Master of Social Work
About the Program
The Ohio University Department of Social Work has operated a CSWE-accredited bachelors’ degree program since 1974. Responding to community demands, the department developed an MSW program with emphasis on service in rural environments. The MSW program was admitted to candidacy for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education in February 1999, and has been fully accredited since 2002.
Program Options
Full Time degree-bearing program that leads to the MSW in two years.
Advanced Standing applicants who have earned bachelor’s degrees in Social Work from CSWE-accredited programs within the past 5 years and have exceptional grades and references may be admitted directly into the Concentration year, and earn their MSWs in less than one year.
Two Modified Part-Time degree-bearing programs enables students to split the educational content into either 3 or 4 academic years.
Non-Degree applicants with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and a GPA of at least 2.75 may take up to 12 credits in elective courses. Each course earns 10 continuing education units for license renewal purposes.
Due to a number of exciting institutional and programmatic changes, processes and information are being revised.
All applicants should consult the Department and University websites for more complete and updated information on admissions, program options and contact information at: http://www.ohio.edu/graduate/apply/index.cfm
Admission Standards
All applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree reflecting coursework in statistics, human biology and the social sciences, with at least one social science course at or above the 300 level and have proof of paid or volunteer experience in the human services. Students must enter with and maintain a GPA of 3.0.
Provisional Applicants who are still completing their bachelor’s degrees while applying with be admitted provisionally. Provisional status will be removed when the university receives a copy of the student’s transcript reflecting graduation.
Conditional Applicants with GPAs near but below 3.0 will be considered, but must submit a Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score and an additional essay, in addition to all other materials.
Advanced Standing Applicants must meet all admission standards, have earned a bachelor’s degree in Social Work within the past five years, have earned a 3.0 GPA with a B or better in all required social work courses and have an excellent field reference.
International Applicants should submit application material as early as possible to ensure admission during the desired Academic Year, as well as TOEFL or IELTS scores.
Admission Procedures
Applicants for admission to any option of the MSW program must fulfill the general admission requirements and complete the application forms of both Ohio University and the Department of Social Work.
No applicant will be considered for admission until all application materials have been received and reviewed by the Admissions Committee.
Completed applications received by February 1 will be given priority consideration for admission for following academic year. (Students may begin the program only during the second summer session for Advanced Standing and Fall quarter for all other students.) Applicants are advised to submit admission materials as early as possible, and required to submit the Checklist in the Applicant Handbook (available at the department website) to ensure that they have submitted all required forms, essays, test scores, transcripts and letters of recommendation. Please submit your application online to the Graduate College and submit all other items directly to the Program office located in Morton 416.
The MSW is:
- One of the top 10 growth fields of the 21st Century
- The only mental health master’s degree that enables holders to practice in all 50 states
- The practice degree held by 60% of all mental health professionals in the U.S.
Time Considerations
Major revision to course scheduling is underway and will be finalized soon. Students are required to attend classes one to two days a week, with content delivered in a hybrid model combining face to face and online instruction.
The full-time program requires 16-20 hours of field work and 15-16 hours of coursework each semester, exclusive of time for study and assignments. Therefore, the program should be considered a full-time commitment, and applicants should consider whether outside obligations would interfere with that commitment.
All courses must be taken in sequence, and practice courses may only be taken while concurrently completing a related field practicum.
It is a explicit policy of the Council of Social Work Education that all requirements for the MSW degree be completed no more than 4 years from the date of the student’s initial enrollment in the program.
Field Placement Procedure
Students have considerable input into the field placement selection process. However, students must either select a placement with which the Department currently has a Affiliation Agreement or propose that an agency be considered for affiliation.
Students currently working in the field might be able to use their employment site for their foundation field site. Advanced concentration sites may not be employment-based.
Contact Information
Department of Social Work
Phone: 740 593-1292
Fax: 740 593-0427
E-Mail: social.work@ohio.edu
http://www.socialwork.ohiou.edu
Office of Graduate Studies
740-593-2800
http://www.ohiou.edu/graduate
Student Financial Aid and Scholarships
740-593-4141
GRE Testing Information
1 800 GRE-CALL
http://www.gre.org
International Student Services
740-593-4330
http://www.ohiou.edu/isfs/
