General Admission
Applicants must have an earned baccalaureate degree from a college or university accredited by a recognized U.S. regional accrediting association or an equivalent degree from an institution outside the U.S.
Grade Point Average
A minimum GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required. Following Bloomsburg University guidelines, applicants with a GPA of 2.7 to 2.99 may be considered for provisional acceptance.
Application Statement
Applicants must submit a statement that addresses the following. This statement will be reviewed for content and writing quality:
- Why have you chosen social work as a profession?
- What are your goals in pursuing an MSW?
- How are your values consistent with the ethical principles of social work as articulated by the National Association of Social Workers?
- What is your experience working or volunteering in a helping capacity?
- What is your experience working with diverse groups of people?
- What will be your greatest challenges in pursuing a master’s degree in social work?
The statement should be no more than five, double-spaced, pages and address each item.
Resume
Applicants will provide a resume that includes both volunteer and paid experience.
References
Applicants will provide the names and contact information of three professional references who will then be contacted to provide letters of recommendation. One reference will be from a current or recent employer, and one will be from an educational setting. References from personal relationships will not be accepted.
Life Experience
As per the guidelines of our accrediting body, the Bloomsburg MSW program does not give academic credit for life experience.
Criminal Record
A criminal record will exclude potential students from some areas of social work practice. Applicants with a criminal record should consult with the Program Director as part of their application process. All students will be required to complete criminal background checks after being admitted to the Program.
Credit for BSW Classes
Prospective students who have completed undergraduate social work coursework, but do not qualify for advanced standing, may apply for exemption to first year equivalent MSW classes that they earned at least a B in.
Transfer Credits
Students who are accepted to the program may transfer primary social work courses from a CSWE accredited MSW program. Electives may be transferred from other applicable graduate programs. These credits must have been earned in the past five years while the student was in good standing in the academic program. Only grades of a B or higher will be accepted for transfer. Pass/fail grades are not accepted. Workshop or otherwise condensed courses will not be accepted.
Bloomsburg University policy limits the transfer of graduate credits to nine. However, this limit may be increased with the approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies. If you wish to apply for a waiver, please inquire with the MSW Program Director.
Advanced Standing
Students who are accepted into the advanced standing program will complete only the Specialized Curriculum (second year) in order to earn an MSW. All general admissions criteria apply with the following changes:
Undergraduate degree in social welfare or social work
Applicants must have an earned undergraduate degree (BSW, BA, BS) from a CSWE accredited baccalaureate program. Additionally, BSW programs recognized through CSWE’s International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Services, or that are covered under a memorandum of understanding with international social work accreditors will be accepted.
All applicants must have earned a 3.2 in their major (on a 4.0 scale) in order to be eligible for advanced standing. Applicants without a 3.2 GPA, but with unusual circumstances, may be considered for admission for advanced standing when they provide a written argument for exception to this requirement in the admissions essay.
References
Applicants will provide the names and contact information of three professional references who will then be contacted to provide letters of recommendation. References from personal relationships will not be accepted. One reference must be from a BSW field supervisor, liaison, or field faculty. At least one reference must be from a BSW faculty member.
Advanced standing applicants will also submit a copy of their final BSW field internship evaluation.
