APPLY
Apply to the Master of Social Work Program
Admissions Requirements
Admission decisions are based on the applicant’s undergraduate record (and graduate transcripts when applicable), experience in human services (paid, volunteer, internships), the application essay, recommendation letters and the admissions interview. Applicants to the MSW program are expected to meet the following criteria:
A bachelor’s degree with a liberal arts perspective from an accredited college or university; or a bachelor’s degree in social work from an accredited undergraduate social work program. It is expected that a liberal arts perspective includes courses reflecting that applicants have backgrounds in several of the following areas:
- society,
- history and tradition,
- arts and letters,
- economics,
- formal reasoning and analysis,
- the living world,
- the physical world, and
- social studies.
Courses that contain these topics include, but are not limited to, a combination of studies in each of the following areas:
- the humanities (languages, philosophy, religion, art history, architecture, literature, classics, speech),
- social sciences (psychology, sociology, anthropology, ethnic studies, gender studies, international relations, human behavior, human development, political science, communications, education, urban planning, criminal justice), and
- natural sciences (statistics, astronomy, biology, botany, environmental studies, genetics, nutritional sciences, physics).
Applicants who do not have a background in liberal arts or social work may be required to take liberal arts courses prior to matriculation or may not be considered for admission.
Application Deadline
The priority application deadline is December 1st. The final application deadline is February 1st. Please note that it is strongly recommended to apply by the December 1st deadline to ensure the optimum practicum placement process.
Applications, transcripts, and supporting materials (letters of recommendation and, if applicable, official English language proficiency test scores and evaluated transcripts) must be submitted through the online application system by the deadline for applications to be considered complete. Please note that official copies of test scores typically take 3-4 weeks to arrive, so schedule your English language proficiency exam accordingly.
Program-Specific Admissions Requirements
All applicants must meet the requirements outlined above. Additional requirements are in place for applicants to the Advanced Standing.
Advanced Standing Program
Applicants for admission to the Advanced Standing Program must have:
- A bachelor’s degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited social work program, from a CASWE-accredited social work program, or from an international program evaluated by the ISWDRES to be comparable to a BSW. Completion of the undergraduate degree must be within the past five years;
- The grade of “B” or higher in all undergraduate (or graduate) social work courses;
- High academic achievement, demonstrated competence in field placement, and readiness for graduate-level studies. Work experiences, especially in social services, and significant volunteer experiences such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps, are highly valued;
- One of your letters of recommendation must be from your undergraduate practicum instructor, who is the person with primary responsibility for teaching, supervision, and evaluation in your BSW practicum placement. It is important that this person can describe your capacity for social work practice and specifically recommend you for the Advanced Standing program. If you are not able to provide a letter from your agency-based practicum instructor, please provide a letter from someone who is familiar with practicum placement and your capacity for social work practice and can make a specific recommendation regarding your application to the Advanced Standing program, such as a current or recent practice course instructor.
Application Components
Online Application
Online Application
Your admissions process begins with submitting your application online. After creating an account to start your application, you will be able to return to your application as many times as you wish before submitting. You can track the status of your application, including the receipt of letters of recommendation and any other supplemental materials, at any time by logging into your account.
Resume
You must submit a resume as part of your online application.
Application Essay
All applicants are required to respond to several questions for their application essay.
Transcripts
Applicants must submit transcripts detailing all undergraduate and postgraduate study via the online application. This includes coursework conducted at an applicant’s degree-granting institution(s) as well as in study abroad programs and at institutions out of which an applicant may have transferred. Applicants should upload copies of their official transcripts (i.e. not screenshots from a student record or student grade system) that clearly display their name, dates of enrollment, the names of all courses in which they enrolled, and the credits and grades awarded for each class. Applicants should not mail hard copies of transcripts to the School for purposes of application review.
ATTENTION INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS:
Please be advised that transcripts reflecting more than two semesters of study at institutions based outside of the United States must be evaluated on a course-by-course basis by a third-party evaluation service such as WES or Educational Perspectives, or another NACES-accredited member. This applies even if the studies were conducted in English and even if the transcript is printed in English.
Applicants with these international transcripts should upload their university-issued transcripts into the online application and order their official, third-party evaluations sent to the School of Social Policy & Practice. Please note that these international transcripts cannot be considered official until they have been evaluated. Please allow for sufficient processing time as recommended by your chosen third-party evaluation service. Transcript evaluations are due to the Admissions Office by the application deadline.
Letters of Recommendation
It’s never too early to start preparing your application. Please note that all application materials become the property of the University of Pennsylvania and will not be returned. Remember to retain a personal copy of your application materials. Penn SP2 requires recommenders to submit letters of recommendation online. Please note that all letters must come directly from the letter writer’s email account. All recommendation letters will be verified to ensure that the proper protocol is followed.
