Peace Through Education

MSW Admission Requirements

The following requirements for admission to the Master of Social Work degree program apply to all program options, including the Regular (2-year), Advanced Standing, Online Advanced Standing, and Extended (3-year). See additional requirements for admission to the Advanced Standing program in Additional Requirements for Admission to the Advanced Standing Program below.

NOTE:  See Applying to the MSW Program for application forms, process, and deadlines.

  • Admission to the University of Arkansas Graduate School
  • Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university (official transcripts must be provided).  International bachelor’s degrees are submitted to the Council on Social Work Education International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Service for a determination of equivalency.
  • Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (based on 4-point scale) for the last 60 hours leading up to the 1st bachelor’s degree. Applicants with an L60 GPA less than 3.0 are required to complete the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Millers Analogies Test (MAT). If the applicant has a master’s degree from an accredited institution, the graduate GPA may be reviewed by the School as part of the admission decision process.  Applicants with an L60 GPA ≥ 2.75 may be considered for conditional admission to the Regular (2-year) or Extended (3-year) programs. There is no conditional admission to the Advanced Standing program.
  • Personal statement (guidelines provided)
  • Social needs paper (guidelines provided)
  • Three professional references (academic, employer, supervisor) from persons able to assess the applicant’s current skills and characteristics as well as potential for success in graduate studies.  If applying to the Advanced Standing program, one reference must be a field instructor (agency supervisor) or field liaison (field seminar instructor).  Please note that non-professional references (friends, family members, ministers, counselors) will not be accepted. Reference names and contact information are submitted to the Graduate School as part of the Graduate School’s online application process.
  • Completion of a basic statistics course
  • Computer literacy demonstrated through prior coursework
  • Personal interview may be required

Additional Requirements for Admission to the Advanced Standing Program

Applicants to the Advanced Standing program (on campus and online) must meet all the requirements for admission to the Master of Social Work degree program listed above. In addition, Advanced Standing applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in social work from a CSWE accredited program, or recognized through its International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Service, completed within the past 6 years.   Applicants who earned their degree more than 6 years prior to application may petition for an exception, by documenting a significant post-bachelor’s history of social work employment and ongoing continuing education. (See Petition for Exception, Application Forms) Applicants to the Online Advanced Standing program must also meet specific technology requirement at the time of enrollment. 

Tech Requirements - Online Advanced Standing

Selection Criteria for Admission

The admissions process is competitive. Individuals selected for admission will possess the strongest qualifications in terms of the Graduate School admission criteria, grade point average, personal statement, professional references, social needs paper, and commitment to social work values. Volunteer activities, employment experience, and life experiences relevant to social work are considered in the admission process.

Applicants to the MSW program must hold an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university. International bachelor’s degrees are submitted to the Council on Social Work Education International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Service for a determination of equivalency. Transcripts of undergraduate work will be examined for evidence of course work in the liberal arts sufficient to provide an appropriate foundation for graduate social work study. The liberal arts perspective includes knowledge from the arts, natural sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and humanities.

A 3.0 GPA in undergraduate studies is expected. Applicants with ≥ 3.0 GPA for the last 60 credit hours leading up to their 1st bachelor’s degree are not required to complete the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or any other standardized test for admission. Applicants with a GPA of 2.75-2.99 may be considered for conditional admission to the Regular (2-year) or Extended (3-year) programs. There is no conditional admission to the Advanced Standing program.

Applicants must possess the following personal qualifications (as demonstrated through the personal statement, references and personal interview, if requested):  intellectual maturity, emotional stability, the motivation and capacity to work with people from diverse backgrounds, and the ability to think clearly, critically, creatively, and independently.

Applicants must demonstrate superior oral and written communication skills (as demonstrated through the personal statement, social needs paper and references).

Competence in the use of basic statistical methods, as demonstrated through previous course work, is expected. Applicants who are unable to meet this requirement at the time of application will be asked to complete additional undergraduate coursework prior to enrollment.

The required personal statement includes an autobiographical sketch, history of work and volunteer activities, and a self-assessment of aptitude and motivation for an advanced career in social work. Guidelines are provided.

In the required social needs paper, applicants choose a current social need that is of concern and interest to them. The paper should be written using American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines. Position taken must be supported by appropriate citations from the literature. Guidelines are provided.

Three professional references are required (academic, employer, supervisor) from persons able to assess the applicant’s current skills and characteristics as well as potential for success in graduate studies.  If applying to the Advanced Standing program, one reference must be a field instructor (agency-based supervisor) or field liaison (seminar instructor).  Please note that non-professional references (friends, family members, ministers, counselors) will not be accepted. Reference names and contact information are submitted to the Graduate School as part of the Graduate School’s online application process. 

Applicants may be asked to interview with members of the MSW Admissions Committee. Interviews are conducted at the School of Social Work or using distance technology.