MSW Admissions Information

Admission Requirements

MSW Program Admission Requirements

Applicants for admission to the MSW program must hold:

It is expected that a liberal arts degree will include courses that reflect that applicants have backgrounds in several of the following areas: society, history and tradition, arts and letters, formal reasoning and analysis, the living world, the physical world, social studies.

It is expected when applicants have a broad knowledge of behavioral and social sciences, humanities and biological sciences they will enter the program with a sufficient understanding of society, social problems, and human behavior to make use of the foundation portion of this program. The School does not give course credit for life or work experience. Students who do not have a bachelors degree in liberal arts or social work may have to take liberal arts courses prior to matriculation. GRE scores are not required for the MSW program.

Students are admitted once a year (Fall semester) to the MSW program and in the summer for the Advanced Standing program. MSW applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Priority consideration for admissions and field placement will be given to full -time, part-time, and One-Year Residency applicants who apply by March 31 and for the Advanced Standing program is March 1. Review of financial aid applications begins on March 1.

Advanced Standing Admissions Requirements

Applicants for admission to the Advanced Standing program must have:

Applicants must meet all other admission requirements for the MSW program.

Reference
In addition to the information requested on the MSW Recommendation Form, one of the three required references must be written by a MSW who can discuss in detail the applicant's senior field experience: e.g. required tasks; interviewing skill level; ability to complete process recordings; readiness for advanced practice.

Students are admitted once a year (Fall semester) to the MSW program and in the summer for the Advanced Standing program. MSW applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Priority consideration for admissions and field placement will be given to full -time, part-time, and One-Year Residency applicants who apply by March 31 and for the Advanced Standing program is March 1. Review of financial aid applications begins on March 1.

One-Year Residency Program Admissions Requirements:

Applicants for admission to the One-Year Residency Program must have:

Applicants must meet all other admission requirements for the MSW program.

The application deadline for the One-Year Residency Program is March 31. Review of financial aid applications begins on March 1.

back to top

 

Application for Admission

Each applicant is offered an admission interview when his/her application file (fact sheet, financial plan, references, transcripts, and application statement) is complete.

Following the admissions interview, the faculty evaluates the application and makes the decision on admittance. Applicants are generally notified of the final decision within two weeks after the evaluation is completed.

Students are admitted once a year (Fall semester) to the MSW program and in the summer for the Advanced Standing program. MSW applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Priority consideration for admissions and field placement will be given to full -time, part-time, and One-Year Residency applicants who apply by March 31 and for the Advanced Standing program is March 1. Review of financial aid applications begins on March 1.

back to top

 

Confidentiality of Student Records

Pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, in general, personally identifiable information can be disclosed to people outside the University only with the written consent of the student or alumnus involved. A statement setting forth specific University policy concerning: (1) disclosing information to people outside the University; (2) disclosing information to people within the University; (3) permitting students to inspect and review records; and (4) providing students with the opportunity to seek the collection of their records is available in the Graduate Academic Bulletin. Students in the School of Social Policy & Practice may review their records in the Records Office of the School of Social Policy & Practice. For more information and the complete Code of Academic Integrity, refer to the Graduate Academic Bulletin or the University's Privacy web site at http://www.upenn.edu/privacy.

back to top

 

Credits and Field Placement Hours

The academic year for the MSW program is divided into two semesters of fifteen weeks each (field practice continues on a modified basis during semester and spring breaks). For the Two-Year Program four credits are required per semester for a total of sixteen credits for four semesters. These credits are divided among foundation, advanced and elective courses as prescribed in the curriculum.

All full-time students in the MSW program must be enrolled in four courses each semester unless an alternative educational plan is approved by the advisor and/or the associate dean. Students are not permitted to take five courses during one semester or to audit courses.

back to top

 

Dual Degree Programs

Students applying to dual degree programs must apply for admission as follows:

Bachelor of Arts/Master of Social Work (BA/MSW)

Students apply to the School of Social Policy & Practice in their sophomore year at Penn. The deadline for applying for this sub-matriculation program is June of sophomore year. An individual plan of study agreed upon by the undergraduate department and the School of Social Policy & Practice assures the integrity of both degree programs.

