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MSW Application WalkthroughOnline and on campus delivery - what's right for you?
Learn more about course delivery options in the MSW ProgramThank you for your interest in the Master of Social Work (MSW) Program at MSU Denver! We offer both a fully online and a mixed traditional (combination of on campus and online courses) delivery option for this program. The information below applies to both delivery options. We are looking forward to getting to you know you as you research and prepare for your exciting journey.
The MSW Advanced Standing Program (for students with an undergraduate degree in social work) is summer-start only. The MSW Regular Program (for students with an undergraduate degree in a field other than social work) is fall-start only.
Future MSW Students
If you have not yet, we highly recommend filling out the interest form for the 2026 MSW application cycle to receive up to date information about the MSW Program. You will also be among the first to know when the application opens and receive information about events hosted to support prospective students throughout the application process.
If you have any specific questions for us, please email [email protected].
Important Dates and Deadlines
The MSW Program at MSU Denver has one admissions cycle annually. The application typically opens in early September, with a priority consideration deadline in early November and a final deadline in mid-January.
Advising and MSW Program Resources
The Social Work Student Services team is here to help you every step of the way. If you think the MSW program at MSU Denver could be the right fit for you – reach out to our office and schedule time to meet with an advisor. We’ll begin meeting with students interested in applying for 2026 in late April after we’ve helped our latest cohort of 2025 students get settled in their classes.
Call 303-615-0555 to schedule an appointment or you can always email [email protected].
MSW Program Eligibility
- Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 may still apply for admissions. If accepted, additional requirements will be part of the admission decision;
- Have completed, or will complete, a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university prior to the fall semester in which the student begins the MSW program;
- Undergraduate course prerequisites as indicated below;
- Completion of all required application materials as indicated below. The application materials for Regular Program applicants consist of several components.
*Applicants who received degrees from outside the United States should contact the department to determine eligibility
- Hold a degree from a baccalaureate, social work program accredited by CSWE, hold a degree recognized through CSWE’s International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Service,* or hold a degree from a program that is covered under a memorandum of understanding with international social work accreditors.* The degree must have been completed within the last 6 years from the intended start semester in the MSW Program. For the 2025 Admissions Cycle, if your undergraduate degree is in social work and was conferred:
- December 2018 to present – you are eligible for the Advanced Standing Program
- December 2014 to November 2018 – you are eligible for the Advanced Standing Program, but will also have to submit the Petition for Advanced Standing as part of your application
- November 2014 or earlier – you are no longer eligible for Advanced Standing and must apply to the Regular Program
- Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 may still apply for admissions. If accepted, additional requirements will be part of the admission decision.
- Completion of all required application materials as outlined below. The application materials for Advanced Standing applicants consist of several components.
*Applicants who received degrees from outside the United States should contact the department to determine eligibility
For more information on the requirements outlined below, please visit the Office of Graduate Studies website.
International students must:
- Complete all of the same requirements as domestic students;
- Submit Official Transcripts via a NACES Servicer;
- Achieve a minimum score of 76 on the internet based TOEFL or a minimum score of 6.0 on the IELTS;
- Submit financial support documents;
- Submit the required immigration documents for issuance of an I-20
Application Materials and Requirements
- MSU Denver Graduate Program Application (including $50 application fee)
- Three Recommendations (submitted electronically by the recommender)
- Admission Personal Statement (submitted electronically, prompts will be provided)
- Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended (official or unofficial)
- Advanced Standing ONLY:
- Case Study (submitted electronically, prompts will be provided)
- Petition for Advanced Standing (for the 2025 Admissions Cycle, required only if undergraduate social work degree was conferred between December 2014 and November 2018)
MSW Regular Program applicants are required to have the following undergraduate course content areas completed prerequisites completed with a “C-” or better before the fall semester in which they start the program:
- At least 3 credits of course work in social and behavioral sciences centrally organized around contemporary multicultural or diversity issues.
- At least 3 credits of course work in social and behavioral science centrally organized around American Government.
- At least 3 credits of course work in human/general biology OR
At least 6 credits of course work in natural and physical science (chemistry, physics, geology, etc.) - At least 3 credits of course work in basic statistics
The undergraduate course content areas listed above must be present on the student’s official transcript, but should not be officially transferred to MSU Denver. Course equivalency will be determined by the Office of Social Work Student Services. Please visit our FAQ page for more information on courses that meet each requirement.
If you are applying to the Regular Program (for students with an undergraduate degree not in social work) and would like an evaluation of your transcripts for the MSW Program prerequisites, you can request a review from the Office of Social Work Student Services.
