General requirements

Admission Requirements for Master's students at UNC Charlotte can be found on the Graduate Admissions website. Students must meet all UNC Charlotte Graduate School requirements, including but not limited to:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university reflective of a liberal arts education.

• Minimum GPA of 2.75 overall, and 3.0 for the past four semesters.

• Proficiency in English for applicants whose native language is not English.

International Applicants: For the purposes of admission, the UNC Charlotte Graduate School defines "international applicants" as those applicants who are not US citizens and who hold, or who intend to hold, a temporary visa/status at the time of submitting the application for admissions, and/or during at least their first semester of studies at UNC Charlotte.

*Please note that your classification as an international or domestic applicant for admission purposes is not connected to the classificaiton of "resident" or "non-resident" of North Carolina for tuition purposes.

Success at UNC Charlotte depends on the student's ability to converse, write in, and understand (American) English. To assure such competence, the university requires any applicant whose native language is not English to submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores. To be considered official, the scores must be sent directly from the testing agency to UNC Charlotte. Scores older than two years will not be accepted.

For more information on English language proficiency, please see this link:  http://graduateschool.uncc.edu/future-students/admissions/international-applicants/english-language-proficiency

Requirements specific to the MSW Program are in addition to the general requirements of the Graduate School. Admission to this Master of Social Work program also requires the following:

1. Verbal and quantitative GRE scores in an acceptable range. Applicants are encouraged to take the GRE by early January prior to the application deadline. GRE scores are eligible for submission if the exam was taken within the past 5 years of the current application date. Allow 10-12 days for the scores to arrive at UNC Charlotte. Scores: 2012 is a transitional year for GRE interpretation. Upon completion of the GRE, test takers are provided a comparison of their scores with the previous GRE scoring format, so that the applicants will have a general understanding of their test performance.

2. A course of study in undergraduate or graduate work reflective of a liberal arts education including the humanities, social and behavioral sciences, physical sciences (specifically human biology), and mathematics (specifically statistics). Students are expected to have mastered general social science knowledge through course work in economics, sociology, psychology, or cultural anthropology classes despite the major. In some instances, transcripts are evaluated for liberal arts preparation prior to admission. Specific coursework may be a condition for admission to the program. Transcripts: Scan and upload your unofficial transcripts to the online application. It is only upon enrollment that applicants must provide their official transcripts. Transcripts are sent to the Graduate School at UNC Charlotte, and schools often send their official transcripts electronically. The mailing address for hard copy transcripts is:

Office of Graduate Admissions
The Graduate School
UNC Charlotte
9201 University City Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28223-0001

3. Basic Knowledge of diversity studies is expected; applicants may have taken electives in special populations such as the elderly, minorities in America, and gays/lesbians for instance. Two or more courses in Spanish are recommended. Some understanding of social justice and populations-at risk issues is expected from applicants; studies of this nature may have been accessed through the courses referenced above as well as gender studies, political science, economics or philosophy courses.

4. MSW Schedule Requirements of the three program options. UNC Charlotte offers three programs leading to the master’s degree in social work: Full-time; Extended-Study; and Advanced Standing (AS). Only applicants with a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) are eligible for Advanced Standing. In all programs, a practicum day is a full work day in an agency assigned by the Department. Specific program requirements are summarized below. In each program, students will also need to allot time to group projects, assigned readings, and research. For more information, click here.

The first year of the Full-Time program requires four 3-hour classes and two practicum days each week. The second year of study consists of four 3-hour classes and three practicum days each week. This is primarily a daytime program with a few late afternoon and evening classes.

The first year of the Extended-Study program entails two 3-hour classes each week. The second year consists of two classes plus two full practicum days. The third year of study is full-time, and includes concurrent course work and two days a week in practicum during the summer and throughout the following academic year.

The Advanced Standing Program involves a full summer of courses and a practicum for two days each week for both summer sessions. Advanced Standing students have a full time course load during the academic year, and the field practicum continues for three days a week.

Students must earn a grade of at least B in all classes. Students who earn three C’s are automatically ineligible to continue.

