The Admissions Process: What We Look For
The School of Social Work seeks to admit students who are committed to social justice and have the potential to make a difference in their communities. We look for well-qualified applicants whose career goals are consistent with the School’s mission and offerings and who will increase the diversity of our student body and the profession.
Each fall, approximately 150 students are admitted to the M.S.W. Portland Program and 30 students to each distance site.
The application process is a two-step process with students applying to Portland State University and the School of Social Work. A link to the university application can be found on our website. In addition to the two page application and an application fee of $50, applicants will need to provide official transcripts from each university or college attended. Remember to order two sets of transcripts as the School of Social Work application will also require transcripts.
The M.S.W. application has several components. Each is an important factor in our decision making process.
Academics
In reviewing an applicant’s academic performance, we utilize the applicant’s upper-division GPA . For most applicants, the upper-division coursework reflects a stronger academic performance than the overall GPA. Applicants to the M.S.W. Program must demonstrate attainment of a liberal arts perspective by having successfully completed six quarter hours (or four semester hours) from each of the following three curricular areas:
- Social and Behavioral Sciences,
- Natural Sciences, and
- Humanities and Fine and Performing Arts.
In addition, applicants must have successfully completed a minimum of 50 quarter hours (or 34 semester hours) from any combination of these three areas. This coursework can be from lower and upper division courses. Official transcripts from each institution attended will also be required for your M.S.W. application. Please see our liberal arts coursework FAQ for more information.
Experience
Successful applicants will have experience related to social work. Usually applicants have paid, volunteer, or internship experience in human service settings such as schools, medical facilities, homeless shelters, inpatient and outpatient mental health and correctional settings, child welfare, and aging services.
Commitment
Applicants should show potential to be creative professionals who can blend social work values with knowledge and skills to solve complex and persistent social problems. In the personal statement, applicants will be asked to discuss their values, the population or service area of interests to them, and the strengths they bring to their future work as a social worker.
How We Decide
The School of Social Work strives to give each application careful consideration. Each application is reviewed first by a member of the M.S.W. Admissions Committee. The membership of the Admissions Committee includes faculty of the School of Social Work, social workers from the community, and two M.S.W. students in their final year of the program. Applications receive a second reading from a member of the School of Social Work faculty.
When reviewing an M.S.W. application, the reader looks for:
- academic success - past performance (GPA) and future potential;
- relevant social work experience - extent and quality;
- references - from academic and social service professionals who can attest to your ability to succeed in a graduate program and your suitability for the profession; and
- personal statement – an expression of your values, beliefs, and personal congruence with the mission of social work. The personal statement should demonstrate the applicant’s skills in critical thinking and graduate level writing ability.
All applications are reviewed before the final admission decisions are made. Applicants will be notified of the admission decision via a special website for M.S.W. applicants. The School of Social Work maintains an alternate or waiting list from which names are drawn should openings occur in the class prior to school beginning in late September. Individuals who have been selected for the alternate list will be notified at the time admission decisions are posted.
Questions about the admissions process should be directed to Janet Putnam, Director of Student Affairs, at putnamj@pdx.edu.
