Admissions requirements for applicants to the M.S.W. regular standing program options include:

• Four-year undergraduate degree in any major (or the equivalent as determined by VCU International Admissions if degree was earned outside of the U.S.)
• Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or greater recommended. Those with lower GPAs will be reviewed, but the overall score will be affected. Other graduate credits taken with a GPA of 3.0 or higher will help your application.
• All applicants must have passed with a "C" or above, a minimum of one three-credit class in the behavioral sciences and one three-credit class in the social sciences. These classes may include psychology, sociology, math, biology, political science, economics, history, etc. Applicants who do not meet the prerequisite criteria are admitted provisionally with enough time to register for and complete the course requirement at a university or community college of their choice. Failure to complete these requirements before the start of classes could preclude admission to the program. Online students admitted with less than four months before the start of the next term will be allowed to defer to the subsequent term or complete the prerequisite criteria concurrently with the first semester of M.S.W. courses.

Admissions requirements for applicants to the full-time M.S.W. advanced standing option include:

• B.S.W. degree from an accredited institution, no more than five years old prior to the date of application
• Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (Required)
• Received a "B" or better or pass in senior field placement. If the applicant has not completed their senior placement, one of their letters of recommendation should be from someone who can assess their potential to do well in a field placement. 

The advanced standing format is offered as a full-time option only. For on-campus students, advanced standing will start in the summer semester. For online students, advanced standing will start in the fall or summer semester. Applicants who are not accepted for the advanced standing option will be considered for the regular standing option (either on-campus or online) unless the applicant specifies otherwise. 

Applicants to the advanced standing option in the M.S.W. degree program must submit the standard application package, including the items listed for regular standing applicants. Additionally, advanced standing applicants must submit a written case assessment (prompt on application) and meet additional field requirements.

If a student has completed a senior field practicum, they must have a minimum grade of B or pass. For applicants to the advanced standing option who have not completed a senior field placement, one of the three references must possess the capacity to evaluate the applicant’s potential to succeed in a field placement. This reference should submit a letter of recommendation that articulates their estimation of the applicant’s capacity to succeed in a field placement based on the applicant’s performance in a work environment (e.g., in undergraduate field placements, or current or former place of employment). Potential references for this requirement include social work professors, field liaisons, field instructors and current or former employment supervisors. 

Please note this requirement only applies to applicants who have not yet graduated or completed a senior field placement. For applicants who have graduated, a minimum grade of B is sufficient to discharge this requirement and the third letter of recommendation should be solicited from a normal source and in the same format as other letters.

Please direct any questions about this requirement to sswinfo@vcu.edu for on-campus students or onlinemsw@vcu.edu for online students.