MSW ADVANCED STANDING Information and Instructions

The MSW ADVANCED STANDING Admissions Process: Information and Instructions
Introduction
The School seeks to enroll well-qualified students with diverse backgrounds. We especially
seek applicants committed to working with diverse populations. Admission to the MSW program
is selective and is based on academic performance and potential, clarity and appropriateness of
career objectives, understanding of social issues, knowledge of diverse populations, and
relevant practice experiences. Academic credit toward the MSW is not given for previous
employment or life experience. Students for the Day and Extended Degree programs are
admitted for fall quarter, and Advanced Standing students are admitted for summer quarter.
Our commitment to diversity is elaborated in the document Standards for Essential Abilities and
Attributes for Admission and Continuance in the School of Social Work. It outlines the qualities
and professional behavior expected of students. All applicants should carefully review these
essential abilities before completing the MSW admissions materials.
Please be certain to use only current year application materials to avoid following outdated
guidelines.
To Apply for 2015-2016
1. The Application for Graduate Study at the University of Washington
The Graduate School application is submitted online, https://www.grad.uw.edu/applForAdmiss/
with an $85 application fee.




Please begin the UW Graduate School application at your earliest opportunity. You can
complete the application and submit the fee when you have all the materials complete.
You should apply to begin Summer 2015. Use the application portal for “Social Work Seattle (Master of Social Work)”
The online graduate school application will provide an upload field for each of the
remaining required application items. You must submit all the required materials before
you will be able to submit your graduate school application and apply your payment.
To request a waiver of the Graduate School Application fee, please follow the
instructions in the Graduate School Application. You should plan to request the fee
waiver at least seven days in advance of our admissions deadline.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all admission materials are submitted by
11:59 PST on the application deadline: January 5, 2015 for regular consideration.
We have provided an Application Checklist so you can keep track on your progress in
completing and submitting the required materials
DOWNLOAD AND COMPLETE FROM THIS DOCUMENT:
2. The Application for Admission to the MSW program


Please follow the instructions on the application form.
For information about eligibility for Advanced Standing, please refer to the MSW
Advanced Standing Program web page .
Rev. 9/2014


Please make additional copies of the Social Service Experience form on page 2 as
needed to list all relevant experience.
Sign and then upload the form via the space indicated in the UW Graduate School online
application.
3. The Confirmation of Advanced Standing Eligibility



Read the section on Advanced Standing on the MSW Program page to confirm the
requirements for Advanced Standing at the University of Washington
Complete the form if you are submitting an application with Advanced Standing as your
first choice for admission at the University of Washington
Upload the form via the space indicated in the UW Graduate School online application.
4. The Personal Disclosure Statement


Answer the questions and attach any necessary explanations to the personal disclosure
statement form.
Sign and upload the form via the space indicated for ‘personal disclosure statement’ in
the UW Graduate School online application.
5. College Transcripts
Transcripts from each undergraduate institution must be submitted as a part of the application to
the MSW program.
 Students who attended the University of Washington must also submit a UW transcript.
 If you are currently enrolled in college/university, a final transcript will be required after
you complete your degree and it is officially posted on the transcript if you are accepted
to the MSW program.
 The transcript(s) should be scanned and saved as a PDF document(s) and uploaded via
the UW Graduate School application in the space(s) available for transcripts
6. Résumé
Include an up-to-date résumé (no longer than two pages) as part of the admissions material. On
the résumé, please list:







Educational background
All paid work experience: dates, employer name and address, job title, brief overview of
job responsibilities. Please highlight experience in diverse communities.
Unpaid social service experience: dates, organization name, duties/roles. Include field
practicum experiences here. Highlight any experience in diverse communities.
Awards, honors, and special achievements you have earned (academic, work,
volunteer)
Languages spoken and written and level of fluency (including ASL)
Research experiences: any research you have conducted or been a part of
International experiences (length of time, work/volunteer experiences).
Rev. 9/2014


Service Corp work should be included in paid work experience (Peace Corps,
AmeriCorps, JVC, AJWS, City Year, and LVC).
Save the résumé as a PDF the upload it via the space indicated for ‘résumé or vita’ in
the UW Graduate School online application.
7. References
Three (3) references must be submitted as a part of the application to the MSW program.








