Applicants applying for admission to the 60-hour program must have:
- a baccalaureate degree from a college or university accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency or foreign equivalent
- a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 and a minimum of 3.0 on undergraduate social work courses and previous graduate work**
Advanced Standing status is reserved for students who have a baccalaureate degree in social work (BSW or BSSW) from a Council on Social Work accredited program. Advanced standing status enables a student to waive all foundation-level courses, except for the Foundation Capstone course. All applicants applying for advanced standing status must have:
- a baccalaureate degree in social work (BSW or BSSW) from a college or university accredited by the Council on Social Work Education
- a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher and graduated within five years of entry to the MSW program**
** Students who do not meet the minimum requirement(s) may be considered for provisional admission based on a review of the applicant’s transcript(s) and the strengths of the other elements in their application. Some work experience is preferred. Although GRE scores are not required for program admission, applicants may submit current scores from the GRE General Exam to supplement their application materials. GRE scores are valid for five years from the date of the exam.
*The Eastern Kentucky University master’s program has achieved Candidacy for Accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation.
Candidacy for a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation indicates that it has made progress toward meeting criteria for the assessment of program quality evaluated through a peer review process. A program that has attained Candidacy has demonstrated a commitment to meeting the compliance standards set by the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards, but has not yet demonstrated full compliance.
Students who enter programs that attain Candidacy in or before the academic year in which they begin their program of study will be retroactively recognized as having graduated from a CSWE-accredited program once the program attains Initial Accreditation. Candidacy is typically a three-year process and attaining Candidacy does not guarantee that a program will eventually attain Initial Accreditation. Candidacy applies to all program sites and program delivery methods of an accredited program. Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program.
For more information about social work accreditation, you may contact Accreditation.
