• Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from an accredited college or university prior to enrollment in the program unless they have been admitted through our Sub-matriculation program; or (2) a bachelor’s degree in social work from an accredited undergraduate social work program.
• Typical areas of study are social work, social welfare, behavioral sciences, (e.g., psychology, sociology, family studies, criminal justice, anthropology, political science, early childhood, urban studies, etc.).
• Human service related experience acquired through paid or volunteer activity is desirable.

• A bachelor’s degree in social work from a CSWE accredited social work program. Completion of the undergraduate degree must be within the past five years.
• High academic achievement.
• Three letters of recommendation: two (2) work related references (these can be from supervisors or managers from human service related paid, volunteer, internship, or research related work) and one (1) academic reference. One reference letter must be from a MSW who can evaluate the applicant’s performance in field placement, e.g., current or most recent practice professor or field supervisor.
• Applicants must meet all other admission requirements for the MSW program.

• A bachelor’s degree in liberal arts or social work from an accredited college or university.
• Two years social work experience with MSW supervision (at the time of application) at an approved social service agency.
• A contract between the School, employing agency and applicant confirming approval of the applicant's One-Year Residency Program plan.
• Applicants must meet all other admission requirements for the MSW program.

No. This is not a requirement for MSW programs.

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 April 15; for the Advanced Standing program, the date for priority consideration is March 1.

The MSW application fee is $65.00.

All on-line applications received between September 1st and December 31st will have a reduced fee and be charged $25.00.

Your application is considered complete when the following have been received:

• Application form;
• Financial plan form;
• Three letters of recommendation: two (2) worked related references (these can be from supervisors or managers from human service related paid, volunteer, internship, or research related work) and one (1) academic reference.
• Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate studies; and
• Application statement prepared in response to the questions listed in the admissions application on the web.

It is our policy to offer an interview to all applicants being considered for matriculation. This will help to assure that you have been well informed about our program, and that you have been apprised of our expectations. It also helps us to get to know you better, and helps you to make an informed choice of programs.

The interviews are primarily personal interviews; however, when geographic distance is a question, a telephone interview can be arranged.

You may be offered a “pre-application” interview before you complete or file an application. This interview is primarily to clarify our program and your professional goals for social work practice.

Once the application is complete (including the interview), the Admissions Committee composed of the faculty make all admission decisions. They look at the applicant's complete file, i.e., transcripts, human service related experience, letters of recommendation and the application statement. You can expect a written notification in two to three weeks. If you have not heard from us, feel free to call the Admissions Office (215-898-5539).

Yes. Transfer students from CSWE accredited MSW programs must meet the School’s admission requirements. Transfer credit review will occur after acceptance to the program. 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 classes.

Application for credit for work completed elsewhere than Penn must be made in writing to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for the School. Transfer credits must be granted before the student’s registration can be accepted.

Yes. The fee is $250.00 payable after notification of acceptance. Your acceptance letter will tell you the date by which this fee is expected. This deposit fee is applied to your bill upon matriculation. It is not refundable if you do not matriculate.

Yes. The Three-Year MSW Program is designed for students who have chosen the profession but are not prepared to matriculate on a two-year basis. Participants in the three-year program must meet the same admission requirements as those for two-year students. They must also complete degree requirements in effect at the time of admission. Students admitted to this program are assisted by educational advisors who help them develop individualized plans of study.

The Three-Year MSW program includes six semesters and two summers for courses. Field placement begins in the second year of study.

Yes. This program is designed for experienced working professionals who have been employed in an approved social service agency for two years and want to pursue a Masters of Social Work degree on a part-time basis. Students accepted into this program take two courses per semester (including summers). In the second year of study (Pre-Residency Year), students must complete a Field Lab during the fall and spring semester. In the third year of study (Residency Year), students must fulfill 900 hours of supervised field placement at their place of employment from September to May.

Yes. The Advanced Standing Program is designed for exceptional BSW students who have graduated from a CSWE-accredited BSW program within the past five years. A limited number of students are accepted into this program. Students in Advanced Standing begin graduate studies in the summer, followed by two semesters of full-time study in the academic year. In order to enroll in the fall, students must satisfactorily complete the two (2) required summer courses and achieve satisfactory performance in the no-cost Integrative Practice Seminar and field placement (see MSW Student Handbook section on Evaluation Procedures and criteria).

