Best MSW Programs in Tulsa

MSW Programs in Tulsa might be your next career move. You’re stepping into a field with amazing growth potential. Social workers stand as the main providers of mental health services in the United States. Oklahoma needs social workers more than ever before.

Mental illness affects about 22 percent of Oklahoma’s population – higher than the national average of 18.19 percent. The state faces a serious challenge. All but one of these counties lack enough primary health professionals. Social work graduates become hot prospects in the job market. More than 95% land jobs right after graduation. The pay looks promising too. MSW graduates earn a median salary of $61,000.

Money shouldn’t stop you from pursuing MSW programs in Oklahoma. The state’s median household income sits at $44,891 – below the national average. Yet the bright career outlook makes these MSW program tuition fees worth every penny.

This detailed guide gets into the 5 best MSW programs in Tulsa for 2025. You’ll find everything about costs, admission requirements, and career opportunities. We’ll help you make the right choice for your social work future.

1. University of Oklahoma – Tulsa

The Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa is crucial to social work education in northeastern Oklahoma. This institution’s century-long legacy equips students with meaningful careers through hands-on training and academic excellence. OU-Tulsa has flexible options that fit your educational background and career goals, whether you want a traditional MSW degree or a faster path.

Program Overview

The OU-Tulsa MSW program readies you with integrated practice skills. You’ll learn advanced, ethical, and client-centered work that applies to service settings of all types. Small class sizes and advanced simulation facilities boost your learning experience. The curriculum blends theory with practical skills so you can serve communities of all backgrounds effectively.

The program builds knowledge step by step. You start with ethical principles and professional skills. You’ll learn about sociocultural factors, human development throughout life, and ways to help individuals, families, organizations, and communities. Next comes the concentration phase in integrative practice, where you develop specialized skills to work with different client groups.

OU-Tulsa’s program strength lies in its flexibility with two tracks:

• Traditional Track (60 credit hours): Available with any bachelor’s degree
• Advanced Standing Track (33 credit hours): Students with CSWE-accredited BSW degrees from the last seven years can apply

The program also has special certificates. The Social Work with American Indians certificate helps you work with tribal and Indigenous communities without extra coursework beyond your degree.

Admission Criteria

The OU-Tulsa MSW program carefully selects candidates who show academic promise and share social work values. Requirements change based on your background and chosen track.

The Traditional Track needs a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school. Your major doesn’t matter – different educational backgrounds bring fresh views to the classroom.

Advanced Standing Track requirements are more specific:

• A CSWE-accredited bachelor’s degree in social work from the last 7 years
• BSW coursework GPA of 3.0 or higher

Every applicant must submit:

• A resume
• Official transcripts
• Three recommender contacts
• A purpose statement with essay responses

The committee looks at everything – your grades, work experience, and personal qualities that show you’ll succeed.

Cost Breakdown

Let’s break down the costs of your MSW degree:

Tuition Rates:

Full-time students taking 15 credit hours each semester pay about $6,901.50 (Oklahoma residents) or $15,961.50 (non-residents). These amounts include College of Arts & Sciences program and technology fees.

Other costs include:

• Books and supplies (around $800 yearly)
• Health fee ($90 fall/spring, $45 summer)
• Transportation and professional insurance for field work

The program helps with costs through scholarships ranging from $300 to $3,000 per year. You might qualify for special funding like the Ann & Henry Zarrow Mental Health Scholarship or the OU-Tulsa Health and Medical Scholarship.

Field Education

Field education is fundamental to your social work training at OU-Tulsa. You’ll complete 900 clock hours of hands-on experience – 400 hours in Foundation Year and 500 in Concentration Year. Advanced Standing students do 500 hours during their concentration year.

The program works with over 300 agencies throughout Oklahoma and nearby states. These partnerships give you real-life experience with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Each site provides qualified supervision, resources, and chances to grow as an ethical social work professional.

A qualified Field Instructor with an MSW degree and two years of experience will guide you. The program offers block and extended scheduling options to fit different needs. Some students might land paid practicum positions, like Veterans Healthcare Administration stipend roles during the concentration year.

