Peace Through Education

Applying to the MSW Program

Admissions Timeline

  • The Regular (2-Year) program admits students each fall.
  • The Advanced Standing program admits students each summer.
  • The Online Advanced Standing program admits students each summer.
  • The Extended (3-year) program admits students in the fall, on odd years only (2023, 2025, etc.)
  • The MSW Program does not admit students to start in the spring semester.

Deadline for Submission of Applications

Applicants to the Regular (2-year), Extended (3-year), Advanced Standing and Online Advanced Standing programs should submit all MSW application documents as email attachments, to the School of Social Work MSWapply@uark.edu.  Please include the subject line “Your Name MSW Application”. Only complete applications will be considered for admission. Please submit all requested documents. Any other documents submitted will not be considered during the application process.

Candidates applying to all MSW Programs must complete the Graduate School application in addition to the MSW Program application.

The application deadline for Graduate School admission for candidates of the Advanced Standing MSW Program and the Online Advanced Standing MSW Program is January 15.

The application deadline for Graduate School admission for candidates of the 2-Year Program or Extended 3-Year Program application deadline is February 15th. 

 

MSW Application Documents:

To get the latest version of Adobe, please click here. 

PDF versions of forms are fillable. All documents must be submitted in PDF format.

Documents submitted in any other format will be returned to be submitted in PDF format.

Application Process

  1. To apply please visit the Graduate School website.  Complete the Graduate School application. 
  2. Submit your official transcript from your undergraduate degree awarding institution.  Applicants are notified when their Graduate School application materials are forwarded to the School of Social Work. This notification is not a guarantee of admission to the School of Social Work.
  3. The School of Social Work reviews only complete applications. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all MSW application documents are submitted to the School of Social Work by the application deadline. The MSW Admissions Committee reviews applications and submits their recommendations regarding each applicant’s status (admission, conditional admission, waitlist, or denial of admission) to the MSW program director.
  4. The MSW program director sends written notification to applicants concerning their admission status.  Notification of conditional admission also includes information on the nature of the conditions and steps required to satisfy those conditions.

Transfer Student Applications and Transfer of Credit

According to the Graduate Student Handbook  “a maximum of 6 hours of course work may be transferred from another institution towards a master's degree at the University of Arkansas”. A form is required and may be obtained from the Graduate School website. An official transcript must be on file with the Graduate School.

Only applicants from CSWE-accredited graduate social work programs will be considered for admission as transfer students. See the Graduate Student Handbook for additional eligibility requirements to transfer credit.  Please be advised that it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that credit has been transferred. In addition, transfer credit is not depicted on student transcripts until after graduation. 

MSW Course Waiver Policy

The School of Social Work and the Graduate School require that students in the Regular (2-year) and Extended (3-year) MSW programs must complete 63 hours of graduate credit to fulfill graduate requirements for the MSW degree. However, students who have taken the following courses at a CSWE-accredited social work program as an undergraduate student MAY be exempt from taking the following courses:

  • Human Behavior and Social Environment I (HBSE I)
  • Human Behavior and Social Environment II (HBSE II)
  • Social Welfare Policy

Non-matriculated graduate students who have taken the following courses at the UA School of Social Work MAY be exempt from taking the following courses while in the MSW Program:

  • Social Work Policy (SCWK 4153)
  • Human Behavior and Social Environment I (HBSE I)

In order for the above courses to be considered by the MSW Admission Committee for graduate credit, the following criteria need to be met:

  • Request should be submitted with MSW application (prior to acceptance into MSW program)
  • Courses must be completed within 2 years of admission to the UA School of Social Work from a CSWE-accredited social work program.
  • Student must have earned a “B” or better in the course.
  • For those who enrolled as an undergraduate student, appropriate graduate electives must be taken in place of the core required courses.

Request for Course Waiver

Life/Work Experience Policy

The MSW Program does not grant social work course credit for life or previous work experience.

Avoiding Duplication in Undergraduate Coursework

BSW students entering the MSW program are not to repeat what has been mastered in their BSW programs.  If potential redundancy or duplication is found, the MSW Admissions Committee will note this and will investigate whether duplication or redundancy actually exists.  When the MSW Admissions Committee concludes that foundation area coursework has been completed previously, the student is granted credit for the coursework.  Students who believe they may have completed foundation area coursework, even when the Admissions Committee has not noted that possibility during the admissions process, may request a review of their transcript and prior coursework.  This includes providing course descriptions and course syllabi from the prior work for consideration by the committee.  If it is concluded that duplication or redundancy exists, the student will be exempted from the relevant foundation coursework.