Social Work: Foundation (MSW)

Prepares you for advanced generalist practice with individuals, families and groups who have experienced a wide array of traumatic experiences.

This track is designed for students who do not have a social work undergraduate degree from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited program.

Delivered entirely online
Next cohort begins Spring 2027
Application tentatively opens Summer 2026

Features

Entirely Online | 60 Credits | 3.5 Years

Learn an integrated approach to treating acute and complex forms of psychological trauma, including various cognitive and body-centered psychotherapies and approaches
Extensive opportunities to practice and refine techniques while under supervision
The only program in Iowa that has the cutting-edge TIC Concentration speciality
Dedicated faculty who have strong relations within the human services field
More than 150 professional partnerships in 40 Iowa communities that provide quality internships

Here to Help

As an Online & Distance Education student, you’ll have a dedicated Enrollment Contact and Program Coordinator to assist you with registering for classes, navigating the course sequence and billing process, preparing for graduation and much more.

Rebecca Dickinson

Program Coordinator

Assistant Professor,

Social Work
rebecca.dickinson@uni.edu
319-273-7859

Lisa Jaeger

Enrollment Contact

lisa.jaeger@uni.edu

319-273-2504

Delivered Entirely Online

This program incorporates the same high standards and course workload expectations as the on-campus MSW program, but features the convenience of course delivery without the necessity of commuting to campus. Courses are offered online using Blackboard, an online learning management system and Zoom. Most courses will also meet Tuesday and/or Thursday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. (CST) via interactive video conferencing.

View course sequences:

‌Spring 2023 ‌Spring 2025

Our graduates are prepared to:

Excel in positions in substance abuse agencies, mental health facilities, domestic violence shelters, schools, hospitals and prisons
Provide cutting-edge trauma-specific therapy to a wide range of client systems
Take on leadership positions in the field
Pass the Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) exam at a rate higher than the national average

Smiling graduate hugging someone at graduation ceremony

Individualized Support Services

Throughout every step of your program, you'll have a dedicated team of support staff ready to assist you. You'll also have access to UNI services such as:

Personalized academic advising
Support from Financial Aid, Career Services and Rod Library staff
Academic support and tutoring opportunities from the Learning Center
Access to student accessibility services and staff
Technical support assistance

Student smiling receiving help from staff member

Courses & Delivery

Delivered Entirely Online

View course sequences:

‌Spring 2023 ‌Spring 2025

Graduation Outcomes

Our graduates are prepared to:

Excel in positions in substance abuse agencies, mental health facilities, domestic violence shelters, schools, hospitals and prisons
Provide cutting-edge trauma-specific therapy to a wide range of client systems
Take on leadership positions in the field
Pass the Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) exam at a rate higher than the national average

Support Services

Individualized Support Services

Throughout every step of your program, you'll have a dedicated team of support staff ready to assist you. You'll also have access to UNI services such as:

Personalized academic advising
Support from Financial Aid, Career Services and Rod Library staff
Academic support and tutoring opportunities from the Learning Center
Access to student accessibility services and staff
Technical support assistance

Admission Requirements

To be admitted, students must have:

an applicant statement responding to questions within the application for admission
three completed recommendation forms
Along with the application, students should have their official transcripts sent directly to the Office of Admissions. View additional admissions requirements. After applying, interviews will be held in October 2024.

Program Details

What is Social Work?

At the most basic level, social work involves helping people address struggles in their lives. Social work is a vast field, which means there are numerous opportunities based on your interests or passions. Some people enter social work already drawn to a specific population or issue, whereas others develop an interest through their coursework and field experiences. Social workers can help with difficulties, transitions or struggles from birth to death and at any point in between. Some areas of social work practice include (but are not limited to):

Aging Services/Gerontological SW
Children and Families
Child Welfare
Criminal Justice System (i.e. probation, parole, corrections, public safety, juvenile justice)
Crisis Intervention
Disability Advocacy & Support Services
Domestic Violence

Education (early childhood, K-12 schools, colleges, and universities)
Employment/Vocational Services
Housing Access & Services
Human Rights
LGBTQ+ Services
Lobbying & Policy Advocacy
Medical SW (including hospitals, clinics, midwifery services, etc.)

Mental Health Treatment
Military/Veteran Services
Non-profit Management and Administration
Program Evaluation
SW Research
Substance Use and Addictions Treatment
Victim Support Services

Not only are social workers employed in a variety of settings, but they work at different levels of practice, including:

Micro level (direct practice): Micro level practice involves direct interaction with clients to cope and address their problems. This is the most common type of social work practice and is offered in a variety of settings.
Mezzo level: Mezzo level social work involves working with groups, which runs the scale from working with family units, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers frequently work across both the micro and mezzo levels within the same job.
Macro level: Macro level social work is larger scale, and involves interventions, policy work, and advocacy at larger scale levels, including communities, states, and countries. Macro social work can include activities such as grant-writing, activism, and crafting policies or laws.

What is Trauma-Informed Care?

Trauma-Informed Care is an approach that recognizes the pervasiveness of trauma in the general population and views it as a driving force behind many psychological conditions, physical health ailments, behavioral disorders, public health issues, and systemic racism/oppression. Based on this understanding, the aim of TIC is to reduce the effects of stress, adversity, and trauma in individuals (both clients and providers), families, organizations, and broader systems of practice. It does this by integrating knowledge about trauma into all aspects of services and trains providers to recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma to help minimize the potential for harm and re-traumatization.

Examples of TIC approaches include (but are not limited to):

Changing organizational policies, procedures and practices to minimize potential barriers to service
Teaching staff and clients de-escalation protocols, stabilization skills, and stress reduction techniques
Conducting screening and assessment that identify exposure to trauma and adversity
Providing trauma-specific interventions to effectively resolve the negative impact of trauma.

