MSW in Social Work

Standard Program:

This option is for applicants who don't qualify for the Advanced Program.

To enter the Standard Program, students need a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 hours of their undergraduate work.

If an applicant has a master’s degree from an accredited school, their graduate GPA may be considered. In special cases, applicants with a GPA below 3.0 can be considered for Conditional Admission Status.

Students granted this status will advance to Unconditional Admission Status after completing 12 graduate semester hours with a minimum 3.00 GPA. They can have only one “C” grade in those 12 hours and must meet all unconditional admission requirements. All students in the Standard Program must complete both the Foundation Curriculum and the Concentration Curriculum.

Advanced Program

Persons admitted to the Advanced Program complete only the Concentration Curriculum. For admission to the Advanced Program, students must have a 3.2 or better on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 credit hours of the BSW degree. There is no conditional admission to the Advanced Program.

UNCONDITIONAL ADMISSION STATUS

View University Graduate Degree Policies

The following Graduate School admission requirements are minimum standards which identify the pool of applicants from which departments select students to be admitted in a degree program. To be granted unconditional admission status in the Graduate School, applicants must:

• Submit a completed online application for admission and the nonrefundable application fee of $30 for U.S. Applicants, $40 for International Applicants, or $50 for Doctoral Applicants to Graduate School Admissions, along with the required program documents, by the deadline on the department website.
• Earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution (or its equivalent as determined by the Graduate School).
• Achieved a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale or a 3.00 GPA on the last 60 hours.
• Achieved a minimum 3.00 GPA on any previous graduate courses completed at either Arkansas State University or another accredited university.
• Submitted official transcripts from each college or university as requested by the Graduate School. Official transcripts must be submitted directly from the registrar of other institutions to the office of the Graduate School at Arkansas State University.

CONDITIONAL ADMISSION STATUS

An applicant who fails to meet the GPA requirements for Unconditional Admission Status, who lacks the appropriate undergraduate background for a particular degree program, or whose baccalaureate degree is from an unaccredited institution, may be granted conditional admission status after:

• Submission of a completed online application for admission and the designated nonrefundable application fee mentioned above to Graduate School Admissions, along with the required program documents, by the deadline on the department website.
• Submitted official transcripts from each college or university as requested by the Graduate School. Official transcripts must be submitted directly from the registrar of other institutions to the office of the Graduate School at Arkansas State University.
• Achieving a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale or a 2.75 GPA on the last 60 hours for admission into a graduate program or for admission as a non-degree student.

PROGRAM ADMISSION CRITERIA

Meeting the minimum requirements for admission to the Graduate School does not necessarily ensure acceptance into a particular graduate degree program. Individual departments may establish requirements for individual degree programs above and beyond the standards for admission to the Graduate School.

The application process

requires both university and MSW applications.

Acceptance into one, does not guarantee acceptance into the other, or another program.

To be considered for admission into the MSW program, you must complete or have the following:

An MSW Application.

A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university (official transcripts must be provided).

For persons seeking admission into the Standard Program the following prerequisites must be completed with a grade of “C” or better prior to admissions: American Government, Human Biology, Human Biology Laboratory, Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Sociology, Social Statistics and Introduction to Social Work (undergraduate or graduate).A BSW degree from a CSWE accredited program is required for admission to the Advanced Program.

GPA of 3.0 or better for the last 60 credit hours for admission to the Standard Program.

GPA of 3.2 or better for the last 60 credit hours for admissions to the Advanced Program.

1. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION MATERIALS

Closely observe the deadline and required materials set by your graduate program of interest, including any additional documents requested of students who are seeking departmental funding through assistantships or fellowships. Complete the application and fax, e-mail or mail any materials that could not be submitted online to A-State Graduate Admissions.

General documents needed in the application process:

• A completed online application accompanied by the appropriate application fee ($30 for U.S. applicants, $50 for International applicants, $50 for Doctoral applicants), along with the required documents for that specific graduate program. See the program website for specific required documents. (There may be separate application forms for some programs, as noted on the departments' websites.)
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended since leaving high school. Transcripts must be mailed directly from the institutions previously attended. If you are a graduate of A-State, we will obtain your transcript for you.
• All students are required to present written documentation of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) immunization. This immunization must have been received after the first birthday and after January 1, 1968.
• Arkansas law requires that, in order to be eligible for enrollment at a public institution of higher learning, a male applicant between the ages of 18 and 25 who is a U.S. citizen must be registered or be exempt from registration with the Selective Service System.
• If a standardized test is required for your major, you may contact the Testing Center at Arkansas State University at (870) 972-2038 for information regarding tests and test dates.

 

2. REVIEW BY THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM

Once an applicant has submitted all required documents to Graduate Admissions, the admissions committee for that particular academic program will review their applicant file and make their decisions regarding admission.

3. FINAL REVIEW BY THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

Once the Graduate School receives the academic program’s admission decision, they email a copy of that Notice of Admission Decision to the applicant, unless the program notifies their applicants directly.

4. ADMISSION

If accepted into the degree program to which you applied, Graduate Admissions will admit you to the University and email you a copy of your Notice of Admission, unless that program notifies their accepted applicants directly. Admitted applicants need to check with their assigned advisor, as noted on their Notice of Admission, in order to be able to register for the semester.