OU-Tulsa / Social Work / How to Apply
Applying for your degree or certificate in Social Work at OU-Tulsa is the first step toward achieving your educational and career goals.
The real power of this program is the people who select into it. Smart, ambitious change agents who are seeking further skills to help improve their community. Within the classroom sits a group of people from different backgrounds and with varied opinions, but all with the same goal of making their neighborhood/community/world better.
Students walk away with hard skills that make them stronger in their jobs and infinitely more markable, but they also hone their ability for productive discourse among a network of peers.
All Students Admitted to the Program must have:
Applied and been accepted by the University of Oklahoma.
Achieved junior status (~60 hours of successful coursework) by the end of the summer
semester in which they are admitted.
Successful completion, with a grade of C or better, the following courses or their equivalents by August
1st before the fall semester of admission: Introduction to Sociology; Introduction to Psychology; and either Introduction to Zoology, Concepts in Biology, or Introduction to Biology, or their equivalent for courses transferred from another institution.
Achieved a minimum 2.50 Combined Retention Grade Point Average (GPA). Students with a CombinedRetentionGPAbetween2.25and2.49maybe admittedonconditionalstatusdepending on space available in the admission cohort. Acceptance will depend upon an assessment by the AHZSSW coordinators on the likelihood the applicant can improve their GPA to the 2.50 needed for graduation.
Conditionally admitted students are required to complete a check in during the semester advising period with their Program Coordinator until their GPA is up to a 2.5.
*Students in good standing who do not satisfy all the admission requirements may be considered for admission at the discretion of the Undergraduate Program Coordinator and/or school leadership.
All students admitted to the graduate program in social work must meet the following requirements:
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.
Students can be admitted on a conditional basis with a GPA of 2.75-2.99. These students must maintain a “B” average (3.00 GPA) for the first 12 hours of coursework to remain in the program.
ADVANCED STANDING GRADUATE STUDENT ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
To meet eligibility for advanced standing status applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree in Social Work (only) from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program, within the most recent five years, and with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. Only CSWE-approved baccalaureate Social Work programs are eligible.
Often, applicants to the program have not completed their BSW degrees at the time of application and admissions. Applicants to the Advanced Standing Program who do not have a GPA of 3.0 and are currently enrolled in a BSW program should follow these steps:
1. Indicate in their application that they are still awaiting final grades.
2. Determine if they are enrolled in enough graded coursework in the spring semester to raise their GPA to a 3.0.
3. Once the above determination has been made, the student can then submit their FINAL transcripts to the Graduate College to have their new GPA verified.
4. If the GPA is still not a 3.0 but between 2.75 and 2.99, student should refer to the policies related to Conditional Admission into the Advanced Standing Program.
DUAL DEGREE GRADUATE STUDENT ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Dual degree applicants must be accepted by both programs independently. After receiving notification of acceptance to both, students should meet with the Graduate Coordinator to discuss their program of study. Once admitted, dual degree students will be assigned to a Faculty Advisor who is familiar with the integration of social work and their additional field of interest.
SOCIAL WORK TRANSFER GRADUATE STUDENT ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
If an applicant has completed all MSW Foundation coursework (30 hours) at a CSWE-accredited MSW program, or is an Advanced Standing student, they may apply for admission for Concentration Advanced Integrative Practice coursework.
Guidelines for Transferring Credit:
Credit cannot be more than 5 years old of the time of admissions
Credit must be applicable towards degree
Credit carries a grade of A, B, or S. The S grade must be equivalent to a B or higher. Grades of a B-, P or CR do not transfer
Credit must be approved by the School and the Dean of the Graduate College
INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE STUDENT ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
International applicants should review the information offered by International Student Services athttp://www.ou.edu/content/cis/iss.html when first considering application. International Student Services can help with matters related to immigration status and student work/study requirements. Please be aware that the practicum requirements of the MSW program are often considered as unpaid work, so students may need to account for these hours when arranging international study.
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 standard University of Oklahoma graduate application. Other credentials are usually required; these are detailed on the Graduate College and Admission Website.
Graduate College Requirement:
http://www.ou.edu/admissions/apply/international/graduate- admission.html
International Student Admission Requirements:
http://www.ou.edu/admissions/home/requirements/international.ht ml
Current students wishing to graduate with this certificate must meet with Aubrey Fick to discuss the coursework and process.
BASW Application Requirements
Information regarding the application process is posted on the School website at http://www.ou.edu/cas/socialwork/. Applicants are required to submit the following documents:
o The Undergraduate Admission Committee is interested in your life experience leading up to your decision to apply for admission to this program. As part of this application, you are to write a statement that addresses the areas listed below. The statement will be used both to assess your writing and critical thinking skills as well as to aid the Undergraduate Admissions Committee in deciding about your application. Please adhere to the following guidelines.
- The statement should be FIVE double spaced typewritten pages. Please address the following questions in your statement:
- Discuss the major reasons for your interest in the profession of social work.
- Describe some of the challenges AND successes you have experienced in your education, employment, and personal life.
- Describe your experiences, voluntary or paid, working with people in a service capacity.
- Describe your experiences working with individuals or groups who are different from you (i.e. religious, racial, ethnic, disability status, socio-economic, gender identity and sexual orientation).
- What difficulties do you feel that you might have as an individual working with any of the groups listed above (please be specific)?
- What is your plan to be successful in the BASW program?
Two (2) letters of reference. A least one letter from a recent course instructor is preferred; other recommenders can include work or volunteer supervisors. Letters should attest to students’ ability to perform in academic setting and uphold professional social work values. References from friends and family members will not be accepted.
An unofficial transcript from the fall semester immediately prior to application, or one from the most recent semester attended.
MSW Application Requirements
The University of Oklahoma Graduate College Application includes:
The Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work administers a limited number of stipends through grant funds and university scholarships. Some practicum agencies award stipends to students placed in their agencies. The school may have a limited number of work-study positions. Occasionally, a limited number of practicum placements have offered work-study positions to practicum students.
For financial aid information, visit https://www.ou.edu/cas/socialwork/apply/tuition-and-assistance
The Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work administers several scholarships due to the generosity of our donors. Information regarding these scholarships is sent out annually to all students. Partial tuition waivers from the Graduate College may be available to assist selected exceptional students. Materials describing sources for students funding are distributed to admitted applicants along with other admission materials. Some practicum agencies award stipends to students placed in their agencies. The school has a limited number of graduate assistant positions.
For financial aid information, visit https://www.ou.edu/cas/socialwork/apply/tuition-and-assistance
For other information on scholarships, stipends and loans, consult the University of Oklahoma, Office of Financial Aid Services, Buchanan Hall #216, 1000 Asp. Norman, OK 73019-4078, http://www.ou.edu/financialaid.html.
Applicants that have been accepted into the program must enroll online.
If you have any questions about enrollment, contact:
Krista Pettersen
Assistance Vice President for Academic Operations and Registrar
kpettersen@ou.edu
918.660.3474
There is no application deadline and students can be admitted anytime through our rolling admission.