Career Opportunities

OU-Tulsa MSW graduates take on diverse roles helping clients with various needs. Oklahoma’s social worker demand has grown substantially, making it a great time to join the field.

Your degree opens doors to roles like:

• Clinical Social Worker/Behavioral Health Therapist
• Client Advocate
• Community Engagement Specialist
• Program Administrator or Director
• School-Based Support Professional
• Social Worker in Legal or Forensic Settings
• Prevention and Wellness Coordinator
• Social Worker Serving Tribal or Indigenous Communities

Local employers often hire OU-Tulsa graduates. These include Family and Children’s Services, Oklahoma DHS, Grand Mental Health, CREOKS, Youth Services of Tulsa, Dayspring Community Services, Tulsa Public Schools, and Green Country Behavioral Health.

Social workers lead mental health service delivery in the United States. Your OU-Tulsa training prepares you to tackle complex social challenges at personal and system levels. The program’s focus on ethics, cultural awareness, and professional integrity ensures you’ll make a real difference in communities across Oklahoma and beyond.

2. Northeastern State University

Northeastern State University (NSU) brings a fresh perspective to social work education through its Master of Social Work program. The program emphasizes service to Native American populations. Located in Tahlequah, students experience a culturally responsive curriculum that prepares them as advanced generalist practitioners while celebrating Oklahoma’s indigenous heritage.

Program Overview

The NSW MSW program holds full accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), which ensures graduates receive nationally recognized professional training. Students learn essential knowledge, skills, and values from CSWE competencies and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. This foundation helps graduates work effectively in a variety of settings and populations.

NSU’s program stands out because of its focus on social work practice with Native American populations. The university created its curriculum to address indigenous communities’ specific needs and cultural contexts. Students who want to work with tribal nations in Oklahoma and beyond will find this program valuable.

Students can choose between two pathway options:

• Traditional Pathway (58 credit hours): Students with undergraduate degrees in fields other than social work learn necessary foundational content
• Advanced Standing Pathway (32 credit hours): Students who hold a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program can take this route

NSU students can focus their studies in specialized areas including:

• Indigenous & Rural Communities
• Behavioral Health
• Children & Adolescents

NSU faculty members excel in classroom teaching and research advancement. Small class sizes create meaningful relationships between faculty and students. Many faculty members serve as graduate advisors to ensure students get tailored guidance throughout their education.

Admission Criteria

Your chosen pathway determines the admission process. Advanced Standing Pathway applicants need:

• A BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited program
• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale
• Summer semester application

Traditional Pathway requirements include:

• An undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited or internationally listed college/university
• A minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale
• Fall semester application [114]

Students with GPAs between 2.80-2.99 might qualify for conditional admission. Those with GPAs below 2.80 could receive conditional admission if they earned a 3.00 GPA or higher in their final 60 undergraduate hours. Conditional admission students must achieve a 3.25 GPA in their first 9 program hours to gain regular admission status.

Applications open from November 1st to April 30th yearly. Late applications need approval from the MSW Program Director. The review process starts only after receiving all required materials.

Northeastern State University Cost Breakdown

Your MSW degree represents a vital investment. NSU’s estimates for graduate resident students (full-time, 18 hours) show these costs:

Additional fees vary by college and program. The College of Liberal Arts Enhancement Fee costs $10.55 per credit hour for all students. Graduate Education Enhancement Fee adds $6.50 per credit hour. Mandatory fees amount to $32.75 per credit hour.

Students and their families bear the main responsibility for higher education costs. Federal student aid helps those who might otherwise struggle to attend college.

Field Education

Field education forms the foundations of social work training at NSU. The program combines field experiences with classroom learning to develop practical skills alongside theoretical knowledge.

Students apply classroom concepts to real-life practice situations. This hands-on approach builds competence in working with diverse clients, especially indigenous communities. Field placements give students valuable experience for their professional practice after graduation.

