Admission Requirements

Admission Categories

Students are admitted to one of two MSW programs:*

1.  Regular standing (60-credit hour) program or
2.  Advanced Standing (30-credit hour) program

Admission Criteria 

• Possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. The applicant’s course of study must include liberal arts content which is broadly defined as coursework in the natural and social sciences and in the arts and humanities. An introductory (undergraduate or graduate) course in statistics is a prerequisite course requirement for Social Work Research I (SWK 5083). Students in the Advanced Standing program do not take SWK 5083, so the statistics requirement does not apply to them.)

• Meet all admission requirements of the Graduate College. The Graduate College requires that all students admitted on a non-conditional basis have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or above. For applicants with no post-baccalaureate coursework, the Graduate College calculates the GPA based on the last sixty semester credit hours of letter-graded coursework. Where the sixty (60) credit hours fall within a semester’s work, that whole semester is included in the GPA calculation. Where an applicant has completed 12 or more hours of graduate work the GPA is based on this work. Students with a GPA between 2.75 and 2.99 may be considered for conditional admission by the Graduate College and the School. These students must meet additional requirements specified by the Graduate College and the School. Student’s with GPA’s below 2.75 are, generally, not considered for admission. Students may remediate low GPA’s by completing (subsequent to their bachelors) 12 or more hours of upper division undergraduate work. Students considering doing so are encouraged to contact the Graduate Coordinator. An exception to the just-described admissions policy is presented below. 

• Conditional admission: an exception applies to applicants who have, subsequent to their bachelor’s degree, completed three years of paid, full-time work (or the equivalent thereof) in social work or a closely related human services field. Such applicants may be considered for conditional admission if their GPA, as calculated by the Graduate College, is 2.50 or higher.

• For more information on Graduate College policy, see The University of Oklahoma Graduate College Bulletin or go to: http://gradweb.ou.edu/.

• The successful applicant is expected to meet the requirements for Ethics and Physical and Emotional Well-being as presented in the Personal Conduct and Comportment section of this document (page 12). 

    Though the School does not require that applicants submit to a background check for possible criminal offenses, applicants should realize that practicum agencies may require such a check. Further, applicants should realize that future employers may request a background check and that a criminal record may disqualify applicants from some social work positions. In addition, the School, as part of its process of practicum assignments, asks students whether they have a felony conviction (or non-contested felony) in their background. The School may change its procedures around background checks in the future.

Admission to Advanced Standing:

• To be eligible for the Advanced Standing, a student must have completed a bachelor’s degree in Social Work (BSW) within the past five years from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Further, their GPA in the final 60 hours of their bachelor’s degree must be at least 3.0 as calculated by the Graduate College. 

General Information regarding Admissions:

• Admission to the MSW program for Regular standing students is for the Fall Semester. 

• Admission to Advanced Standing is in the SUMMER. However, Advanced Standing students are not required to take summer courses and thus may begin their program in the fall.

• The School also accepts transfer applicants from other CSWE-accredited MSW programs. 

• Students applying for the dual MSW/MPH (Master in Public Health) must be accepted at both the OUSSW and the College of Public Health. 

Admission Materials and Procedures

OUSSW Graduate Program Bulletin 2008-2009 

Note: Print the MSW Application Instruction Sheet first!

MSW Application Instruction Sheet – Instructions for Application Process 

Items that must be submitted in order for your application to be considered complete:

The University of Oklahoma Application Forms & Instructions

• Graduate Application Form to the University (Norman Main Campus)Graduate

• Application Form to the (OU- Tulsa Office of Admissions)

• Graduate Application Form to the University (International) 

• Graduate Application Form to Advanced Programs - CCE (Part-time)

• Graduating Seniors

School of Social Work Admission Forms & Instructions 

OUSSW Graduate Program Bulletin 2008-2009 (is currently being updated for Fall 2009)

• School of Social Work Application Form(is currently being updated for Fall 2009)

• Guidelines for Submitting Graduate Admission Statement(is currently being updated for Fall 2009)

• A Professional Resume (You provide your own resume; there is no form)

• Recommendation Form and Guidelines(is currently being updated for Fall 2009)

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS NEEDED FOR SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS

• ADVANCED STANDING APPLICANTS (THOSE APPLYING TO THE CONCENTRATION YEAR) one of your three (3) recommendation forms should come  from the Dean, Director, or Chair of your undergraduate BSW program.

NOTE: The School will not accept recommendation forms from relatives or from those whose primary relationship to the applicant is as a friend. 

