Admissions & Forms

MSW Application and Admissions Information

Applications for Admission to the Master of Social Work Program for 2010 is OPEN. The application deadline is January 31, 2010.

The MSW Admission Information and Application Forms can be mailed or made available to you in an alternative format if you can not use the electronic versions provided at the bottom of this page. Please contact the Department at 507-389-6504 to request a print or alternative format.

General Admission Criteria

Criteria for Traditional MSW Program (60-credits, 2-years)

(See complete details in MSW Admissions Information & Application Forms.)

Required criteria for admission to Traditional MSW Program:

1. Prior Degree. Students must have completed a baccalaureate (e.g. BA, BS) degree reflecting a liberal arts foundation from an accredited college or university.
2. GPA. Strong academic preparation demonstrated by an undergraduate GPA of 3.00 or higher. 
3. Course Prerequisites. College-level course with content in human biology and college-level course in statistics.
4. Recommendations. Applicants must submit three professional or academic recommendation forms with letters.
5. Professional Statement. Applicants must submit a well-written professional statement addressing all required content areas.

Preferred qualifications for admission:

Social Service Experience. Preference for Traditional Program applicants who have professional work experience and/or significant internship and volunteer experience in social service and related settings.

Criteria for Advanced Standing MSW Program (32-credits, 1-year)

(See complete details in MSW Admissions Information & Application Forms.)

Required criteria for admission to the Advanced Standing MSW:

1. Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. Applicants to the Advanced Standing option must hold a Bachelor in Social Work (BSW, BSSW) degree or other Bachelor’s degree (BS or BA) with a major in social work from a CSWE accredited program.
2. GPA. Strong academic preparation demonstrated by an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale). AND strong academic preparation in generalist social work practice as demonstrated by a social work GPA of 3.00.
3. Course Prerequisites. Applicants must have college-level content in human biology and a college-level course in statistics before registering for the first semester in the MSW program.
4. Recommendations. Applicants must submit three professional or academic recommendations forms with letters.
5. Professional Statement. Applicants must submit a well-written professional statement addressing all required content areas.

Preferred qualifications for AS admission:

Social Service Experience. Preference given to applicants who have direct or administrative social work practice experience in addition to their undergraduate field practicum.

Application Procedures

Admission to the MSW program requires you to submit application materials directly to two different offices at the University: A) Graduate Studies Application to the College or Graduate Studies and B) the MSW Application to the Department of Social Work. Failure to submit all items required by both departments by the January 31 deadline will result in an incomplete application and may disqualify your application. Please read all application instructions carefully.

Part A. All applicants must submit the following application documents to the College of Graduate Studies and Research (CGS) at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Deadline is January 31. (NOTE: This process must be followed even if the applicant has previously studied, is a current or former undergraduate or graduate student, or is a current or former employee of Minnesota State Mankato). Questions on this part of the application should be directed to Graduate Studies, 507-389-2123.

1. Completed Application for Graduate Study. Please note that this is a two page application and that page two must be submitted in duplicate. The application and additional information are available online at the College of Graduate Studies and Research, Graduate Studies website <http://grad.mnsu.edu/applying/>
2. Two official transcripts listing all previous undergraduate and/or graduate degree(s) or study from all institutions. These documents should to be sent directly from the degree granting institution to the CGS. The CGS will obtain copies of Minnesota State University, Mankato transcripts for students who previously attended this institution.
3. Verification of pending baccalaureate degree (BA, BS, BSW, etc) from a regionally accredited college or university if undergraduate degree has not been completed at time of application (a signed letter from registrar’s office on letter head is sufficient). (NOTE: While the CGS does NOT require this at time of application, if the applicant is admitted, we ask that a degree verifying transcript be forwarded when available.  If it is not received, a hold may be placed on the student’s admission until the degree verifying transcripts are received.) 
4. Completed immunization form available online: <http://grad.mnsu.edu/forms/immunization.pdf>
5. A $40 fee is required of all applicants applying to any graduate degree program. This fee should be made out to the payment of Minnesota State University, Mankato.

NOTE: Neither the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) nor the Miller Analogy Test (MAT) are required for application to the Master of Social Work program and reports of such exams need not be submitted.

Part B. All applicants to the MSW program must submit the following documents, together in one packet, directly to the Department of Social Work at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Do Not Wait to hear from Graduate Studies before you send these application materials in. Deadline is January 31. Questions on this part of the application should be directed to the Department of Social Work, 507-389-6504.

1. Completed MSW Application Form (see below); 
2. Three academic or professional recommendation forms and letters (See instructions and forms in the Application. It is strongly recommended that one of these recommendations be from an academic instructor or academic advisor); 
3. A professional statement summarizing the applicant's experiences and professional goals as discussed in the application form (See details on Application Form); and,
4. A current professional resume.

NOTE: See details in the MSW Application Information and Forms below.

Application Deadline

All materials must be delivered or postmarked to the respective offices by January 31. Consideration for admission will not be given to applicants until all of their admission materials have been submitted and admissions criteria met. Applicants will be notified by email when their application has been received and ready for review. Students will receive a letter in the U.S. mail regarding their admission status following the review of all required application materials. 

International Applicants

We encourage and invite international applicants who have already earned an undergraduate degree to apply for study in the MSW Program. These applicants must follow additional application and admissions procedures specific to international students. You need to apply to the College of Graduate Studies and directly to the MSW Program. Please go to the following College of Graduate Studies and Research URL for more information: <http://grad.mnsu.edu/applying/internationalletter.html>

Application Tips

1. Follow all the steps for the application process exactly and begin well ahead of the deadline. Getting transcripts and reference forms/letters can be more time consuming than you first think. Plan ahead so materials arrive by the published deadline.
2. Application materials coming to the Department of Social Work must be sent together in a single envelope by the applicant. Sending in parts of the application separately often results in a delayed or incomplete application.
3. Make certain that your Recommendations include both a signed Form and a Letter from the three people you select. The referees should be people who know you in a professional and/or academic capacity and can comment on the areas requested. Forms and letters received from those who don't know you well, don't seem to understand that you are applying for admission to a MSW program, or who are friends or family members are not considered in the same way as those from professional and/or academic relationships. 
4. Include only social work, social/human services, or closely related experience in the application section asking for social services and human services experiences. While valuable to many of us, informal (personal/family) experience is not considered the same way as formal experiences such as on-going volunteer work, internships, and paid work for the purposes of your application.
5. In your written Professional Statement, make an effort to clearly address your qualifications for the program and how your goals fit with the description of this Advanced Generalist MSW program. Carefully read what you are being asked to address in this statement, which is our opportunity to get to know you, understand why you want to be admitted to this MSW program, and to assess your written communication skills.   

Admissions Information and Application Forms.

Complete (all three parts of the) 2009-10 MSW Admission Information, Application Instructions and Application Forms

Three Separate Components of the 2009-10 MSW Application:

For specific questions about the admissions process and application, please contact:

Dr. Nancy Fitzsimons, MSW Program Director

 nancy.fitzsimons@mnsu.edu