With an interdisciplinary approach that integrates instruction with research and service, graduate programs of the College of Education and Human Development prepares students to enhance human systems and development, strengthen educational practices and policies, and encourage effective policies and management in public, private, and nonprofit organizations.
The College of Education and Human Development offers graduate degree programs through the School of Education and the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences.
The College of Education and Human Development graduate students have unequaled opportunities to participate in research and public service as well as internships in a variety of organizational settings and practicum experiences in schools. Many graduate students affiliate with one of the College’s nationally renowned research and public service centers. For more information, please see http://www.cehd.udel.edu.
Research and Public Service Centers
In addition to the extensive scholarly research and public service conducted by individual faculty and staff, the college’s research and public service centers provide research expertise and educational services to thousands of clients annually, including national and international groups and agencies as well as regional, state, and local organizations. Students work with faculty and staff on virtually all these efforts, designing research projects, developing training programs, gathering and analyzing data, organizing conferences, and writing and presenting research reports, scholarly papers, and journal articles.
The research and service centers listed below are profiled in detail in the Research Centers, Institutes, and Special Facilities section of this catalog:
The Children’s Campus
As a professional service-oriented college, the College of Education and Human Development has a unique combination of facilities on our Children’s Campus that provide a wide range of clinical experience and research settings for graduate students and faculty:
The Lab School is houses within the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences in the College of Education and Human Development. The University of Delaware Lab School welcomes over 180 children and their families annually to their developmentally supportive and inclusive part-time and full-time programs that range from infants to kindergarten. It has been awarded national accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the highest quality rating by the Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood. It is affiliated with the National Coalition of Campus Children’s Centers and the International Association of Laboratory Schools. Each year, the Lab School provides field placement experiences for more than 300 UD students preparing to enter fields of education, human services, psychology, social work, medicine, and more. The Lab School engages in curriculum development, exploratory studies, and is a research site for university faculty and students. The Lab School, located at 459 Wyoming Road on the Children’s Campus, opened in 1934 as among the first child study laboratories on university campuses, continues to fulfill the three part mission of Laboratory Schools:
- It provides supervised clinical experiences for university students preparing for professionals in fields serving young children and their families; all Early Childhood Education majors and students from majors across the University receive skilled coaching and mentoring from Master Teachers and other members of the Lab School staff.
- It serves as a site for research on young children, early learning, teaching, teachers, curriculum, and families of young children by university faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and the UD Lab School staff.
- It provides exemplary inclusive early education programs for area children and their families and serves as a model of high quality curriculum and teaching for early childhood practitioners in the region.
For further information visit www.labschool.udel.edu contact Dr. Dorit Radnai-Griffin, Director, (doritrg@udel.edu).
The Early Learning Center is a National Association for the Education of Young Children accredited program and has obtained the highest quality rating by the Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood. Housed within the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, the Early Learning Center is a state-of-the-art inclusive early care and education facility designed to mirror the State of Delaware by serving families of all racial and economic backgrounds. The ELC offers full day, full year care for over 220 children ages 6 weeks through 5 years and a robust school age program that operates before and after care during the school year and a full day summer camp for children in grades K-2. As an inclusive early learning program, partnerships are essential. Current community partnerships at the Early Learning Center include New Directions Early Head Start, and The Delaware Department of Education through the State Funded Early Care and Education Program, the Child and Adult Food Program, the Office of Early Learning, Birth to Three, and the Christina School District. On campus, the ELC supports undergraduate and graduate student parents through the CCAMPIS grant. The ELC provides technical assistance and training for community early learning programs and high school interns; is a laboratory for faculty and student researchers from several UD colleges; and a hands-on learning site for over 200 undergraduate and graduate students from across the campus.
For more information, please see https://www.elc.udel.edu/, or call (302) 831-6205, or email ud-elc@udel.edu
Located in Newark, Delaware, on the children’s campus at the University of Delaware, The College School (TCS) provides a nurturing and challenging educational program for bright children who learn differently. Serving students in grades 1-8, TCS offers a rigorous and engaging curriculum that uniquely benefits from the research that comes from the College of Education and Human Development, among many other University resources. While not every student at TCS faces academic or social challenges, all students benefit from its personalized, supportive, and differentiated approaches. The College School is committed to laying a foundation built on best practices, assessment-driven instruction, and community engagement. Additionally, it serves as a laboratory site for University of Delaware students aspiring to become educators or practitioners in related fields. The College School invites you to learn more by visiting www.collegeschool.udel.edu or calling (302) 831-1097.
