What We Look For
Each year, approximately 300 students are admitted to the regular standing MSW program and approximately 80 students are admitted to the advanced standing MSW program. The program typically has more qualified applicants than we were able to accept. Generally, we admit one out of every two (1:2) students who apply.
The School of Social Work seeks to admit students who are committed to social justice and have the potential to make a difference in their communities. We look for well-qualified applicants whose career goals are consistent with the School’s mission and offerings and who will increase the diversity of our student body and the profession.
Each application is reviewed by members of the MSW Admissions Committee. The membership of the committee includes faculty of the School of Social Work and social workers from the community.
When reviewing an MSW application, the readers look for:
- academic success – past performance (GPA) and future potential;
- relevant social work experience – extent and quality;
- references – from academic and social service professionals who can attest to your ability to succeed in a graduate program and your suitability for the profession; and
- statement of purpose – an expression of your values, beliefs, and personal congruence with the mission of social work. The statement of purpose should demonstrate the applicant’s skills in critical thinking and graduate level writing ability.
Academics
In reviewing an applicant’s academic performance, we review the applicant's transcripts and GPA. The minimum for regular admission is 2.75. Applicants who have a GPA between 2.5 and 2.74 are eligible for conditional admission, which means a student would need to maintain a 3.0 GPA in the first 9 graded graduate credits to remain enrolled in PSU.
Candidates without a traditional GPA on the 4.0 scale (such as international students or applicants with narrative transcripts) are still welcomed to apply and their transcripts will still be reviewed for academic performance.
Experience
Successful applicants will have experience related to social work. Usually applicants have paid, volunteer, or internship experience in human service settings such as schools, medical facilities, homeless shelters, inpatient and outpatient mental health and correctional settings, child welfare, and aging services.
We hope that applicants have the equivalent of at least six months (1000 hours) of experience at the time of submitting an application. However, the average admitted student has the equivalent of 3 years of full-time social service experience.
For experience to count in the admissions process, hours must be completed by the time the application is submitted, and experience must be recorded in the Employment and Experience portion of the application.
Statement of Purpose
Applicants should show potential to be creative professionals who can blend social work values with knowledge and skills to solve complex and persistent social problems. In the statement of purpose, applicants will be asked to discuss their values, the population or service area of interest to them, and the strengths they bring to their future work as a social worker.
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All applications are reviewed before the final admission decisions are made. Applicants will be notified of the admission decision via email. The School of Social Work maintains an alternate or wait list from which names are drawn should openings occur. Individuals who have been selected for the alternate list will be notified at the time admission decisions are posted.