5. Personal Essay which replaces the “Personal Statement” in the UNC Charlotte Graduate School online application and should be uploaded in its place.

Directions:

Please respond to the questions below in an essay using APA style and Times New Roman 12 point font. Margins should be one inch on all sides. This assignment is limited to five pages; additional material will not be read.

A. Please discuss your reasons for seeking admission to UNC Charlotte’s MSW Program.

B. Are you interested in Full-time, Extended-study, or Advanced Standing? How will you manage your schedule and resources to meet the demanding program requirements and attend to self care?

C. How are your personal career interests congruent with the UNC Charlotte MSW program?

D. The Social Work Program values diversity in its student population. Diversity may be defined in terms of race, age, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, unique skills, or life experiences. What personal characteristics, unique skills, or life experiences will you bring to the program?

E. Social workers practice with individuals from historically oppressed and diverse groups. What groups may challenge you, either because of your personal values and/or attitudes? How will you handle this?

F. Describe a time when you were given critical feedback. What was your reaction to that experience? What did you learn about yourself?

G. As a prospective graduate student, what strengths and skills do you bring to the program? What do you identify as your areas of growth?

H. Describe a time when you offered help to someone else (other than a family member). Explain your reaction. What did you learn about yourself?

I. Your signature and the date.

6. Resume to be uploaded as an extension of the MSW 5 page Personal Essay.

Submit a list of your educational, work and volunteer experience, and special skills or attributes. The attachment should total no more than two pages and should be in resume format to include:

• Personal data including name, address, phone number, email address.

• Educational experience:

Institutions and the dates you attended;

Academic degrees awarded, include majors and minors.

• Work experience:

List all positions in chronological order (beginning with most recent) with a 2 to 3 line job description for each;

Include all beginning and ending dates for each position;

Identify whether an MSW- or a BSW-level social worker supervised you;

Indicate whether the position was full-time (FT) or part-time (PT).

• Volunteer experience:

List all positions in chronological order (beginning with most recent) with a 2 to 3 line job description for each;

Include all beginning and ending dates for each position;

Identify whether an MSW- or a BSW-level social worker supervised you.

• Professional affiliations and honors from your school, profession, or community:

List any memberships in professional organizations and service groups;

List any offices held in these organizations;

Add honors or special awards received.

7. Letters of Recommendation are provided online to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Applicants will provide the email contact of their references.

Each applicant should provide three letters of reference. For recent graduates, at least two letters must be from faculty members. For applicants who have been out of the education system for five or more years, letters should be from employment or volunteer supervisors. Ideally, references will be written by MSW social workers or others who can speak to your suitability for the MSW.

The professionals providing references for you must complete two items: 1) a brief online checklist recommendation form; and 2) a personal letter. The Office of Graduate Admissions will email the link to the online form to the person providing the reference. Applicants will need to notify references that the UNC Charlotte MSW program requires both the Graduate School form checklist and a narrative letter uploaded onto the form.

For Advanced Standing students, one letter should be written by your agency field instructor or University field liaison. Advanced Standing applicants are asked to send a copy of their final field evaluation to unccmsw@uncc.edu.

The letter of recommendation should describe your aptitude for graduate education by addressing the bulleted points below. It is the applicant’s responsibility to forward these directions to their 3 references:

This letter should be submitted on business stationery; and it should identify the writer’s title and educational credentials

Letters of reference should describe the applicant’s

• Volunteer or work activities and duties;

• Skills and values relevant to social work practice with diverse populations;

• Enthusiasm for learning;

• Responses to supervision and critical feedback;

• Ability to collaborate with others; and

• Overall strengths and challenges relevant to graduate study.

8. Acceptance of Admission Form to be completed within five business days upon acceptance to the program. A Field Application Form is sent to those accepting admission. Because some field placement agencies serving vulnerable populations exclude personnel with criminal convictions, students entering the program may be subject to a criminal history inquiry. Many agencies require drug testing as well.

