M.S.W. Program

Admissions

AdmissionsThe School of Social Work at VCU offers two programs leading to the Master of Social Work Degree:

  1. Advanced standing program
  2. Regular standing program

Admissions review consideration for the M.S.W. Program

Advanced standing program (39 credits)

The Advanced Standing Program (ASP) at VCU leads to a Master of Social Work degree upon completion of 39 credit hours, taken over the course of three continuous semesters (summer, fall and spring). Students complete nine credits of foundation study in the summer, which includes three classes and a field placement. Classes are typically held on Mondays and Tuesdays, and fieldwork takes place Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. ASP students have only one field placement, which runs through the summer, fall and spring semesters for 21 hours per week.

After completion of the summer session, ASP students join students in the regular program to complete the concentration curriculum in the fall and spring. Students select one of two concentration options: Clinical Social Work OR Social Work Administration, Planning and Policy Practice (SWAPPP).

» Learn more about these concentrations.

The Advanced Standing Program is a full-time program only and cannot be pursued on a part-time basis. The summer courses are available only on the Richmond campus, with field internships available in Richmond or the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The fall and spring clinical concentration courses may be completed in either Richmond or the off-campus location in Alexandria. The fall and spring SWAPPP courses are available in Richmond only.

The off-campus location ASP admission option will be available for 2010 and 2011. All students at the off-campus site must plan to graduate by 2012.

Application deadline: Dec. 1

Admission requirements for advanced standing

  1. B.S.W. degree from an accredited institution, no more than five years old prior to the date of application
  2. Cumulative GPA of 3.0
  3. Last 60 credit GPA of 3.2
  4. GRE scores are not required

Application materials for advanced standing

The application form must be submitted online. All other materials (listed below) should be collected and sent as one complete package to the Graduate School. Apply here.

  1. Three letters of recommendation, including the Recommendation Forms. [PDF]
    Select a cross-section of references, including employers, faculty or other individuals who can speak to your academic abilities and/or related paid social work or volunteer experience.
  2. Personal statement (three to five pages). Questions we consider when reviewing the personal statement are:
    • What is/are the reasons for seeking the M.S.W. degree? Does the applicant understand the mission of professional social work and the nature of the careers available? Are there specific career goals that build on prior life, work, educational and/or volunteer experiences and that are appropriate for students in our program?
    • Does the statement demonstrate commitment to, and understanding of, the values of the social work profession and the NASW Code of Ethics?
    • Is the essay well-written, thoughtful, reasoned and substantial?
    • If there are weaknesses in the application, e.g., low grade point average, does the applicant adequately explain them? 
    • Does the applicant understand, and plan for, the time and resource commitments of the M.S.W. program?
  3. Resume detailing education, volunteer and employment experiences. Include dates.
  4. Original transcripts from all institutions attended. Transcript Request Form [PDF]
  5. Copy of field internship evaluation(s). If the applicant has not completed an internship but is currently in field, an evaluation from the field instructor or liaison must be included with application.
  6. Application checklist.

Using the application checklist, compile all materials listed above into one package and mail to: Graduate Studies, 1001 Grove Ave., P.O. Box 843051, Richmond, VA 23284-3051.

Admissions decisions for Advanced Standing
Applicants will be notified by mail no later than March 31.

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Regular standing program (60 credits)

The Regular Standing Program at VCU leads to a Master of Social Work degree upon completion of 60 credit hours and may be completed on either a full-time or part-time basis. The first 30 credits make up the Foundation Curriculum of the program and the final 30 credits make up the Concentration Curriculum.

Full-time study requires students to complete 15 hours in both the fall and spring semesters for two academic years. The curriculum each semester includes four 3-credit courses and a 3-credit field internship. The foundation internship requires 14 hours (two days) per week for two consecutive terms. The concentration internship requires 21 hours (three days) per week for two consecutive terms. Students will complete a total of two field placements, one for their foundation year and another for their concentration year.

Part-time study requires students to complete a minimum of six and no more than nine credits every fall and spring semester (two to three classes), totaling 60 credits at the end of four years. Part-time students complete their two field placements during the second and fourth years of study, making full-time employment during this time very difficult. One internship can be completed as a block placement requiring 40 hours (five days) per week for one term.

>> Learn more about the part-time program. [PDF]

Application deadline: Feb. 1

Admission requirements for regular standing

  1. Four-year undergraduate degree (or the equivalent thereof as determined by VCU International Admissions if degree was earned outside of the U.S.)
  2. Cumulative GPA of 2.7
  3. Last 60 credit GPA of 3.0
  4. GRE scores are not required
  5. All applicants must have 30 liberal arts credits, including one 3-credit course in each of the following areas:
    • Math and/or computer science
    • Biology (must include some human biology content)
    • Psychology
    • Sociology and humanities (i.e. composition, literature, philosophy, languages)

Application materials for regular standing
The application form must be submitted online. All other materials (listed below) should be collected and sent as one complete package to the Graduate School. Apply here.

  1. Three letters of recommendation, including Recommendation Forms. [PDF] Select a cross-section of references, including employers, faculty or other individuals who can speak to your academic abilities and/or related paid social work or volunteer experience.
  2. Personal statement (three to five pages). Questions we consider when reviewing the personal statement:
    • What is/are the reason(s) for seeking the M.S.W. degree? Does the applicant understand the mission of professional social work and the nature of the careers available? Are there specific career goals that build on prior life, work, educational and/or volunteer experiences and that are appropriate for students in our program?
    • Does the statement demonstrate commitment to, and understanding of, the values of the social work profession and the NASW Code of Ethics?
    • Is the essay well-written, thoughtful, reasoned and substantial?
    • If there are weaknesses in the application, e.g., low grade point average, does the applicant adequately explain them?
    • Does the applicant understand, and plan for, the time and resource commitments of the M.S.W. program?
  3. Resume detailing education, volunteer and employment experiences.
  4. Original transcript(s) from all institutions attended. Transcript Request Form [PDF]
  5. Application checklist.

Transfer students from another accredited M.S.W. program must submit the standard application package including the items listed above. 

Additionally, they must submit:

  1. Letter of good standing from the department chair/head of your current program
  2. Course syllabi for all graduate social work courses
  3. M.S.W. field evaluation, if applicable

Application deadline for regular standing
Application packages must be postmarked no later than Feb. 1. Late applications will be reviewed on a space-available basis. Please note that although we will accept your application at any time, we do not guarantee that it will be reviewed prior to the Feb. 1 application deadline.

Applicants who submit a complete application package by Nov. 1 for the following year will be notified of an admissions decision by Dec. 20.

Admissions decisions for Regular Standing
Applicants will be notified by mail, typically no later than June 1.

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Admissions review consideration for the M.S.W. Program

The admission process is complex for both the regular and advanced standing programs, as are the reasons for deciding to admit or not admit an applicant. For the past several years the school has had many more applicants than can be admitted to the program.

The admissions review process involves an evaluation of each application in four broad areas:

  1. Educational preparation
  2. Work experience
  3. Personal statement
  4. Recommendations

>> Learn more about each of these areas.

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