Admission to the Social Work (MSW) degree has the following requirements:
- At least 400 hours of verifiable human service work and/or volunteer experience
- A bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited institution
- Minimum of 18 credits of interdisciplinary liberal arts coursework, spanning social, behavioral and biological sciences.
- Applicants must have completed at least one course in physical and biological sciences and mathematics (examples: biology, calculus, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, physics, or statistics).
- Applicants must have completed at least three courses in social sciences (examples: anthropology, economics, education, ethnic studies, gender studies, human development, international relations, political science, psychology, social work, or sociology).
- An applicant must present a plan for completing any missing prerequisites in the above criteria before being considered for admission.
- These courses may be taken at any accredited college, university, or community college; or by telecourse, by correspondence, by independent study, by CLEP (College-Level Examination Program), or online.
- These courses must be successfully completed prior to the beginning of classes in order for you to begin the program.
- 3.0 GPA (4.0 scale) – occasional exceptions may be made if applicant demonstrates ability to successfully complete graduate-level work
- GRE scores are not required
Advanced Standing Program:
The Advanced Standing program is for applicants who have graduated from an accredited undergraduate social work program within the past 7 years. Advanced students begin our program by supplementing their BSW education with three courses, then go directly into the concentration.
The following are the minimum requirements for admission to the Advanced Standing program:
- Four-year undergraduate degree in social work earned within the last 7 years from an accredited BSW program
- 3.0 overall grade point average
- 3.0 grade point average in social work courses
Note that meeting the minimum department standards does not ensure admission to the program. Admission to Colorado State University graduate programs is based on a number of factors, including prior academic and professional experience and the personal statement.