MSW Student Transfers

Graduate programs are different from undergraduate programs and from each other in that transfers between programs are very costly for the student. Many hours (and funds) are usually lost by the transferring student in the process. The 6 hour course transfer limit is set by the UNCC Office of Graduate Admissions and is not negotiable. The vast majority of MSW programs have the 6 hour transfer limit and any courses for transfer consideration are subject to review and approval by the accepting institution. The waivers occur for BSW courses only, not other graduate courses. Field hours are not transferable.

Most students decide to stay the course and complete their degree at the first institution. Given that students have likely done well at their current MSW program, we encourage students to consider staying the course there. Most MSW programs are CSWE accredited programs with fine faculty.

Only courses from another CSWE accredited MSW program can be considered for transfer. Transfer credits are evaluated for consistency with the UNC Charlotte MSW curriculum. Transfer credit is limited to only 6 credits. Transferring students must meet all of the admissions requirements and submit an application in order to be considered for admission to the program.

Course Waivers

BSW graduates who qualify may omit selected courses from the first year of study. The student replaces the credits with electives in their chosen field of practice. The course waiver does not reduce the sixty hour requirement for the MSW degree.

Graduate Certificates

Students may want to supplement their MSW by earning a graduate certificate in their chosen field of practice. The program offering the certificate may be contacted for details. Examples are:

• Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling
• Graduate Certificate in Gerontology
• Graduate Certificate in Non-Profit Management

MSW Open House

Held each Fall semester. Check the Social Work Department web page for announcements of the workshops for prospective Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) students.

Application Instructions

Dates: A completed online application and nonrefundable application fee of $65.00 must be received by the UNC Charlotte Office of Graduate Admissions (OGA) by February 1 for admission the following fall. Applications received after that date will be reviewed on a space available basis. There are no spring admissions. Applicants may submit their application to the OGA earlier than the deadline for consideration for admission.

Process: The OGA has online admissions information supplemented by additional materials from the respective graduate departments. The website includes general information about the university, student services, international admissions, residency requirements, fees, financial aid, and procedures for admission to the university. The online application and information may be accessed here. Please review the Admissions Requirements section of this page for specific MSW application requirements.

Applicants' completed applications with Letter of Recommendation Forms contacts, payment, essay, and resume attachment are submitted online to the OGA; only the official transcripts are mailed to OGA. No materials are mailed directly to the Social Work Department. The OGA holds all received materials until the packet is complete. When all components are received, the application is processed, GPA's are calculated, and the application is forwarded to the Social Work Department for evaluation for admission to the program. The Social Work Department notifies the OGA of its recommendation and the official letter of acceptance for admission to UNC Charlotte is sent online to the applicant from the Dean of the Graduate School.

Office of Graduate Admissions
The Graduate School
UNC Charlotte
9201 University City Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28223-0001

The applicant may determine the status of his application by accessing his or her file via Internet site where any outstanding components of the application are cited, dates of receipt are noted and the file disposition is available to the applicant. The Admissions Committee, chaired by Ms. Jordan and its membership consists of two additional faculty members and additional faculty reviewers. The Admissions Committee Chair assigns faculty applications to review, evaluate, and score. The admissions scoring equation consists of five components: (1) GRE scores (2) Undergraduate preparation including GPA (3) References, (4) The four to five page essay and attached resume (5) Relevant experience, volunteer and professional.

Faculty evaluate each applicant and submit the completed evaluation form to the Admissions Coordinator. Interviews are not routine for admissions decisions but will be initiated at the request of the Admissions Committee. The Admissions Committee meets as needed to discuss and finalize admissions decisions.

Prerequisites

As a student in a professional program in the College of Health and Human Services, you may be asked by a field agency to undergo health screening, drug testing, and/or have a criminal background check before being allowed to participate in a field placement experience at that facility. All costs associated with health screening, drug testing and background checks are the responsibility of the student.
Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions are available here.

Contact Information

MSW Program Coordinator
Mark Ezell, Ph.D.
Department of Social Work
704-687-7924
rezell1@uncc.eduThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Admissions Coordinator
Gay Jordan, MSW, LCSW
Department of Social Work
704-687-7937
gjordan@uncc.edu

Admissions Assistant
Cynthia Stasiewski
Department of Social Work
704-687-7931
unccmsw@uncc.edu

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