    Applicants should submit or postmark all the above materials by February 1, 2008 or earlier if possible. Applications received or postmarked by this date receive preference/priority. The School may accept applications after February 1. It reserves, however, the right to stop receiving applications at any date of its choosing subsequent to February 1. When February 1 falls on a weekend day, the date for submission/postmarking is the first Monday after the weekend. Students are strongly encouraged to submit those materials that go to the University of Oklahoma (rather than to the School) at least two to three weeks prior to February 1, as this can help prevent a slowdown in the application process as the application materials make their way through the various divisions of the University.

    Guidelines for all of the above materials can be found online. Print each document off and send it to the address that corresponds to your FIRST CHOICE of MSW program.

International Admission

For international students the application fee is $90.00

    Graduate applications and admission credentials from international applicants are processed in the same manner as non-international applicants. Please apply to the program of your choice using the procedure outlined for all applicants.

    Additional requirements for International Applicants:

    An international applicant for whom English is a second language must provide documentation of proficiency in English before being admitted to The University of Oklahoma Graduate College at either campus.

    Proficiency can be demonstrated through any the following methods:

• the applicant has earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. college or university

• the applicant has successfully completed at least 24 hours from an accredited college or university in which English is the native language followed by at least 500 on the TOEFL or 173 on the computer-based TOEFL

• the applicant has successfully completed immediately prior to admission a minimum of 12 weeks of study at an approved English language center or program operated by an institution of higher learning or a private school approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education

• the applicant presents at least a 550 TOEFL, or a 213 score on the computer-based TOEFL.

    The Graduate College Dean at either campus may conditionally admit students who have been recommended for admission to a degree program and who show exceptional academic promise provided that their TOEFL is at least 500. For more information on international admissions go to:

http://www.ou.edu/intprog/iss/

    An international student may apply for aid offered by Financial Aid Services only if considered an “eligible non-citizen” by the U.S. Department of Education. Contact Financial Aid Services for additional information.

    Graduate applications and admission credentials from international applicants are processed in the same manner as described above, with the following additions:

    International graduate applicants should use the International Graduate Application.

• Other credentials will usually be required. These are detailed in the international Graduate Application.

• English proficiency requirements are detailed below:

English Proficiency

• English Proficiency Requirements are discussed in detail on the Admissions and Records Web site at http://admissions.ou.edu/stuabrd.htm#ENGLISHPROFICIENCY

• Before being admitted to the Graduate College, all applicants for whom English is a second language must present documentation of proficiency in the English language in one of the following ways:

    An official score of at least 550 on the paper-based TOEFL, 213 on the computer-based TOEFL, or 79 on the iBT TOEFL. (Some graduate programs require a higher score. Check with the individual department for more specific information.) The score must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service. Scores over two years old by the beginning of the term the student wishes to enter are not acceptable unless the student has been attending school in the United States since the test date. Information about the TOEFL is available by writing to TOEFL, Box 899, Princeton, NJ 08541, U.S.A, or by accessing the TOEFL web site.

1. An official IELTS score of 6.5. (Some graduate programs require a higher score. Check with the individual department for more specific information.) IELTS is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP, IELTS Australia, and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. Information about the IELTS is available at IELTS .

2. Secondary school work in the United States, including completion of the high school curricular requirements required for freshman admission.

3. Successful completion of 24 semester hours of college-level coursework, or a bachelor's degree or higher degree, from an accredited college in the United States or a country where English is the native language.

4. Attendance at the University's Center for English as a Second Language (CESL) or one of the other Oklahoma State Regents-approved intensive English language programs in Oklahoma until a satisfactory level of English proficiency (determined by TOEFL or IELTS and classroom assessment) is achieved.

• For programs that require a 550/213/79 TOEFL or 6.5 IELTS only, English proficiency can be established by submitting a TOEFL score of at least 500/173/61 or IELTS score of 5.5 and then satisfactorily completing 12 weeks intensive English language training at a Regents-approved school immediately prior to beginning regular classes. No college credit is awarded for intensive English language study.

• Consult the OU Graduate College Bulletin (http://gradweb.ou.edu/Current/gcBulletin/index.asp) for greater detail.

Ranking of Candidates

    The school seeks mature, emotionally stable individuals with a strong sense of responsibility and personal integrity. With this in mind, applicants are ranked by the School’s Graduate Admission Committee through an evaluation and weighing of all admission materials (e.g., admissions statement, work experience, recommendation forms). In addition to academic performance, measured primarily by the GPA, the Admissions Committee considers other factors that contribute to the development of the professional social worker. Formal work experience in the human services, particularly in settings that serve public social services clients, is important. Other factors considered include: volunteer experience in the human services, life experiences and opportunities for personal growth, leadership, communication and interpersonal relationship skills, problem solving ability, the ability to work with and respect persons from diverse backgrounds, health and stamina, motivation for graduate work and a career in social work, and commitment to issues of social justice. 

