Social Work Essentials FAQ

No. Anyone can enroll in Social Work Essentials Certificate courses, as long as they are at least 18 years old.

Students can enroll in any cohort, but should align the ending of their cohort with the start of the MSW program, if they are planning to pursue the full MSW degree following certificate completion. To inquire about this, email [email protected].

Students may enter a cohort up to 14 days following a published cohort start date.

No. The Certificate does not award "credit"; instead, they allow you to reduce the number of credits you take if you come to the University of Michigan School of Social Work. There are not any credits that can be transferred in toward the completion of the Social Work Essentials Certificate.

No. The School of Social Work cannot accept payment from a college fund (e.g. 529) to cover the cost for the Social Work Essentials Certificate. Students can consult with a personal accountant to see if the certificate would meet the requirement to receive a reimbursement from their college fund account.

The Social Work Essentials Certificate program is $2,000.

There is no financial aid available for the Social Work Essentials Certificate program but financial aid is available to students admitted into the MSW program (whether online or on-campus). Students can purchase all courses at one time ($2000) or split the payment into two payments ($800 & $1200).

Option #1 - Make One Payment

Add the following courses to your cart - Total $2000

No refunds are given for Social Work Essentials Certificate courses.

No, there are no additional costs. The Social Work Essentials Certificate will not require textbooks.

Social Work Essentials MSW students can apply for need and merit-based grants and scholarships when they begin taking MSW courses. More information about financial aid can be found here.

Loans are not available for the Social Work Essentials Certificate. Once students are fully enrolled as MSW students, (after the SWEC is completed) students are able to access federal loans by submitting an application at: Free Application for Federal Student Aid .

Learners must be at least 18 years old.

Yes. If you are planning to complete the MSW degree with another graduate degree (dual degree) at the University of Michigan, you would need to apply to the MSW program and meet an experience requirement in order to complete the Social Work Essentials MSW Program.

Social Work Essentials Certificate course are designed to take 3–4 hours per module. Because everyone has different learning styles and paces, some learners report spending more time per module.

Keep in mind that since many learners are participating in 3 SWEC courses simultaneously during an 8-week period, a learner would be expected to complete 1 module per week per course, resulting in a total workload of 9–12 hours or more.

All courses must be completed within 2 years of first enrollment of the certificate. If courses are not completed within this timeframe, a learner would need to pay again and begin the courses all over to pursue the certificate.

No. The Social Work Essentials Certificate (SWEC) was designed to be completed over a 4 month period (taking 3 classes at a time). It is strongly discouraged for students to take more than 3 classes at a time, unless they are working on SWEC full time. Each course is approximately 8 weeks long. If a learner cannot complete their courses in 4 months, they may stay enrolled for the duration of 2 years after their original start date.

Each course has a number of projects and assignments that learners will complete. They are very aligned with skills that social workers use in professional practice. Assignments include short writing activities, discussion boards, quizzes, and simulations of clinical scenarios. Some courses end with longer milestone assignments, where learners submit papers and participate in a peer-review process.

Our Research Methods course is the only course that would include some statistical content. Once you are in the MSW program, depending upon your chosen pathway, there could be additional statistics courses required.

No, the certificate program does not require a field placement (practicum). Students will be required to engage in a field placement once enrolled in the MSW degree program and the Office of Field Education will assist in setting up a placement.

This is designed to be a 4 month, cohorted program. You should sign up and pay for all of the courses within the 4 month window. Because the program is designed to be cohorted, and things like peer grading all happen within your cohort window. If a learner cannot complete their courses in 4 months, they may stay enrolled for the duration of 2 years after their original start date.

Note: If you are intending to enter the MSW program, this may delay your MSW program start date.

There is no limit to the number of students who can join the Social Work Essentials Certificate cohort.

To view your enrolled courses, please visit Canvas Catalog. This will display all the courses you are currently enrolled in, just click into the course you would like to continue to work through.

There is a problem with our system that shows courses as "locked" on the dashboard in Canvas Catalog. Hopefully that will eventually be resolved, but in the meantime, use the link above to access your courses.

Students should plan to attend the required Live Session in Week 1 or visit the scheduled Office Hours session in Week 4 of the course. Following these options, students can email [email protected].

Students may reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

All Social Work Essentials Certificate courses were created with universal design principles to be accessible to all learners. If SWEC learners need additional support they can email: [email protected]. When students are degree seeking in the MSW program they can register for accommodations with the University of Michigan Services for Students with Disabilities Office.

Friend Account support in Canvas Catalog was disabled. We were able to migrate many users' accounts to a regular External Users account using the same email address that was originally used for registration.

Going forward, please log in to Canvas Catalog using the "External Users" tile, and enter your personal email address that you used for registration. If you are unable to login, please email [email protected].

