Master of Social Work
The University of St. Francis Master of Social Work (MSW) program combines both theoretical and practical knowledge, allowing students to earn a degree that is highly respected in the work place. Now more than ever, an MSW is critical to professional success in the social work field. Those earning an MSW degree have increased professional competency, job satisfaction, along with opportunities for career advancement. In a field that has shown increased demand for individuals with the MSW degree, it has become a must.
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements at the University of St. Francis includes:
- An application fee (non-refundable)
- A completed application with the official transcript documenting a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and an official transcript from each college where graduate credit was earned.
- GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) in all undergraduate work; if the GPA is less than 3.0 the applicant may be requested to submit scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Previous study should include work in the liberal arts, including statistics and human biology.
- Two letters of recommendation.
- A personal statement which should include the applicant’s qualifications and motivations for entering the field of social work and his or her areas of special interest in terms of fields of practice and special populations. The statement should be about two or three pages in length and address the applicant’s ability to collaborate with others and readiness to learn in the classroom and in the field practicum.
Degree Requirements
The Master of Social Work degree requires students to complete 62 semester credit hours of course work. This includes specified credit hours per week of supervised field work in the first year, followed by specified credit hours per week of supervised field work in the second year, plus related integrated seminars. These practicum experiences will provide the required total hours of supervised practice experience in selected social service agencies. Two-year, fulltime students can expect to complete the requirements for the degree over four continuous semesters. Advance standing students should anticipate one (1) academic year for completion. Change in status (from parttime to full-time or vice versa) is permitted. A maximum of 6 credit hours is transferable.
Advanced Standing
Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in social work from a CSWE accredited program may be eligible for advanced standing. The advanced standing program currently consists of 38 credit hours of course work, including 6 hours of bridging courses offered in the summer prior to matriculation into the concentration area, and 4 hours of fieldwork per semester and related integrated seminars. This program requires one academic year of study for advanced standing students and two years for students from nonaccredited programs. Transfer students will not be admitted to advanced standing program.