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MSW Programs in Connecticut

Featured Programs:
  • Fordham's top-ranked Graduate School of Social Service Online Master of Social Work - Top-25 ranked online MSW offers both Traditional and Advanced standing programs. Both CSWE-accredited programs allow you to earn your degree full-time or part-time. Request Information!
  • Baylor University Master of Social Work - Bachelor's holders can prepare for social work licensure with Baylor's CSWE-accredited MSW program online. Complete in as few as 12-16 months. No GRE required. Request Information!
  • The University of Denver's Master of Social Work online - CSWE-accredited MSW online from a top-20 school of social work. Students with a BSW can earn their MSW in as few as 18 months in the advanced standing track. Request Information!
  • Simmons University's Online Master of Social Work - CSWE-accredited; No GRE required. Full-time, part-time, and accelerated tracks available, as well as an advanced standing track for BSW graduates. Request Information
  • With Walden University’s CSWE-Accredited Online Master of Social Work you’ll get a remote learning experience that includes VR simulated scenarios and labs to prepare you for anything that might come your way in your social work career, along with all the practical skills you need to ace your state licensing exam. Click here to learn about this program.
  • University of Kentucky’s College of Social Work offers a CSWE Accredited Online Master of Social Work program with Regular Standing or Advanced Standing options. Graduates have consistently done well on the licensure exams. Click Here to learn more about the UK online MSW programs.
  • Capella University's CSWE accredited online Master of Social Work program helps prepare students to enter the general or clinical practice role. An Advanced Standing MSW option is available. Capella also offers an online Doctor of Social Work. Click Here to contact Capella University about their Master of Social Work program or Doctor of Social Work program.
  • University of Montana MSW program educates you to these ideals as they apply to social work. By graduation, you can use your knowledge of research, policy and advocacy to work in diverse social work arenas. Request Information!

Connecticut is named after the Connecticut River, which bisects most of the state and is derived from the Algonquian word for “beside the long tidal river (1). Connecticut is the most southern state located in the U.S. northeastern region, New England. It is also the third smallest and yet the 29th most populous state, being the fourth most densely populated state in the union (2).

The state capital is Hartford, which is the third most populous city in Connecticut with approximately 121,203 residents. The most populous city in Connecticut is Bridgeport, with approximately 143,653 residents (3). Connecticut is known as the state that made the first commercial hamburger (1895), the Polaroid camera (1934) and the helicopter (1939). The first color television (1948) was manufactured and sold in state. Connecticut is also home to The Hartford Courant, the oldest U.S. newspaper still being published (established in 1764) (4).

Connecticut Social Issues

Connecticut appears at first glance to have fewer social problems than most states. Over a third of adults hold a college degree, and close to 90.6 percent hold a high school diploma or above (5). However, as reported by the Economic Analysis and Research Network, Connecticut ranks second in the nation regarding income disparity, topped only by New York. The top one percent of wage earners in the state make roughly 40 times more than the bottom 99 percent (6). The most populous city in the state, Bridgeport, used to be a manufacturing industry hub, but most of the factories in town have shut down. How has this impacted the community? The upper middle class is moving out of the city, leaving behind a population dealing with increasing poverty and crime-related problems (7).

Substance abuse is also a concern in the state. Admission to substance abuse treatment centers has risen from 47,674 admissions in 2001 to 62,317 admissions in 2011 (8). Over all, Connecticut scores well in terms of healthcare access and availability. However, the State of Connecticut Department of Health has put together a statewide initiative titled “Healthy Connecticut 2025,” which outlines health improvement priorities for the state. The initiative addresses the following issues: poor housing conditions, unhealthy community design, obesity and a variety of other health issues, such as vaccinations for preventable disease, blood pressure and heart health (9).

Healthcare social work positions are expected to increase by 11 percent over the next decade (10), as are mental health (13%) and substance abuse social work (13%) opportunities (11).

Pursuing Your MSW in Connecticut

If you’d like to get your master’s in social work in state, you’re in luck. According to the 2019 US News & World Report school rankings, the University of Connecticut’s School of Social Work is one of the best in the country, ranking number 36 in the nation. You can also pursue your MSW at Southern Connecticut State University (12).