Full-Time and Part-Time Applicants
Full-time and Part-time applicants must submit three letters of recommendation, including at least one work-related (internship, job, community service) and at least one academic reference. The third recommendation is the applicant’s choice.
Advanced Standing Applicants
Advanced Standing applicants must submit three letters of recommendation, including at least one work-related (internship, job, community service) and at least one academic reference. The third recommendation must be from the undergraduate practicum placement site instructor and specifically recommend the applicant for the Advanced Standing program. If a letter from the placement site instructor is unavailable due to placement timing, a letter from a recommender knowledgeable in practicum placement and who can specifically recommend Advanced Standing status is acceptable.
Transfer Applicants
Transfer applicants must submit three letters of recommendation, including at least one work-related (internship, job, community service) and at least one academic reference. At least one academic reference must be from a professor who has taught the applicant in their current MSW program.
Test Scores
Applicants are not required to submit GRE scores.
For international students whose first language is not English, we require official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test scores taken in the last two years. Minimum scores are:
- TOEFL: 100 on the Internet-based (iBT) TOEFL
- IELTS: Overall Band Score of 7.5
- Duolingo English Test: Overall Score of 135
TOEFL scores should be sent to Institutional Code D698 and Department Code 99.
To submit IELTS scores, request an official copy of your standardized test scores to be sent directly to our office using the IELTS E-Delivery Account Name: University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice. Confirm that you have selected the correct department by verifying that the associated address is for the account is 3701 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6216.
Duolingo English Test scores should be sent to the University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy & Practice. No application ID is needed.
Admissions Interview
Video Interview
All students will be asked to complete a recorded video interview prior to submitting the application. You will be asked to record your answer to four questions and will have time to both practice recording and prepare for the questions prior to recording your video interview. We would advise planning to spend approximately 20 minutes distraction-free to complete the recorded video interview process.
You will need to complete the interview portion of the application in either Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. You can complete the interview on any laptop or desktop with a functioning webcam and microphone.
Additional Interviews
On occasion, applicants will be asked to interview after application submission. Although there is little preparation needed for the interview, you may want to consider the following:
- Review your responses to the video interview prompts;
- Be on time (sign into Zoom a few minutes early);
- Dress professionally (wear what you feel is appropriate for a job interview);
- Relax and be yourself.
Transfer of Credits
Credit may be granted toward the MSW requirements for work completed at any other accredited graduate school of social work in the past five years. Students in our 2-year or 3-year MSW Program, who transfer from an accredited social work program having completed a full year within the last five years, may be granted credit for up to one year’s work, which is a maximum of eight courses. Students entering with a Master’s degree in a related field may be granted up to a maximum of six credits based on the overlap of the courses they have taken with the courses in our curriculum. Students who have completed some graduate work within the past five years but do not have a Master’s degree may be given up to a maximum of four credits for courses that have a high degree of overlap with our courses.
Application for credit for work completed elsewhere than at Penn must be made in writing to the Faculty Director of the MSW program. This should occur after a student has accepted the offer of admission and sent all final official transcripts to the admissions office. Students will be asked to provide the syllabi for all courses they wish to be considered for transfer credit. Transfer credits may only be granted for courses in which a student earned a “B” or higher. Transfer of credits must be granted before the student’s registration can be accepted.
Once enrolled in the School of Social Policy & Practice, credits earned concurrently from other accredited graduate schools outside the University will not be transferred unless approval was granted by the Faculty Director prior to enrolling in these courses.
Confidentiality of Student Records
Pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, in general, personally identifiable information can be disclosed to people outside the University only with the written consent of the student or alumnus involved. A statement setting forth specific University policy concerning: (1) disclosing information to people outside the University; (2) disclosing information to people within the University; (3) permitting students to inspect and review records; and (4) providing students with the opportunity to seek the collection of their records is available in the Graduate Academic Bulletin. Students in the School of Social Policy & Practice may review their records in the SP2 Admissions Office in the presence of an admissions officer. Records may not be copied. For more information and the complete Code of Academic Integrity, refer to the Graduate Academic Bulletin or the University’s Privacy website.
Technical Standards
The MSW program at SP2 prepares students for professional social work practice. Embarking on the journey to become a professional social worker involves commitment, the ability to accept constructive feedback, self-reflection, and resilience. Penn’s MSW program is fully committed to educating and supporting students as they prepare to enter the profession. In tandem with the ethical responsibilities of the Social Work profession, Penn’s MSW program has established Technical Standards that focus on academic performance as well as abilities and attributes essential for the profession. It is expected that MSW students entering, progressing through, and graduating from the School of Social Policy & Practice embrace the School’s values of fairness, social good, and community building. It is required that MSW students abide by the NASW Code of Ethics.
