MSW Application Process

We look forward to reviewing your application. If you need any additional information or have specific questions about the program that you would like to discuss, please contact the graduate program director, Dr. Amy Doolittle by calling her at 423-425-5563 or emailing her at [email protected]. If you have any questions about the application process and/or submitting documents, please contact [email protected] in the Graduate school.

Step 1: Review Prerequisites for Admissions and Application Deadlines

The Master's for Social Work at UTC is divided into two tracks: the MSW and the MSW Advances Standing programs. Learn more about each track and select the one that fits closest to you. Please note that the GRE is not required for either track.

MSW Program (60-hour program for those without a BSW)

The MSW program at UTC is designed to prepare individuals for working with individuals, families, and groups as they age across the life span. Classes are offered in the evening with daytime field placement internships. This program is available to students who have completed a bachelor's degree in a non-social work field.

GPA Requirements

Prospective students must have on of the following:

3.00 GPA for the last two years of undergraduate coursework or
3.00 GPA for 30 or more semester hours of undergraduate credit earned after earning the first bachelor's degree or
2.70 GPA for the last two years of undergraduate coursework and a 3.0 GPA on fewer than 24 hours of graduate coursework or
3.00 GPA for 24 or more graduate hours or
2.70 cumulative grade point average on all work attempted prior to completion of the baccalaureate degree (4.00 scale) or
an earned master's degree or higher-level degree with at least a 3.00 GPA.

*The GRE is not required for the MSW program.

Application Deadlines

The Social Work, M.S.W. program admits Traditional M.S.W. students in the fall term with prospective students receiving priority that apply before March 1.

Advanced Standing (32-hour program for those with a BSW)

The MSW program at UTC is designed to prepare individuals for working with individuals, families, and groups as they age across the life span. Classes are offered in the evening with daytime field placement internships. The MSW Advanced Standing program is available to students who have completed a BSW from a CSWE-accredited institution within the last seven years. After the successful completion of two summer seminars, Advanced Standing students are admitted into the advanced/specialized curriculum.

BSW and GPA Requirements

Applicants for Advanced Standing must have completed the BSW within the last seven (7) years with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and a social work GPA of 3.25.

Applicants must hold a BSW degree from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), recognized through CSWE's International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Service, or covered under a memorandum of understanding with international social work accreditors.

*The GRE is not required for the MSW program.

Please note: A completed bachelor's degree in social work, as evidenced by an official college/university transcript, is required prior to enrollment. Applicants may receive conditional acceptance into the MSW Program by submitting a transcript that demonstrates that they are enrolled in their final semester of undergraduate coursework. The conditional status is removed upon receipt of an official transcript demonstrating that the baccalaureate degree has been completed.

Application Deadlines

The Social Work, M.S.W. program admits Advanced Standing students for the summer term with prospective students receiving priority that apply before February 1.

Step 2: Prepare Application Materials

MSW Program (60-hour program) for those without a BSW

Prepare application materials including:

Personal Statement

As part of the MSW application, you will be asked the following in the Essay Questions section:

Explain your interest in applying and what qualities/experiences you posses that will make you successful in this program. In your answer to this question, please express your motivation for pursuing a social work career. Discuss significant factors influencing your decision to pursue a Master's in Social Work (a) why you want to pursue professional social work education at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, (b) what your social service or social change interests are, and (c) what your personal career goals are.
How does a graduate degree align with your career goals? Please provide any other information about yourself that will help us with your application. In your answer to this question, please express your capacity for professional social work education. Briefly summarize your strengths and/or limitations, including emotional or social, which might enhance or limit your study.

It is recommended that the answers to these questions should be typed prior to uploading it into the application system and should not be heavily formatted. During the online application process, you will be asked to copy and paste your response to text boxed in the application. Please note that responses cannot exceed 750 words per question. Your content, critical thinking, and writing style will provide important information about your understanding of the goals and values of the social work profession. Please be concise and direct.

Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Prospective students will also be asked to upload a current resume or CV as part of the online application process. There are no specific formatting requirements other than to adhere to general standards and provide the most current information about past research and work experiences, class and community-based projects, as well as any other experiences that make you a strong candidate for our MSW program.

References

Applicants must obtain recommendations from two professional references through the online admissions platform. An applicant's file is not considered complete and will not be acted upon until all recommendations are received. All recommendations should be from people who know that applicant well enough to comment frankly on their ability to complete a master's level of program of study. Please note that references from family members, personal friends, or your counselor/therapist are not accepted.

Advanced-Standing applicants are required to obtain a recommendation from one B.S.W. field education director or coordinator. This recommendation needs to be able to document successful completion of a 400-hour field internship from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Please note that it is good practice to double-check the e-mail address of your reference and to communicate with each of them regarding your need for a reference before you begin the application process. As soon as you enter their information into the online application, they will receive a request to submit their recommendation directly through the system. Applicants should follow up with their references to ensure that the recommendations have been submitted in a timely fashion.

Step 3: Submit Your Application

Submit a Graduate application through the UTC application portal. This will include a payment of $35 non-refundable application fee for domestic applicants or $40 for international applicants.

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Step 4: Submit Official Transcripts

Request and submit Official Transcripts from every college attended.

Checking Your Application

Make sure to allow sufficient time before the admissions deadline for your materials to arrive and be processed at UTC. This includes time your transcripts and recommendation forms to be submitted and received by our Graduate School. A general best-practice is to place is to plan on having all of your application complete and submitted by mid-February for Advanced Standing (32-hour program for those with a BSW) and mid-March for the MSW Program (60-hour program for those without a BSW). You can check the completion status of elements to your application through the online UTC Application system. If you need more detail or have questions about any element to your application, please contact the Graduate Program Liaison for the MSW program through the UTC Graduate School.

Admission into the Program

Applications for the MSW program at UTC open in the fall. Priority consideration is typical given to Advanced Standing (32-hour program for those a BSW) program applications received by February 1st and MSW (60-hour program for those without a BSW) program received by March 1st.

Review of applicants will begin after the priority deadline. Upon review, students who may potentially be accepted into the program will be invited for an interview prior to the rendering of the final decision. Applicants are typically accepted until the cohort is full. Students are admitted into the Advanced Standing (32-hour program for those with a BSW) program once each year and the program begins in May. Students are admitted in the MSW (60-hour program for those without a BSW) program once each and the program begins in August.

Conditional Admission

Conditional admission will generally be extended because applicants are in the process of completing their final semester of our undergraduate coursework and/or candidates do not meet the GPA requirement. Students admitted to conditional status are eligible for advancement into the next academic semester after earning a cumulative 3.00 GPA or better on a minimum of six hours of graduate level coursework taken during their first semester at UTC. Students not attaining the minimum 3.00 GPA during their first semester will be ineligible for continuation into the next semester and dismissed from the program.

Seat Fee Payment

All applicants admitted to the program are required to submit a seat fee of $250 to reserve their seat in the program. Applicants will receive info on how to submit this payment in their acceptance letter. Once paid, this is considered the student’s commitment to attend the program. For students who enroll and attend, this payment is considered towards the first semester’s tuition and fees. The seat fee is forfeited for students who submit the payment and then choose not to attend the MSW program at UTC.

Criminal History Background Check

In the UTC School of Professional Studies, select degree programs require field components (observations, practicums, internship, etc.). In order to comply with TCA 49-5-5610, the following criminal history background check policy is implemented to secure the safety and well-being of all students, faculty, and clients.

Criminal History Background Check Policy

Criminal History Background Check Student Procedures