Master of Social Work/Master of Business Administration (MSW/MBA)

Applicants for this program must apply both to the School of Social Policy & Practice and the Wharton School. A separate application and application fee is required for each School. Application inquiries for the Wharton School should be directed to the Director of Admissions, Wharton School, 420 Jon M. Huntsman Hall, 3730 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6340.

Master of Social Work/Master of Bioethics (MSW/MBE)

Applicants to this program must apply to both the School of Social Policy & Practice and to the Department of Medical Ethics. A separate application and application fee is required for each School. Application inquiries should be made to Admissions, Department of Medical Ethics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 3401 Market Street, Suite 320, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3319.

Master of Social Work/Master of City Planning (MSW/MCP)

Applicants for this program must apply to both the School of Social Policy & Practice and the School of Design. A separate application and application fee is required for each School. Application inquiries for the School of Design should be directed to the Director of Admissions, School of Design, 102 Myerson Hall, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6311.

Master of Social Work/Master of Government Administration (MSW/MGA)

Applicants to this program must apply to both the School of Social Policy & Practice and Fels Institute of Government, School of Arts and Sciences. A separate application and application fee is required for each School. Application inquiries should be made to the Director of Admissions, Fels Institute of Government University of Pennsylvania, 3814 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6197.

Master of Social Work/Master of Nonprofit/NGO Leadership (MSW/MS)

Applicants to this dual degree program must apply to the School of Social Policy & Practice. Please see application instructions and checklist for both programs. Your application essay must respond to the questions for both programs. Please note that you may integrate your responses. Applicants will be reviewed by both Admissions Committees.

Master of Social Work/Master of Public Health (MSW/MPH)

Applicants to this program must apply to both the School of Social Policy & Practice and to the Graduate Program in Public Health Studies, School of Medicine. A separate application and application fee is required for each School. Application inquiries should be made to Graduate Program in Public Health Studies, Office of Masters Programs, School of Medicine, 414 Anatomy-Chemistry Building, 3620 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6110.

Master of Social Work/Master of Science in Criminology (MSW/MS)

Applicants to this program must apply to both the School of Social Policy & Practice and the Department of Criminology, School of Arts and Sciences. A separate application and application fee is required for each School. Application inquiries should be made to Graduate Division, SAS, University of Pennsylvania, Suite 322A, 3401 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6228.

Master of Social Work/Master of Science in Education (MSW/M.S.Ed.)

Applicants for this program must apply to both the School of Social Policy & Practice and the Graduate School of Education. A separate application and application fee is required for each School. Application inquiries for the Graduate School of Education should be directed to the Director of Admissions, Graduate School of Education, 3700 Walnut Street, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA 19104-6216.

Master of Social Work/Master of Science in Social Policy (MSW/MSP)

Applicants to this dual degree program must apply to the School of Social Policy & Practice. Please see application instructions and checklist for both programs. Your application essay must respond to the questions for both programs. Please note that you may integrate your responses. Applicants will be reviewed by both Admissions Committees.

Master of Social Work/Juris Doctor (MSW/JD)

Applicants for this program must apply to both the School of Social Policy & Practice and the Law School. A separate application and application fee is required for each School. Application inquiries to the Law School should be directed to the Assistant Dean for Admissions, 101A Law School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6204.

Master of Social Work/PhD in Social Welfare (MSW/PhD)

Applicants for the dual degree are first admitted into the masters program. There is a separate review process for the PhD portion of the program. It is possible for an applicant to be accepted into the MSW and not the PhD program.

