Master of Social Work Admission

Application Deadlines

August 15 – Application opens for all MSW programs and locations.
November 15 – Final application due date for traditional program applicants at UMGC program. First review date for all other programs and locations.
November 15 to March 15 – Rolling review window for all stateside, Salisbury campus, regional campus, and online option applications.
March 15 – Final deadline for all stateside, Salisbury campus, regional campus, and online option applications.
April 15 – Final application due date for advanced standing program applicants at UMGC program.

Note: University of Maryland University College (UMUC) is now known as University of Maryland Global College (UMGC), and University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland (USMSM) is now known as Southern Maryland Higher Education Center (SMHEC).

Application Prerequisites

Traditional (62 Credit) Program
- A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
- A broad liberal arts background with a minimum of 24 hours including at least one course in: sociology, psychology and introductory statistics. These undergraduate requirements may be taken at any accredited college or university, including community college.
- A minimum 3.00 GPA on upper division courses and a 3.0 GPA on the 120 credits leading to the bachelor’s degree. If applicant has a 2.5 to 3.0 GPA on the 120 credits leading to the bachelor’s degree, but an otherwise strong application, consideration will be given for provisional admission.
- Previous graduate credits are considered when assessing your qualifications.
Advanced Standing (32 Credit) Program
- Applicants who have completed a baccalaureate degree in Social Work from an undergraduate social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education within the last three years are eligible to apply for the Advanced Standing program. Applicants graduated within the last five years who have worked in human services for at least two of those years will be considered.
- A broad liberal arts background with a minimum of 24 hours including at least one course in: sociology, psychology and introductory statistics. These undergraduate requirements may be taken at any accredited college or university, including community college.
- A minimum of a 3.2 GPA on social work major and prerequisite courses and a 3.0 GPA on the 120 credits leading to the bachelor’s degree is required. If applicant has a 2.8 to 3.0 GPA on the 120 credits leading to a bachelor’s degree, but has an otherwise strong application, consideration will be given for provisional admission.
- A recommendation from the field liaison who taught your most recent field education class is required in addition to three other letters of recommendation.
- Three additional letters of recommendation are required from the following: one from a field placement supervisor, one from a college or university academic source, and one from either an employer, professional colleague or community associate.

Application Requirements

Application assessment is made on the basis of the applicant’s academic performance and background, social work and related work experience, personal qualifications, references and indications of a commitment to the profession. Additionally, applicants should have interests or life experiences appropriate to the practice of professional social work.

Admission to the program requires applicants to complete an Application for Graduate Admission at Salisbury University – visit Graduate School Admissions for details – and the following program-specific requirements:

