Prospective Students

Campus based programs offer flexible course schedules including evening courses at all locations.  Our New York and Garden City campuses offer Saturday options.  Garden City also offers day time courses.  The OMSW courses are offered asynchronously and synchronously. Synchronous courses are scheduled on Thursday evenings between the hours of 6:30pm and 9:50pm Eastern Time.  Course enrollment is contingent upon student enrollment.  Not all courses are offered each semester, and there is a sequencing to the courses. Students are advised to follow their designated course of study.  

If you’re planning to enroll as a full-time student, we recommend balancing your studies with a manageable work schedule to ensure your success in the program. We understand that many of our students work while studying, so part-time enrollment may be a great option to consider. Our part-time students typically take a minimum of two courses per semester, and when enrolled in practicum (15 hours per week) either one course and practicum or two courses and practicum depending on the year of study. This flexibility allows you to gain valuable experience while continuing your education at a pace that fits your lifestyle.

All students are required to meet the minimum number of site based practicum hours throughout the course of study. MSW candidates must meet a minimum of 900 site based hours over the course of study and Advanced Standing candidates must meet a minimum of 450 site based hours.  We encourage you to carefully consider this requirement in preparation for your academic journey.  

We ask that students have weekday, daytime availability for practicum.  Students should plan for three, five hours blocks between Monday and Friday.  Students are in practicum for 15 hours per week for the full academic year beginning in the fall semester.  

Students are matched by the practicum team for their generalist year practicum. The practicum team will work closely with you in planning for your specialized year of study.  

For students employed in Human Services the practicum team will work with you and your agency in exploring the possibility of employment based practicums.  

Students are not permitted to find their own practicum placements. Our Practicum Education Department has relationships with over 400 agencies that have already been vetted and approved.  We will work with you to identify an appropriate placement.  

Students may incur costs related to practicum and required onboarding by the agencies, such as background checks, fingerprinting, drug screening and/or vaccination requirements.  Students are responsible for these expenses. We will disclose this information in advance whenever possible.

Students may be required to successfully complete a background screening.  Background screenings verify social security numbers and include checking state and federal criminal records and sex offender registries. These screenings may occur at one or more times throughout the program. If your background screening shows that you have a criminal record or are listed as a sex offender, you may not be able to secure a placement.  

If you are not able to meet the requirements for practicum education, you will most likely not be able to complete the program’s practicum placement experience requirements leading to graduation.

Students who have completed graduate courses in a CSWE-accredited program or an accredited allied field may request a transfer of up to 12 credits, provided the courses are comparable to AUSSW’s MSW-level courses, were taken within five years of matriculation, and received a grade of B or better. Practicum and practice courses are not eligible for transfer.

Work, life, or volunteer experiences will not be considered for transfer credit under any circumstances.

Adelphi University is committed to helping students enrolled in programs leading to professional licensure or certification (such as accounting, counseling, education, nursing, or social work) to better understand whether their program meets licensure or certification requirements in states outside of New York.

Although we make every effort to provide the most up-to-date information, specific licensure regulations vary by state and are subject to frequent revision. If you are enrolled in an Adelphi program leading to licensure or certification, we strongly encourage you to seek information from the state(s) in which you may wish to practice to ensure that you will be able to meet their credentialing requirements.

Adelphi has been able to determine that some of its programs leading to licensure or certification meet out-of-state requirements, and will continue to review the requirements periodically.

You can access a full listing of Adelphi’s licensure and certification programs that indicates whether the program meets, does not meet, or has not been determined to meet out-of-state licensure or certification requirements.

The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) has oversight of social work licensing examinations that are used to test a social worker’s competence to practice ethically and safely. To practice as a licensed social worker, candidates need to demonstrate that they have met the qualifications outlined by the state or province where they intend to practice. Adelphi University’s School of Social Work is a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)  accredited program and therefore meets the educational requirement for licensure in New York State. Additionally, to be licensed as a licensed master social worker (LMSW) in New York State you must also:

• be of good moral character as determined by the Department;
• be at least 21 years of age;
• meet examination requirements; and
• complete coursework or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse offered by a New York State approved provider.

For out of state applicants, we recommend that you learn about the licensing and application requirements for the state you wish to practice in, specifically:

• Identify which state you wish to practice in upon earning the degree
• Review the state’s licensure requirements and required application materials
• Learn about that state’s application requirements
• have at least 3 years of post M.S.W. supervised experience in diagnosis, psychotherapy and assessment based treatment planning acceptable to the department;

Please visit the ASWB licensing site to learn more about specific state requirements.