    As it makes admission decisions, the Admissions Committee seeks to build a student body composed of students from varied backgrounds with the potential and desire to work effectively with the varied client groups that social work serves. Consistent with its affirmative action stance on diversity, the Admissions Committee will give particular consideration for admission to those students who are members of special populations or oppressed groups.

Admission Decisions and Different School Programs

    The following summarizes the different programs to which applicants are may apply for admission. With the exception of the full-time 60-hour Foundation option, which is offered only in Norman, the different programs are offered in both Norman and Tulsa. 

1. 60-credit-hour program, full-time Foundation (first 30 hours) (the choice of Concentration, DP or ACP, and of the format of the Concentration, full-time or part-time, is made as the student nears completion of the Foundation) – ONLY IN NORMAN

2. 60-credit-hour program, part-time Foundation (first 30 hours) (the choice of Concentration, DP or ACP, and of the format of the Concentration, full-time or part-time, is made as the student nears completion of the Foundation)

3. Advanced Standing (30-credit-hour) full-time program with Concentration in Direct Practice*

4. Advanced Standing (30-credit-hour) full-time program with Concentration or Administration and Community Practice*

5. Advanced Standing (30-credit-hour) part-time program with Concentration in Direct Practice* 

6. Advanced Standing (30-credit-hour) part-time program with Concentration in Administration and Community Practice *

* Only applicants who have graduated from CSWE approved undergraduate programs in the past five years with a GPA of 3.0 in their final 60 credit hours as calculated by the OU Graduate College may apply for advanced standing.

  If an applicant has completed a full year (all Foundation work; 30 hours) of MSW work at a CSWE-accredited MSW program, he or she may apply for admission directly into the Concentration. On the application form, the applicant should select one of the Advanced Standing choices.

  In addition to the above options, students may be admitted to the joint MSW/MPH (Master in Public Health) degree.

  Applicants are encouraged to specify a second-choice program in the event that they are not admitted to their first choice program.

  Note to part-time Foundation, 60-credit hour program in Norman applicants:

Students admitted to the 60-credit hour full-time Foundation program complete their entire MSW program on the “main” campus of OU in Norman. Students admitted to 60-credit hour part-time Foundation program (in Norman) complete their MSW at two different campuses, both located in Norman. The Foundation work (done part-time) is completed at the College of Continuing Education (CCE) in the division of CCE known as Advanced Programs (AP; not to be confused with Advanced Standing). The CCE campus is located in the south area of OU’s Norman campus. CCE is about ½ mile south of the center of the main OU campus (and about ½ mile south of Rhyne Hall where the School of Social Work is located on the “main” campus. Following completion of the Foundation (first 30 hours), students completing their first year part-time at CCE matriculate to the main OU Norman campus to complete the Concentration (final 30 hours). Norman students complete the Concentration on the main campus regardless of whether they elect to do so part-time or full-time.

In terms of course content and in terms of instructors, the part-time Norman Foundation program at CCE is identical to the full-time Foundation program on the main campus. Applicants should recognize that different fee structures apply at CCE and the main campus. Basically, for in-state students course fees are modestly higher at CCE than on the main campus. But, on the other hand (as this is written), CCE has no “campus fees” and the absence of these fees compensates for the higher tuition. 

For out-of-state students, CCE tuition is less than that on the main campus (and less than that at OU-Tulsa). The student in the part-time program at CCE who works during their two years at CCE could potentially become eligible for in-state tuition when s/he matriculates to the main campus to complete her/his final year. (There is certainly no guarantee of this and determination of tuition status is beyond the scope of the School.) 

Personal Conduct and Comportment

Ethics

    The School of Social Work fully subscribes to and is guided by the NASW Code of Ethics (http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp). Social work program students are expected to demonstrate professional behavior which reflects a commitment to the ethics of the social work profession as exemplified in the Code of Ethics. Behavior and statements contrary to these ethics may be cause for denial of the student’s admission to or the student’s continuance in the School of Social Work’s programs. Examples of behavior which would warrant a review include, but are not limited to, derogatory oral or written statements towards students, staff, faculty, agency representatives or clients. Derogatory statements concerning racial, ethnic or cultural background, handicap status, religion, socio-economic background, gender, sexual orientation or other status may also warrant review.

