Social Work Application Information and Admission Requirements

MSW Full-time
The full-time program takes 2 years and starts in the Fall term (mid-August) each year.

MSW Advanced Standing
The full-time program takes 1 year and starts in the Summer term (mid-May) each year.

MSW/MPH Dual Degree
This full-time program takes 3 years and starts in the Fall term (mid-August) for all students.

MSW/MPH Dual Degree Advanced Standing
This full-time program takes 2 years and starts in the Fall term (mid-August) each year.

For application timelines for all upcoming cohorts, see the “On-Campus MSW Application Timeline” section below. 

The Hybrid MSW Program is a three-year, part-time hybrid program that combines online coursework with two intensive learning weekends per semester.

The Advanced Standing Hybrid MSW Program is a two-year part time hybrid program.

Please visit our Distance Hybrid Part-Time MSW Program page for more information.

For application timelines for all upcoming cohorts, see the “Hybrid MSW Application Timeline” section below. 

CSU offers options for graduate students to apply for free through institutional fee waivers, program affiliation fee waivers, and free application days. Learn about these options.

The Graduate School and MSW program application process will be entirely online during each cohort’s application window. The link to apply will be visible at the top of the MSW program page when the application window is open.

Please see our Admission Requirements section for details on who qualifies for consideration.

The MSW Program does not grant social work course credit for life experience or previous work experience.

Applications that are incorrect, incomplete, &/or have items missing at the deadline may not be included for admissions consideration. The application fee covers processing for all applications regardless of admissions outcome. The fee cannot be waived, and is nonrefundable.

Required information will include:

• Universal Question
  • How does your lived experience inform your skillset as related to our program?
• The Statement of Purpose
  • This is an important component of your overall application. Please use 3-5 pages single spaced, with a 12-point font for your response.
  • Part I: Tell us about who you are:
    • Tell us how your background and life experiences contributed to you choosing social work as a career. Describe your current practice interests and/or future career goals. Share how the MSW program will contribute to your current and/or future social work practice.
  • Part II: Tell us about your commitment to social justice:
    • Describe your understanding of oppression and social justice. Include an example of how you demonstrate your commitment to social justice in your professional or personal life. Reflect on an instance when you recognized privilege and/or oppression in your professional and/or personal life and describe your response. Describe how your understanding of oppression and your commitment to social justice have evolved over time.

• Summary of Experience
  • Upload a detailed resume-style document describing the types of experiences you have had that relate to your goal of professional social work practice. The Admissions Committee is looking for detail, not brevity.
  • View an example of what a successful Summary of Experience looks like. It is also available as a template for you to fill out. Even if you are using the template, please review the requirements below before submitting your application.
  • List all experiences chronologically (starting with the most recent and working backward).
  • If you have any prior human service experience, please list it. Human service experience is considered by the admission committee, but it is not a requirement. This is defined as direct service work with vulnerable &/or disadvantaged populations. To qualify toward the human service work requirement the hours must be post-high school graduation.
    • Include the following information for each relevant entry:
      1. Name of agency or organization
      2. Type of agency (social work; human service, i.e., nursing, teaching, psychiatric, etc.; public or private industry in human resource area, i.e., training, personnel, community work, board or committee, etc.)
      3. Position held
      4. Paid or volunteer
      5. Length of time in positions and average amount of time worked each week, computed in hours. Please be very specific about the total hours spent on each position. Compute your total direct human service hours for each position, and include them in each position’s listing.
      6. Nature of activities performed (direct service delivery, i.e., counseling, tutoring; indirect service, i.e., supervising, administrative, lobbying, board membership)
      7. Population groups served (children, seniors, adolescents, ethnic minorities, women, men)
      8. Frequency of supervisory contact and supervisor’s qualifications
  • This document must include a computation of hours worked in each social service setting totaled for each relevant position.

