Admissions Procedures

Pre-Admission Application Packets for Fall 2013 can be accessed here.

Admissions Criteria

The Collaborative MSW Program is seeking applicants who are interested in developing and strengthening their social work skills by completing their MSW degree. The Program is particularly interested in applicants who want to develop expertise in the areas of direct practice or in administration/management in human service settings. The Program seeks applicants who have a commitment to serving those who are vulnerable, who face multiple challenges in their lives, and who may be seeking services in public agency settings. Applicants should be comfortable with developing their expertise in working from a family focused perspective, with developing skills to work in both rural and metropolitan areas, and in working with clients from diverse cultures and circumstances.

To be admitted into the Collaborative MSW Program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Had a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75, with 3.0 in the last two years (60 credits) of study;
• Have an academic background in the liberal arts and have completed a minimum of 18 credits in social sciences among courses in at least three of the following disciplines: psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, and political science (BSW students meet the criterion);
• Demonstrate readiness for the MSW program and provide evidence of interest in and ability to work with social work clientele and in social work settings via:
  
  • Submission of a written statement (see Pre-Admission Process Section for details);
  • Three completed electronic reference questionnaires (including one academic reference);
  • Demonstration of relevant professional work/volunteer experiences, which documents the breadth and depth of professional and/or volunteer experience (usually includes post-baccalaureate experience);
• Have completed course work in: Biological Life Sciences, Statistics, Research Methods, and Life Span Development or submit plans for completing this work prior to taking the Advanced Curriculum in the Program. Those with a BSW from an accredited program are considered to have met these criteria. At least two of these prerequisites must be completed before entering the program.
• For Advanced standing, applicants are required to have graduated from an accredited baccalaureate social work program within the last eight years or have successfully completed the Foundation Curriculum at a CSWE accredited program.
• Applicants who completed their degrees at foreign universities may be required to complete the TOEFL. For applicants who are Registered Aliens of the United States who have lived in the United States for more than one year or who have completed academic work in English, the TOEFL is not required. Registered Aliens who do not meet these criteria will enter the program on probation and give evidence of their English proficiency through satisfactory performance in their first-semester course work.

Applicants are also reminded that in keeping with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Accreditation Standard 3.2.5, the Program does not grant social work course credit for life experience or previous work experience.

Admissions Process

Two-Stage Admissions Process:

The application process proceeds in two stages, the Pre-Admissions Process followed by the University Admissions Process:

Stage 1: Pre-Admissions Process:

Applicants must first complete the Pre-Admissions Process by submitting materials to the Collaborative MSW Program. To apply to the Collaborative MSW Program:

Complete the Pre-Admission Application Packet, which includes:

• Two Copies of:
  
  • Application for Graduate Admission - MSW Program (questionnaire, sections I- XIII). Applicants are encouraged to compete this form online, but need to submit printed copies;
  • Personal Essay (3-5 pages, Section XI);
• Unofficial Transcripts from every college and/or university where undergraduate and graduate coursework was completed.
• References:
  
  • In section X of the application, applicants identify three references and submit their names, phone numbers and email addresses. The MSW Program will email your references with a link to an online reference survey. You will be notified as we receive each of your reference surveys. It is up to you to make sure that all references have completed and submitted surveys;
  • In order to help you with your decisions about the most appropriate references to use for your application, it might be helpful for you to consider the types of information references will be asked to provide. Click Here for an overview of this material.
  • If you graduated with an undergraduate degree within the past eight years, it is required that you submit an academic reference (e.g. professor or advisor). Applicants who have a BSW and graduated within the past eight years must have a reference from a Social Work faculty member. If you graduated with an undergraduate degree more than eight years ago, you are not required to submit an academic reference, but you are required to submit at least one employment reference.
• Work/Volunteer Experiences in Human Services:


• In section XII of the application, applicants are directed to complete an online survey detailing relevant work/volunteer experiences in the human services.
• One Self-Addressed, Stamped, Application Checklist:
  
  • Applicants should fold the Application Checklist in half, address it to the applicant, and put appropriate postage on the Checklist.

Submit completed pre-admissions packet to:

Collaborative MSW Program
Rose Hall, Suite 320
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
2420 Nicolet Drive
Green Bay, WI 54311-7001

Receipt of completed application packets will be confirmed by mail (Application Checklist). The Application Checklist will serve as notification of what materials are missing; it will be completed by the MSW Program and mailed to the applicant.

Application materials are due on January 22nd, 2013. Applications that are received late will be considered on a space available basis. Applicants are encouraged to apply early. The Collaborative MSW Program has had an acceptance rate of approximately 50% of applicants since 2003. The Collaborative MSW Program Admissions Committee will only review complete application packets.

Stage 2: University Admissions Process

After candidates have pre-admissions acceptance they are recommended for acceptance by the University and must complete the admissions process with their respective "home campus" University. Half of the students in the Program become students at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and half become students at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Selection of an appropriate University is based on student preference, location of student's home, and equity considerations in the Program. To complete their application, recommended candidates will be asked to submit the following:

1. Letter of Intention Form to enroll in the program;
2. $56 Application Fee;
3. Official Transcripts;
4. Background Check Form and Appropriate Fee.

Additional admissions materials will be reviewed by the University's Graduate Admissions Office and Graduate Program, and candidates will be notified of their final acceptance. Students recommended for admission by the Collaborative MSW Program meet all minimum admissions requirements for graduate students at both the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Accepted students will have "special student" status on the alternate campus and will receive admission information regarding this status.

A Note About Financial Support

For information about financial support, see resources section of the website.