1. Completed online graduate application
2. Personal statement: Between three and five pages, typewritten and double-spaced. Discuss the following points.
   • Describe how your interest in and commitment to social work developed. Include the influence of personal, professional, and/or volunteer experiences.
   • Having read our mission statement, please describe how your career goals align with our mission and commitment to social justice and human rights.
   • What do you consider to be your personal strengths and areas of growth in relation to your development as a professional social worker?
   • If you are now employed in a social service agency, describe how a graduate social work education would improve your practice, especially in terms of approaching your work from a recovery, resiliency, and capacity building framework.
   • If you have prepared for or been employed in another field, discuss why you want to change to social work.
   • If you are transferring from another social work program, discuss why ours would be a better fit.
   • When you apply, you must select whether you plan to complete the program as a full-time or part-time student. Please discuss how you will balance the demands of graduate-level study, field requirements (16 hours per week in the first year and 18 hours per week in the second year), and any additional employment and/or caregiving responsibilities in your life.
   • If applying for part-time admission, you must select whether you plan to complete the program at the West Chester or Philadelphia campus. Please discuss why you selected to study at that particular campus and how you will sustain a commitment to graduate studies for three to four years.
3. Advanced Standing applicants only
   • Give a specific example describing your work with an individual, family, group, or community. Use the following questions as a guide for your discussion. To ensure clients’ confidentiality, please refrain from including actual names of clients and agencies.
     • Briefly describe the agency.
     • Briefly describe the practice assignment, including your understanding of your role with the client or client group.
     • Present a brief case assessment. Present relevant data and inferences about the client or client group and the environment.
     • Critically evaluate your helping efforts, analyzing strengths and limitations. In retrospect, how might you have intervened differently?
4. Two letters of recommendation, including at least one academic reference.
   • NOTE: Applicants with a BSW seeking admission for Advanced Standing must also include a letter of recommendation from the BSW program director, for a total of three letters of recommendation. Please have the BSW program director email this third letter directly to the Office of Graduate Studies (gradstudy@wcupa.edu.)
5. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Please send all official transcripts directly to the Office of Graduate Studies.
6. Current resume, including:
   • Education, including all academic highlights including research, scholarships, conferences, presentations, and publications
   • Employment
   • Volunteer, community, and extracurricular involvement
   • Certifications and professional development

   *Please upload your resume with your personal statement

7. GRE examinations and other aptitude tests are not required.
8. Pre-requisites
   • Proof of satisfactory completion (a grade of at least C) of liberal arts core requirements:
     • 3 credits humanities (art, literature, philosophy)
     • 3 credits in United States history or political science
     • 6 credits in math/science (statistics, computer science, astronomy, biology, physics, chemistry)
     • 6 credits in social science (anthropology, psychology, sociology, economics, women's studies)
     • 3 credits in writing
     In certain cases, prerequisite work may be done during the course of the MSW Program with special permission from the program director. If two or more prerequisites are lacking, those courses should be taken before applying.

Students seeking to transfer to the MSW Program are required to meet the criteria for admission and follow the application procedures. Students applying to transfer from another CSWE-accredited social work program are also required to have one of the academic references be from the program director in the program from which the applicant is transferring, and must address the academic standing in that program. A minimum grade of B is required for transfer credit. Transfer credits are subject to review and approval by the MSW Program director.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with the following priority deadlines:

• Advanced Standing: Classes beginning late May 2016
  Application deadline: December 1, 2015*
• Regular Full-Time: Classes beginning Fall 2016
  Application deadline: January 15, 2016
• Regular Part-Time: Classes beginning Fall 2016
  Application deadline: March 1, 2016

We will continue to process applications after these priority deadlines, but early applicants have a greater chance of admission. You are encouraged to apply early and have all required documents, including recommendations and transcripts from all schools attended, submitted as early as possible.

*Fall grades may be requested before final review of application

You will be notified about your admission decision via email. Please be sure to check the email address you submitted with the application.

After being accepted into the MSW Program, students must:

• Register for classes by attending a MSW Program registration event. Details will be sent by email.
• For students starting a field placement in the fall (first-year full-time and all Advanced Standing students), complete the Field Practicum Application and then schedule a field placement interview with the Director of Field Education.
• Obtain a parking permit if you are planning to drive to campus.