Attach a current resume with work and volunteer experience detailed.
Submit a detailed statement covering the prompt associated with your application type (i.e., traditional or advanced standing):
- Traditional M.S.W. Application Prompt: Please prepare a detailed statement covering both questions below. Please do not omit any questions. Your personal statement should be a minimum of three pages, no more than four pages, typed, double spaced and in 12-point font. Please use the number and its associated topic area (in bold and underlined) as headings when completing your personal statement.
  - Social Work Knowledge: Discuss your motivation for choosing the social work profession and how it connects to your current and long term career goals.
  - Respect for Diversity: Identify the experiences you have had which make you feel that you can work effectively with people from diverse populations (religious, racial, ethnic, disability, socio-economic, gender, and sexual orientation differences). Also describe any difficulties you might have when working as a social worker with any of the diverse populations. Be specific.
- Advanced Standing M.S.W. Application Prompt: Prepare a detailed statement covering the two questions below. Please do not omit any questions. Your personal statement should be a minimum of three pages, no more than four pages, typed, double spaced and in 12-point font. Please use the number and its associated topic area (in bold and underlined) as headings when completing your personal statement.
  - Critical Thinking and Social Work Knowledge: We all face challenges in our own lives and our job as social workers is to help our clients address their problems. Please discuss a time when you, at your job/internship or in a volunteer capacity, worked to assist someone address a problem. Describe the individual's problem. Discuss how you assisted them in addressing and resolving the problem as a professional or volunteer. Identify the specific skills and information you learned from your undergraduate social work education that aided you in addressing the problem. Identify the outcome of the problem and what you learned from the experience.
  - Respect for Diversity: Write about your experiences working with diverse populations (religious, racial, ethnic, disability, socio-economic, gender, and sexual orientation differences). Which issues and populations do you find particularly challenging? How have you handled those challenges in the past, or what would you like to learn to handle those challenges more effectively in the future?
- Submit three professional letters of recommendation, usually from persons such as professors, employers, supervisors, professional colleagues, and community associates. 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.
  - Applicants will enter the following information for each of your recommenders: Name, address, business email address, phone number, institution or employer, and title.
  - It is important to enter all recommenders’ business email addresses correctly so they receive the automated email instructing them how to proceed with their recommendation through the online process. Please note that a business (and not a personal) email is required for all recommenders.
  - Mark the waiver statement for each recommender you enter. If you do not check the waiver statement, many recommenders will not complete the recommendation process for you.
  - If recommenders experience technical difficulties, they should contact our online application vendor by clicking on the link given in the email they received about the online recommendation process or by clicking on the Help Link at the top right of the first page in their Letters of Recommendation account page.
  - After your recommender submits the online recommendation, the recommendation will become part of your application. Applicants are welcome to submit additional letters of recommendation, and any letter of recommendation included with the application will remain with the applicant's file for review.
  - If you are applying as a Traditional student, the strongest packets will contain recommendations from each the following:
    - A college professor or other university contact;
    - Your current or most recent direct supervisor; and
    - A coworker, previous supervisor, internship supervisor, or volunteer coordinator.
  - If you are applying as an Advanced Standing student, the strongest packets will contain recommendations from each the following:
    - A college professor or other university contact;
    - Your current or most recent direct supervisor, or you can substitute a second college professor in place of an employer;
    - Your field education supervisor from your undergraduate field education agency; and
    - Your field education liaison who taught your most recent field education course.
    - Advanced Standing application must also submit their final field evaluation from their undergraduate field education experience
  - Recommendations from friends or family do not meet reference criteria.

You must choose whether or not to waive your right to review the recommendation. Your choice will be transmitted to the recommender in the instructional email your recommender will receive. Once you have submitted your application, you cannot change the waiver decision.

If you or your respondent have technical difficulty with the online letter of recommendation system, please contact Graduate School Admissions at graduateadmissions@salisbury.edu. You may track the status of the online recommendations submitted through your application portal provided after your application is submitted to Salisbury University.

Licensure

Once you have completed your degree program in social work, you need to prepare for the licensing exam. To practice as a social worker in the U.S., you must be licensed.

Additional Admission Information

Conditional/Provisional Admission
Conditional or provisional admission may be granted to applicants in the following categories:
- Those who have not successfully completed the required liberal arts background may be admitted conditionally. Students found to have a deficiency in the area of liberal arts preparation will be required to take leveling courses to satisfy the prerequisite requirement prior to admission or during their first semester in the program. All prerequisites for admission must be completed prior to the start of the second semester in the program. Statistics may be taken on a Pass/Fail basis; all other prerequisite courses must be graded. Students may take these classes at any accredited university or community college. The Admissions Review Committee reserves the right to request that students retake a liberal arts course in which a grade below a “C” was earned. Students must submit proof of successful completion of the course to be fully admitted to the program.
- Those with a GPA of less than 3.0, but an otherwise strong application may be admitted provisionally.
  A minimum 3.00 GPA on upper division courses and a 3.0 GPA on the 120 credits leading to the bachelor’s degree. If applicant has a 2.5 to 3.0 GPA on the 120 credits leading to the bachelor’s degree, but an otherwise strong application, consideration will be given for provisional admission. Provisionally admitted applicants must complete one semester of graduate courses (at least two courses) with a GPA of 3.0.
Transfer Students
Students from non-M.S.W. graduate programs may receive a maximum of six transfer credits for courses for which s/he has earned a grade of A or B. Each course will be assessed for program equivalency.

