Admission Requirements

Applicants for admission to the MSW program are expected to meet or exceed the following requirements:

• Earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
• Evidence of broad coursework in the liberal arts: 6 hours General Science (must include Human Biology); 6 hours English Composition; 6 hours Humanities; 6 hours Social Sciences; 6 hours Quantitative Math (e.g., include computer).
• Successful completion of a course in statistics
• One year’s experience paid or volunteer in a social service agency (in a service capacity) or its equivalent as determined by the Graduate Admissions Committee.
• Cumulative GPA 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Three professional references.
• A written personal statement (to be evaluated by the Graduate Admissions Committee for commitment to social work values, social justice, diversity, writing skills, etc.).
• Interviews may be required.
• Completion of the GRE or MAT within the last five years.
• Completion of MSW Application Package (PDF).
• An international applicant for whom English is a second language is required to submit a score of 550 or higher on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

These materials must be submitted by April 1st in order for the applicant to be considered for admission for the fall semester. Students will be admitted to the two-year MSW program during the fall semester of each year. All admitted students are required to attend an orientation held during the fall immediately prior to classes beginning. In addition, students planning to enroll full-time must plan to be available during the summer months for the field placement search process. Although student “life” or work experiences are highly valued by the faculty, no academic credit is given in whole or in part, in lieu of the field practicum or courses in the professional foundation areas specified in the Curriculum Policy Statement.

Transfer Credit

The Division of Social Work has formal policies and procedures concerning the transfer of credit from other accredited colleges and universities, including the transfer of credit from other CSWE accredited schools and departments of social work.

A student who has previously earned graduate level credit from a Master of Social Work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education may submit her or his transcript as part of the application process.

A student may request that a course taken prior to enrollment in the MSW program be accepted as a substitute for a social work elective course provided the course meets certain criteria as determined by the Admission Committee. These determination of elective credit will be made after the student has been admitted to the program.

Transfer Students Policy

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has formal policies and procedures for the transfer of credits from other accredited colleges and universities, including the transfer of credit from other CSWE accredited Master’s degree programs. The MSW program seeks to prevent duplication of academic content by recognizing prior educational achievement.

Transfer of credit from another accredited Social Work Program requires a final grade of  "B" or better and approval of the Chair of the Admissions Committee. The Chair reviews transfer requests on a case-by-case basis and may request course syllabi or course description so that it may be compared to equivalent course at FGCU with input from the faculty who teaches the course. Students may also be asked to provide details regarding course content and examples of written work if available. Credit is not given for life experiences.

The following FGCU criteria is taken into consideration before accepting a transferring student:

"With the approval of the college/program, a student may transfer credit from a regionally accredited college or university (or other approved institution in accordance with Florida statute or rule) into the graduate college/program at FGCU. Transfer of credit is contingent upon review of appropriate documentation from the student’s prior courses, including transcripts and course syllabi" (FGCU Catalog, page 40).

The guidelines concerning transfer of graduate credit points out:

"Unless otherwise specified in college/program policy, up to 12 graduate-level credits may be transferred into the college/program and applied toward the degree. A grade of  "B" (3.0 on a possible 4.0 scale) or higher is required. Courses must be applicable toward the graduate degree being sought at Florida Gulf Coast University as determined by the college/program". (FGCU 2003-2004 Catalog, page 40).

Students may request that courses taken prior to enrollment in the FGCU MSW program be accepted as substitute for social work elective courses. The following rules will apply in such cases:

The course was graduate level and offered by an accredited college or university

1. The course was taken in a CSWE accredited MSW Program
2. The course bears direct relevance to the master’s level of social work education
3. The course was not used to meet requirement for another degree
4. The student earned a grade of “B” or better and provides an official transcript attesting to that fact.
5. The course was completed within five years prior to admission to the MSW program at FGCU.