An MSW can prepare you for advanced social work practice and leadership in settings like behavioral health, medical care, schools, community programs, and public service. At UNM, the program is designed to prepare social workers who can support individuals and communities through best practices, current research, and anti-oppressive, community-informed care.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally or internationally recognized accrediting body. Applicants should have a minimum 3.0 GPA in the final two years of undergraduate study and in courses associated with the major, along with at least 12 upper-level humanities or social science credits. More details are available here.

The program is designed to be completed in two years. A part-time option is not currently available.

The UNM MSW Program is currently in pre-candidacy for accreditation by the Council of Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA). Pre-candidacy for a master’s social work program by the BOA indicates that it submitted an application to be reviewed for candidacy and received approval of its Benchmark 1 from CSWE accreditation staff to move forward for a candidacy review within 1 year. A program that has attained pre-candidacy status has not yet been reviewed by the BOA nor verified to be compliant with the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS).

Students that are admitted to pre-candidate programs during the academic year in which the program is granted candidacy status will be retroactively recognized as graduates from a CSWE-BOA accredited program as long as the program attains initial accreditation. The UNM MSW Program is on the October 2026 BOA meeting agenda and, if it is granted candidacy at this meeting (or at the February 2027 or June 2027 meetings if deferrals are issued), students formally admitted to the new social work program in the 2026-27 school year or later will be recognized as having graduated from an accredited program, if/when the program is fully accredited. Full accreditation occurs when a program receives initial accreditation.

Candidacy is typically a 3-year process and attaining pre-candidacy does not guarantee that a program will eventually attain candidacy and initial accreditation. Pre-candidacy applies to all program options.

Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program.

Review our program’s pre-candidacy status in CSWE’s Directory of Accredited Programs. For more information about social work accreditation, contact CSWE’s Department of Social Work Accreditation at accreditation@cswe.org.

The program offers two concentration tracks: Clinical Social Work and Medical Social Work. Students choose one concentration for the second year of the program.

An advanced standing option will not be available until Spring 2028 as the program is still in development. More details about the future advanced standing option are available here.

Students who have completed MSW coursework at a CSWE-accredited program or a program in candidacy may request transfer review. Only generalist-level social work courses may be considered, and specialty courses cannot be transferred. Transfer decisions are based on transcript and syllabus review, and students must have earned at least a B in the course. Because the UNM MSW Program is new, our ability to accept transfer students will be limited until 2028.

Field education is a required part of the program. Students will need to complete 900 total field hours - 400 in the generalist year and 500 in the concentration year.  Students are supported by a field supervisor, a field liaison, and a practicum seminar instructor, and they complete a learning contract to guide field learning and competency development. Some placements may also require immunizations, background checks, or other site-specific requirements.

Yes, in some cases. Students may be able to complete their practicum at their place of employment if the placement offers learning experiences that are clearly different from their regular job duties and meets program requirements. Employment-based placements require advance approval from the Field Education Office, are not guaranteed, and must include appropriate supervision and educational oversight. Students interested in this option should contact the Field Education Director at least one month before the semester begins.

Applications will open on June 15, 2026 and the first cohort will begin in Spring 2027. The first day of classes at UNM for Spring 2027 is January 19^th, 2027.