MSW Admission Criteria
In selecting its student body, GSSW seeks individuals who support the school's mission and will advocate, in their subsequent careers, for the values and principles embodied within that mission.
Applicants to the MSW program must have the following minimum qualifications to be considered for admission:
- Two-Year Program: A baccalaureate degree earned at a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting body.
- Advanced Standing Program: A baccalaureate degree in social work from a college or university whose social work program is accredited by, or is in accreditation candidacy with, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) at the time the BSW or BA degree is conferred.
- A minimum of 20 semester hours or 30 quarter hours in undergraduate course work in the arts and humanities, social/behavioral sciences and biological sciences. All liberal arts courses counted toward this requirement must have a grade of "C" (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better. In addition, applicants must have completed at least one course in English Composition or present evidence of testing out of the English Composition requirement.
Applicants to the MSW program who meet the minimum qualifications for consideration will then be evaluated based on the following preferred qualifications for admission consideration:
- Demonstrated successful academic record with a grade point average of "B" (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better as an undergraduate or in any graduate studies the applicant may have pursued. The 3.0 GPA is not, however, a prerequisite for admission. The reputation of the institution conferring the degree, the date the degree was conferred and other factors are considered in evaluating the applicant's academic record. Applicants who are in their final year of undergraduate study may be accepted for admission contingent upon a final transcript documenting successful completion of degree requirements.
- Demonstrated salaried or volunteer experience in human services or related areas, e.g. teaching, childcare, or therapeutic recreation. Salaried experience is generally given greater weight than volunteer experience in an allied field.
Applicants to the MSW program who meet the minimum and preferred qualifications also will be evaluated, to the extent possible, on their communication skills, acceptance of diversity, self-awareness, empathy, professional behavior and integrity.
Essential Abilities and Characteristics
Because the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) is committed to a program of excellence, students in our program must possess and demonstrate certain personal characteristics, abilities and behaviors necessary for success in the GSSW program. Therefore, students are expected to meet the standards listed below, both in the classroom and in their field internships, with or without reasonable accommodation for disability.
GSSW does not discriminate on the basis of disability and provides reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. It is the responsibility of the student with a disability, who believes he/she may need reasonable accommodations to meet any of these standards, to contact University Disability Services (UDS) at 303.871.2372. Early contact by admitted students with the UDS is strongly encouraged to ensure the timely provision of reasonable accommodations to both the classroom and field internship.
Communication Skills
GSSW students must demonstrate effective oral, written and listening communication skills, including the ability to express ideas clearly, listen objectively and communicate effectively at a graduate professional level, in both academic and field internship settings.
Acceptance of Diversity
GSSW students must demonstrate acceptance of human diversity as they interact with others. They must serve clients without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic situation, national origin, disability, value system and religions affiliation or lack thereof.
Self-Awareness
GSSW students must be willing to engage in reflective thinking. Reflective thinking includes being able to clearly articulate beliefs, values, attitudes and feelings, and how past experiences affect their thinking, behavior and interactions with others. Students successful in the GSSW program must be willing to examine and change behaviors that interfere with student/client and other interpersonal relationships.
Empathy
GSSW students must demonstrate respect in their interactions with fellow students, faculty, staff, clients and others. They must be able to communicate understanding and empathy for clients and their situations, while demonstrating the emotional stability and maturity to maintain appropriate boundaries and client safety.
Professional Behavior
GSSW students must understand and adhere to professional social work values and the NASW Code of Ethics, as well as abide by GSSW policies and procedures. They must exercise adequate self-care to withstand the rigors of graduate student and field internships, and they must be willing and able to use supervision and criticism constructively. They must demonstrate dependability, punctuality and the ability to appropriately prioritize responsibilities.
Integrity
GSSW students must demonstrate personal and professional integrity in both the academic and field internship settings. They must understand and practice academic honesty, and be willing and able to apply properly the rules of academic referencing and citation. GSSW students are also bound to abide by the University of Denver Code of Student Conduct.
Sensory-Motor Abilities
GSSW students must have sufficient sensory-motor abilities to attend and participate in classes and field internships, acquiring, integrating and applying knowledge through the use of their senses. Students are responsible for providing their own transportation to field internship sites.
Cognitive Skills
GSSW students must demonstrate cognitive skills including short- and long-term memory necessary for the integration, deconstruction, synthesis and summary of new knowledge.
Test Scores
Entrance examinations such as the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) and Miller Analogies Test (MAT) are not required for admission to GSSW.
International students must submit their score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum score of 550 (or 213 CBT) is required. Students with a degree from a college or university where English is the language of instruction are not required to submit the TOEFL score. If the institution is outside the United States, a statement must be submitted by the registrar verifying that the above conditions are met. Degrees from non-U.S. institutions will be evaluated by the Office of International Student Admission for equivalency to a U.S. baccalaureate degree.
Other Skills
Entering students should have a basic knowledge of research methods and statistics. They should be competent in the use of personal computers for the purposes of word processing, data analysis, Web-based research and electronic correspondence. Students who plan to bring a laptop to GSSW should consult the University of Denver's recommendations at www.du.edu/laptops/specs.html.