Master of Social Work (M.S.W) Admissions

• Offered in Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick (the full range of the school's offerings is available only in New Brunswick)
• Full-time students complete the program within two years of matriculation.

Preadmissions Meetings

Application Deadlines

Admission Requirements

A GRE (Graduate Record Examination) test score is NOT required for application.

In order to be considered for admission, applicants to the Graduate School of Social Work must have completed a bachelor's degree from an accredited undergraduate institution. The minimum grade point average is a 3.0/4.0 and applicants who do not have this minimum GPA should address this in their Personal Statement. Applicants must have a broad liberal arts academic background. Social work experience is not required but is advantageous.

An introductory undergraduate course in statistics that covers descriptive and basic inferential statistical procedures with a grade of C or better is a prerequisite for the advanced part of the program but is NOT a requirement for admissions. Applicants who do not meet this requirement will be admitted on a conditional basis and may not move to the advanced part of the program until this prerequisite is satisfied. Once admitted into the program, students may sit for an examination to place out of this prerequisite.

Admission Procedures

All MSW applications are submitted online. You may monitor your application status online.

It is the applicant's responsibilty to ensure that all materials are submitted to the graduate admissions office by the application deadline.

The admissions process for the School of Social Work is facilitated through the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions and the Office of Student Services at the School of Social Work in New Brunswick. This means that all application materials should be sent to Graduate Admissions Office in New Brunswick even if you are applying to take classes at our Newark or Camden campuses.

MAIL ALL ADMISSION SUPPORTING MATERIALS TO:
(including materials for applications to the Newark and Camden programs within the School of Social Work)

The Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions
18 Bishop Place
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8530
Phone: (732)932-7711

Applications are considered complete and will be reviewed only when ALL of the following materials have been received:

• Graduate School application - Applications are available and should be completed online through Graduate Admissions.
  


• A non-refundable $60 application fee - Instructions for paying this fee are on the Graduate Admissions website.


• Three current, professional letters of recommendation
  A form for recommendation letters is provided on the Graduate Admissions website (under supporting materials) and although we encourage you to use this form, it is not required. Letters of recommendation should be current and come from individuals who are familiar with your academic and/or professional experiences and abilities. If you are a recent graduate or are currently enrolled in school, we recommend that you seek letters from faculty members. If this is not possible or you have been out of school for more than a short time, consider asking individuals who are able to address your current work, abilities and your potential to succeed in graduate school and in the field of social work.
  
  The most valuable letters come from those individuals who you have worked or volunteered with in some capacity. We are looking for specific information regarding your academic and intellectual abilities, work performance and potential. Letters from friends, family, or professionals that you know on an exclusively social basis are not encouraged.
  
  Letters of recommendation may be submitted after the application is submitted. Letters may be sent directly to the Graduate Admissions Office or they may be sent to you to forward on to the University. We request that the envelope seal be signed by the recommendation letter writer to ensure confidentiality. Note that the forms provided do have a box for you to check if you waive your rights to access these letters. (Please see the recommendation form). Unless expressly indicated otherwise, applicants have waived their right to access their recommendation letters.
  


• Official Transcripts
  Applicants must submit two copies of official transcripts, from all post-secondary institutions that they have attended, directly to the Graduate Admissions Office. Please send transcripts for any colleges attended or non-matriculated courses you have taken in addition to your bachelor's degree transcripts. If an applicant is finishing undergraduate course work during the application process then they should send a current transcript. However, an admission decision will be made conditionally, until the receipt of final transcript. Once coursework is completed, an applicant must send another official transcript from the school that includes the final grades and degree conferred. If you have attended and/or graduated from Rutgers University, you must ask for your transcripts to be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office. Although it may seem burdensome to ask the Rutgers Office of the Registrar to send your transcripts to another department at Rutgers, this is necessary to ensure confidentiality of your transcripts. Likewise, if you have taken any Professional Credit Courses through the Continuing Education Department, you must also specifically request transcripts to be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office. Please do not assume that we have access to these records.
  


• Personal Statement
  The personal statement is a critical part of your admission application because it gives us the opportunity to review your writing skills and provides us with a great deal of information about you, your experiences and goals. We do not offer individual meetings or interviews and often the personal statement will determine your success in the application process. You may submit the personal statement online when you complete your application or you may mail this personal statement separately to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
  
  Questions for Personal Statement:
  Respond to the following questions in a three to five page typed narrative; add any additional information that may be helpful to the admissions committee.
  
  • What are your reasons for applying to the Rutgers School of Social Work?
  • Discuss your personal values, philosophy, knowledge of social issues, and the professional and community experiences that have influenced your decision to enter the professions.
  • Comment on your skills, strengths and weaknesses.
  • Describe your reasons for choosing a particular focus in the field of social work.
  • Discuss your plans for a career in social work
  Make sure that the personal statement is well written in your own words. There is no particular format required except that the statement is typed.