• Two references
  • If possible, one reference should be a person who has been a supervisor, or otherwise had a relationship which includes providing feedback on performance or growth.
  • Two references are required, and there is space for up to five.
  • Appropriate sources for references include employers, field instructors, supervisors, university faculty, and/or someone who most recently supervised the applicant in a human service delivery experience (paid, volunteer, or educational).
  • You will enter the references’ contact information into the application form. The Graduate School will contact the references directly with instructions. A rating form is required, and in addition, references are asked to consider uploading a letter of reference. Please note that the addition of a letter of reference tends to indicate more interest and support from the reference.

• Transcripts
  • Unofficial transcripts will be accepted for purposes of the application. If admitted and you choose to attend CSU, official transcripts will be required to complete the admission process.
    • Transcripts must be sent directly from those institutions to CSU to be official. If they are received from you they are not official.
    • When requesting official transcripts from the institutions that you attended, use one of the following methods — electronic submission is preferred.
      • Electronic: Use institution code 4075 for Colorado State University.
      • If the institution requires an email address, use gradadmissions@colostate.edu.
      • If for some reason the issuing institution is unable to send them electronically they should be mailed to: Graduate Admissions, Colorado State University – Office of Admissions, 1062 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1062
  • We must receive a transcript from each institution you attended after high school before reviewing you application.

• Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Our application’s Summary of Experience asks for the information that would be included in a resume so the same document may be used for this requirement: Simply upload your Summary of Experience to both the Summary of Experience checklist item and the Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) checklist item.

Detailed instructions are also available as part of the graduate admissions application process once you create your login.

Colorado State University encourages full and open expression by students; please know we will respond to any reported disclosures related to sexual misconduct and interpersonal violence.  If your submission contains information related to past or present sexual misconduct or interpersonal violence, you may receive an outreach from CSU’s Office of Title IX Programs to discuss reporting options and available support resources.  For more information, please visit https://titleix.colostate.edu

Please contact MSW Program Coordinator Timothy Frank with any questions about the application process. He can be reached at timothy.frank@colostate.edu or (970) 491-2536.

In addition to the above, MSW/MPH dual degree applicants must also upload an essay.

• 3-point Essay on MSW/MPH interest
  • Please respond to the three points below in your essay. (5,000 character maximum)
    1. Tell us why you are applying to the combined MSW/MPH Program (what you hope to gain through this program versus the traditional MSW Program:
       1. how you anticipate using your training for the MPH program in career paths you are considering;
       2. how your career as a social worker with an MPH might contribute to our profession;
       3. what you know about the importance of public health training to the role of social workers in society.
    2. Tell us what past experiences in your life have contributed to your interest in both public health and social work. Perhaps they were work experiences/observations/collegiate training in Public Health, Preventive Medicine, or Epidemiology. The resume you included for your MSW Application should have clearly outlined your work experience with titles and duration of employment. In this narrative, please refer to the positions by title and give more detail regarding the type and scope of your responsibilities and how they informed your decision to apply for the MSW/MPH Program.
    3. Please describe your career goals and how the CSU MSW/MPH program would contribute to those goals.

• Official transcripts
  • You must arrange for an official transcript from each institution you attended after high school to be sent directly to CSU.
  • Transcripts must be sent directly from those institutions to CSU to be official. If they are received from you they are not official and will not be accepted.

MSW Programs: No BSW or GRE required to apply.

MSW Advanced Standing Programs: BSW required, no GRE.

Note to mobile users: Please rotate your device to view the table, or view the tables on the On-Campus Program Options Webpage.

Note to applicants of the Full Time MSW: We strongly encourage you to submit your application by the priority deadline. The application may close after the priority deadline but before the final deadline if our volume of applications is great enough.

Note to those who are also applying for scholarships: Submitting your application by the priority deadline helps with meeting the separate scholarship application timeline.

MSW Programs: No BSW degree or GRE required to apply.

MSW Advanced Standing Programs: BSW required, no GRE.

Note: Use the start terms and locations listed here to differentiate between standard and advanced standing programs in your application with the Graduate School. The Graduate School application will not specify standard vs. advanced standing in the program name.

Note to mobile users: Please rotate your device to view the table, or view the tables on the Hybrid Program Options Webpage.

