to Get into Grad School: Guide for New Master’s Students.
Frequently Asked Questions About No GRE Online MSW Programs
Are there CSWE-accredited online MSW programs that don’t require the GRE?
Many CSWE-accredited online MSW programs don’t require the GRE, including the five programs spotlighted above and all the programs on our rankings list. You can usually find information on CSWE accreditation status on program or school accreditation webpages. You can also check accreditation status using the CSWE’s Directory of Accredited Programs search engine.
How much do no-GRE online MSW programs cost?
Cost depends on a variety of factors, including total credits and residency status. Per-credit tuition rates for no-GRE MSW programs vary from about $400 a credit hour as with the University of Nebraska’s MSW program to as high as over $74,000 for an entire program like the MSW at the University of Michigan for out-of-state residents.
Remember that tuitions and fees are only part of the total program cost. It’s also crucial to factor in the financial aid funds you’ll receive and how much you’ll travel for any in-person requirements. For more information on potential financial aid resources for your no-GRE online social work master’s program, check out our guide to Funding Your Online Master’s Degree.
How fast can I complete my no-GRE online MSW?
Major factors impact program length, including whether you’re in a traditional or advanced standing program and whether you study full-time or part-time. Common program lengths include one year full-time and two years or more part-time for advanced standing programs and two years full-time and three years or more part-time for traditional programs. As with cost, however, completion times vary by the specific program, so confirm the program length for any no-GRE online MSW program before you enroll.
For online MSW programs that do require GRE scores, are there waivers available?
Waivers of GRE score requirements are available for some online MSW programs, and specific criteria for receiving a waiver vary from program to program. For example, applicants to the online MSW program at Appalachian State University may receive a GRE waiver if they:
- Have completed a graduate degree in a non-social work discipline; or
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on their last earned undergraduate degree; or
- Are eligible for advanced standing and have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher for their undergraduate social work major courses.
Should I submit my GRE scores even if an online MSW doesn’t require them?
Not if the program you’re applying to doesn’t require them and doesn’t state that GRE scores are optional. In fact, those programs will likely not accept your GRE scores even if you submit them. However, if GRE scores are optional, you’ll likely gain an advantage by submitting them if your scores are good. If you’re not sure if submitting GRE scores is a good idea, contact the admissions office and ask.