Master of Social Work (M.S.W.)

Total Credit Hours: 60          Degree Format: Hybrid

The Department of Human Services offers the Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) program. The Program of Social Work is fully accredited by the Council of Social Work Education and is designed to prepare students for a career in professional social work practice. The curriculum provides students with the knowledge, values, ethics, and skills to engage in multi-level practice with individuals, families, organizations, and communities.

Social work’s hybrid, competency-based program is offered as a  2-year or 3-year option. In this program, students attend five intensive weekends during the fall and spring semesters starting at 5:00 pm on Friday and all day Saturday. The remainder of the coursework is completed online. This combination of weekend intensive face-to-face classes and online coursework has proven to be a popular program among students who work full-time or who live at a considerable distance from campus. 

Social Work also offers an Advanced Standing (1-year) program in a hybrid format. The Advanced Standing program is designed for students who have received a Bachelor of Social Work from a Council of Social Work Education accredited program within the last five years. 

Department of Human Services Website

Department of Human Services - Master of Social Work Page

ADMISSION DEADLINES

• Fall Semester: Priority Deadline February 14th
• Fall Semester: Final Deadline July 15th
• Spring Semester: No Admission 
• Summer Semester: No Admission

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Online Graduate Application

• Application Fee (credit or debit card and e-checks accepted)
• Apply Online

Official transcript from your bachelor's degree-granting school and from any graduate coursework.

• Transcripts of coursework completed in-residence at VSU will be obtained by the Graduate School
• Must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally- accredited institution with a liberal arts base.
• Prerequisite undergraduate courses with a  “C” or better (see Important Program Information for a list of courses).
• Minimum 3.0 grade-point average in the last two years of undergraduate major.
• A minimum overall grade-point average of 2.50 on all attempted coursework in which a letter grade was awarded.
• If an applicant has earned a graduate degree and is using the graduate grade-point average for admission review, a minimum 3.00 grade point average is required in all graduate coursework attempted.

No GRE or MAT required

Master of Social Work (MSW) Supplemental Application

• The MSW Supplemental Application is a comprehensive document including written goal statement instructions.
• This document may be uploaded in the online application checklist or may be emailed as a scanned copy to gradschool@valdosta.edu.
• The form AND written portions are required.

Three Recommendations

• MSW Recommendation Form Required
• Recommendations from professionals familiar with your professional and/or academic background. One of the recommendations must be from undergraduate faculty.
• Recommenders will be sent an automated email with a link to a recommendation form from the application portal using the information the applicant provides.

VSU Medical Form

• The VSU Medical Form must be completed and signed by the student/applicant.
• This form must be received prior to enrollment, NOT prior to admission.
• Applicants who are currently enrolled, and those who attended VSU in the past, are not required to resubmit the Medical Form

Verification of Lawful Presence 

• This is not required for individuals who do not qualify for in-state tuition or a residency waiver.
• This must be received prior to enrollment (if applicable), NOT prior to admission.
• Citizenship documentation is needed for any applicant who wishes to be considered for in-state tuition.
• Complete list of accepted documents and information on residency.

Unless otherwise indicated above, all required documents must be received on or before the admission deadline for your file to be reviewed. It is the applicant's responsibility to allow adequate time for document delivery and to ensure receipt of documents. 

IMPORTANT PROGRAM INFORMATION

• Prospective applicants who have earned a B.S.W. degree from an undergraduate program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) in the last five years, may be eligible for the Advanced Standing M.S.W. program.  For information on admission requirements and semesters of admission for the Advanced Standing program, visit the Master of Social Work – Advanced Standing program information page.
• Applicants must have fulfilled the following prerequisite undergraduate courses with a grade of “C” or better, prior to entering the M.S.W. program:
  • Humanities – 6 semester hours
  • Mathematics – 3 semester hours
  • Social Sciences – 6 semester hours
  • Additionally, courses with content in Human Development, Behavioral Science, or Human Biology are highly recommended.
• BSW graduates seeking an Advanced Standing program should visit the MSW Advanced Standing Admissions Information Page for program admission requirements.

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS 

International applicants must meet all admission criteria and documentation requirements as defined by the program, however, additional documentation may be required.  Please review the information below for specific information and guidelines.

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Exam or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – Applicants whose first language is not English (based on country of citizenship) must submit official scores on the TOEFL exam or IELTS exam. International applicants whose first language is not English but who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a U.S. institution may be exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement.
• Certificate of Finances- The Certificate of Finance is required of any applicant requiring a student visa to enter the United States to complete his or her studies. This document is considered a part of the application for admission and applications will not be reviewed without this document.  Applicants who do not require an I-20 student visa to complete their studies are exempt from this requirement.
• Evaluation of International Transcripts - Applicants who have completed coursework at an institution outside of the United States must submit a course-by-course evaluation of the coursework.  This transcript evaluation must be completed by an international education credentials evaluation service such as Josef Silny, ECE, etc.  The transcript evaluation does not replace the transcript requirement. Official transcripts are still required.