To request a prerequisite review, please email [email protected] with the following information:
- Your name (first and last)
- Any former names that may be listed on your transcripts
- The names of the schools you are submitting transcripts from for review
- Attach unofficial copies of transcripts for review. To ensure that we can review the unofficial transcripts, please make sure they show credits received, your GPA, and any degrees awarded
We will email you back once your evaluation is complete. The prerequisite review process may take up to 3-5 weeks from when we receive your transcripts, depending on the current volume of requests.
Special Circumstances (international degrees, MSU Denver students and graduates, and previously submitted transcripts)
- If you received a degree while attending a college or university outside of the United States (not study abroad), you must have your transcripts evaluated by either Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or World Education Services (WES). We cannot accept un-evaluated transcripts for prerequisite review or for admission to the MSW Program. Once your transcripts have been evaluated, you will have the official evaluation submitted directly from ECE or WES to the MSU Denver Office of Graduate Studies. We do require that you submit a course-by-course evaluation.
- If you only attended a college or university outside of the United States for a study abroad experience, an ECE or WES evaluation is not required.
- If you obtained an undergraduate degree from MSU Denver, please email [email protected] with your full name and student ID number so we can pull your transcripts from our internal system for a prerequisite review. If you no longer remember your student ID number, please email us your name, any former names, and date of birth and we can locate your records.
- If you have previously submitted official transcripts to MSU Denver, please email [email protected] with your full name, any former names, student ID number (if known), and date of birth, and we will see if we can pull your transcripts from our internal systems for a prerequisite review.
Admissions Decisions
The MSW Admissions Committee, which is comprised of faculty and staff members, will review complete applications only. Applicants who submit incomplete applications will not be reviewed by the admissions committee and will be denied from the program.
The application review process takes 7-9 weeks from the deadline (not from application submission) to complete. After the MSW Admissions Committee finishes their review process, applicants will be notified via email of their admissions decision.
Applicants may be: accepted, accepted with requirements, waitlisted, or denied admission. In some cases, the MSW Admissions Committee may require an interview with the applicant before an acceptance decision can be made. Please refer to the Important Dates and Deadlines section above for the admission timeline.
Accepted
Students who are accepted into the program typically have no additional obligations to fulfill and will receive an admission decision notification (electronic) from the Social Work Department including a welcome letter, program criteria (program, course delivery, and enrollment status), and a link to the new student pages containing next steps, information about the field placement process and an advising snapshot of the academic program they have been accepted into. The advising snapshot serves as a contract between the student and the department and cannot be altered without the approval of an advisor. Students will be required to confirm their acceptance and program criteria at the time of admission to the MSW Program to secure their “seat”. The process by which to confirm enrollment will be articulated in the admission decision notification.
Accepted with Requirements
Students who are accepted with requirements into the program typically have additional obligations to fulfill either before the start of the MSW Program and/or within the first 6 credit hours of enrollment. This could include, but is not limited to: prerequisite course completion, low GPA, or other items that are not in compliance with program eligibility standards. In some cases, the MSW Admissions Committee may decide that an applicant is only eligible to take certain coursework during the first year of study under specific guidelines. These criteria, including timeline, will be outlined in the admissions decision notification (electronic). Students who do not fulfill the obligations of their requirements will be dismissed from the MSW Program.
Students will receive an admission decision notification (electronic) from the Social Work Department including a welcome letter, program criteria (program, course delivery, and enrollment status), a link to specific information about the stipulations that must be met, and a link to the new student pages containing next steps, information about the field placement process and an advising snapshot of the academic program they have been accepted into. The advising snapshot serves as a contract between the student and the department and cannot be altered without the approval of an advisor. Students will be required to confirm their acceptance and program criteria at the time of admission to the MSW Program to secure their “seat”. The process by which to confirm enrollment will be articulated in the admission decision notification.
Waitlisted
Waitlist status may be extended to eligible applicants in the case where program capacity has been reached, but is not guaranteed.
Denied Admission
The Admissions Committee reserves the right to deny acceptance of any applicant. Applicants who submit incomplete applications, including transcripts and other required admissions materials, will not be reviewed by the admissions committee and will be denied from the program.
Readmission After Deferring Acceptance
Applicants who are accepted or accepted with requirements into the MSW Program may defer their start semester up to one academic year from the term that acceptance was originally offered. The full departmental application is not required, however students must submit the Readmission After Deferral form, which will be sent to them electronically by the Office of Social Work Student Services.
Applicants who defer their start semester will be held to the policies and curriculum of the later term in which they officially start the MSW Program. The deferral process is only valid for one academic year from the original acceptance semester.