Master of Social Work Admission Requirements

Application Deadlines:
Deadline of April 30th for full-time status
Rolling admissions for part-time status

 

Students seeking admission to the MSW program must demonstrate that they:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
    
2. Have completed a broad liberal arts background with a minimum of 24 credit hours including at least one course in sociology, psychology, English, political science or history, statistics, and human biology. A course in introductory statistics is required. These undergraduate requirements may be taken at any accredited college or university, including community colleges. All prerequisites for admission must be completed prior to admission, except statistics and human biology, which must be completed by the end of the first semester in the program. All offers of admission are conditional upon the successful completion of the undergraduate coursework.
    
3. Have earned a minimum of a 2.75 grade point average on the last 120 graded credits that appear on their bachelor's degree transcript, as well as a 3.0 on all social work courses.
    
4. Meet the requirements for advanced standing if the applicant seeks admission to the program. Applicants for advanced standing must have graduated from an undergraduate social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
    
5. Have submitted transcripts of any completed graduate courses.
    
6. Submit three letters of recommendation. The three professional letters of recommendation are usually from persons such as professors, employers, supervisors, professional colleagues and community associates. Only one reference may be from a Seton Hall University Social Work program faculty member. Applicants who have been employed in a social service agency should request a recommendation from a recent employer or supervisor. Student applicants should provide a recommendation from a faculty advisor or instructor.
    
7. Submit a 3-5 page Personal Statement that includes the following: your reasons for applying to the Seton Hall University's Social Work Program; your personal values, philosophy, knowledge of social issues, and the professional and community experiences that have influenced your decision to enter the Social Work profession; your skills, strengths and weaknesses; and your plans for a career in social work.

Applicants for advanced standing must submit the following material in addition to the usual application requirements:

1. Transcripts documenting eligibility for advanced standing.
    
2. Recommendation for advanced standing from the Social Work Department chair/director of the school in which they completed their Bachelor of Social Work.
    
3. Recommendation from the agency supervisor from their field instruction experience. This should be a detailed evaluation of their employment performance in the field. The supervisor may submit evaluations of field performance conducted at the end of each undergraduate semester. This requirement is included as one of the three recommendations required for admission.

Provisional Admission

Provisional admission may be granted to applicants to the MSW program who have a GPA below 2.75 on the last 120 graded credits that appear on their bachelor's degree transcript and have an otherwise strong application. Provisionally admitted applicants must complete one semester of graduate courses (at least two courses) with a GPA of 3.0.

Respond to the following questions in a three to five page typed narrative; add any additional information that may be helpful to the admissions committee.

What are your reasons for applying to the Seton Hall University's Social Work Program?

Discuss your personal values, philosophy, knowledge of social issues, and the professional and community experiences that have influenced your decision to enter the Social Work profession.

Comment on your skills, strengths and weaknesses.

Discuss your plans for a career in social work.

Make sure that the personal statement is well written in your own words. There is no particular format required except that the statement is typed.