Social Work

The Master of Social Work (MSW) program at New York University is designed to prepare students for advanced roles in social service practice, policy, and research. Located in the heart of New York City, NYU’s program offers a comprehensive and practical education that combines rigorous coursework with real-world field experiences. Students will gain essential skills to assess, intervene, and advocate for diverse populations, including individuals, families, groups, and communities facing complex social challenges. The program emphasizes social justice, cultural competence, ethical practice, and leadership, equipping graduates to make a meaningful impact across various settings such as healthcare, mental health, child and family services, and community development.

The curriculum is structured to provide a balanced mix of theoretical knowledge and practical application. Core courses cover topics like human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policy, research methods, and clinical practice. Specialized electives allow students to focus on areas such as trauma, substance abuse, child welfare, or organizational leadership. The program includes a mandatory field placement component where students gain supervised hands-on experience in agencies and organizations aligned with their interests. This field education is integral to applying classroom learning to real-world situations and developing professional competency.

NYU’s School of Social Work faculty comprises leading scholars and practitioners dedicated to advancing social justice and improving well-being for underserved populations. Students benefit from small class sizes, individual mentorship, and access to NYU’s extensive alumni network and community resources. The MSW program is also committed to fostering diversity and inclusion, encouraging students to consider social determinants of health and systemic inequalities in their practice. Graduates of the program are well-prepared to pursue licensure as Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) and to assume leadership roles in social service agencies, government agencies, non-profit organizations, or pursue doctoral studies.

With a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative approaches, the NYU MSW program aims to develop skilled social workers who can adapt to changing societal needs. Whether working directly with clients, shaping social policies, or leading community initiatives, graduates leave equipped to promote social justice and effect positive change at individual, community, and systemic levels. The program’s location in New York City provides unparalleled opportunities for networking, internships, and engagement with a diverse array of practice settings, making it an ideal place for aspiring social work professionals to begin or advance their careers.

FIRST YEAR (PROFESSIONAL FOUNDATION)

• Integrated Practice & Field Curriculum I and II
• Social Welfare Programs and Policies I
• Human Behavior in the Social Environment I
• Human Behavior in the Social Environment II
• Social Work Research I
• Diversity, Racism, Oppression, and Privilege
• Clinical Practice with Groups
• Social Welfare Programs and Policies I DL
• Human Behavior in the Social Environment III DL

SECOND YEAR (ADVANCED CONCENTRATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE)

• Social Work Practice III
• Social Work Practice IV
• Human Behavior in the Social Environment III
• Social Work Research II
• Advanced Social Policy
• Advanced Concentration-Field Learning
• Field Instruction OYR-A
• Field Instruction OYR-B

ELECTIVES

Students are invited to select electives from among those offered by the Silver School of Social Work and by other schools in the University. Students in other schools of the University are likewise invited to register for Silver School of Social Work courses for which they have the appropriate educational background. Questions with regard to possible prerequisites for elective courses should be directed to the Office of Registration Services, 1 Washington Square North; 212-998-5960.

• An Integrative Gestalt Therapy Approach to Clinical SW Practice
• An Introduction to Conflict Management
• Anti-racism for Social Workers: Understanding the Impact of Structural Racism on Practice, Policies, Programs and Research (3 credits)
• Clinical Practice in Illness & Healthcare
• Clinical Practice with Aging Populations
• Clinical Practice with Children
• Clinical Practice with Couples
• Clinical Practice with Families: Contemporary Issues & Approaches
• Clinical Practice with Substance Abusers and Their Families
• Clinical Social Work Practice with LGBT Clients
• Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention
• Community Health Needs Assessment: An Experiential and Collaborative Case Study of Del Carmen, Philippines (3 credits)
• Community Organization
• Comparative Criminal Justice
• Comparative Short Term Therapies: Crisis, Dynamic, and CBT
• Contemporary Aging
• Contemporary Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender
• Creative Arts Therapy in Clinical Social Work
• Critical Analysis of Psychotherapy Theories
• Culturally Competent Practice with Urban Youth and Families
• Culture and Social Issues of Central America - Study Abroad in Costa Rica
• Depression: Conceptual Issues and Clinical Perspectives
• Developing Community Level HIV Prevention Interventions: Domestic & Global Perspectives
• Ethical Leadership (2 credits)
• Ethnographic Mapping of HIV Risk in the Caribbean
• Evidence Based Practice
• Forensic Justice and Problem-Solving Courts
• Grief, Loss & Bereavement
• Inequalities in Globalization
• Legislative Advocacy for Social Work & Social Policy
• Macro Practice, Policy, & Social Movements
• Management and Organizational Practice
• Mexican Immigrants & New York City: Understanding Puebla as a Focal Community of Origin
• Micro Practice: Global Mental Health
• Mindfulness and Social Work Practice
• Object Relation Theory
• Practice With Adult Survivors of Childhood Sex Abuse
• Research Project Seminar II
• Social Work in Health and Mental Health
• Social Work Practice in Child Welfare
• Social Work Practice in Integrative Behavioral Health
• Social Work & the Law
• Social Work Practice with Traumatized Children in Context
• Social Work and Family Violence
• Clinical Practice with Adolescents in Schools
• Theories of Attachment
• Theories of Child Development