The referee will receive a unique URL linked to your application to submit the reference
online.
References should be used to support your social service background or academic
preparedness. Family members, intimate partners, clients and personal friends are not
appropriate references.
The references are due by the application deadline (not simply the names of the
individuals who will provide them.) To give your references sufficient time to submit
the reference, please submit their name and contact information as soon as possible.
You may start the UW Graduate School application early so that you can submit the
names.
Please inform your references to watch their email for the reference request. Please
direct your references to complete the reference online, including any letter of
support for your application, which must be uploaded into the application system. No
references should be mailed to the school of social work admissions office.
Read the statement regarding Public Law 93-380 when you submit the reference names.
It is important for the person writing the reference and for the Admissions Committee to
know what decision you have made regarding this right of review.
If you are applying as a transfer student from another MSW program, include a
member of the social work faculty at your current/previous institution among the required
references.
If you are applying for Advanced Standing, you should include one faculty member
from your BASW/BSW program among the required references.
When each reference is submitted, you will receive an email notification directly from
UW Graduate School admissions.
8. Admissions Essay



Write a two-part essay that specifically addresses the questions listed below. Both
sections of the essay should be clearly titled.
The maximum length of the entire essay should be no more than four pages, machinegenerated (12-pt. font, double spaced). Use two or three pages to address the
autobiographical statement. You will have one or two pages remaining to write the social
problem analysis. The total length of the essay (parts 1 and 2) should not exceed four
pages.
Save the admissions essay as a PDF and upload it via the space indicated for ‘writing
sample or essay’ in the UW Graduate School online application.
Rev. 9/2014
I. Autobiographical statement: Write an autobiographical statement explaining why you would
like to be a social worker. Your response should reflect important family and community
influences, as well as a description of characteristics that distinguish you as a potential
candidate for the MSW degree. The Admissions Committee is interested in evidence of your:









Commitment to social justice
Leadership abilities
Notable achievements/accomplishments (academic, work, volunteer)
Persevering in the face of adversity
Persevering in the face of oppression/discrimination
Significant experiences in diverse communities
Bilingual skills (including ASL)
Disadvantaged background
International experience (including First Nations)
It is important to show how you have grown from these experiences — what you have learned
— and how these experiences will affect your approach to your social work education and
practice. Comment on the factors that led to your choice of social work education and why you
are making this choice at this time. Please discuss your career goals: what you expect to be
doing in five years and ten years.
II. Social problem analysis: Describe a social problem that you consider significant.
Please discuss it with regard to the following four areas:




What are the societal contributions to the origin and maintenance of this problem?
Why, in your opinion, does this problem deserve public attention and resources?
If relevant, include any personal experiences that have contributed to your identification
and understanding of the problem.
Describe possible ways of addressing the problem, including leadership roles you might
undertake.
To submit: The admissions essay should be saved as a PDF document and uploaded via the
UW Graduate School application in the space indicated for ‘writing sample or essay.’
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS
International applicants to the University of Washington have additional admissions
requirements that must be met, including submission of a current TOEFL score. Please follow
the instructions for international applicants at
http://www.grad.washington.edu/admissions/faq/international.shtml. International applicants
who will require a student VISA to attend the University of Washington should not list the
Extended Degree Program among application choices for consideration. You will need to be
enrolled full-time to have a student VISA issued.
RE-APPLICANTS
Applicants from the fall 2014 application period should follow the instructions in this section.
Applicants from fall 2013 or earlier must submit all new materials.
Rev. 9/2014