Faculty mentors support students through their field education, ensuring they meet learning objectives. NSU’s commitment to small classes and individual attention makes this mentorship especially valuable.

Career Opportunities

NSU’s MSW program prepares graduates academically for the Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) exam in Oklahoma. The curriculum helps students meet state licensing requirements. Students planning to practice elsewhere should check with those states’ licensing boards.

Oklahoma offers five social work license levels, four requiring a master’s degree. Candidates must pass an Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) exam, and some licenses need supervised experience.

Oklahoma social workers have an advantage – they don’t need a clinical license for independent work. Clinical licensure applies to private practice, but Licensed Social Worker (LSC) and Licensed Social Worker Administration (LSW-Adm) credentials also allow independent practice.

The Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Social Workers grants provisional licenses after receiving applications and fees. Provisional licensees have one year to pass their required exam. Oklahoma lacks reciprocity agreements but accommodates out-of-state social workers seeking licensure.

NSU’s MSW graduates work in healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and legal systems. The program’s indigenous communities focus prepares graduates especially well for work with tribal nations throughout Oklahoma and nearby regions.

Faculty advisors help students understand licensure requirements and connect them with professional networks for job placement. Students should consult these mentors and the Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Social Workers for current licensing information.

3. University of Oklahoma MPH/MSW Dual Degree

The University of Oklahoma’s MPH/MSW dual degree program gives professionals a chance to combine public health knowledge with social work practice. Students can gain powerful skills through this accelerated program that merges expertise from the OUHSC Hudson College of Public Health and the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work. These skills help tackle complex health and social challenges.

Program Overview

Students can earn both a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion Sciences and a Master of Social Work at the same time through this dual degree program. The innovative curriculum needs a total of 88 curriculum hours to complete both degrees. This saves time compared to pursuing each degree separately.

Students who want to become agents of change will learn to:

• Raise the health standards of individuals, families, and communities
• Deal with health disparities through a public health lens
• Help vulnerable populations facing injustice

The original MPH component focuses on Health Promotion Sciences and teaches expertise in developing interventions that create positive changes in healthcare policy. Both disciplines blend naturally in the curriculum, which combines public health research methods with social work’s practical solutions and action.

The program has:

• Core public health courses (16 credit hours) that cover biostatistics, epidemiology, social and behavioral sciences, environmental health, and healthcare systems
• Required health promotion courses (15 credit hours) that focus on theoretical concepts, program planning, community assessment, and program evaluation
• Social work required courses (45 credit hours) that provide foundations in clinical and community practice
• Social work electives (6 credit hours) that allow specialization

Admission Criteria

Students must meet admission requirements for both individual programs. The simple criteria include:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• Minimum GPA of 3.0 (calculated from upper-division coursework of your bachelor’s degree)
• College Algebra or higher-level math course as prerequisite
• Good standing with previously attended educational institutions

Students can meet the GPA requirement through several paths:

• 0 in bachelor’s degree cumulative GPA
• 0 in the last 60 credit hours of upper-division coursework
• 0 in master’s degree cumulative GPA
• 0 in the last 12+ hours of graded graduate coursework

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center calculates all grades earned for program admission since it doesn’t participate in Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Academic Forgiveness Provisions.

Students can apply by these deadlines:

• Fall: August 1
• Spring: December 15
• Summer: May 1

Cost Breakdown

The program’s billing structure changes based on your current studies:

• MPH courses alone follow the full-time MPH tuition rate
• MSW courses alone follow the full-time MSW rate
• Semesters with both types of courses base tuition on the school where most credits are registered

Program graduates earn a median salary of approximately $61,000, making this a valuable investment in their professional future.

Field Education

The program merges both disciplines’ practical components through field education requirements. Students must complete practicum requirements that satisfy both degrees.

Students can share practicum training experience between MPH and MSW requirements – a key advantage that makes the dual degree program more efficient. Students who don’t share their practicum experience or have non-qualifying experiences must take two additional social work courses:

• SW 531 Crisis Interventions
• SW 570 Health & Disability Social Work

These courses count toward MSW Advanced Interventions and Advanced Topics requirements. Students can structure their field education experience flexibly while meeting all competency requirements.

