Master of Social Work

If you have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university with a 2.75 or above GPA, then you should apply to the traditional Master of Social Work plan of study.

If your undergraduate degree was not a Bachelor of Social Work from a CSWE-accredited university, then it is expected that your undergraduate studies must include the successful completion of an equivalent Biology 101 (principles of biology with a lab) and a class equivalent to statistics.

Application Requirements

• Statement of Purpose: A one-page narrative which describes your purpose for seeking admission to a graduate program, as well as what you hope to gain from the experience.
• Provide transcripts of all previously completed university level work – both Undergraduate and Graduate.
• Criminal background checks will be required. An applicant who has been found guilty of a Class A or B felony will not be admitted.

If your GPA was below a 2.75 or you have not successfully completed either or both required classes – biology 101 and statistics – then you may be considered conditionally admitted, and must complete those classes with a B or higher within one year of conditional admittance before being fully admitted.

Upon admission, all social work students will be provided with and are expected to read the MWSU Student Code of Conduct, the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), and the Substance Use Policy. Students will then be asked to electronically sign an acknowledgment that they: (1) have read these documents, (2) are aware of their contents, and (3) will abide by the standards elaborated in the documents. The form will be kept in students’ files.

Part-time Social Work Students – Both Advance Standing and Tradition plans of study may be completed as a part-time student. The MSW must be completed in 4 calendar years, and student’s plans of study may be individualized with the assistance of their graduate advisor and or the MSW Program Director.

In accordance with CSWE Accreditation Standards, MoWest’s Social Work Program does not grant academic credit, course waivers, or field practicum credit for life experiences or previous coursework.

The Social Work Program follows Missouri Western’s policies for admission and credit transfer. All potential transfer students must send an official transcript from each college and university attended.

Missouri Western adheres to the guidelines of the Missouri Articulation Agreement. Transfer course work is evaluated and awarded on the same basis as credit awarded at MWSU. Consequently, a criterion used to evaluate currently enrolled Missouri Western students is equally applicable to transfer students. Transfer Guidelines are reviewed annually and updated on a regular basis. 

Missouri Western’s social work program will accept social work courses from other CSWE-accredited Master of Social Work programs, only if they are considered equivalent to the Missouri Western social work program’s major requirements.

The student’s social work advisor or the program director will determine whether courses transferred from another university will be considered equivalent to the required classes in the Social Work major. The advisor will consult with faculty members from other departments as necessary to make this decision. Courses accepted for transfer must be similar in content and credit value to those they replace. Missouri Western’s social work program will only accept social work courses transferred from CSWE-accredited social work programs.

All transfer credits must be approved by the graduate program director and the Graduate Dean, and will be counted in the calculation of the graduate GPA.

Exceptions to these rules, including the possibility of allowance of up to twelve total transfer credits, or other modifications must receive approval by the graduate program director and Graduate Dean.