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Admission Requirements

• a bachelor's degree from a college or university of recognized standing.
• a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of at least a B (3.0 on a 4.0) scale.
• undergraduate studies that include a minimum of 24 credit-hours in the liberal arts and sciences, with a minimum of 15 credit-hours in the social sciences (psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, political science).
• human service-related paid or volunteer experience.

Applicants may be required to participate in group or individual interviews.
Applicants must submit the following materials:

• the Graduate School application
• the application fee and payment form
• a personal statement. This is an important part of your application requiring answers to specific questions. See Personal Statement for the MSW Program (.pdf)
• official transcripts of all college study
• three letters of recommendation -- one more than required by the University -- from individuals who can attest to your potential for graduate study, such as those with whom you have worked in an academic, professional, volunteer or work-related capacity. If you are a college student or a recent graduate, one letter of reference must be from a college instructor. If you are or have recently been employed, one letter of reference must be from an employment supervisor.
  The MSW Program has a special letter of recommendation form that must be used to evaluate MSW applicants. See Letter of Recommendation for the MSW Program (.pdf,140kb). Copies may be downloaded and given to your recommenders.
• a signed copy of the Social Work Contract (.pdf). By signing this document, you agree, if admitted to the program, to abide by the professional standards of social work as set forth by the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics. Review the Code of Ethics before signing the contract.
• a Certification of Information statement. See the downloadable Certification of Information (.pdf,83.7kb) for the MSW Program form.
• an updated resume.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are not a requirement for application to the program.

Application Deadline

The MSW program accepts applications for fall admission only. The deadline for applications is February 1. Students may apply for part-time or full-time study.

Applications

Applicants to the MSW Program are asked to collect and submit all the required materials noted above at one time. As noted above, you are required to submit three MSW Letters of Recommendation instead of two Graduate School Letters of Recommendation normally required by the University and your Personal Statement must follow the MSW Personal Statement format. The program also requires that the Certification of Information be submitted with your application materials.

Note:
Applicants should be aware that some states, such as New York State, may restrict or deny professional licensure for people with felony convictions, misdemeanor convictions, or actions taken against them by a professional organization. Students with questions on any of these situations would benefit from consulting with their state's licensing board before submitting an application for admission. The application will be subject to a more rigorous review by both the Graduate School and the Department of Social Work Admissions Committee.

In addition, students admitted to the program are required to satisfactorily complete one or two internships. Students must obtain malpractice insurance before they are placed with an agency. The insurance agency requires disclosure of personal information including convictions, and may or may not issue insurance coverage. For placement into an internship, agencies also require personal information and conduct background checks. Agencies have the right to refuse placement.

Therefore, Binghamton University's Department of Social Work cannot guarantee licensure upon completion of the program. In addition, while the Department of Social Work will work diligently to place students, students admitted into the program are not guaranteed placement in an agency which is a requirement for graduation.

International Students

Records of international applicants require special evaluation and therefore should be submitted as early as possible. See the Graduate School Application for International Students. International students must also follow all of the above requirements.