Masters Program Admission

FIELD INSTRUCTION:

A critical component of the graduate social work program is an intensive field experience. Students are required to complete a minimum of 900 clock hours of field education, which consists of a minimum of two (2) days per week, eight (8) hours per day for four (4) semesters of field experience at a pre-approved site with either health care or mental health facilities or other social service agency. Each semester a minimum of 240 clock hours must be completed. Field instructors for the field practicum will be social work practitioners who have met pre-established criteria and work in various North Central Louisiana agencies. Each field placement assignment is for two (2) semesters. A mandatory, monthly field seminar is required for advanced (second year) students.

Because of the geographic area of North Central Louisiana, students may be required to commute an hour one way to a field placement. It is the responsibility of the student to make transportation arrangements to their field agencies. Attempts will be made to place students in close proximity to their home base without compromising field placements. Some students might require a summer block placement that will begin the third week of May and continue through the third week of August. Once a student has chosen the desire field placement type, concurrent or summer block placement, the student will not be able to change to the other type of placement for that year. 

FEES:

In addition to fees set by the University, the School also requires a field education fee of $50.00 for each course in field education. The fee is required to defray the cost of student liability insurance and supervision. This fee is included in the registration fees during the semester the student enrolls in field education. 

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants for admission to the MSW Program are required to submit the following information:

  • Application to Graduate Studies.
  • Application to the School of Social Work.
  • Evidence of completion of a baccalaureate degree with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (Baccalaureate study should include “36 credit hours of liberal arts courses including introductory courses in Statistics and Human Biology).
  • A type-written autobiographical statement that gives evidence that the applicant possesses personal qualities essential for the social work helping profession.
  • Three (3) letters of reference.
  • Scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
  • Completed Field Education Application.
  • Personal Interview.

The conditional admission requirements of graduate studies will be followed. Selection for admission is determined by the quality of the total application, academic record, personal references, autobiographical statement, and human service experience. Primary emphasis is placed on the selection of students who are well motivated and who have the maturity, personal qualities and intellectual capacity for successful practice in the field of social work. 

ADVANCED STANDING:

Applicants who have received a baccalaureate degree in Social Work within the past 6 years from an undergraduate Social Work Program accredited by the Council of Social Work Education and a 3.3 or better overall grade point average. Students admitted to this program will be required to attend full time beginning in the summer of admission and continue for two full semesters (fall and spring).

WAIVER:

Academic credit is not awarded for life experiences.

TRANSFER:

Graduate credits from an accredited CSWE program earned less than six years before application, may be accepted by Grambling for credit toward the degree if they are courses containing the same content as courses required by GSU Master’s program. Grambling cannot accept more than 30 hours credit toward a degree by transfer and a grade of “B” or better must be made for the course to be acceptable.

PART-TIME:

The Regular master’s program may be taken on a systematic part-time basis. The first 30 semester hours must be completed within 2 years of initial enrollment and all requirements for the MSW degree must be completed within 4 years.

The above requirements do not apply to non-degree seeking and special students. They are handled on an individual basis.

ADMISSION PROCEDURE:

The admissions process generally begins with a request from a potential student for an admissions application from the Office of Social Work Admissions. The admissions application packet contains application forms for both the School of Graduate Studies and the School of Social Work along with a summary statement of the School’s history, mission, goal, philosophy of education, requirements for admissions, curriculum course requirements, financial aid information, forms for the references and instructions for completing the autobiographical statement. The admission office maintains a list of all request for applications. 

Upon receipt of any piece of the student’s information, a file is initiated by the admissions clerk. If no information is received a student’s file after thirty (30) days the initial piece of information is received, a letter is sent to the applicant informing him or her of the needed for additional information to complete the file.

When a student’s Social Work Application file is completed, the School’s admission clerk notifies the coordinator of admission who receives the file and prepares the file for review by the admission committee members. No official action is taken by the admissions committee until the admission clerk receives notification from the School of Graduate Studies that the student has been accepted by Graduate Studies.

A completed application file and a notice from Graduate Studies that the student has been admitted sets the stage for the admission committee of the School of Social Work to set a date for an official admission committee meeting.

The admission committee is a School committee composed of faculty members of the School. The Coordinator of Admissions serves as a staff member for the admission committee. The chairperson is appointed either by the committee or the Dean. The decision of the admissions committee is sent to the Director of the MSW Program for review. The Dean sends acceptance letters to all students who meet the criteria for acceptance into the program, along with the name of the assigned academic advisor. Students who are not accepted receive a letter from the Admissions Committee explaining the basis of admission denial.

THE APPEAL PROCESS:

The student is informed of his or her right for a hearing before the admissions committee if the student feels the denial was not justified. The MSW Director the chairperson of the admissions committee arrange and set dates for these hearings. The outcome of the hearing is submitted to the Program Director for a review. At the conclusion of the hearing, a student is informed by the Director of his or her right to appeal to the graduate council if the outcome of the hearing is unsatisfactory for the student. 

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS:

Complete all course requirements for the MSW degree. 
Obtain a 3.0 or better grade point average on all graduate work. 
Have no more than six (6) credit hours of “C” grade. None of these credit hours can be in Field Education. 

DISCLOSURE:

The School reserves the right to make any changes according to any requirements pertaining to the CSWE Standards, or any other circumstances that may arise.