To re-apply for the MSW program, you will need, at a minimum, to submit the online
Graduate School application (plus the application fee), the MSW Application Form, and
the Personal Disclosure Statement. On the School’s application form, please indicate
‘Re-applicant’ in the box at the top right of the front page.
For any references you choose to reuse, please include the name of the reference in the
Graduate School application. You should not enter their email address.
Write a cover letter addressed to the Director of Admissions regarding the materials to
be included in the new application file. This cover letter should be submitted by email
to [email protected] with the subject line “Reapplicant submission”. Indicate in
the letter exactly what materials from the previous application should be used and what
new materials are being uploaded. If there are additional materials that might strengthen
the application file (e.g. more recent transcripts, admissions essay, references), it may
be useful to include them when re- applying to the program. If you have additional
questions about the re-application process, please contact the director of admissions,
206-543-5676.
WASHINGTON STATE PATROL CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK
Applicants who are offered admission to the School will receive instructions to complete the
WSP check with the admission notice. Prospective applicants with questions or concerns about
this requirement should contact the director of admissions as you proceed through the
application process.
NOTIFICATION OF STATUS
The review of applicant files is an important and time-intensive effort undertaken by the School’s
faculty. The Admissions Committee is unable to consider an applicant’s materials more than
once in each admission year.
Applications received for our Regular Consideration deadline will have a response by the
end of March.
If you would like to confirm that your materials have arrived and that your file is ready for review,
use the ‘track materials’ feature via the UW Graduate School application.
The School of Social Work often has more qualified candidates than available space. Based on
the recommendation of our Admissions Committee, some applicants may be placed on an
alternate list. The alternate list is used to fill positions in the program that become available
when others offered admission decline or withdraw. Additional offers of admission to fill any
vacancies in any of the School’s programs from the alternate list are made during the summer.
Applicants are notified in March if they are being placed on this list.
MSW Applicant Responsibilities
The Admissions Committee wishes to give all applications as prompt and thoughtful
consideration as possible. The following steps help to make this possible:

Submit all completed application materials at the earliest possible date. No action can
be taken until all materials are received.
Rev. 9/2014




Review all application forms and materials for completeness and accuracy before
submitting them. It is to your advantage to submit the strongest possible materials
(carefully selected references and a thoughtfully written admissions essay that follows
the guidelines).
Keep copies of the admissions essay and all other materials submitted for consideration
by the Admissions Committee.
Select references immediately and give them notice that they will receive an email
request to submit their reference. Ask them to respond promptly. If a reference is
unwilling or unable to respond, select an alternative reference, submit their name and
contact information in the MyGradProgram portal.
Notify promptly, in writing, the School of Social Work and the Office of Graduate
Admissions of any change of address or decision to withdraw from consideration.
NOTE: Admission and program requirements are subject to change without notice. All
applicants will be informed of such changes.
Liberal Arts Policy
The School of Social Work requires an applicant to the MSW program to have a liberal arts
background. For purposes of admission to the MSW program, a liberal arts background is
defined as a minimum of 5 quarter credits or 3 semester credits in each of the general
distribution areas: humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. In addition, 60 quarter
credits or 40 semester credits total coursework from the combined humanities, social science,
and natural science areas are required to qualify as completing a liberal arts background.
Applicants who are admitted without a liberal arts background are encouraged to correct this
deficiency before enrolling in the program. In any event, such deficiencies must be corrected by
the end of the first quarter of the graduate program.
The following list of liberal arts distribution areas will be used to determine where a course
belongs: humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences. The Admissions Office will review the
applicant’s transcript, at the point of admission, to determine whether the liberal arts
requirement is satisfied.
Humanities: Architecture, art, art history, classics, comparative literature, dance, drama,
English, landscape architecture, linguistics, music, philosophy, religious studies, speech
communication, and all foreign languages and literature.
Social Sciences: Anthropology, biomedical history, communications, economics, environmental
studies, geography, history, international studies, political science, psychology, social work,
sociology, urban planning, women’s studies, and all ethnic studies courses.
Natural Sciences: Astronomy, atmospheric sciences, biological structure, biology, botany,
chemistry, engineering, fisheries, forest resources, genetics, geology, mathematics,
microbiology, nutritional sciences, oceanography, physics, speech and hearing sciences,
statistics, and zoology.
Rev. 9/2014

Download Report