Leah Smock
Associate Director of Enrollment for Graduate Studies & Adult Education
717-796-1800 Ext. 2350
Master of Social Work: Mental Health focus area
Messiah University’s Master of Social Work (MSW) degree with a focus in mental health is designed for social workers who would like to advance their practice as an advocate for patients and their families in the field of mental health. Messiah’s advanced generalist MSW will prepare you for professional licensure examinations and provide field placements in mental health settings. Coursework is 100% online.
Mental Health overview
Messiah University’s MSW degree with a focus area in mental health allows you to use your knowledge of human behavior, sociology, psychiatry and psychology as you grow in advanced social work roles and leadership. Mental health social workers can be found in hospitals, residential treatment facilities, outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers, schools, criminal justice settings and private or group therapy practices.
- 61 credits (regular standing); 30 credits (advanced standing)
- Students in advanced standing can complete the MSW in one year
- Cohort model
- Online coursework
- Collaboratively selected field placements
- Designed to academically prepare you for professional social work licensing
- One-year full-time completion for advanced standing students; part-time completion in two years
- Two-year full-time completion for traditional standing students; part-time completion plans in three or four years
- No-fee tuition
- No application fee
- Clinical social worker
- Mental health counselor
- Substance abuse counselor
- School social worker
- Child welfare social worker
- Geriatric social worker
- Policy advocate
- Program manager / director
Accreditation Status:
Messiah University’s MSW Program has achieved candidacy status for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA).
Candidacy status for an MSW program by the BOA indicates that it has made progress toward meeting standards of program quality evaluated through a peer review accreditation process. A program that has attained candidacy status has demonstrated a commitment to meeting the standards set by the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) but has not yet demonstrated full compliance.
Students that are admitted to candidacy programs in the fall (or later) of 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.
Initial accreditation is typically a 3-year process and attaining candidacy does not guarantee that a program will eventually attain initial accreditation. Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program.
Mental Health focus overview
Messiah University’s mental health focus allows you to use your knowledge of human behavior, sociology, psychiatry, and psychology as you grow in advanced social work roles and leadership. Mental health social workers can be found in hospitals, residential treatment facilities, outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers, schools, criminal justice settings and private or group therapy practices.
Mental Health tuition cost
No-fee tuition
Know what you are paying for with Messiah’s no-fee tuition. With our graduate programs, the cost per credit is what you pay – there are no hidden fees for labs, courses, services or technology. We put the true cost of your program upfront so that you can accurately compare and plan for your graduate education.
Deferred billing
Deferred billing is available for students with employer reimbursement. For more information contact Student Financial Services at gradfinancialserv@messiah.edu.
2025-2026 tuition
While our program completes the necessary steps to become accredited (projected for spring 2027), the MSW program is offering a 25% tuition discount for all students who enroll, and we are offering Messiah alums an additional 10% discount, totaling a 35% tuition discount. You can learn more about tuition and fees here.
For Messiah alumni:
The tuition rate with the discounts for the 2025-26 academic year is $520 per credit hour (compared to the original $800 credit hour) and $15,600 for the total program.
Graduates from other schools:
For anyone that is not a Messiah alum, the discounted rate would be $600 per credit hour (compared to the original $800 credit hour) with a total cost of $36,600 (or $18,000 for those with a BSW from another school).
Next steps for admissions
Before completing an application for any of Messiah University’s graduate and certificate programs, please read our Admissions Requirements to ensure that you are eligible for enrollment and to receive a helpful checklist of the supporting documentation that you will need to provide to complete your application. Questions regarding the application process may be directed to gradprograms@messiah.edu.
What makes our Master of Social Work program unique?
- Messiah University’s MSW applies Christian faith principles to guide competent and ethical social work practice.
- MSW faculty are experienced social workers who help bridge academic learning with professional practice.
- Messiah’s advanced generalist MSW has focus areas in health, leadership in organizations and mental health so students can customize their degree to their career objectives.
- Our faculty provide hands-on advising in academics and individualized mentoring in professional development and faith integration.
- Field placements in the MSW are collaboratively selected for optimal opportunities for the application of knowledge, values and skills.