Full-time students take four courses a semester. Each class meets one day a week for two hours and 30 minutes.

Three-year students and One-Year Residency students take two courses a semester. Students in these programs must also take two courses in the summer. It is recommended that students take one course during each 6-week summer four required session. (The University offers Summer Session I and II.)

Full-time students are in the classroom two days a week and in field placement three days a week. In the first year of study, students must enroll in required courses. In the second year of study, students choose either a clinical or macro concentration. Students must take at least one of the one practice elective in their concentration area. Additionally, students must take one non-practice elective.

Our classes are seminar style classes, averaging twenty-five students. Practice classes are capped at 20 to 21 students. This is a plan to promote the valuable classroom interaction and exchange between faculty and students. In other words, be prepared to participate, raise critical questions, and share your ideas and learning.

In recent years, the incoming class has averaged 130-160 students.

Penn Social Social Policy & Practice offers the following dual degree programs:

• Bachelor of Arts/Master of Social Work
• Master of Social Work/Master of City Planning (MSW/MCP)
• Master of Social Work/Master of Business Administration (MSW/MBA)
• Master of Social Work/Master of Bioethics (MSW/MBE)
• Master of Social Work/Master of Government Administration (MSW/MGA)
• Master of Social Work/Juris Doctor Program (MSW/JD)
• Master of Social Work/Master of Public Health (MSW/MPH)
• Master of Social Work/Master of Science in Criminology (MSW/MS)
• Master of Social Work/Master of Science in Education (MSW/MEd)
• Master of Social Work/Master of Science in Social Policy (MSW/MSP)
• Master of Social Work/PhD in Social Welfare

A separate application to each school is required. Acceptance into the MSW program is not contingent upon your acceptance into any one of the joint degree programs. In other words, if you apply for a joint degree, you are independently accepted (or not accepted) by each school.

Penn Social Policy & Practice offers the following certificate programs:

• MSW/Certificate in Jewish Communal Services (Gratz College)
• MSW/Certification in Catholic Social Ministry (St. Charles Borromeo Seminary)
• MSW/Certificate in Lutheran Social Ministry or Certificate in Christian Social Ministry (Lutheran Theological Seminary)

A separate application to each school is required. Acceptance into the MSW program is not contingent upon your acceptance into any one of the joint degree match. In other words, if you apply for a joint degree, you are independently accepted (or not accepted) by each school.

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

Yes. Each student is assigned an educational advisor who helps the student make the maximum use of the School and University’s resources for a rich academic experience.

The field placement process begins in the spring semester for first and second year students. Incoming or first year students are sent a placement form from the Director of Field Placement after they accepted the School’s offer of admission and have paid their $250.00 deposit fee. The placement form along with your personal statement and admissions interview are reviewed by the Director of Field Placement to determine your first year placement. Each student has the opportunity to interview at his or her assigned field placement before it begins. (This can be a phone interview.)

Second year field placement process begins in March of the spring semester. Students meet with their advisors and discuss their educational needs and objectives for second year. Together they complete an educational plan, which is forwarded to the Director of Field Placement to determine a field placement that meets the student’s needs.

Your chances are good. We have approximately 550 field placement sites. All field placements include supervision by someone with a Master’s degree in Social Work. Field Placement is a vital part of your learning experience, so we take great care in seeing that it meets your educational needs and interests.

Students spend the equivalent of three days a week (21-24 hours) in the field during each of their two academic years. Part-time students may make arrangements to do a 16-hour per week field placement that is extended over 39 weeks.

No. We have many field placement sites that are located in close proximity to public transportation.

Students in the Three-Year MSW Program begin field placement in the second year of study. Students must fulfill the same field placement requirements as full-time students. Part-time students may reduce the number of hours they spend in the field each week to a minimum of 16 hours, by extending the total number of field placement weeks to 39. Students on this extended schedule are typically in the field from September through June the first year, and from August 1 through April the second year.