Students previously or currently enrolled in another accredited master’s level social work degree program who are seeking admission as a transfer student will require official determination of allowable credit for coursework completed elsewhere. This determination will be made at the time of admission. Field Education credits do not transfer. All Field Education requirements must be completed as part of this M.S.W. program. In addition, all students must complete a minimum of 30 hours at Salisbury University to be eligible for an M.S.W.

Students previously or currently enrolled in another accredited master’s level social work degree program who are seeking admission as transfer students are required to submit the following three materials IN ADDITION TO the materials required of new students outlined above:
1. A brief written statement describing the reason(s) for requesting a transfer
2. A copy of field experience evaluations
3. One of the three professional recommendations must be from a faculty member or field supervisor affiliated with the transferring program.
Non-M.S.W. to M.S.W.: Students from non-M.S.W. programs may receive a maximum of six transfer credits for which at least a B was earned. Each course will be assessed for program equivalency. Official determination of allowable credit for coursework completed elsewhere will be made at the time of admission. See M.S.W. Student Handbook for complete details.
International Students

International students who demonstrate graduate ability and proficiency in the English language may be offered admission. Applicants whose native language is other than English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and have official results sent to the Office of Admissions. A minimum score of 550 on the written exam or 213 on the computer exam is required. International graduate student applicants may be required to have their credentials reviewed by professional, external evaluators identified by SU. If such external review is necessary, appropriate forms will be sent to applicants early in the admissions process. International students must be admitted to a degree program before the immigration document (I-20) will be provided.

For more information specific to International Students, please visit SU’s International Student and Scholar Services.
Non-Degree Program

Eligible applicants who wish to enroll as non-degree graduate students (not formally admitted to a graduate degree program) are not required to complete a formal application for admission to the School of Social Work but rather must complete a Guest/Non-Degree Registration form to the university. Prospective non-degree students are directed to first correspond with the MSW Program Director regarding any non-degree seeking course enrollment. Approval is contingent upon factors such as the prospective student’s prior education, course prerequisites, and future degree-seeking plans, amongst other factors. MSW courses taken as non-degree seeking but later used toward a graduate degree in the school are subject to all university and departmental policies including the School of Social Work’s course repeat policy and Salisbury University’s 7-year time limitation for the completion of graduate coursework.
Pending Legal Action and Conviction Statement

Applicants who have pending legal action or convictions will be asked to supply documentation on the nature of the offense and the disposition. Individuals admitted to the program who are facing pending legal actions or convictions may have restrictions placed on the area of study and field placements they may pursue, as some field placement agencies do require a criminal background check. Applicants should also be aware that the Professional Standards Committee of the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners may refuse to issue a license or certificate of registration to any person who has been convicted of any crime in this or any other state. Applicants may be denied admission to or, if enrolled, terminated from the program if they have been untruthful or provided inaccurate information on their application.
Life Experience Credit and Course Credit by Evaluation

Life Experience Credit
No credit will be given for work or life experience.

Course Credit by Evaluation
Students who are able to demonstrate prior mastery of four specific graduate foundation level courses may take an examination to earn course credit. Those courses are: SOWK 607, Social Welfare Policy; SOWK 610, Theoretical Analysis of Behavior I; SOWK 616, Social Work Research; and SOWK 630, Theoretical Analysis of Behavior II. See the M.S.W. Student Handbook for information on costs and procedures.
Contact Information
- MSW Program Director for the School of Social Work, Stephen Oby, sjoby@salisbury.edu, 410-543-6304
- University System of Maryland at Hagerstown Regional Program Coordinator, Anne Chillingworth-Shaffer, acshaffer@salisbury.edu , 240-527-2751
- Cecil College Regional ProgramCoordinator, Tina Diamonte-Mock, cmdiamonte-mock@salisbury.edu, 410-287-1000 ext. 1486
- Eastern Shore Higher Education Center Regional ProgramCoordinator, Arielle Catron, agcatron@salisbury.edu, 410-827-5734
- University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland Regional ProgramCoordinator, Kathleen Arban, ksarban@salisbury.edu, 301-737-2500 ext. 213
- University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)/Salisbury Academic Associate Director of Social Work Program, Jennifer Johnson, Jennifer.Johnson@umgc.edu