The University of Connecticut is unique because it offers a wide variety of programs and options. The school prides itself on its methods-based specialization, through which you can choose an education track focused on a specific method, such as casework, community organization, group work or policy administration (13). The school also boasts a wide range of study options, ranging from advanced standing to employed social work programs (14). In addition to the conventional concentrations, U Conn also offers concentrations in urban social work, international issues, or work specific to Latino or African American populations (15).

After you graduate, you may want to see if you can qualify for loan forgiveness programs like the National Health Service Corps loan forgiveness program (NHSC) or the Connecticut State Loan Repayment Program (CSLRP). If you can find work in a “Health Professional Shortage Area” (HPSA), you may qualify for loan repayment, which will go a long way towards paying off any loans you may have taken out while pursuing your degree.

Working as a Social Worker in CT

The median income for child, family and school social workers is $67,550 per year, making Connecticut the second highest paying state in the nation for this particular sector of social work positions (16). Job growth in this sector is anticipated to grow at a rate of 8 percent (17). Healthcare social workers can expect to make a median annual income of $71,390, while mental health and substance abuse social workers earn a median income of $64,540 per year (18).

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, social work and the social service fields in general are expanding rapidly in Connecticut. This combined with high salaries makes this area a desirable place to work (19).

Licensure and Professional Development Resources

Universities offering MSW Programs in Connecticut

Sources Cited

  1. Origin of State Names. Infoplease.com. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0854966.html
  2. United States, 2012. World Atlas Travel. http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/populations/usapopl.htm
  3. USA: Connecticut, 2021. City Population. https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities
  4. Connecticut Facts and Trivia, 2014. 50 States.com. http://www.50states.com/facts/conn.htm#.U8MP-I1dXgI
  5. State and County QuickFacts, 2019. United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/dashboard/CT
  6. New Report: Income Disparity on the Rise, Especially in Connecticut, 2014. Partnership for Strong Communities. http://www.pschousing.org/news/new-report-income-disparity-rise-especially-ct
  7. In Connecticut, Two Sides of a Deep Economic Divide, 2013. National Public Radio. http://www.npr.org/2013/01/17/169509521/in-connecticut-two-sides-of-a-deep-economic-divide
  8. State Admissions to Substance Abuse Treatment Services, 2001 – 2011. Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration. http://www.samhsa.gov/data/DASIS/TEDS2011St_Web.pdf
  9. Connecticut DPH State Wide Health Improvement Priorities, 2021. Connecticut Department of Health. https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/State-Health-Planning/Healthy-Connecticut/Healthy-Connecticut-2025
  10. America’s Career InfoNet – Career Profile, 2019. Career One Stop. https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Careers/Occupations/Occupation-profile.aspx?keyword=Healthcare%20Social%20Workers&onetcode=21102200&location=Connecticut
  11. America’s Career InfoNet – Career Profile, 2019. Career One Stop. https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Careers/Occupations/Occupation-profile.aspx?keyword=Mental%20Health%20and%20Substance%20Abuse%20Social%20Workers&onetcode=21102300&location=Connecticut&lang=en
  12. Graduate School Search, Social Work Programs, 2019. US News and World Report. https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/social-work-rankings?location=connecticut
  13. Methods Based Curriculum, 2021. U Conn School of Social Work. https://ssw.uconn.edu/
  14. Flexible Study Options, 2021. U Conn School of Social Work. https://ssw.uconn.edu/
  15. Focused Areas of Study, 2021. U Conn School of Social Work. https://ssw.uconn.edu/
  16. Statewide Statistics for Connecticut, 2019. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  17. America’s Career InfoNet – Career Profile, 2019. Career One Stop. https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Careers/Occupations/Occupation-profile.aspx?keyword=Child,%20Family,%20and%20School%20Social%20Workers&onetcode=21102100&location=Connecticut&lang=en
  18. Statewide Statistics for Connecticut, 2019. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  19. Statewide Statistics for Connecticut, 2019. Bureau of Labor Statistics.