Students already enrolled in the masters program may apply for admission to the PhD program after they have completed all first-semester requirements. The decision on their doctoral applications is usually made near the end of the first year of study in the MSW program. Once accepted, the student must complete the second year of the masters program. The dual degree program allows students to substitute doctoral-level courses for some MSW requirements.

back to top

 

Educational Advising/Student Progress

Each student is assigned an educational adviser who helps the student make the maximum use of the School and University's resources for a rich academic experience. The following statement on credit and standing provides a frame of reference for students and members of the faculty for the successful completion of the various requirements of the school.

back to top

 

Grades

The Penn MSW program uses the system of letter grade evaluation that is used by other MA and PhD programs at the University. A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or above is required for MSW graduation.

back to top

 

References

For the MSW program list three (3) references: two (2) work references and one (1) academic reference. You may list your current supervisor/employer as a work reference only if your employment is in social work. If you are not employed in social work or you are a student, list work references from significant social-work-related experiences.

For Advanced Standing applicants, one reference letter must be from an MSW who can evaluate your performance in field placement, e.g., current or most recent practice professor or field supervisor.

For One-Year-Residency applicants, in addition to your three references, you must have an authorized agency representative complete the Agency Recommendation Form found in the reference section.

back to top

 

Refund of Tuition

A student who: a) withdraws; b) is requested to withdraw for failure to maintain a satisfactory scholastic standard; or c) is granted a leave of absence from a full-time division of the University during either term of the academic year will be eligible for a refund of tuition general fee in accordance with the conditions set forth below.

The effective date of separation from the University is the date on which the student files a request for withdrawal or leave of absence in the Office of the Dean. The amount of refund allowable is as follows:

Separation occurring within:
first two weeks of class: 75%
third and fourth weeks of class: 50%
fifth week of class and thereafter: 0%

A student who is required to withdraw because of violation of University regulation shall receive no refund by reason of such withdrawal.

back to top

 

Regulations for the MSW Degree

The degree of Master of Social Work will be granted to a student who:

  1. Holds a bachelors degree from a recognized institution of higher learning;
  2. Has been duly admitted to the School of Social Policy & Practice;
  3. Has satisfactorily completed the prescribed program of study according to the regulations in force at the time of the student's completion of the program, within five years of the date of his/her first admission to the School; and
  4. Has been admitted to the program as a MSW transfer student from an accredited program and has completed eight credits at this school.

back to top

 

Standing

All requirements for the MSW degree must be completed within five years of the date of the student's first admission. Generally, the requirements are completed within two consecutive years. Students who leave the program for a year or more must contact the Director of Admissions in writing before returning to the program.

back to top

 

Transfer of Credits

Credit may be granted toward the MSW requirements for work completed at any other accredited graduate school of social work in the past five years. Students who transfer from an accredited social work program having completed a full year within the last three years may be granted credit for up to one year's work. Students entering with an accredited Masters degree in a related field may be granted up to a maximum of six credits based on the overlap of the courses they have taken with the courses in our curriculum. Students who have completed some graduate work within the past three years but do not have a Masters Degree may be given up to a maximum of four credits for courses that have a high degree of overlap with our courses.

Application for credit for work completed elsewhere than at Penn must be made in writing to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the School of Social Policy & Practice after the student’s acceptance to the program. Transfer of credits must be granted before the student's registration can be accepted.

Once enrolled in the School of Social Policy & Practice, credits earned concurrently from other accredited graduate schools outside the University will not be transferred unless approval was granted by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs prior to enrolling in these courses.

back to top

 

International Students

Admission Criteria

Applications are accepted from experienced social workers from countries outside the United States. All international applicants must have:

A bachelors degree from a recognized college or university;

Excellent academic standing;

Fluent command of written and spoken English--TOEFL score of 550 for the MSW Program or 600 for the Doctoral Program (Institutional Code: 2926, Department Code: 95); and

A sound financial plan to cover the cost of tuition, living expenses, and round-trip transportation.

Financial Planning

Due to limited financial resources, the School cannot offer financial aid to international students for MSW study. Students with permanent resident status may apply for student loans through the University's federally funded Student Loan Office.

