Stony Brook University Social Work Programs
Want to make a difference through social work? SUNY Stony Brook Social Work Programs could be your perfect path forward. The results speak for themselves – almost 95% of Stony Brook University graduates land jobs or move on to professional or graduate school.
The School of Social Welfare gives you great options. You can choose between a bachelor’s degree in social work or pursue an MSW. Both programs prepare you to succeed in social work of all types. The Bachelor of Science program stands out with its human rights-based foundation. The social work masters programs fit your schedule with full-time, part-time, and advanced standing choices. The programs connect you with more than 1400 community partners and give you access to over 950 practicum sites. This hands-on experience proves invaluable. Social work professionals in New York State earn $78,560 on average, and the field shows promising growth of 4.9% from 2025-2029. SUNY Stony Brook’s social work program builds a solid foundation for your future career.
Social work programs offered
SUNY Stony Brook provides a great social work education through multiple degree paths that fit a variety of student needs and career goals.
The Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSW) program builds a strong foundation in generalist social work practice. Students engage in this upper-division, full-time undergraduate program that uses a human rights-based approach. The program combines classroom learning with practical field experience. Students develop skills in communication, critical thinking, and ethical decision-making through five essential areas: human behavior, social welfare policy, social research, social work practice, and practicum education. The program requires students to complete 12 credits of social work electives before graduation, with two 300-level Foundation electives and two 400-level Enrichment electives.
The Master of Social Work (MSW) program gives students several flexible paths:
- Full-time program (two years)
- Part-time program (three years)
- Advanced Standing program (one year) for recent BSW graduates
A new Modified Advanced Standing Option will launch in 2025-2026. Students can complete 14 hours per week of practicum placement during fall and spring semesters and continue through summer. The MSW curriculum starts with a generalist foundation year and moves to a specialization year. Students then choose one of three focus areas:
- Community, Policy, and Political Social Action (CPPSA)
- Families, Youth, and Transition to Adulthood (FYT)
- Integrated Health: Physical, Psychological, and Social Well Being (IH)
Hands-on learning through practicum education stands at the heart of both degree programs. MSW students complete 16 credits in practicum education with 14 hours weekly for 33 weeks, while Advanced Standing students dedicate 21 hours weekly. BSW students complete 12 credits in their senior year with 14 hours weekly for 30 weeks. These placements happen throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties and the greater metropolitan New York area.
Students interested in interdisciplinary education can pursue dual degree options at Stony Brook. These options combine an MSW/MPH with the Program in Public Health or an MSW/JD with Touro College Law Center. The MSW program meets all New York State Education Department requirements needed for LMSW and LCSW licensure.
Online program options
SUNY Stony Brook gives students a chance to earn their master of social work MSW degree online. This flexible option matches the complete curriculum you’d get on campus. You can easily balance your studies with your life commitments.
The Stony Brook social work online MSW program comes with two track options that fit different schedules. You can complete the full-time online program in two years. The part-time option takes three years. Both options keep the high academic standards of SUNY Stony Brook School Social Work Programs.
The online program has some location requirements you should know about. Right now, only New York State residents can enroll in the fully online track. On top of that, you must complete your practicum within specific areas – Long Island and New York City’s Five Boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island).
The SUNY Stony Brook social work program has specific admission dates. Students can only start in the fall semester, with no spring entry available. This helps keep all students moving through the program together.
BSW graduates can choose the Advanced Standing Modified program as a faster option. Students in this program must complete 14 hours of practicum work weekly during fall and spring semesters. This continues through the summer after their second semester. In spite of that, students can’t work in schools that run on a 10-month schedule.
Stony Brook’s online program offers more than just flexibility. The tuition and fees are approximately 15% lower than the national average for public universities and half the cost of for-profit schools. The virtual classroom connects you with students from different backgrounds while maintaining high educational standards.
The online social work masters programs at Stony Brook build the same foundation for generalist practice as on-campus learning. You’ll learn everything about ethical practice across client systems and life stages. The distance learning format gives you complete preparation for professional licensure and career growth.
Admissions
The SUNY Stony Brook School Social Work Programs admission process is different based on your educational goals. Understanding specific requirements will therefore help ensure a successful application.
Students seeking a bachelor’s degree social work program must achieve upper-division status and complete 60 undergraduate credits before admission. The required prerequisite courses include American government, US history, psychology, sociology/anthropology, human biology, English composition, math, humanities, fine arts, and foreign language. Students need to complete all prerequisites with a grade of C or better, though B grades are preferred.
A bachelor’s degree with a minimum 2.5 GPA (2.8 preferred) is required to apply for the master of social work MSW. Applicants must submit a $100 non-refundable fee, unofficial transcripts from all colleges attended, a personal essay addressing specific questions, three recommendation letters from professors or employers, and a resume. Advanced Standing candidates need a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program earned in the last five years with a minimum 3.0 GPA. They must also provide a BSW faculty member’s recommendation and a completed Practicum Evaluation Form.
The programs accept students only in fall semesters with no spring admissions. Students planning to join in Fall should note the priority deadline of March 1, and final deadline of May 1. The Stony Brook social work program maintains competitive admission standards, accepting 43% of MSW applicants and 45% of BSW applicants. The program boasts impressive success rates—95% of MSW students and 98% of BSW students graduate successfully.
The SUNY Stony Brook social work program requires TOEFL scores from international applicants.
Tuition
SUNY Stony Brook School Social Work Programs stand out with their lowest tuition rates among social work programs in Long Island and New York City. Students can get quality education at budget-friendly rates without sacrificing academic excellence.
The master of social work MSW program’s tuition varies based on residency. New York State residents pay $545 per credit hour, which amounts to $6,540 for full-time enrollment (12 credits) per semester. Non-resident students pay more at $1,011 per credit or $12,130 for full-time status.
Students need to account for these mandatory fees:
- Activity fee: $45
- College fee: $11.45-$137.50 (varies by credit load)
- Academic excellence fee: $31.25-$312.50
- Technology fee: $47.74-$477.38
- Transportation fee: $23.15-$231.50
Health insurance costs $2,389.74 for full-time students. Students can waive this fee by showing proof of other coverage. International students have different rates – $906.45 for Fall and $1,257.92 for Spring-Summer.
Several financial aid options can help manage these costs. Eligible New York residents can receive TAP grants ($1,000-$5,665 annually) and the Excelsior Scholarship (up to $5,500 annually). Summer courses have extra per-credit costs. Students can use various financial aid programs to handle these expenses.
Other information
SUNY Stony Brook School Social Work Programs complement classroom education with extensive professional development resources. Students enrolled in undergraduate and bachelor’s degree social work programs can use Handshake with their Stony Brook University NetID and password. The platform becomes available a week after class registration and helps students connect with career opportunities and professional networks they need to succeed.
Graduates automatically become part of the Alumni Association and join a network of over 220,000 fellow graduates worldwide. The School of Social Welfare Alumni Chapter has an active Board of Directors that creates many opportunities to stay connected:
- Networking events and career days
- Committee work in student affairs, mentoring, and scholarships
- Regular updates about school developments and achievements
The Stony Brook social work program celebrates alumni success through their Alumni Spotlight feature. Their distinguished graduates include First Lieutenant Cheyenne Monroe-Backus, who earned a spot in a competitive Air Force Clinical Social Work Internship. Dr. Claire Green-Forde stands out as another notable alumnus who led Behavioral Health Services at the NYC Department of Probation.
The school maintains over 1400 community partnerships and creates exceptional opportunities through collaboration with the Health Sciences Center and Stony Brook University Hospital.