MSW Format

The Augsburg MSW schedule is designed to meet the needs of the adult learner.

Academic Calendar

We follow a trimester academic calendar, offering classes September through June, exclusively on weekends. Classes typically meet every other weekend with some back-to-back weekends.

Class Periods
Classes meet in four-hour blocks on Friday evenings from 6 to 10 p.m., Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., and Saturday afternoons from 1 to 5 p.m. Each class meets for eight sessions in a given trimester.

Course Load
Foundation students complete 18 full courses. Full-time students enroll in three courses per trimester for six trimesters, totaling two years. Part-time students enroll in one or two courses per trimester for 12 trimesters, totaling four years.

Advanced Standing students complete 13 full courses. Full-time students enroll in one course for the first trimester and in three courses per trimester for the remaining four trimesters, totaling one and a half years.

Course Credit and Contact Hours
A full credit MSW course (1.0) is equal to 4 semester credits or 6 quarter credits. Each full course meets for 32 contact hours, with the expectation of substantial independent study outside of class.

Cohorts and Course Sequence
MSW students are admitted to a particular cohort. Cohorts are distinguished by: level of admission (foundation or advanced standing), rate of attendance (full-time or part-time), and preferred concentration (Multicultural Clinical Practice – “MCCP” – or Program Development, Policy, and Administration-”PDPA”).

Time Commitment
Although classes meet on weekends, students spend time on their studies during non-class weekends and weekdays. The typical student will spend 12 hours in classes within a 23-hour period on a class weekend. For every hour spent in class, a student may spend 3 to 4 hours outside of class working on assignments or group projects. A student also may spend 15 to 20 hours per week in the field practicum during the fall, winter, and spring trimesters (a span of seven to ten months for each practicum).

In the final year of study, students complete either a portfolio or summative project, which requires substantial independent research, analysis, and writing.

Because the MSW plan of study is rigorous and requires a significant time commitment for coursework and practica, most students arrange to reduce their work hours or request time away during their graduate studies. Each student’s situation is unique and must be decided individually.

Time to Completion
Average time to completion is 2 years for foundation full-time and 4 years for foundation part-time. Advanced standing students, who are full-time, complete the degree in one and a half years. All students must complete the MSW degree in no more than 4 years following matriculation.

Degree requirements
To be conferred with the MSW degree, students must achieve successful completion of the following within four years:

• 18 full MSW courses (13 full courses for advanced standing), with no more than two courses with a grade of 2.5, and with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher;
• 920 hours of approved field practica (500 hours for advanced standing);
• Submission of the portfolio or summative evaluation project.