Yes, they are graded and all assignments must be completed with 70% or higher in order to pass the course. Classes cannot be taken pass/fail. Assignments include quizzes, discussion posts, Photovoice submissions, and writing assignments. Some assignments are graded via peer reviews.

No, the Social Work Essentials Certificate Certificate program courses are not reflected on your transcript. These courses are not credit-bearing and occur prior to starting the MSW degree program.

All assignments must be completed with 70% or higher in order to pass the course.

Yes, learners can re-do assignments until they receive the required 70%. Assignments include quizzes, discussion posts, Photovoice submissions, and writing assignments. Some assignments are graded via peer reviews. Learners may not be able to receive an updated peer review on their assignments until the next section of the course begins. Course schedules can be found here.

Review the steps here for the On-Campus and Online MSW program options.

Students need to enter the MSW program within 2 years of completion of the Social Work Essentials Certificate.

For full-time, you would complete the 45 credits in 3 semesters (about a year) on-campus or online. Part-time students (on-campus or online) will complete the 45 credits in 6-7 semesters.

Experience screening is required only if a student wants to enroll in the MSW degree seeking program and would like to use the Social Work Essentials Certificate to reduce their MSW degree credit requirement.

Complete the Eligibility Review Request form to have your human service experience screened.

No, but you should consider submitting it well in advance of start of a Social Work Essentials Certificate cohort so you have a determination before the course begins. This is particularly important for students planning to apply to the MSW degree program.

Eligibility request forms will be reviewed as soon as possible. Students should receive a decision before the next cohort start date.

With social work being such a broad profession, it does vary. Examples of human service experience can include, but are not limited to, direct client care, case management, nonprofit work, advocacy, organizational management, program evaluation, and much more. If you would like to discuss your specific experience, please call (734) 936-0961 or email [email protected] to schedule an appointment with one of our admissions counselors.

You may apply for the Master of Social Work (MSW) program before, during, or after starting or completing the Social Work Essentials Certificate. Most students will want to have confirmation that they are fully admitted to the MSW program before purchasing the Social Work Essentials Certificate because the courses are non-credit bearing and cannot be transferred to another program.

Applicants must show completion of a U.S. bachelor's degree or its equivalent, with competitive grades, from an accredited institution. Note: Prospective students applying under the Provisions for Non-Baccalaureate Degree Applicants do not have to meet this requirement.

Yes, however, you will need to have your human service screened through the Eligibility Review Request form.

Absolutely! You can send a request to be contacted by a current student. You can also connect with current MSW students as well as other prospective MSW students at one of our student led virtual meetings.

This may be possible. You would need to email [email protected] to inquire more about this.

MSW students select their program pathway when they apply to the program. Their pathway is confirmed when they begin applying for their field placement in the MSW program.

Possibly. Students interested in a dual degree should speak with an admissions counselor to determine the best path. Students can request an appointment by emailing:[email protected].

Social Work Essentials MSW students will have 45 credits remaining for the MSW degree, which is equivalent to 3 semesters of full-time tuition cost. Tuition costs vary based upon whether a student is a Michigan resident or non-resident. Tuition estimates can be found here.

Yes, Social Work Essentials MSW students may apply and participate in any special scholarship program available for their program if they meet special program criteria for the MSW portion of their program. Special programs scholarships are not available for students when they are completing the Social Work Essentials Certificate.

Students will complete 900 hours for the MSW degree.

If a learner took Social Work Practice: Advocating Social Justice and Change on Coursera, and then enrolls in the Social Work Essentials Certificate, they will need to keep their certificate from Coursera to provide proof of completion at the end of the Social Work Essentials Certificate.

This could be possible, however, the certificate program is not equivalent to an MSW degree.

Yes! There are a lot of jobs that look for knowledge/training offered by the Social Work Essentials Certificate. These positions may look like: case workers, advocates, coordinators, etc. Keep in mind that the Social Work Essentials Certificate is not equivalent to an MSW degree.

The Social Work Essentials Certificate program allows learners to explore the content covered in foundation courses covered at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. Completing the certificate could provide for advancement within a current position or could be used to add to a resume in hopes of obtaining a social work/social service position. The certificate can also allow qualified applicants to complete the MSW degree in less time. This will result in a cost savings for the MSW degree.

No. The Certificate courses do not award “credit”; instead, they allow you to reduce the number of credits you take if you come to the University of Michigan School of Social Work. There are not any credits that can be transferred to another institution.

No. You would have a Social Work Essentials Certificate. The Social Work Essentials Certificate alone is a non-credit bearing credential.

You will receive the MSW degree only if you proceed into the MSW degree program after you complete the Social Work Essentials certificate courses. Note that a full MSW application is required for MSW program admission consideration.

Yes. The University of Michigan will issue an e-certificate of completion for the Social Work Essentials Certificate via email. Print certificates will not be provided.