Social Work (MSW)
Portland State University
Public · College / university
Graduate social work study with supervised field education.
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Include preparation, supplies and travel.
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Compare duties, Oregon wages and required preparation.
PLAN YOUR PATH
Preparation, time and schedule
What this route covers
The MSW has a standard 78-credit route and a distinct advanced-standing pathway. Confirm the format, field placement and entry route that matches your previous education.
Before you apply
Review the Social Work (MSW) course map and have an advisor evaluate prior credits and placement before registering.
Your complete timeline
78 credits; advanced standing has separate requirements. Allow separately for prerequisite preparation, selection and the clinical start date.
Plan around the schedule
Multiple formats plus practicum. Ask for the actual days, start times and required travel from Portland, Eugene, Central Oregon or online. Online coursework does not necessarily make laboratories or placements remote.
Application and selection
Use the official Social Work (MSW) page to review the current entry checklist. Ask whether a separate department application, selection process or cohort start applies before committing to enrollment.
Details checked September 15, 2026. Confirm current requirements with the provider.
Questions to take to an advisor
Which route fits my bachelor’s degree, and what is required after graduation for clinical licensure?
- Which required courses or placements are offered only once per year?
- Can you give me a written estimate covering every required term and practical expense?
- Which employment, transfer or licensing requirements remain after this award?
Published program length is not a personal completion estimate. Transfer credits, prerequisites, selection and course availability can change the timeline.
After the program
An MSW follows undergraduate study, with separate advanced-standing options for eligible applicants. Clinical licensure involves additional requirements. Compare the role, degree, practicum and post-degree supervision before planning a timeline.
Cost and outcomes
Published costs with stated exclusions
Add travel, living expenses and any extra prerequisite study, repeat courses or charges excluded from the published amount. Request a current itemized quote for your own enrollment plan and compare confirmed financial aid.
Published tuition or budget base
2026-27 resident MSW tuition is $591 per credit (Washington border discount $650.10; nonresident $849). Mandatory fees, placement travel, books and living expenses are additional. The standard and advanced-standing plans have different credit totals.
Official program cost source ↗ · Checked September 16, 2026
A tuition rate or annual allowance is not a complete program price. Confirm your residency, course load, program fees and financial aid before comparing costs.
Open the cost planner →Exact-program earnings are not separately identified.
Historical related-field earnings are shown below for this institution and credential category. The field includes other programs; the figure is not an exact-program result.
Broad-field earnings context
Public Administration and Social Service Professions · Master’s degree
Portland State University. Graduating cohorts: 2016–2020. This published field group (CIP 44) can combine several programs and campuses. We selected it as related context; it is not a verified result for this exact program.
- $61,171 median annual earnings 1 year after graduation
Amounts are in 2023 dollars. Census PSEO covers graduates meeting its earnings and employment-attachment rules; it excludes noncompleters and many self-employed or low-attachment workers. These are historical outcomes, not starting-pay estimates or a forecast.
Census PSEO Oregon data, 2026 Q2 (CSV download) ↗
Population, methods and limitations ↗ · Checked September 16, 2026