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education / Western Regional Graduate Program

Graduate applicants for any on-campus program option who are residents of any participating WICHE state/territory may enroll and pay resident tuition rates:

• Alaska
• Arizona
• California
• Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands
• Hawai’i
• Guam
• Idaho
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• North Dakota
• Oregon
• South Dakota
• Utah
• Washington
• Wyoming

If you are admitted to an on-campus program, you will be eligible to receive in-state tuition.

The application process for the WICHE/WRGP Tuition Program is incorporated into the Graduate School application. Please follow the directions as you apply.

More information on the WICHE/WRGP

Information on the Review Process

• View the criteria that admissions committees use when evaluating MSW applications.
• Admission selections will only be made on applications that are complete, correct, and received by the deadline posted here on our website.  Applications that are incomplete at the deadline may be rejected without the possibility of a refund.
• Not waiting until the day of the deadline is recommended.
• It is your responsibility to see that all required items are submitted.
• Any faculty reviewer may request additional information, including a personal interview. Interviews are rarely needed and are conducted by telephone.
• Applications received by the priority deadline are reviewed in random order starting after the priority deadline has passed. Applications received after the priority deadline are reviewed later, in the order received, and placed on the waitlist in the same order if recommended for admission and the cohort is full. Applicants generally receive their decision from three weeks to three months after the review.
• The final decision is communicated via email using the email address you used in the application process.

Applicant Notification

• Our goal is to notify applicants of our decision within a reasonable timeframe after the application deadline. You will be notified through the same system that you submit your application, and via email.
• You may monitor the decision process through your application account. We do not provide final decision information by telephone.
• If an applicant declines to accept the invitation for admission by six weeks after notification, an alternate candidate may be offered admission.
• Applicants who were denied admission may reapply in a subsequent year.

Instructions for Applicants Who Were Not Offered Admission Previously

• Log in to the application system and create a new application for this round.
• There are two options (either way, the application fee for this round will be required):
  1. Submit a new application with entirely new documents
  2. Include documents from your last application. To include documents from the last application send an email to timothy.frank@colostate.edu requesting the specific documents from your last application that you want included in your new application. This most commonly includes transcripts, but you have the option to include any or all other documents.
• Application materials are retained for one year. If you applied for a start term that began over a year ago the materials may no longer be available.

Most Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Having transcripts sent to the School of Social Work rather than directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions
2. Forgetting to include hours worked per position on the Summary of Experience; forgetting to compute the total hours; not putting it in the format described in the instructions
3. Not referencing name change on transcripts
4. Not checking written statement for errors
5. Not completely answering the questions in the Statement of Purpose
6. Not submitting all materials prior to the deadline
7. Not having all references and transcripts submitted by the deadline
8. Not following-up by logging in to application to verify that references and transcripts have been received by CSU
9. Sending materials to the School of Social Work rather than uploading them in the application process

Miscellaneous Information

• Computer skills/requirements/recommendations:
  • Applicants are required to have a working knowledge of computer word processing, preferably in a Windows® environment.
  • Students are required to have access to e-mail correspondence.
  • A personal computer is strongly recommended.
• International applicants:
  • Applications from international students are accepted provided they meet all admission requirements plus those regulations established by the university for foreign students.
  • English proficiency requirements:
    • TOEFL – minimum score of 550 (paper test), 213 (computer-based test) or 80 (Internet)
    • IELTS – minimum score of 6.5
  • The requirements also include proof of financial backing for the duration of the program.

What type of bachelor’s degree is required for admission?

• Standard: A four‐year undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university is required. There is no specific major required.
• Advanced Standing: A Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from a CSWE‐accredited program earned within the last seven years is required for the Advanced Standing programs.

How long are the programs?

• Full‐Time On-campus: Two years (Fall, Spring, Fall, Spring)
• Advanced Standing On-campus: one calendar year (Summer, Fall, Spring)
• Part-time Hybrid: Three years (Spring, Summer, Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall)
• Advanced Standing Hybrid: Two years (Spring, Summer, Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall)
• MSW/MPH: Three years (Fall, Spring, Fall, Spring, Fall, Spring)
• MSW/MPH Advanced Standing: Two years (Summer, Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall, Spring)

How frequently are the programs offered?