All MSW students must satisfy the following Technical Standards, with or without reasonable accommodations, for entrance to, continuation in, and graduation from Penn’s MSW Program. These requirements are not exclusive to the classroom; rather they also apply in practicum placements, in the School and University, as well as in societal context.
Communication
Students must be able to:
- Communicate effectively, responsibly, clearly, and in a timely manner in interactions with other students, faculty, practicum instructors, staff, clients, and client systems, and other professionals with whom they might come in contact within their student role.
- Use effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills, including the ability to listen objectively and to perceive and interpret nonverbal communication.
- Recognize and respond to emotions.
- Convey information (verbal and written) about clients as needed to direct or counsel them or others involved in their care.
- Communicate clearly through written work in the classroom or practicum at a level appropriate for the stage of education.
Intellectual and Cognitive Skills
Students must have the ability to:
- Think critically and apply problem-solving skills.
- Acquire knowledge and process experiences to inform practice.
- Demonstrate a willingness to continually reflect on own values, attitudes, beliefs, emotions, biases, current and past experiences, and consider how these factors affect thinking, behavior, interactions, and relationships.
- Take responsibility for actions and consider the impact of these actions on others.
- Be punctual and dependable, prioritize responsibilities, manage time, and attend class and field in accordance with relevant policy.
- Observe deadlines and conscientiously arrange and keep appointments.
- Navigate transportation to attend practicum and classroom requirements.
- Integrate new and changing information obtained from the classroom and practice environment.
- Accept and integrate into practice constructive feedback received in both the classroom and practicum settings.
Emotional and Behavioral Readiness
Students must be able to:
- Manage and seek appropriate help to ensure that personal issues do not interfere with professional and academic performance.
- Maintain respectful relationships with peers, faculty, practicum instructors, staff, clients, and client systems, and other professionals.
- Show the capacity to successfully complete required practicum hours during the semester and meet the required social work competencies in the practicum and classroom settings.
Deposit
Upon notification of acceptance for admission to the University, you are required to submit a nonrefundable $300 to reserve your spot in the class. The deposit due date is provided with the offer of admission. The deposit will be credited to your account upon matriculation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who makes admissions decisions?
Once the application is complete, the Admissions Committee, composed of members of the standing faculty, makes all admissions decisions. The Committee looks at the applicant’s complete file, i.e., transcripts, human service-related experience, uploaded video interview, letters of recommendation, and the application statement.
How many courses do you take each semester?
Full-time students take four courses a semester. Each class meets one day a week for two and a half hours.
Three-year students take two courses a semester, including the summer semester.
What is the structure of the program?
Full-time students are in the classroom two days a week and in practicum placement three days a week. In the first year of study, students must enroll in required courses. In the second year of study, students choose either a clinical or macro concentration. Students in the clinical concentration must take SWRK 7600: Mental Health Diagnostics as one of their 5 electives. Students in the macro concentration must take a Macro designated elective as one of their 5 electives.
How many students are in a class?
Our classes are seminar style classes, averaging 25 students. Practice classes are capped at 20 students. This promotes valuable classroom interaction and exchange between faculty and students. In other words, be prepared to participate, raise critical questions, and share your ideas and learning.
What is the size of your MSW class?
In recent years, the incoming class has averaged 150-165 students.
What is the grading system at SP2?
SP2 uses the system of letter grade evaluation that is used by other MA and PhD programs at the University. A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or above is required for MSW graduation.
How are practicum placements arranged?
Incoming full-time or foundation year part-time students are sent a placement form from the Director of MSW Practicum Education after they accept the School’s offer of admission and have paid the $300 deposit fee. Each student is expected to interview at his or her assigned placement before the placement start date. Phone or Zoom interviews are acceptable if it is not geographically possible to have an in-person meeting.
Advanced year placement processes begin in January of your Foundation year. The student completes and reviews with the practicum liaison a list of four ranked choices for advanced year placement. This list, along with accompanying biographical information, is submitted to the MSW Practicum Education Office for review. The Office makes every effort to place the student in one of their four ranked choices, beginning with the first choice until the advanced year placement is secured. Some students will complete an application and interview process based on the selected site’s procedures. Some advanced year sites will accept more applications than the number of placement slots that will be available in the year ahead.
How much time is spent in practicum placement?
Full-time students are expected to spend the equivalent of three days (24 hours) per week in practicum September-April. Part-time students are expected to spend two days (16 hours, with 8 hours during traditional business hours) per week in practicum. Part-time students begin practicum in the fall of their foundation practice year and continue through June; they begin their advanced year practicum in early August and continue through the end of the spring semester.
Will I need a car for practicum placement?
The Practicum Education Office takes into consideration whether students have their own car or will require the use of public transportation to their agency. Students who do not have a car are expected to utilize public transportation. The Practicum Education Office considers a commute of up to 60 minutes each way by any form of transportation to be appropriate.
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