Career Opportunities

This dual degree creates experts who excel at the intersection of public health and social work. Graduates find valuable opportunities in multiple sectors.

Popular career paths include:

• Health policy analyst
• Health agency administrator
• Program coordinator/manager
• Health educator
• Social service administrator
• Behavioral health clinician
• Clinical research assistant

Leadership positions become available in:

• Managed care organizations and hospitals
• Local and state health departments
• Federal health agencies
• Voluntary health agencies
• Community-based organizations
• Advocacy coalitions

Training in direct patient care and population health management makes graduates versatile in the job market. The program helps create professionals who can tackle health disparities and make positive changes in individual lives and healthcare policy.

The program runs in Oklahoma City, Norman, and Tulsa, making it accessible to students anywhere in the state. This dual degree stands out as one of the most detailed options among MSW programs in Oklahoma that focus on public health.

4. University of Denver Online MSW

The University of Denver provides an excellent online MSW program that gives Tulsa students the freedom to study without location restrictions. Students receive high-quality social work education through innovative distance learning technology.

Program Overview

The top-ranked school of social work at the University of Denver offers two distinct tracks in its Online MSW Program. Students can complete the Traditional Online MSW’s 81 credits in 27 months. BSW holders can finish the Advanced-Standing option’s 54 credits in 12 months. Both programs let students customize their learning path with concentrations in Mental Health and Trauma or Health, Equity and Wellness. Each class maintains about 15 students to ensure individual attention.

Admission Criteria

Students need a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale. The application process requires official transcripts, a resume, and a career goals statement that explains why the candidate wants to pursue social work. Letters of recommendation are now optional for all MSW@DEN applications.

Cost Breakdown

The program requires a substantial investment:

Students pay an additional $4.00 technology fee per credit. The university helps students by providing over $9 million in scholarships in 2025.

Field Education

Field education serves as a core component of the curriculum. Traditional MSW students must complete two internships that total 900 hours—400 hours in foundation year and 500 hours in concentration year. Advanced-Standing students need to complete only the 500-hour concentration internship. Specialists help students find appropriate sites within 60 miles of their homes. This placement process starts three months before internship begin dates.

Career Opportunities

Graduates build careers in mental health, healthcare, and community settings. The social work field will grow 7% by 2033, with robust growth expected in mental health (15%), healthcare (13%), and child/family services (13%). Many graduates become behavioral health clinicians, psychiatric social workers, mental health counselors, or policy analysts.

Choose a Tulsa MSW Today

Picking the right MSW program is a substantial step toward a rewarding career in social work. This piece has shown you five outstanding programs that are available to Tulsa students. Each one offers unique advantages based on your specific career goals and situation.

These programs show why getting your social work education in Oklahoma just makes sense. The state just needs qualified mental health professionals, and MSW graduates enjoy impressive employment rates. Your education directly leads to career opportunities here. On top of that, the variety of program formats—from traditional campus-based options to fully online degrees—will give a perfect fit whatever your current life situation might be.

Money definitely matters when picking your MSW program. Tuition rates vary substantially between schools, though they’re all worth the investment given the $61,000 median salary for MSW graduates. Scholarship opportunities at places like the University of Oklahoma make your education more available to you.

Field education is the substance of all programs we reviewed. The hands-on experience—ranging from 500 to 900 practicum hours—prepares you for ground challenges. You’ll build professional connections that often lead to job opportunities after graduation.

The specialized focus areas these programs offer deserve your attention. You might be drawn to Northeastern State University’s emphasis on Native American populations or the University of Denver’s concentrations in Mental Health and Trauma. These specializations let you shape your education around your specific interests.

Your final choice depends on several factors: program cost, format priorities, specialization options, and career goals. Take time to review each program’s unique strengths against your personal circumstances. The path you choose from among Tulsa’s MSW programs will provide excellent foundations. You’ll make meaningful contributions to Oklahoma communities while building a rewarding, environmentally responsible career in social work.