MSW Program
Advanced Standing
The School offers an Advanced Standing program for graduates of an undergraduate social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. A minimum undergraduate academic average of 3.0 (B) is required for admission. The Bachelor of Social Work degree must have been received within six years before entry into the program.
Students accepted for advanced standing are given credit for twenty-four credit hours. The additional forty-one credits required for graduation must be taken at the School of Social Work or as part of a School of Social Work approved course of study. No additional transfer credits will be accepted toward the MSW degree.
The Advanced Standing program consists of eleven courses, plus advanced fieldwork (24 hours a week, which is usually scheduled for three days per week). However, students who pass a written examination exempting them from the first required research course take ten courses to complete the program. Full-time students spend two semesters and part of the following summer fulfilling the degree requirements. Part-time Advanced Standing students can complete the program in four semesters plus the summer between the academic years. Summer school tuition is not included in the academic year tuition (September to May). It is separate and additional.
For selected prospective students with extensive background and experience, a special request to pursue advanced standing and dual degree programs (with Education, Public Health, or Theology) will be considered. Special requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and require approval of the director of the Dual Degree Program for which the student is applying and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Applicants interested in learning more about the Advanced Standing and Dual Degree Programs should contact the director of the appropriate dual degree program to discuss their application. Persons interested in the Advanced Standing program should contact the Admissions Office for detailed information on the application procedure.
