Earn Your MSW Faster with Advanced Standing

You may be closer than you know to earning your Master of Social Work (MSW). If you have already completed a CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree program with a GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale), and demonstrate a solid grasp of the core principles in social work, you may qualify for Advanced Standing at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work.

Applications for Advanced Standing are reviewed individually by the Admissions Committee, comprised of university faculty and social work professionals, and evaluated for superior academic performance, positive referrals and personal commitment to the demands of social work. If accepted, Advanced Standing students will enter the MSW program in their concentration year and be required to complete 36 credit hours.

Advanced Standing students are only required to complete two electives. They must opt to take an additional 3-credit elective to earn the Gerontology and Palliative Care Embedded Certification or the Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) Credentialing.

Requirements for Advanced Standing

• Completed application
• Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from a CSWE accredited program
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). Applicants with a GPA less than 3.0 will be reviewed on an individual basis and considered for provisional admission; an interview and additional writing sample may be required
• Final fieldwork evaluation from the BSW program
• One personal statement (500 words): Why do you want to work in the social work profession?
  • Applicants may submit an optional second essay providing additional relevant admissions information (explaining gaps in academic/employment history, justifying their GPA, etc.)
• One letter of recommendation from a professional or academic reference
• Official transcript(s) of all previous colleges attended
  • Degrees awarded outside of the United States must be evaluated by a Foreign Credential Evaluation Service (additional email provided upon request)
• Applicants who have been awarded a bachelor's and/or graduate degree from an international higher education institution outside of the United States or a non-English speaking Canadian institution will need to submit a NACES transcript evaluation confirming the degree is equivalent to US standards. All transcripts will need to be submitted from each institution unless you accumulated less than 12 credits.
• Final fieldwork evaluation from your BSW program
• $50 non-refundable application fee submitted by credit card

Start Your Application