• Full-time: every fall semester.
• Advanced Standing: every summer semester.
• Part-time Hybrid: every spring semester.
• Advanced Standing Hybrid: every spring semester.
• MSW/MPH: every fall semester.
• MSW/MPH Advanced Standing: every summer semester.

Am I eligible for the Advanced Standing MSW Program?

• Only students who hold a BSW obtained within the past seven years from a fully accredited school of social work are eligible to apply for the Advanced Standing MSW. Applicants must have earned a minimum GPA of 3.0 for the entire BSW.
• Students currently in their senior year of a BSW program may apply for the MSW Advanced Standing program.

What do the programs cost?

In State

• Regular full-time:  +/- $34,000
• Advanced Standing full-time:  +/- $22,800
• MSW/MPH regular:  +/- $48,000
• MSW/MPH Advanced Standing:  +/- $40,750

Out of State

• Out-of-state tuition is approximately double the in-state figures

Distance Hybrid 

• Distance Hybrid regular:  +/- $46,400
• Distance Hybrid Advanced Standing:  +/- $33,750

For more information, visit the Base Tuition page of the Office of Financial Aid

Is financial aid a possibility for the MSW Program?

• Yes. Once you have submitted your CSU Graduate School Application, you will be assigned a CSU ID number. At that point, you can begin working with the CSU Student Financial Services office.
• Distance Program applicants: Eileen Griego, Assistant Director-Special Programs in SFS, works directly with our distance MSW students. Financial aid can assist in covering books, travel, and computer costs for those who qualify. Please contact msw-interest@colostate.edu for more information.

Do I need to take the GRE?

• MSW applicants: No, the GRE is not required.
• MSW/MPH applicants: No, the GRE is not required.

Can I transfer courses?

• Our program does not accept transfer students from other MSW programs.

What is the GPA requirement for admissions?

• CSU’s Graduate School requires an overall undergraduate career GPA of 3.0 or above for unconditional admission. The School of Social Work’s Admissions Committee does not use GPA as a judgment metric, but instead rates applicants based on other factors as demonstrated through the answers to the essay questions in the application, an understanding of human service work, and references. Our admissions reviewers are able to advocate for strong candidates who have a cumulative undergraduate career GPA of at least 2.8, up to 3.0. If the Graduate School is convinced and offers admission it would be conditional upon maintaining a 3.0 minimum GPA in the MSW program for the first semester.
  • For those interested in applying but who have a career undergraduate GPA below 2.8 the Graduate School offers the Access Pathway.  This requires an applicant to successfully complete at least six credits of regular, graduate-level coursework through CSU with a GPA of at least 3.0 to be considered for admission.  Please see the CSU General Catalog’s Graduate and Professional Bulletin for more information.

How is the GPA calculated for admissions?

• Your entire undergraduate academic record is used to calculate your GPA, including all courses taken at all colleges and universities.

When are classes?

• Full-time M.S.W. Schedule
• Advanced Standing M.S.W. Schedule

What are my options if I need to withdraw from the program?

• Life can change and new demands may make completion of the program with your cohort unattainable. If students withdraw from the program in good standing, they can request to be readmitted in a later cohort. CSU graduate students have ten years to complete their degree.

What types of scholarships are available to social work graduate students?

• Scholarship information is available on the College of Health and Human Science Scholarship page.

What counts as human service?

