Best Social Work Degree Programs in Minnesota

There are a handful of colleges and universities in Minnesota that offer social work degrees that are either exclusively or mostly online.

All schools listed are either accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) or are in the process of becoming accredited.

1. Bemidji State University

Bemidji State University is a public university in northern Minnesota. They offer a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree that is almost completely online.

Through the university's Social Work Integrative Model (SWIM), students do the majority of their education online and come to campus one Saturday each month to learn practice skills.

At the end of their program, students must complete a 480-hour internship with a human service organization. This can be done in one semester or spread between two semesters.

The BSW program at Bemidji State is done in a cohort-style format, so the same group of students learns together throughout the program. New programs start in the fall.

2. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is a private Catholic university with its main campus in Winona. The school offers a CSWE-accredited Master of Social Work (MSW) program 100% online.

The MSW program at Saint Mary's can be completed in two to four years depending on whether you're learning part-time or full-time and which of the two tracks you qualify for.

The Traditional Track is for students without a bachelor's in social work and requires 60 credits. The Advanced Standing Track is for students with a BSW and requires 30 credits.

3. University of Minnesota Duluth

The University of Minnesota Duluth is a public university on the shores of Lake Superior. The school offers a CSWE-accredited hybrid Master of Social Work program.

The majority of this program is done online, and most students are only required to be on campus one day a week. The program may be finished in one to two years.

The MSW program covers both urban and rural social work with a special focus on American Indian services.

Students can choose from three areas of study:

• Child welfare
• Mental health/clinical social work
• Macro/community-based social work practice

The school offers two track options. The foundation program is for students who don't have a background in social work and takes 51 credits and two years to complete.

The advanced standing program, for students with a social work background, takes 34 credits and can be completed in one calendar year.

4. University of St. Thomas

The University of St. Thomas is a private Roman Catholic university in the Twin Cities. Their Morrison Family College of Health offers an accredited Master of Social Work degree in a hybrid format.

Students taking the hybrid track will do most of their learning online but will have three Saturday sessions on campus each semester.

Advanced Standing admission is available to students who have a BSW. Students must complete 38 credits and 600 hours in the field. It takes one to three years depending on full-time status.

Regular Standing admission is for those without a BSW. This requires 56 credits and 1,000 hours of fieldwork and can be completed in two to four years.

Students can apply to two Areas of Emphasis if they like: Practice with People of Immigrant and Refugee Backgrounds and Practice with Older Adults.

5. Winona State University

Winona State University is a public university in southern Minnesota. The school offers an MSW program that is almost exclusively online.

Students in the program will take all their courses online but are required to attend one in-person Professional Development Lab at the Rochester campus per semester.

Like the other schools on this list, Winona has Regular and Advanced Standing tracks. Regular standing requires 60 credits and 1000 hours of fieldwork and can be completed in two years.