Online Social Work Programs in Connecticut
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 16% growth outlook for social workers nationwide and expects this number to keep pace through 2026.
Social workers can benefit from the state’s substantial salaries, as Connecticut ranks first in pay at $67,780 for child, family, and school social workers. It ranks fourth for mental health and substance abuse social workers. Connecticut boasts the third highest salary for healthcare social workers, and Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk at $79,950 is the ninth-ranked metropolitan area in the United States. The state ranks fifth in salaries for mental health and substance abuse social workers in a nonmetropolitan area.
Social Work Programs by Degree Level
Online Master’s in Social Work Programs
Education and Licensure Requirements for Social Workers in Connecticut
The Connecticut Department of Public Health values health as a human right for its population. The department regulates and certifies licensed clinical social workers (LCSW) and licensed master’s social workers (LMSW). In Connecticut, an LMSW conducts clinical social work under the supervision of an LCSW or another licensed practitioner.
Education Requirements
Connecticut requires the licensing of clinical social workers and a master’s degree or doctorate from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)-accredited program earned at a regionally accredited institution. Connecticut does not require social workers with a bachelor’s degree to apply for a license if they do not conduct clinical work.
Exam Application Process and Requirements
The state’s supervised experience requirement must be completed, documented, submitted, and reviewed by the Connecticut Department of Health before the licensing exam is taken. Connecticut requires 3,000 hours of post-degree social work, with at least 100 hours supervised by an LCSW or a certified independent social worker.
Connecticut requires social work licensure applicants to pass the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) examination. The Department of Public Health determines the applicant’s eligibility to take the exam after the required documentation is received and reviewed. The department provides eligibility notification to the applicant and the association, while the ASWB conducts licensing examinations for social workers at secure testing centers. The examination is administered year-round at a cost of $260 for the advanced generalist or clinical exam.
Continuing Education and Licensure Renewal
Social worker licenses are renewed annually, expiring in the social worker’s first birth month after initial licensure. Connecticut requires fifteen continuing education (CE) hours earned during each 12-month renewal period. The state accepts a maximum of six online hours per year and requires two hours for the first renewal and then once every six years. One hour is dedicated to cultural competency each year.
Connecticut also accepts conferences and workshops offered or approved by the National Association of Social Workers or the Association of School Work Boards for the fulfillment of CE hours.
Why Choose an Online Social Work Program in Connecticut?
Connecticut’s online social work program features an advanced standing option where students can earn a master’s degree for state licensure. Candidates with a bachelor’s degree in social work earned in the last six years, and a 3.0 minimum GPA can reduce the required practicum hours by the 550 hours earned in the bachelor’s degree program. Students can graduate in less than two years.
Tuition costs approximately $795 per hour. Practicums for online social work programs require field work. Field liaisons guide candidates through the process and vet fieldwork assignments for students who live outside of Connecticut. Liaisons assign fieldwork for students who are state residents.
Ranking Methodology
Here is our list of online social work degree programs in Connecticut as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics. We cover online bachelor’s in social work, online master’s in social work, and online doctorate in social work programs. All programs are regionally and CSWE accredited, and all are available entirely online.
Featured Online Programs
Online Social Work Programs in Connecticut
Sacred Heart University
With its main campus located in Fairfield, Connecticut, Sacred Heart University (SHU) also runs satellite campuses in Stamford and Griswold, as well as international campuses in Ireland and Luxembourg. SHU offers a fully online master of social work in addition to in-person bachelor’s and master’s degree options. SHU’s social work faculty boasts a diverse range of specialties, including child welfare, nonprofit management, grief and loss, trauma, community-based practice, and crisis intervention. The program emphasizes close student-faculty relationships through one-on-one mentorship, modeling, and active classroom participation both on campus and online.
SHU’s Online Master of Social Work
- Concentrations: Students may select concentrations in direct clinical practice or direct community practice.
- Credits and Courses: 60 credits are required for graduation, and are divided between 20 courses for students completing the fully online program as opposed to the advanced standing track, which requires 30 credits spread between 10 courses. All courses run asynchronously over 15 weeks.
- Completion Time: Full-time students can earn their MSW in as little as two years, while part-time students can complete the program in 3-4 years. Advanced students who enter the program with a recent bachelor’s in social work from a CSWE-accredited institution and a minimum 3.0 GPA may complete the program in as little as 20 months.
- Field Education: 1,100 hours. Field liaisons assist students in securing placements. Students who do not live in Connecticut must research potential field sites in their area and submit three options for their liaison to review. Liaisons will match Connecticut-based students with placement sites.
- Other Requirements: Students must write a capstone paper to graduate.
- Exam Preparation: The program prepares students to sit for the Licensed Master of Social Work exam in Connecticut.
- Online Student Support: SHU gives online students access to resources such as workshops and individualized technology consultations.
- Cost: $790/credit
- Admission Requirements: Bachelor’s degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA. GRE/GMAT scores are not required. Students applying for advanced standing need a recent bachelor of social work and a minimum 3.0 GPA, both major-specific and overall.
Sacred Heart University is regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Sacred Heart University’s online social work program is CSWE-accredited.