Physical and Emotional Well-Being 

    The role of social worker involves working with people from a variety of backgrounds and with a wide range of issues and concerns. It is important that personal issues and/or conditions not interfere with the social worker’s work, and that the social worker has the emotional, psychological and physical resources to render effective assistance to clients. Where applicants/students demonstrate behaviors that suggest that their own personal difficulties are interfering with their ability to carry out the social work role, they may be denied admission or, once admitted, they may be required to withdraw. Students/applicants may be required to submit evidence of their physical and emotional well-being from qualified professionals for consideration of their application, readmission, or continuance in the program.

Criminal Offenses

    Though the School does not require that applicants submit to a background check for possible criminal offenses, applicants should realize that practicum agencies may require such a check. Further, applicants should realize that future employers may request a background check and that a criminal record may disqualify applicants from some social work positions. In addition, the School, as part of its process of practicum assignments, asks students whether they have a felony conviction (or non-contested felony) in their background. The School may change its procedures around background checks in the future.

Limits, Transfers, and Exemptions

Time Limit and Readmission

    OU Graduate College policies require that all masters students complete their degree requirements within a five-year period from the time of first admission. When a student withdraws from the School, they must reapply to the Office of Admissions and Records of the University and to the School. So long as a student maintains continuous enrollment, regulations applicable during their term of admission apply. Where degree requirements change during a student’s enrollment, the student may be extended the opportunity to choose the new requirements.) A student who interrupts enrollment for one year or longer and is readmitted is subject to regulations in effect at the time of readmission. Even if readmitted, all required coursework must be completed within the five-year period. 

    The MSW program is accredited by the Counsel on Social Work Education (CSWE). CSWE requires that masters students finish their program within four years. Any student whose program may require more than four years must consult with a graduate coordinator.

Transfer Credit

    Students may request that previous graduate level coursework be used as credit towards the MSW degree. Students seeking a transfer of credit should contact the Graduate Coordinator of the program in which they are enrolled. The school will accept up to six hours of approved graduate course credit from another college or university or up to a full first year (30 hours) from a school of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (for coursework consistent with the School’s first-year curriculum). These actions are contingent on the approval of the director of the School and the dean of the Graduate College. Before requesting a transfer of credit please note: 

1. The coursework transferred must represent valid graduate credit from an institution accredited to offer work at the master's degree level and willing to accept such credit toward its own master’s degree. Undergraduate coursework cannot be used for graduate credit.

2. Credit hours presented and counted toward a already completed master's degree may be not applied toward the OU MSW degree.

3. The credit must carry a grade of 'A', 'B' or 'S' (Satisfactory).

4. The credit must not be more than five years old at the time that the student's graduate program begins.

5. Credit for coursework transferred must be applicable to and congruent with the educational mission and objectives of the School.

6. Credit hours earned by correspondence courses, workshops, seminars and other similar continuing education offerings do not count as transfer credit toward the MSW degree.

7. Practicum course credits earned from other programs or departments outside of the School of Social Work will not apply to the MSW degree (except for transfer students from other CSWE accredited MSW programs).

8. Academic credit is not given for life experience or previous work experience.

9. The credit must be approved by the School's Graduate Coordinator and by the dean of the OU Graduate College.

10. As a general rule, a transfer of credit will not be approved for 'core' or required Social Work courses.

11. The credit must meet all university and Graduate College requirements. Key Graduate College policies as presented in the Graduate College Bulletin are on the website: http://gradweb.ou.edu/docs/info/gcbulletin/Masters.htm
    

Exemption from Required Courses

    The School seeks to avoid redundancy in coursework. Students who can demonstrate equivalent coursework may be considered for exemption from the following required Foundation courses. Where a student is exempted from a required course, they do not earn credit for the course but instead must take another course, almost always an elective, to earn the needed credit hours.

SWK 5083       Social Work Research Methods I
SWK 5093       Social Work Research Methods II 
SWK 5233       Human Behavior: Individuals and Families
SWK 5243       Human Behavior: Groups, Organizations and Communities
SWK 5313       Social Welfare in a Changing World
SWK 5333       Human Diversity and Societal Oppression

    Students who wish to be considered for an exemption must notify the Graduate Coordinator’s office at the school at least two weeks prior to the first meeting of the class for which they seek an exemption. A copy of the syllabus for the course being considered and a transcript reflecting the student’s grade in the course, which must be a ‘B’ or better, must be provided for consideration for exemption. In some instances, an examination of relevant content may be required. 

    Students wishing to request an exemption should note the following:

1. The substituted course, except in unusual circumstances, must be a Graduate level course.

2. The course must not be more than five years old at the time that the student’s graduate program begins.

3. The course must carry a grade of 'A', 'B' or 'S' (Satisfactory).

4. As a general rule, a transfer of credit will not be approved for 'core' or required Social Work courses.

5. The substituted course must be approved by the graduate liaison.