ADMISSION CLASSIFICATIONS

• Regular Status
• The MSW program does not offer probationary admission status.
• Requests for Irregular or Non-Degree Admission will not be considered.

HAVE QUESTIONS?

• Call Us: 229-333-5694 
• Email Us: gradschool@valdosta.edu 
• Visit Us: Converse Hall (Main Campus), Third Floor, Suite 3100

For additional program details contact the Program Director: Dr. Debra Gresham, email: socialwork@valdosta.edu, phone: 229-333-5776.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

1. Students must complete an application for graduation one semester prior to their expected graduation date.
2. Students must have a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA). No grade below a “C” will be credited toward the degree.
3. Students (except advanced standing students) must complete 60 semester hours including 43 credit hours of required classroom instruction with a “B” average of 3.00 or higher, and 17 credit hours of field practicum with a grade of “Satisfactory.”
4. A portfolio is required as an exit examination.

RETENTION, DISMISSAL, & READMISSION POLICIES

1. Students must maintain a grade point average of not less than 2.5 at all times.

2. No grade below “C” will be credited toward the M.S.W. degree.

3. Students will be dismissed from the program if they accumulate 4 or more academic deficiency points. A grade of “C” equals one deficiency point (and will be credited toward the M.S.W. degree). A grade of “D” equals 2 deficiency points (and will not be credited toward the M.S.W. degree). A grade of “F” or “WF” equals 3 deficiency points (neither of these will be credited toward the M.S.W. degree). Because of the emphasis on practicum performance in the social work program, a grade of “F” in practicum courses equals 4 deficiency points and will result in permanent dismissal from the program. Students who are admitted with Advanced Standing Status will be dismissed from the program if they accumulate 2 academic deficiency points or a grade of "F" in practicum.

4. Students may be terminated from the Division of Social Work for non-academic reasons that are identified in the 2009-2010 Student Handbook. A student’s enrollment may be terminated for the following non-academic reasons:

   • Violation of the NASW Code of Ethics or the Code of Ethics of the State of Georgia Composite Board. Students are responsible for being familiar with the NASW Code of Ethics. Content from the code is infused throughout the curriculum.The Code of Ethics can be found on the Division of Social Work Website.Links to the Code are found in the 2009-2010 Field Handbook and in the 2009-2010 Student Handbook.

   • Presenting oneself in such a way as to be rejected by four different agencies for practicum placement.

   • A pattern of complaints that indicates the student is unable to engage clients in such a way as to form a professional and helpful relationship. (For example being unable or unwilling to demonstrate nonjudgmental attitude, unable or unwilling to allow client self-determination).

   • A pattern of complaints that indicates the student is unable to work within agency policies and procedures when such policies and procedures are not in violation of professional social work values and/or codes of ethics (For example, failure to meet generally accepted standards of professional conduct, personal integrity or emotional stability, inability to engage in a supervisory relationship with an assigned field instructor including an inability to follow supervisory guidance, directives, or instructions; inappropriate or disruptive behavior toward colleagues, faculty, or staff, whether at school or within field placement.)

   • A pattern of complaints that indicates the student’s behavior does not reflect a standard of objectivity suitable to the profession. (For example, failure to maintain professional boundaries with clients, over identification or other behaviors with clients for personal advantage.)

   • Engaging in behavior that renders the student ineligible for licensing in the State of Georgia, for membership in the National Association of Social Workers, or for certification by the National Association of Social Workers

   • Students dismissed for non-academic reasons will not be considered for readmission to the program.

   • Readmission is not guaranteed for students dismissed because of academic deficiencies. A student must wait a full academic year before reapplying for readmission. If a student who was dismissed for academic reasons is readmitted, the student must retake only courses with deficiencies until the number of deficiency points is fewer than or equal to 2 deficiency points. A student may not take a class more than twice or apply for readmission more than once. If a candidate wishes to withdraw from a class with a grade of “WP,” it is the candidate’s responsibility to initiate and complete the withdrawal process prior to the midterm deadline. “WP” grades do not affect academic deficiency points or grade point average.

5. No more than 6 semester hours of academic work may be transferred from another institution into a master’s-level -graduate program. Transfer credit will be evaluated after admission, by the academic department. To be eligible, credit must be no more than seven years old at the time of admission unless otherwise approved by the program.

6. Graduate coursework completed at other CSWE-accredited institutions will be evaluated for equivalence to the VSU M.S.W. curriculum after admission to the program.

7. After admission, courses taken more than seven years prior to the semester of degree completion cannot be used to meet graduate degree requirements or admission to doctoral candidacy requirements unless otherwise indicated by individual program requirements. 

Retention, Dismissal, and Readmission Policies Page - M.S. Social Work Program