Social Work Application Information and Admission Requirements

MSW Full-time 2-year & Part-time 3-4 year
The full-time and part-time programs start in the Fall term (mid-August) each year.

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

MSW Advanced Standing
The full-time and part-time programs start in Summer term (mid-May) each year.

Applications are accepted October through December; application deadline January 4, 2021.

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

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

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

These programs start each Spring term (mid-January).  Applications are accepted March through June.

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 this page when the application window is open.

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

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:

• Statement of Purpose
  • The essay questions below are an important component of your overall application. Please be sure to respond to each question fully, using a maximum of 3 pages per question.
    • Question 1 – Please limit your response to 3 pages. Please describe your commitment to social justice by:
      • a) briefly telling us how your background and life experiences brought you to choose social work as a career,
      • b) providing an example of an instance when you recognized privilege and/or oppression in your professional and/or personal life,
      • c) illustrating how this experience fueled your commitment to overcoming or dismantling oppression, and
      • d) reflecting on how you have sustained this commitment over time despite obstacles or challenges.
    • Question 2 – Please limit your response to 3 pages. Select one of the 12 Social Work Grand Challenges found here and
      • a) describe an issue related to the Grand Challenge you selected that is of concern to you,
      • b) describe what the social work perspective on this issue would be in terms of values, principles, and/or ethics of the profession, and
      • c) discuss how social workers from an advanced generalist program, across micro, mezzo and macro levels of practice, can respond to this issue.

• 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.
  • List all experiences chronologically (starting with the most recent and working backward).
  • List your supervised experience in human service. There is a strict requirement for a minimum of 400 direct human service hours completed by the date of submission. 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.
• Three references
  • One reference must be a person who has most recently supervised the applicant in a human service delivery experience (paid, volunteer, or educational).
  • Appropriate sources for references include employers, field instructors, supervisors, and university faculty.
  • You will enter the references’ contact information into the application form and the Graduate School will contact the references directly with instructions.
• 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.

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. The MSW/MPH program is tied to the Global Health and Health Disparities concentration. Tell us how this concentration fits with your career goals and why.

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

• 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 are reviewed in random order after the deadline.  Applicants may receive their decision from three weeks to three months after the application deadline.
• 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 On-campus: 3-4 years, with options to take the entire program part-time which would take four years, or to take either the foundation courses full-time and the concentration courses part-time which would take three years, or to take the foundation courses part-time and the concentration courses full-time which would also take three years.
• 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 (Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall, Spring)

How frequently are the programs offered?

• Full-time: every fall semester.
• Advanced Standing: every summer semester.
• Part-time On-Campus: every fall semester.
• Part-time Hybrid: every spring semester.
• Advanced Standing Hybrid: every spring semester.
• MSW/MPH: every fall semester.
• MSW/MPH Advanced Standing: every fall 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:  +/- $33,500
• Advanced Standing full-time:  +/- $22,250
• 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:  +/- $44,000
• Distance Hybrid Advanced Standing:  +/- $27,000

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 Sarah Rudisill at sarah.rudisill@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?

• MSW applicants: Due to our accreditation by the Council of Social Work Education, only courses from a CSWE‐accredited MSW program have the potential to be transferred. Please contact Timothy Frank (timothy.frank@colostate.edu) for more information on transferring into the program.
• MSW/MPH applicants: Please contact Kendra Bigsby (kendra.bigsby@colostate.edu) for more information on transferring into the program.

What is the GPA requirement for admissions?

• 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale is required. Occasional exceptions to this can be made for otherwise outstanding applicants, but academic capacity for graduate level work must be demonstrated, such as prior graduate-level coursework.

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.
• Three GPAs are used in the application process:
  • Undergraduate GPA – includes all courses taken while an undergraduate
  • Upper division GPA – includes all junior and senior level undergraduate coursework, or if applying for Advanced Standing, all BSW social work coursework
  • Graduate GPA – includes any graduate level coursework you have completed

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 accepts any direct service work with disadvantaged or vulnerable populations toward the 400-hour requirement. Examples of such populations include at-risk youth, children with special needs, immigrants, and the elderly. 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.
  • 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.
• 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. 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.

• 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 340 hours of verifiable post-high school human service work and/or volunteer experience at the time of submission of the application.  (This is in alignment with the Council on Social Work Education’s revised requirement put in place due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.)
• 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 INTO program offers comprehensive support services along with help with Academic English.
• 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 with three courses, 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.
• 3.0 overall grade point average. 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.
• 3.0 grade point average in social work courses.

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

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

The CSU MSW program may accept transfer students from other CSWE-accredited MSW programs. Please see our transfer policy (pdf) for information on the process, and the materials we will need from you in order to consider your transfer application. The first step is to apply to CSU’s Graduate School.

Once accepted into the program by the Graduate School you will also need to acquire the syllabus for each course you want to have considered for transfer and send those (separately from the application process) to the School of Social Work along with your letter of explanation of your transfer request. The Curriculum Committee will need to evaluate your courses for equivalency to courses within our MSW program to accurately determine where you would fit into the course schedule.

Most graduate programs suggest not transferring if possible, due to the added hurdles inherent to the process. Even though it is difficult and places extra burdens on the transfer student we make every effort to make this option available.

Please contact Timothy Frank at timothy.frank@colostate.edu with any questions about the transfer application process.