ONE-CREDIT INTENSIVE ELECTIVES

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
• An Introduction to Disabilities and Clinical Social Work Practice
• Art and Activity-Based Therapies with Groups and Families
• Art Therapy with Children and Adolescents
• Child Care and Vulnerable Families: Child Care Providers as Social Service Workers
• Child Psychopathology
• Child Welfare Practice with Immigrant Families
• Clinical Practice with African Americans
• Clinical Practice with Families: An Introduction to Family Therapy Theory and Techniques
• Clinical Practice with Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
• Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention
• Conflict Resolution for Children and Adolescents
• Contemporary Gestalt Approach to Social Work Practice
• Current Approaches to Trauma
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy
• Disaster, Trauma and Loss
• Disorders of Childhood
• Eating Disorders: Diagnosis and Clinical Treatment Issues
• Entitlements Seminar
• Getting Beyond the System: Focus on Foster Care
• Grief, Loss and Bereavement
• Group Facilitation
• Group Work with Children & Adolescence
• Hospital, Health System Payment, Policy and Regulation: Impact at the Bedside
• Immigrant Families: Stressors & Adaptation
• Interpersonal Psythotherapy: Principals and Practice
• Introduction to Clinical Diagnosis
• Introduction to Contemporary Child Practice
• Introduction to Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation in Social Work Practice
• Mental Health & Juvenile Justice Involved Youth
• Narrative Means to Policy Ends
• Neurobehavioral Disorders in Children
• Neurobiology in Social Work Practice
• Occupational Social Work
• Overview of Learning Disabilities & Deficits in Attention
• Positive Psychology
• Practice with Spanish Language/Latino Families
• Preventing Burnout and Understanding Vicarious and Secondary Trauma
• Psychopharmacology
• Recovery from Mental Disorders
• Severe Mental Illness: Contemporary Neuroscience & Psychosocial Perspectives
• Sexual Health in Social Work Practice
• Social Work Practice & Domestic Violence
• Social Work Practice in Secondary Schools and Colleges
• Social Work Practice with Military Families
• Substance Abuse Among Women Through the Life Cycle
• Teaching Parenting Skills to At-Risk Clients in Agency Settings
• Therapy Interventions for Traumatized Children: How to Incorporate Play Therapy
• The Relevance of Outcome Management to Social Work Practitioners
• The Use of Harm Reduction in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders
• Understanding & Intervening Clinically with Veterans
• Understanding and Working with Muslim Populations
• Women and Leadership
• Women in Prison: Focus on Clinical Practice Issues

Requirements

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. Applicants should have a broad liberal arts background that includes study in the social, behavioral, and biological sciences with a minimum of 60 liberal arts credits. Course work relating to diverse cultures, social conditions, and social problems is favorably considered. Academic credit is not given for life experience in lieu of field education or course requirements.

• A strong academic record and demonstrated intellectual capacity for graduate education.
• An ability to think logically and conceptually and to formulate mature judgments.
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge of the field and evidence of a commitment to social work as a profession.
• Evidence of emotional maturity, concern for people, and capacity for self-awareness and personal growth.
• Demonstrated concern and commitment to the values underlying professional social work.
• Respect for diversity.
• The GRE is NOT required.
• Minimum scores for the TOEFL are: paper based (PBT): 580; computer based (CBT): 237; Internet based (IBT): 92-93. Our TOEFL code is 2506. We will accept an unofficial score until the official one arrives.
• Admission criteria for the IELTS is an overall score of 7.0 or higher (no individual scores less than 7 in any category).
• A statement of purpose
• Transcripts from all college and universities attended
• Three letters of reference
• Resume

Indications of motivation and readiness for social work education include related work or volunteer experience and undergraduate or graduate courses in social and behavioral sciences or social work. When these are lacking, weight is given to the applicant's involvement in community activities or participation in organizations committed to humanistic values.

Scholarships

• NYU SILVER TUITION SCHOLARSHIP
• NAMED SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS
• NYU PEACE CORPS COVERDELL FELLOWSHIP
• CITY YEAR NATIONAL SERVICE SCHOLARS PROGRAM
• TEACH FOR AMERICA
• SEGAL AMERICORPS EDUCATION AWARD
• Dalai Lama Fellowship
• GIVA STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP

The Social Work program at New York University offers a comprehensive education designed to prepare students for effective practice in diverse social service settings. The program emphasizes both theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for addressing complex social issues such as poverty, inequality, mental health, substance abuse, child welfare, and healthcare disparities. Students are engaged in rigorous coursework covering human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policy and services, research methods, and field education. One of the key components of the program is its hands-on fieldwork, which provides students with real-world experience and opportunities to work with various populations and community organizations in New York City and beyond.

NYU's Silver School of Social Work maintains strong partnerships with government agencies, healthcare institutions, nonprofit organizations, and community groups, enabling students to participate in internships that are integral to their professional development. The program also places a significant emphasis on cultural competence, social justice, and ethical practice, preparing graduates to serve diverse populations with sensitivity and respect. Faculty members are nationally recognized researchers and practitioners who bring valuable industry insights into their teaching. The curriculum is regularly updated to reflect current trends, policies, and challenges in the social work field.

Graduates of the program pursue careers in clinical practice, community development, policy analysis, advocacy, administration, and research. NYU's location in New York City offers students access to a vibrant social service landscape, giving them opportunities for networking, collaboration, and employment after graduation. The program also offers advanced standing options for students with relevant undergraduate degrees, allowing for accelerated pathways to licensure as licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs). Overall, NYU's Social Work program aims to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and ethical foundation needed to make meaningful impacts in individuals' lives and broader communities.