The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredits over 540 MSW programs in 2025, but less than 1% are tuition-free, per CSWE’s directory. Institutions like the University of Montana’s online MSW, while not free, report 85% of students receiving aid, reducing costs significantly (UM 2024 report).
The National Center for Education Statistics notes average graduate tuition at public institutions was $12,600 in 2021-2022, underscoring affordability barriers. Certificate options, such as Rutgers’ Interpersonal Violence and Trauma track, enhance employability, with 25% higher salaries for MSW holders versus BSWs (BLS).
This article explores rare free online MSW programs with certificates, backed by data from CSWE, BLS, and university reports. These initiatives empower aspiring social workers to address pressing societal needs without financial strain.
Why You Need a Free MSW Program
Helping People
As a social worker, the need to help people through their hard times always comes first to you. Hence, with a free MSW program online, you can have a broader knowledge of social work and therefore be able to help more people within your community and even around the globe.
Career Advancement to Clinical/Macro Social Worker
Having just a B.Sc. in social work is a constraint, as your practice and services to people are limited. A free master’s certification course in social work will open doors for you. Taking social work as a career, earning a master’s will enable you to advance to a clinical or macro social worker.
Less Stressful and Affordable
Surprisingly, some of the best and most affordable online MSW program opportunities are not taken by many due to the fear of being too good to be true. Well, in as much as this assumption may be right sometimes, other times, the free MSW programs opportunity is authentic. Additionally, taking the free online MSW program gives you more time for other things as the classes are held virtually, and you may likely spend little or no money at all in order to take the course.
Multiple Masters Social Work programs to Choose From
In as much as the Online MSW is free, it also provides for the choice of specialization to applicants that wish to enroll. There are multiple social work short courses online one can choose to enroll in them for free.
Unlike some other free programs online with limited programs to choose from, social works masters online free programs leave the user the choice of the most preferred area to specialize in regarding social works.
Potential to Earn More in future
The ability to earn more than you use to is associated with creating more value and giving it out as services to people that require them. This is also true for social workers. An advancement in degree from a B.Sc to a Masters is a sure sign of advancement in career and this can in turn translate to more income. Although it is a free MSW program online, it is no barrier to your future earnings.
Also, See 20 Highest Paying 4 week Certificate Programs Online
What are the Free Online MSW Programs with Certificates?
- #1. The Arts and Science of Relationships
- #2. Understanding Violence
- #3. Positive Psychology
- #4. Children’s Human Rights
- #5. The Social Context of Mental Health and Illness
- #6. Gender Equality and Sexuality Diversity
- #7. Opioid Crisis
- #8. Autism Spectrum Disorder
- #9. Psychodiagnostics and Psychological Assessment
- #10. Confronting Gender-Based Violence
#1. The Arts and Science of Relationships
This is a free MSW program online that is accessible to anyone that has an interest in it. The course entails understanding relationships in their totality in order to help others as well as yourself as regards relationship issues.
This course is offered by the University of Toronto via Coursera.
The course covers some of the following areas:
1, The framework of the SSLD for assessing management in relationship and translation of problems.
2, Relationship management core competencies while applying the SSLD System. This topic is concerned with observation training, implementation in real-life e.t.c.
#2. Understanding Violence
Taking this course will further enlighten you on various causes of violence and you will also get to meet and learn from experts in violence matters. In as much as you learn about how violence originates, you will also learn some techniques and ways you can reduce violence.
The course is taught in Coursera and is sponsored by Emory University.
#3. Positive Psychology
This is a relevant and high-demand certificate course in social work. Engaging Psychology as a course in order to help people will go a long way.
The free online course is offered by the University of North Carolina through Coursera.
This program will expose you to a better understanding of people’s overall behavior and give you insight into how the brain works. It supports topics such as consciousness, memory, perception e.t.c.
#4. Children’s Human Rights
This program in social work is populated by people who have a passion for the welfare of children particularly.
The course is taught via Coursera and is certified by the University of Geneva.
