Social Work

Hye-Kyung Kang, MSW, PhD, Director

Web: https://www.seattleu.edu/artsci/msw/

Objectives

Seattle University’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program prepares students to develop values, skills, and knowledge for social justice-focused and community-based advanced clinical social work practice.

The MSW program is consistent with the definition of clinical social work adopted by Council on Social Work Education (CSWE):  

As a specialty within the practice of social work, clinical social work builds on the professional values, ethics, principles, practice methods, and person-in-the-environment perspective of the profession. It reflects the profession’s mission to promote social and economic justice by empowering clients who experience oppression or vulnerability. Clinical social work requires the professional use of self to restore, maintain, and enhance the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual functioning of individuals, families and groups.

Seattle University offers a 2-year MSW program, and a 10-month Advanced Standing MSW program:

Admission Requirements (2-Year)

The 2-Year path of study is for applicants with an undergraduate degree in a major other than Social Work. Two-Year students complete 66 credits and 1168 hours of field practicum. Admittance is for fall quarter (September) start.

• Completed Application for Graduate Admission form and a non-refundable $55 application fee (Note: fee waived through fall 2022)  
• Evidence of a four-year equivalent bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. Liberal arts background.
• Minimum 3.00 GPA calculated from transcripts of all post-secondary educational institutions attended in the last 90 quarter/60 semester credits of your bachelor’s degree in social work, including any transfer credits earned during this time, and any post-baccalaureate course work. Applicants with a GPA below the required minimum must submit an explanatory statement with the application to be considered for an exception. Applicants earning a bachelor’s degree from a non-graded institution must submit official GRE scores in lieu of GPA.
• Evidence of completion of a college-level statistics course with a passing grade is required for enrollment.
• Current résumé
• Three professional recommendations
• Admissions Essay: Part 1 and Part 2
• Academic Preparation Form
• If English is not applicant’s native language, official English proficiency scores meeting the university’s entrance requirements must be submitted. See policy 2008-01  in Admissions Policies for details.

Admission Requirements (Advanced Standing):

The Advanced Standing path of study is for applicants with a baccalaureate degree in Social Work from a CSWE-accredited program. Advanced Standing students complete 39 credits and 720 hours of field practicum. Admittance is for summer intersession (August) start.

Programs

• Master of Social Work