MSW Admission Information

There are two MSW programs:

• In-person program
• Online program

And there are three admission types:

• Traditional (standard) admission
• Advanced standing admission
• Transfer admission

The program has criteria for the Traditional (two-year, part-time, and extended part-time) admission, the Advanced Standing admission, and the Transfer admission. 

Traditional (standard) Admission 

• Earned baccalaureate degree from a college or university accredited by a recognized regional accredited association.
  • Minimum of 2.75 overall GPA on a 4.0 scale

An earned bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by a recognized regional accrediting association is required for admission, students are not required to have a bachelor’s degree in any specific major to be considered for the Traditional (standard) admission.  There is also an option for applicants who do not meet the above-grade point average criteria - provisional review. 

Provisional review

• Earned baccalaureate degree from a college or university accredited by a recognized regional accredited association.
  • Any grade point average below the Traditional program minimum of 2.75 overall on a 4.0 scale is acceptable

An earned bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by a recognized regional accrediting association is required.  Students in the provisional review enroll in their first term for a minimum of 6 credits, which if successful in matriculation according to the College of Graduate Studies for “good standing” then are traditionally admitted students in their second term.

Advanced Standing Admission 

• Earned baccalaureate degree from a college or university accredited by a recognized regional accredited association.
  • This degree is a BSW degree that is from a CSWE accredited program
    • Minimum of 3.0 overall GPA on a 4.0 scale
    • Positive field practicum evaluations from the BSW program
    • BSW degree earned within the past 7 years, however, exceptions to this time frame are made contingent on the applicants’ experience/leadership in the field

The second program option is the Advanced Standing Program. The advanced standing program is an accelerated Master of Social Work program. The advanced standing program consists of 30 credits which can be completed in one year full-time or one and half years accelerated part-time, or two years extended part-time.

Required Materials for Traditional (standard) Admission

1. Two references will be required. At a minimum, one of the references must be the student’s professor, field supervisor, work supervisor, or academic advisor. Exceptions may be granted by the MSW Program Director if more than five years have passed since the applicant attended school or work. One reference may come from a supervisor of a social work-related volunteer activity, including a social work-related volunteer activity performed in a religious setting. Family members may not be used as a reference. In lieu of a traditional letter of reference, references should complete the MSW Program Reference Form available.
2. A writing sample. An essay of three to five typed pages (1.5 spacing) addressing:
   1. Describe how you experience/see changes in society and in your own life in relation to the social work profession?
   2. Are there any ways in which you would expand your own framework or experiences working in the social work profession?
   3. How would you use an empowerment approach as a future social worker?
   4. Describe previous social work/human services experience professionally, as a volunteer or student/intern.
3. Official transcripts from all undergraduate and undergraduate institutions attended. Students who apply before completing their bachelor degree must submit evidence of degree completion before beginning the MSW program.

Required Materials for Advanced Standing Admission

1. Two references will be required. At a minimum, one of the references must be the student’s professor, field supervisor, work supervisor, or academic advisor. One reference may come from a supervisor of a social work-related volunteer activity, including a social work-related volunteer activity performed in a religious setting. Family members may not be used as a reference. In lieu of a traditional letter of reference, references should complete the MSW Program Reference Form available.
2. A writing sample. An essay of three to five typed pages (1.5 spacing) addressing:
   1. Describe how you experience/see changes in society and in your own life in relation to the social work profession?
   2. Are there any ways in which you would expand your own framework or experiences working in the social work profession?
   3. How would you use an empowerment approach as a future social worker?
   4. Describe previous social work/human services experience professionally, as a volunteer or student/intern.
3. Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. Students who apply before completing their bachelor degree must submit evidence of degree completion before beginning the MSW program.

Transfer Admission

Transfer students may be admitted to the program, under the following procedures:

The applicant requesting to transfer graduate credit from another institution to fulfill program requirements at the university should be aware of the following criteria:

The university allows students to transfer up to 9 graduate credits--requests for an extension of the limit on transfer credit must be approved by the MSW Program Graduate Committee and must not exceed one-third of the total credits required for an MSW degree. 

Only credits from another Council of Social Work Education accredited social work graduate program at a regionally-accredited college or university will be considered. 

Acceptance of graduate transfer credit is determined by the program’s Academic and Professional Performance Committee (APC) and the College of Graduate Studies, which assess potential transfer courses and the adequacy of the applicant’s performance in these courses. 

Transfer credit is subject to program regulations and is not permitted without the approval of the MSW Graduate Program Committee. Programs may limit transfer credit to less than the maximum permitted by the College of Graduate Studies.  Additionally, the following university requirements apply: 

1. All transfer credit must be earned at an accredited graduate college or university and not have been utilized to fulfill a requirement for any other degree.
   1. Transfer credit cannot exceed nine graduate hours for master's degree students and one-third of the total graduate hours required for certificate, licensure, and doctoral degree students. The department/program graduate committee must approve requests for an extension of the limit on transfer credit. Such requests do not require review and approval by the College of Graduate Studies Petitions Committee.
   2. All credits requested for transfer must carry a letter grade of A, A-, B+, or B in graduate courses. No S/F graded courses may be transferred. The only consideration for exemption is field practicum experience which may qualify as transfer credit if all other criteria are met.
2. All transfer credit must be within the six-year statute of limitations on course work applicable fulfilling of a graduate degree, certificate, or licensure requirement at the time of program completion. The departmental/program graduate committee must approve requests for an extension of the six-year limit on transfer credit. Transfer credits taken ten or more years before the anticipated point of degree completion must also be reviewed and approved by the College of Graduate Studies Petitions Committee.
   1. Students seeking transfer credit must have Regular Graduate Student Status, have a minimum of 12 graduate credits posted at CSU, be in good academic standing at Cleveland State University and the school where the credits were earned.
   2. Students admitted to the university must receive prior approval to take courses elsewhere as Transient Students for transfer into their programs.
   3. Credit awarded in transfer is not approved nor recorded on a transcript until the student has completed twelve hours of graduate (500- to 800-level) course work at the university and has achieved a graduate grade point average of 3.0 or better.  

Application Deadlines

Fall: July 10
Spring: November 21
Summer: April 3