• Generally, the Admissions Committee counts any direct service work with disadvantaged or vulnerable populations. Examples of such populations include children with special needs, those new to the US, and those who are disadvantaged by our society. This experience can be paid, voluntary, or educational.
• To qualify toward the human service work requirement the hours must be post-high school graduation.
• Human services is broadly defined, and can include macro work as well as direct service and clinical work. Macro human service work is at the level of programs, policies, and research – these services help individuals, but in an indirect way. Direct service and clinical workers are at the front lines working with vulnerable or marginalized individuals, families, and groups.
• An important note: In order for direct or macro human service experience to count towards your MSW application hours, you must be working with or for the benefit of a vulnerable or marginalized human population.
• Direct and clinical human service experience might include activities such as:
  • Referral, screening, or intake
  • Case management
  • Counseling or therapy
  • Psychoeducation
  • Daily living assistance for persons with disabilities
  • Teaching, tutoring, providing education, or direct care for children, adults, or families with diagnosed or undiagnosed physical, mental, emotional, behavioral, or developmental needs
  • Animal-assisted therapy
  • School social work
  • Residential treatment / group homes
  • Corrections / community corrections (please specify job duties in this setting)
• Macro human service experience might include activities such as:
  • Community organizing
  • Fund-raising
  • Policy analysis
  • Research support or assistance (e.g., research assistant on human service-related academic or program evaluation projects)
  • Program development or leadership (e.g., executive leadership or Board of Directors of a nonprofit organization; participation in program planning or evaluation)
  • Grant-writing
  • Faith-based or nonprofit social service delivery
• Activities that would not count towards human service experience might include:
  • Volunteer at an animal shelter
  • Nannying or baby-sitting school children (unless you are nannying with or for the benefit of children with particular physical, mental, emotional, behavioral, or developmental needs)
  • General population school teaching (however, please specify activities in this role because a portion of your activities might count toward human service experience)
  • Administrative assistant, receptionist, or office manager
  • Accountant, bookkeeper, or data entry
  • Church or religious involvement/volunteering for the benefit of the religious congregation (i.e., faith-based nonprofit work will count if the activities are with or for the benefit of vulnerable or marginalized populations)
  • Participant (not an organizer) at community or fund-raising events

If you unsure whether your experience would qualify, you may send in a detailed description of your duties and responsibilities as well as the population(s) served in your position to timothy.frank@colostate.edu for the committee to review informally.

Are there prerequisite courses for the MSW Program?

• Minimum of 18 credits of interdisciplinary liberal arts coursework, spanning social, behavioral, and biological sciences. An applicant may apply before the prerequisite coursework is complete, but the coursework must be completed successfully before the first day of the MSW program to join the program if offered admission.
  • Applicants must have completed at least one total course in any of these categories: physical science, biological science, or mathematics (examples: biology, calculus, chemistry, computer science, physics, or statistics).
  • Applicants must have completed at least two courses in liberal arts.
  • Applicants must have completed at least three courses in social sciences (examples: anthropology, economics, education, ethnic studies, gender studies, human development, international relations, political science, psychology, social work, or sociology).
• An applicant must present a plan for completing any missing prerequisites in the above criteria before being considered for admission.
• These courses may be taken at any accredited college, university, or community college; or by telecourse, by correspondence, by independent study, by CLEP (College-Level Examination Program), or online.
• These courses must be successfully completed prior to the beginning of classes in order for you to begin the program.
• Applicants who have earned or are earning a BSW from an accredited institution automatically satisfy the prerequisite course requirements.

What about international applicants?

• Applications from international students are accepted provided they meet all admission requirements plus those regulations established by the university for foreign students.
  • English proficiency requirements:
  • TOEFL – minimum score of 550 (paper test), 213 (computer-based test) or 80 (Internet)
  • IELTS – minimum score of 6.5
• The requirements also include proof of financial backing for the duration of the program.

How can I satisfy the prerequisite course requirements if I didn’t take those courses as an undergraduate?

• Any community college- or university-level 3-credit-equivalent courses will satisfy the prerequisite requirement. You must complete the courses by the day before the first day of MSW program classes.

Is there an application fee?

• CSU’s Graduate School charges a $60 nonrefundable application fee ($70 for international applicants). Please be aware that this fee is charged automatically, whether you apply during the appropriate application window or not, whether you are offered admission or not, and whether you qualify or not.

What is required regarding transcripts for the application?