Departments and Programs
Master of Social Work Program
Contact Dr. Ohiro Oni-Eseleh (oeseleh@udel.edu) for more information.
Admission Requirements
Admission into the Master of Social Work program will follow the university’s guidelines on admission as stated on the University of Delaware’s Graduate Admissions requirements for regular, provisional and non-degree status. More specifically, applicants for the Master of Social Work degree program will apply to Graduate College. To be admitted, an applicant must possess:
- A Baccalaureate degree in any field of study earned from a college or university accredited by a recognized regional accrediting agency.
- A Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a scale of 4.0 = A. Admission to graduate programs at the University of Delaware is selective and competitive based on the number of well-qualified applicants and the limits of available faculty and facilities. Those who meet stated minimum academic requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths.
- Applicants for Advanced Standing status will be required to have earned a Baccalaureate degree in Social Work. Advanced standing is also awarded to applicants with CASWE-accredited baccalaureate social work degree (from the Canadian social work accreditor, recognized through an MOU with CSWE and CASWE) and Internationally earned ISWDRES-evaluated degree comparable to a baccalaureate social work.
- International applicants must submit official proof of English proficiency such as TOEFL or IELTS scores consistent with CEHD test score requirements, which are as follows: “For international applicants, whose first language is not English, a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT score of 100 or a score of 7.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required.
Application deadlines
Application deadlines will be as follows, effective in Fall 2025:
- Fall Admissions:
- January 15 - Priority consideration
- August 15 - Deadline to apply
- Spring Admissions:
- December 15 - Priority consideration
- January 15 - Deadline to apply
- Summer admissions:
- April 15 - Priority consideration
- May 15 - Deadline to apply
Special competencies needed (i.e., specific courses or experience).
None
Admission (including other admission) categories:
Applicants will be admitted as full-time and part-time students. In addition to regular, provisional, and non-degree status, the program will also have the following admission categories:
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Categories
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Duration
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Eligibility
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Regular full-time/part-time
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Full-time: 2 years
Part-time: Up to 4 years
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Baccalaureate degree in any field
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Advanced Standing (A/S)
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One year
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Baccalaureate degree in Social Work
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Accelerated
(Spring-Summer-
Fall-Spring)
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16 months
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Baccalaureate degree in any field
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* Human Service Practitioners (HSP)
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May be full-time or part-time
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Experienced human service workers (Students with 2 years’ experience working in human/social service organizations under the supervision of a licensed social worker, LMHC, psychologist or psychiatrist
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*This category will require verification and a written agreement with organizations where such students are employed - that the student would have the opportunity for employment-based practicum. The agreement will be developed by UD’s Social Work Program Director and will be executed before a prospective student is approved for this status. If declined, the student will be registered as a regular FT or PT MSW student.
Other documents required (i.e., letters of recommendation, essays, portfolios, interviews, writing assessments, etc.).
- A written statement of purpose that will discuss their personal and professional backgrounds, address the reasons for their interest in social work and discuss their professional goals.
- Two recommendation letters, one of which must be from a professor that the applicant has had or someone familiar with their professional accomplishments.
- Undergraduate UD students in good standing may be accepted on one recommendation from their department.
Degree Requirements
The MSW degree requires 60 credits for graduation. The 60 credits will be distributed as follows:
Full-time and part-time students - including HSP:
- 48 credits of coursework and 12 credits of internship distributed as:
- 39 credits of required courses,
- 9 credits of electives
- 12 credits of practicum education (internship)
Advanced Standing students:
Advanced-standing students are those entering the MSW program with a Baccalaureate degree in Social Work. Such students complete the MSW program in one year following. Once accepted, such students must successfully complete a minimum of 30 credits to obtain the MSW degree. 30 credits of coursework and 6 credits of internship distributed as follows:
- 15 credits of required courses
- 9 credits of electives
- 6 credits of practicum education
Semester sequence
Students will be admitted for Fall and Spring semesters. Advanced Standing students may also be admitted for a Summer session start. Enrolled students will be able to take classes as follows:
- Fall semester - 14 weeks
- Winter session - 2 weekends, 7 hours each day on Saturday and Sunday
- Spring semester - 14 weeks
- Summer - Two sessions of 5 weeks each