Many countries make grants available to social workers for study in the U.S. Applicants may obtain information about these and other study grants from United Nations and U.S. Information Service Offices, educational bureaus in their own governments, and offices of U.S. consuls and ambassadors.

International students holding F-1 status may not work off-campus (including at other universities or colleges) except in certain circumstances, which require formal recommendation or authorization by the Office of International Programs (OIP) and the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS). A spouse on the "F-2" visa may not work in the United States at any time. Students must maintain a full course of study during the entire academic year.

For more information regarding immigration regulations affecting all international students, please visit the Office of International Programs website at www.upenn.edu/oip or call (215) 898-4661.

back to top

 

Financial Aid & Loans

The University of Pennsylvania makes financial aid available to students who enroll in the School of Social Policy & Practice. Approximately 80% of the students enrolled in the School benefit from this University commitment.

The School of Social Policy & Practice awards a substantial number of annual grants that make its program financially competitive with other schools. Review of financial aid applications begins on March 1. Applicants who plan to request financial aid are urged to apply as early as possible. Following is a list of financial aid awards available for full-time study leading to an MSW or PhD degree.

Dean's Awards
Annual Dean’s awards are available on the basis of merit alone. All applicants designated as "priority" are considered for these awards. Priority is based on outstanding academic and/or pre-professional experience. Dean Awards are considered a component of the total financial aid award.

School of Social Policy & Practice Awards for MSW Students
Awarded to full-time students in the MSW program, on the basis of need. The Financial Aid Committee awards these scholarships; there is no separate application process.

Named Awards (Partial List)
Bell-Eisenberg-Leber Student Aid Fund
The Betsy Schur Levy and David W. Levy Endowed Scholarship
Dorothy Kramer Bergstein Oncology Scholarship
Hobbs Memorial Scholarship
Hornick Award
Jean and Charles Segal Endowed Award
Langsfeld Scholarship
Lilly Mach Lang Book Fund
Louis and Bessie Stein Foundation Fellowship
Miriam Mednick Rothman Endowed Scholarship
Neysa C. Adams Award
Otto and Gertrude Pollak Scholarship
Porreca Memorial Scholarship
Ralph and Ida Gumberg Endowed Scholarship
Rosa Wessel Award
Ruth Fizdale Award
The Yale Mann Endowed Scholarship

Part-Time Student Awards
Limited financial aid is available to part-time students who are enrolled as degree candidates.

Loans
Students may borrow up to $20,500 a year through the Stafford Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan Program. There is also an Optional Loan Program available to students.

Scholarship Information

back to top

 

Tuition & Fees

Tuition and General Fees for AY 2008 - 2009 are estimated as follows:

 

Full-Time

Part-Time

Tuition

$32,216/year

$4,027/per course

Fees

$2,000/year

$250/per course

Technology Fee

$520/year

$65/per course

Total

$34,736

$4,342/per course

Question: What do you estimate I will need to have available to manage financially for one academic year?

Tuition and Fee: $34,736
Room $10,400
Board: $4,200
Books: $1,500
Miscellaneous: $5,700 (estimate of financial needs for single student-also
includes health insurance of approximately $2,600)
TOTAL: $56,536

These are estimated figures and will change depending upon individual circumstances (i.e., if you are living at home with family, this may reduce your room and board).

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania reserve the right to increase tuition and fees, and otherwise to amend the regulations concerning tuition, fees, and method of payment, at any time, and to make such changes applicable to students in the University at that time, as well as to new students.

Financial Planning
The student is responsible for making a realistic financial plan to maintain himself or herself during this period at the School and to meet the cost of his or her education. While most students will have to rely on long-term educational loans through local banks, the School does offer financial aid to those students who can demonstrate need. We recognize the high cost of our tuition, and will make every effort to offer tuition comparable to other schools with lesser tuition. During the past year, 80% of the incoming class received some financial aid from the School. When such grants are offered, they will continue from first to second semester for students in good standing.

back to top