UNI offers one of the few trauma-informed care specialization MSW programs in the Midwest, and the only one in the state of Iowa.

What Does an MSW Offer You?

A Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW) is an extremely versatile degree option. An MSW offers a much broader range of job options in addition to providing therapy services. Because of that, MSWs tend to receive a higher salary compared to people in the field with an undergraduate degree.

Some people choose to get an MSW in order to be able to practice as a mental health therapist, or what is known as clinical social work. Similar disciplines (e.g. mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, and psychology) also offer graduate programs that allow the practitioner to provide mental health therapy services. Disciplines differ in their perspective of what causes the problems that people face and how to address those issues. Practicing as a mental health therapist requires licensure by the Iowa Board of Social Workers. An MSW from UNI allows our graduates to sit for the licensure exam to become a Licensed Master's level Social Worker (LMSW).

There are also a wide variety of non-therapy jobs for MSWs. Non-clinical opportunities for MSWs include (but are not limited to) advocacy, program development and management, agency and non-profit administration, and policy makers. UNI'S MSW program is considered a "generalist" program, meaning that it provides a rounded education to prepare our MSWs for a broad range of jobs.

Our Mission

The mission of the University of Northern Iowa Masters of Social Work Program is to provide students with a trauma-informed foundation that prepares them to identify, evaluate, and address the personal, social, and systemic conditions that perpetuate individual, family, organizational and community-based trauma using evidence-informed interventions. Our curriculum is based on the perspective that effective change within this paradigm requires upholding the dignity and worth of the individual, advocating for human rights and social and economic justice, challenging oppression, promoting human relationships, practicing multi-cultural responsiveness, and identifying factors that mitigate the effects of trauma and enhance strengths, competencies, and resilience. Students obtain an in-depth understanding of these values and practices through in-person and online coursework and instruction that promotes critical thinking, self-reflection, and ethical decision making, along with intensive experiential learning through local, state, national, and international field placements.

What does that mean for our students?

Our curriculum is based on the perspective that social workers are change-makers. Social workers follow a professional code of ethics from the National Association of Social Workers. Ethically, we believe it is our responsibility as social workers to:

Treat every person with dignity and worth
Advocate for human rights, along with social and economic justice
Challenge oppression, in all its forms
Promote human relationships
Recognize and address our own biases
Practice multi-cultural responsiveness
Address factors to reduce the effects of trauma
Recognize the strengths and assets in our clients
Help clients build resilience

Our curriculum is based on these ethical principles. Through our courses, we want students to develop skills in:

Critical thinking
Self-reflection
Ethical decision-making

Practicum requirements

Students will also complete a practicum/internship. Our agency partners request that you are available on weekdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. You will need to complete approximately 12-13 hours per week over two semesters. If you are already employed in the human service field, it may be possible to complete your internship at your current place of employment if your internship duties and supervisor are different than your employment duties and supervisor.

Licensing and accreditation

The Master of Social Work programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Accreditation verifies that the MSW degree meets the high standards considered essential to providing a high quality social work education, and ensures that every student graduating from a social work program in the U.S. possesses the same requisite skills and knowledge.

The MSW programs satisfy the licensure requirements in Iowa. Requirements may vary by state. For licensing requirements specific to your state, visit ASWB. For further information about whether or not this program meets the licensing requirements in your state, please contact your state board (a list of state agencies can be found at https://www.aswb.org/licenses/how-to-get-a-license/getting-licensed-in-…).

Licensing exam information can be found at www.aswb.org/.

Program cost

All students pay the same tuition rate, regardless of location, making it an affordable option for all students. Based on the 2023-2024 tuition rates and program sequence, the full cost of the Social Work: Foundation MSW program is estimated as follows:

*** Fall 2023 - Spring 2024 Tuition and Fees per Board of Regents, State of Iowa Approval ***

Term	Credits	Tuition*	Technology Fee*	Total*
Spring 2023*	6	$3,234	$80	$3,314
Summer 2023*	6	$3,234	$80	$3,314
Fall 2023	6	$3,348	$126	$3,474
Spring 2024	8	$4,464	$126	$4,590
Summer 2024	6	$3,348	$84	$3,432
Fall 2024	6	$3,414	$88	$3,502
Spring 2025	6	$3,414	$88	$3,502
Summer 2025	6	$3,414	$88	$3,502
Fall 2025	5	$2,845	$88	$2,933
Spring 2026	5	$2,845	$88	$2,933
Graduate Publicate fee	Charged once during the first term			$50
Records & Documents fee	Charged once at graduation			$115
Total estimated program cost				$34,661

*Spring 2023-Summer 2023 costs reflect the 2022-2023 Tuition & Fees.

***Tuition and fees may be adjusted by the Iowa Board of Regents and are typically announced in the spring with increases occurring in the fall. More information can be found at tuition.uni.edu.

In addition to tuition and fees, students should also budget for indirect costs such as books, supplies, and personal expenses. View more information about the direct and indirect costs here.

Next Steps

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Express interest

Complete our online information request form. We'll send program updates, important information and application deadlines directly to your inbox!

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Learn more

Learn more about the Department of Social Work in our College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

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Contact us

Our team of support staff is available to help you throughout your UNI journey.

If you have any questions, contact us at 319-273-7206 or online@uni.edu for assistance!

‌Express Interest

Learn more

Delivery of this program is contingent on a sufficient number of students being accepted into the program.

This program allowed me to grow professionally while working full-time. The instructors share their clinical experiences and provide input to supplement the curriculum.

Milena Williams

Class of 2016

Frequently Asked Questions