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Admission Process

Admission Requirements

Qualified applicants must have:

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or an appropriately certified foreign institution
  • Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher

Applicants with a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree or those that intend to complete a BSW prior to starting the MSW program are considered ADVANCED STANDING students and begin the MSW program at Augsburg in May.

Applicants who plan to enter the Augsburg MSW program with a bachelor’s degree in something other than social work (BSW) are considered GENERALIST students and begin the MSW in August/September.

Admission with Advanced Standing

Applicants who have earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from a program that is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) within the last 15 years are eligible for Advanced Standing status. Students with Advanced Standing status are waived a maximum of six MSW courses and the Generalist Field Internship. Advanced Standing students will be able to complete the MSW in a 12-month, full-time format.

Transfer Admissions

Augsburg University welcomes transfer students from other CSWE accredited programs. Students must complete the following:

    • Required Application Documents as all other applicants
    • Letter of good academic and professional standing from the program director of the program they are transferring from. Additional reference letters from faculty are welcome but not required. 

Students may transfer up to 24 semester credits for generalist students and 8 for advanced standing students. Transfer credits will be evaluated for equivalency by the MSW program director in consultation with the Admissions Committee. Eligible courses must be from a CSWE accredited MSW Programs, and students must have earned a grade of B- or higher in the courses they wish to transfer. Additionally, the course content must be comparable to the MSW program requirements for core courses. Students will be asked to provide appropriate documentation regarding previous coursework, including, but not limited to, an official transcript, course description, and syllabus. Augsburg credits are calculated in semester hours. If you completed courses at other institutions that are quarter hours, they will be converted to semester hours. One credit hour from an institution on the quarter system equates to two-thirds of a semester hour. Courses and credits that are accepted in transfer are recorded on the student’s transcript. Grades and grade points from other institutions are not transferred to Augsburg and are not included in the student’s cumulative grade point average

Students must complete no fewer than 30 credits at Augsburg in order to receive their MSW degree from Augsburg University. We do not grant academic credit for work or life experience.

Please contact us at mswinfo@augsburg.edu if you would like an unofficial transcript evaluation to determine what credits may transfer from your current/former institution.

Deadlines

The application opens September 1st. Students looking to enroll full-time are encouraged to apply by the priority deadline to ensure field placement for the upcoming start.

  • Priority Deadline: December 1st
  • Second Deadline: February 8th

After the posted deadlines, applications MAY be accepted on a rolling-admissions basis pending seat availability.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

  • Complete the online application form.
  • If applicants GPA is below a 3.0, a typed statement will be required addressing lower GPA.
  • Two letters of recommendation.
  • Typed personal statement.
  • Resume/CV
  • Applicants must submit an official transcript(s) from the institution granting the Bachelor’s degree and from the most recently attended institution, if not the same.
    • Military veterans are required to submit all official transcripts from previously attended institutions to qualify for military benefits.
    • In the case where transfer credits or waivers are sought, official transcripts are required from institutions at which the equivalents were completed.
    • The program director may ask for additional transcripts if determined to be necessary.

(2) Recommendations

Candidates are asked to provide (2) references that can speak to their preparedness for graduate education and/or ability to engage in ethical social work practice. Only professional or academic references will be considered.  Personal references are not accepted.

Letter 1: At least one academic reference from a faculty member is highly preferred.  If you are unable to provide an academic reference, you will be asked to include a brief statement explaining why you are unable to submit a faculty reference. In this event, we also ask that your first reference is from someone who has had direct supervisory oversight of your work in a professional or volunteer capacity.

Letter 2: This reference should ideally be from a supervisor, but could include a mentor or colleague   Select an individual who can speak to your abilities, professional competence, and commitment to social justice.

Personal Statement

Address the following in a cohesive essay:

  • The mission statement of the Augsburg social work department is: “We strive to prepare exceptional social work professionals for anti-racist and anti-oppressive advanced social work practice that promotes intersectional racial and social justice in a diverse and global society.” In relation to our mission statement, why have you chosen the Augsburg MSW program?
  • What principles and values would guide your social work practice?
  • Think about your education, employment, and/or volunteer experience. Describe one skill or interest you have developed from these experiences. Explain how this skill or interest is relevant to the study of social work.

Tips: Your Personal Statement should be well-written. It should be comprehensive yet concise. Editing suggestions and feedback from another person can be helpful, but the ideas and writing should be your own.

Explanation of GPA (for GPA below a 3.0)

Students with a GPA below a 3.0 can still be considered for admission. If your GPA is below 3.0, please include a brief explanation by responding to one or both of these questions:

  • Were there extenuating circumstances contributing to the GPA? If so, have those circumstances been resolved?
  • Were there limitations that affected your GPA that still remain today? If so, what is your plan to address these limitations?

Transcripts

Applicants must submit an official transcript(s) from the regionally-accredited institution granting the Bachelor’s degree and from the most recently attended institution, if not the same. Military veterans are required to submit all official transcripts from previously attended institutions to qualify for military benefits.

In the case where prerequisite requirements exist or transfer credits or waivers are sought, official transcripts are required from institutions at which the prerequisites or equivalents were completed. The Program Director may ask for additional transcripts if determined to be necessary.

 

Submit transcripts directly to the Graduate Admissions Office by electronic transfer or by mail.

By electronic transfer: admissiondocs@augsburg.edu (if prompted by your institution for an email address)

By mail:
Graduate Admissions Office, CB 65
Augsburg University
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN  55454

 

*PLEASE NOTE: Students must request official transcripts through a verified transcript service. Most commonly used are National Clearinghouse or Parchment. Check the degree-granting institutions website for the appropriate service to request. Any copies (including marked official) uploaded to the application are considered UNOFFICIAL and will not be accepted.*