You will learn about the internationally recognized children’s human right standard that is acceptable all over the world. You will also be kept abreast of the challenges children all over the world have been facing as a result of the failed government in some countries.
Indeed, if you are a lover of children, then this course is just for you.
#5. The Social Context of Mental Health and Illness
This course focuses on educating students on some pivotal and sometimes subtle social factors that generally influence a person’s mental health.
As humans, there are several factors that can positively influence our minds. Having gone through this course, you will be able to understand the mental state of a person and even diagnose and recommend treatment for any mental illness owing to social influences.
This free course is offered by the University of Toronto and is taught through Coursera.
#6. Gender Equality and Sexuality Diversity
This is also a free online social work course offered by the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) Chile.
This is a highly practical and exciting field of study. You will be introduced to LGBTQIA identities, Sexuality, Gender e.t.c.
A grasp of this knowledge will help you better understand how identity forms and better be able to analyze gender shapes our behavior in our society, culture, workplace, and the world.
#7. Opioid Crisis
Opioids are also referred to as narcotics. This is a very sensitive aspect of social work, as it is related to drug addiction.
Generally, Opioids are drugs that are highly addictive but are primarily used for the relief of pain. The increasing misuse of opioids gave rise to the need for more people to learn about them.
On finishing this course, you will be able to properly discern between Opioid Crisis and Opioid medications.
#8. Managing Autism Spectrum Disorder
This course also has to do with the cognitive aspect of humans. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has to do with differences in the brain thereby resulting in developmental disabilities.
The course is sponsored by the University of Colorado and taught through Coursera.
Taking this course presents you with the opportunity to help people that have been diagnosed with this condition. This course will help you gain relevant knowledge about ASD, Causes of increasing victims and then provide you with the knowledge of how best to manage these people.
#9. Psychodiagnostics and Psychological Assessment
This course is also among the major social work courses that are highly relevant. It is not considered to be among the social work short courses as it a very broad.
This course is provided through Coursera by Tomsk State University. It comprises 5 modules with each module being broken into at least 4 topics.
Some of the things you will be able to do after going through this course include:
1, Understand fully the varieties of ways to probe the different features of a person.
11, Be able to determine the range of how reliable diagnostics data is.
#10. Confronting Gender-Based Violence
Gender-Based Violence(GBV) is one of the growing issues global. Engaging in this course would be a bold step to help reduce crises globally. With the knowledge you garner in this course, you will be able to counsel people effectively against violence.
This Free Online course is made available by John Hopkins University through Coursera. The institution is one of the best schools for social work in the world.
Online MSW Programs No GRE
Generally, Having a GRE Certification or other professional certification to be able to be considered for the most affordable free courses online. This is a deliberate resolve in order to be able to screen out some applicants without the GRE from the free online course. Although some schools have used this to screen out online MSW program applicants with no GRE, other schools accept applicants with no GRE. Below is a list of schools where you can apply for an online MSW program without getting a GRE.
- #1. INDIANA University
- #2. University of Denver
- #3. Columbia University
- #4. Boise State University
- #5. Fordham University
- #6. University of New England
Diploma In Social work Online
There is various online social work diploma you can choose to apply for. In as much as there are paid diplomas online, with good research you can also find some that are free online. Below are some of the courses listed.
- #1. Social Service Diploma
- #2. Diploma in Health and Social Care
- #3. Diploma in Community Services
- #4. Disability Support Worker
- #5. Personal Support Worker
Conclusion
If Indeed you really want to effectively help people through social work, then I believe by now you know just what to do. Explore any of the listed free courses listed above and make your application.
FAQS Free Online MSW Programs with Certificate
Yes, there are. Some of them are:
Psychology
Understanding Violence
Opioid Management
Do research on the compatibility of the social worker career with you.
Get at least a Bachelor’s degree in Social Works
Source for more advanced level education on Social Works.
Yes, you can get a job.
Just like the paid online MSW programs, the free courses are treated the same way.
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