• An official transcript must be received from every college or university that you have ever attended. (Students who have attended CSU as their most recent institution do not need to submit transcripts.)
• Transcripts must be sent from each university even if grades from one university are reported on the transcript from another university, or even if you only took one course from a particular university. This includes any study-abroad universities, so please plan well in advance when ordering international transcripts.
• Please make sure that transcripts are sent under your current name. If your college or university will not make that change for you before it sends the transcripts, please include other last names in the AKA section of the application. We cannot cross-reference with social security numbers.
• Transcripts can take up to six weeks to be processed after they have been ordered. International transcripts may take even longer. Please plan for adequate time prior to the deadline for these transcripts to arrive.
• If you have previously attended Colorado State University, you only need to send transcripts from any universities or institutions that you attended after CSU.
• CSU’s Graduate Admissions office will not request transcripts for you.

Within the framework of the policies established by the university and the Graduate School, the School of Social Work will have the responsibility and authority for the recruitment, screening, selection, and admission of its students.

The School will admit those applicants with the greatest potential for completing the master’s level course of study and becoming effective social work practitioners. In its review of applications, the School seeks evidence of an applicant’s capacity to think critically, do graduate-level work, reason logically, and think creatively. A successful applicant is expected to reflect attitudes that are congruent with basic social work values, that are respectful of the dignity of all human beings, and that indicate a sense of social responsibility. Applicants must be able to meet the emotional requirements of the program and possess a capacity to develop positive interpersonal relationships.

The School is committed to drawing the student body from applicants with a demonstrated concern for social issues and the desire to work for the enhancement of life for all people, especially those groups devalued by society. A successful applicant must evidence a strong determination to acquire the competencies needed for effective advanced generalist practice within the context of community and possess a willingness to develop the abilities needed for contributing to practice and policy development and the knowledge base of the profession.

• View the criteria that admissions committees use when evaluating MSW applications
• Academic potential based on grade point average, writing and organizational skills, and ability to think critically
• Demonstrated ability to enter into positive helping relationships
• Life and practice experience, including volunteer and field experiences with varied client systems and devalued people from diverse populations
• Commitment to social work/human services from an advanced generalist perspective
• Quality of recommendations by references

• A four-year undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university.
• 3.0 GPA (4.0 scale). Occasional exceptions may be made if the applicant demonstrates the ability to successfully complete graduate-level work, and these applicants may be admitted on a probationary basis.
• Minimum of 18 credits of interdisciplinary liberal arts coursework, spanning social, behavioral, and biological sciences.
  • Applicants must have completed at least one course in physical and biological sciences and mathematics (examples: biology, calculus, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, physics, or statistics).
  • Applicants must have completed at least three courses in social sciences (examples: anthropology, economics, education, ethnic studies, gender studies, human development, international relations, political science, psychology, social work, or sociology).
  • An applicant must present a plan for completing any missing prerequisites in the above criteria before being considered for admission.
  • These courses may be taken at any accredited college, university, or community college; or by telecourse, by correspondence, by independent study, by CLEP (College-Level Examination Program), or online.
  • These courses must be successfully completed prior to the beginning of classes in order for you to begin the program.
• Applications that are incorrect, incomplete, &/or have items missing at the deadline may not be included for admissions consideration.

International Applicants:

• Applications from international students are accepted provided they meet all admission requirements plus those regulations established by the university for foreign students.
• English proficiency requirements:
  • TOEFL – minimum score of 550 (paper test), 213 (computer-based test) or 80 (Internet)
  • IELTS – minimum score of 6.5
• CSU’s Office of International Programs offers comprehensive support services.
• The requirements also include proof of financial backing for the duration of the program.

The advanced standing program is for applicants who have graduated from an accredited undergraduate social work program within the past seven years. Advanced students begin our program by supplementing their BSW education, then go directly into Concentration.

The following are the minimum requirements for admission to the advanced standing program:

• Four-year undergraduate degree in social work earned within the last seven years from an accredited BSW program.

Regular 3-year program – all of the Regular Program requirements listed above.

Advanced Standing (2-year) program – all of the above Advanced Standing requirements.