• TOEFL Scores
  TOEFL scores are required for international students who received their undergraduate degree at a school where English was not the primary language. Additional information is listed under International Applicants.



• Resume
  Although a resume is NOT required, you are highly encouraged to include a current resume with your application materials.

Advanced Standing

The School offers an Advanced Standing M.S.W. program for students who have earned a baccalaureate degree in social work from an undergraduate social work program accredited, in the United States or Canada, by the Council on Social Work Education.

Advanced Standing applicants are REQUIRED to submit the following documents IN ADDITION to the supporting material listed above for fall applicants:

• A full description of your undergraduate field instruction experiences including the agencies' names and addresses, the type of assignments, types and numbers of clients you served, social work models or approaches you used and duration of placement.
• A copy of field instructor's evaluation form from the undergraduate placement. If you are currently in an undergraduate field placement during the current spring semester, an interim evaluation should be submitted.
• A reference letter from the BSW Program Director, Field Instructor or Field Coordinator should be included as one of the three required reference letters.

International Applicants

An official TOEFL score (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is required of nonnative speakers of English. The minimum TOEFL score is 213 (computer version) and 550 (paper version). The new TOEFL Internet version minimum scores are as follows: Writing: 22, Speaking: 23, Reading: 21, and Listening: 17. The completion of a master's degree in the United States is not grounds for waiving test results.

International applicants recommended for admission by academic programs must document total financial resources before an official Certificate of Admission and Eligibility (I-20 and DS-2019) can be issued by graduate admissions. The Office of Graduate Admissions provides Certificates of Admission and Eligibility (I-20 and DS-2019) forms with their notification of admission. Admitted international students must submit a completed financial documentation form.

Any questions regarding international applicant requirements should be directed to the Office of Graduate Admissions at 732-932-7711.

Transfer Students

Transfer students follow the same application process as fall applicants. Applicants are strongly encouraged to include a member of the social work faculty of their previous MSW institution as one their three reference letters.

Once a student is admitted into the program, the director of admissions will evaluate their previous course work for transfer of credit. Courses taken at other graduate schools of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education can be accepted for equivalent course work within the program. It is required that course work have been taken within six years with a minimum grade of B to transfer credit. A maximum of 23 such credits can be granted to a candidate for the MSW degree at Rutgers. Students may need to submit additional documentation such as course descriptions or syllabi in order to determine if particular courses are applicable towards the School's curriculum.

Reapplication Process

You must reapply for admission to the School of Social Work if you meet any of the criteria below:

• You were previously denied admission
• You withdrew your application before an admission decision
• Your application was withdrawn after the application deadline as incomplete
• You were offered admission, but did not attend.
• You withdrew during your first semester of attendance.
• You withdrew after completing one or more semesters.

• Complete an online application and pay the application fee.
• Send an updated personal statement.
• Send three letters of reference OR send one additional reference letter if you are reapplying within one year or have been away from the program for more than one year.
• Send official transcripts (unless reapplying within one year). Applications should also send transcripts for any coursework taken since your previous application to the School of Social Work.
• Send an up-to-date resume

Decision Notification and Acceptance

Applicants applying for the Advanced Standing program are usually informed of a decision between February and April. Most applicants for the fall program are informed of a decision between March and May. Applications may be reviewed more than once before a final decision is rendered. Therefore, application submission dates and decision notifications may vary. Applicants will be notified of an offer of admissions by mail and they may also check their status online. Written notification of a change of address must be submitted to the School of Social Work AND the Office of Graduate Admissions.

The School consistently receives more qualified applications than it has available space. Therefore, once an applicant receives an offer of admissions, they must confirm their plans to attend the program by returning the Acknowledgment of Admissions form AND by submitting a non-refundable $200 enrollment deposit to the School of Social Work. Deposit checks or money orders should be made out to Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. The School does not accept cash or credit card deposits.

If an applicant does not submit the enrollment deposit by the specified date or chooses not to enroll in the term for which admission was offered, their admissions offer will be withdrawn. Accepted students may choose to defer their admission offer for one year by submitting a written request to the School of Social Work. The non-refundable tuition deposit is required in order to defer your enrollment.

Applicants can use the Rutgers Tuition Estimator as an online tool to calculate the tuition rates for the School of Social Work.

Financial aid applicants should submit their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online. Applicants are considered for all forms of aid for which they are eligible. The FAFSA should be filed no later than March 1st to ensure full consideration for all available funds.

More information can be found at the Rutgers Office of Financial Aid.