How to Apply

Admissions requirements for applicants to the full-time M.S.W. advanced standing option include:

• B.S.W. degree from a CSWE-accredited institution, no more than five years old prior to the date of application
• Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (required)
• Received an “A,” “B” or pass in senior field placement (if the applicant has not completed their senior placement, one of their letters of recommendation should be from someone who can assess their potential to do well in a field placement)

Applicants to the advanced standing option in the M.S.W. degree program must submit the standard application package, including the items listed above. Additionally, they must submit a written case assessment (prompt on application) and meet additional field requirements.

If a student has completed a senior field practicum, they must have a minimum grade of a “B”or pass. For applicants to the advanced standing option who have not completed a senior field placement, one of the three references must possess the capacity to evaluate the applicant’s potential to succeed in a field placement. This reference should submit a letter of recommendation that articulates their estimation of the applicant’s capacity to succeed in a field placement based on the applicant’s performance in a work environment (e.g., in undergraduate field placements, or current or former place of employment). Potential references for this requirement include social work professors, field liaisons, field instructors and current or former employment supervisors.

Please note this requirement only applies to applicants who have not yet graduated or completed a senior field placement. For applicants who have graduated, a minimum grade of “B” is sufficient to discharge this requirement and the third letter of recommendation should be solicited from a normal source and in the same format as other letters.

Please contact us with any questions about this requirement.

Open an application at VCU Graduate Admissions and choose the M.S.W. Program online option term start that you would like to apply for. Make sure that you have looked at the admission requirements. If you have any questions, you can reach an enrollment advisor by email or phone.

Applicants will be required to respond to three different questions. Each statement should be no more than 500 words. We are looking for your ability to demonstrate your understanding of the social work profession, ethics/values and your suitability for our program. Visit the National Association of Social Workers website to learn more about social work ethics and values as well as the VCU School of Social Work website to learn more about our school’s commitment to social and racial justice. The questions include:

1. Identify and discuss one value from the NASW code of ethics that relates to your desire to acquire an MSW degree. Be sure to refer to the NASW Code of Ethics website to respond to this prompt.
2. The VCU School of Social Work adheres to the core competency requirements of the Council on Social Work Education. Competency 2 states that social workers advocate for human rights at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community system levels; and engage in practices that advance human rights to promote social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. Review Competency 2, located on page 9 of the CSWE accreditation standards. Then review the statement on the School of Social Work’s website about our commitment to social and racial justice. Discuss how the school’s commitment aligns with CSWE’s Competency 2.
3. Discuss how these commitments and professional standards might apply to your future social work career and the communities you might serve.

Detail your social and human services-related work and volunteer experience in the application. Please make sure to list any military, AmeriCorps or Peace Corps experience as well. There is a place to provide additional notes if there is something about your work, volunteer or educational experience that you would like us to consider.

Please provide transcripts from all undergraduate or graduate degree-granting institutions. Also, provide transcripts from any graduate institutions where you were enrolled in courses. For application purposes, you may use unofficial transcripts, but admitted applicants will be unable to matriculate without submitting their official transcripts from their degree-granting institution(s) to VCU Graduate Admissions. Official transcripts from all degree-granting institution(s) should be submitted electronically to gradmail@vcu.edu.

• For your three letters of recommendation, select a cross-section of references, including employers, faculty or other individuals who have evaluated your work and can speak to your academic abilities and/or related paid social work or volunteer experience.
• Applicants will provide details about each recommender with an email address, and an email to the online recommendation form will be sent to the recommender.

Students must have received a ‘B’ or better or pass in their senior field placement. If the applicant has not completed their senior placement, one of their letters of recommendation should be from someone who can assess their potential to do well in a field placement.

In addition, under the statement of intent, advanced standing students will be required to upload a response to a case statement (see the application for prompt) and meet additional field requirements.

View the full list of requirements for Advanced Standing.

When you submit your application, there will be a $75 nonrefundable application fee required to apply for the program.