Master of Social Work (MSW)
Program Options:
- Full-time: 2 Years
- Part-time: 3 Years or 4 years
- Full-time Advanced Standing: 1 year
- Part-time Advanced Standing: 2 years
Day Cohort Evening Cohort 2 days weekly 3 days weekly Time Slots: 8:15 AM – 10:45 AM
11:15 AM – 1:45 PM
2:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Time Slots: 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
8:15 PM – 10:45 PM
To be considered for admission to the Master of Social Work program, applicants must:
- Possess a bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by a recognized, regional accrediting association, with a recommended GPA of 3.0.
- Submit two letters of recommendation. The letters may come from faculty members, employers, supervisors or professional colleagues, but may not come from relatives, friends, partners or other informal contacts.
- Submit a resume detailing educational attainment and any prior employment and/or volunteer experience.
Submit a personal statement. The Montclair State University MSW faculty have the responsibility of evaluating your application. You will be submitting a variety of evidence concerning your ability to undertake a graduate program in social work.Use the questions that follow to complete your personal statement. DO NOT use a question and answer format. Write a full essay answering ALL questions below. Your essay should be double spaced, in 12-point font. There is no specific min/max page requirement for the personal statement essay. We highly recommend you keep to 5-6 pages double-spaced.
Social work as your career goal:
- What are your values and beliefs? How do you think they relate to social work?
- What leadership and personal qualities do you bring to the social work program and profession?
- The Montclair State University MSW program educates students to engage in anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work practice. How have you demonstrated your commitment to anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices in the past or how might you do so in the future?
- The Montclair State University MSW program educates students to advocate for and to engage in clinical social work practice with children, youth, and families. Why is this program the best fit for you and your career goals?
Your experience as a student:
- How do you expect your academic and social performance in graduate school to compare with your academic and social performance as an undergraduate student? Give reasons for any differences you may anticipate.
- Have you ever received low (D’s) or failing grades, been on academic probation, or been dismissed from or denied readmission to any college? If so, explain. Be specific.
- If your overall GPA is below a 3.0, please explain.
Your experience with others:
- Describe any social work experience in which you were supervised by an MSW professional.
- Give an example of a work-related problem you experienced and how you were able to resolve it. What did you learn from this experience?
- Describe your experience/participation in school and community activities.
- Describe your experience in the helping role, such as family or other social or work experiences, in which you gave or received help.
Your time commitments:
The program is academically rigorous, emotionally challenging, and time consuming. If you are a full time student, you should plan on devoting at least 40 hours per week to your coursework and 15 or 22 hours of practicum work per week. If you are a part time student, you should plan on devoting at least 25 hours per week to your coursework and 15 or 22 hours of practicum work per week.
- How do you plan to manage your time and commitments to successfully complete the program? .
If you are expecting to be employed while in the program, how you will ensure that you have at least one day available to complete your practicum placement hours?
Advanced Standing Program
To be considered for admission to the Advanced Standing program, applicants must:
- Demonstrate that they possess a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from a CSWE-accredited institution, with a recommended GPA of 3.0. The BSW degree must be completed within five years from the application to the MSW program.
- Show competency in all required undergraduate social work courses, as demonstrated by a grade of C- or above.
- Submit two letters of recommendation. We strongly encourage that at least one letter comes from a practicum supervisor/ practicum liaison/ faculty member in the applicant’s BSW program.
- Submit a resume detailing educational attainment and any prior employment and/or volunteer experience.
- Submit a personal statement: See prompt above
Timeline for Applications: Fall 2024
For Fall 20243 applications the priority deadline is January 19th, 2024. Applications to the Master’s in Social Work (MSW) program that are complete as of the January 15th deadline will receive priority review, and can expect an admission decision no later than February 19th. Applications completed after the priority deadline will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the program is full. Please note: upon offer of admission, you will be asked to submit an enrollment deposit of $200.
Dr. Lynette Reitz, MSW Program Director
Email: socialwork@montclair.edu
973-655-6853
Contact Graduate School:
Montclair State University
The Graduate School
(located between University Hall and the Student Center)
1 Normal Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07043
Telephone: 973-655-5147
Fax: 973-655-7869
Email: gradschool@montclair.edu
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition information is available on the University Website.
Financial aid is available in the form of graduate assistantships, institutional scholarships, and federal and private educational loans. Students should contact The Graduate School regarding scholarship and assistantship opportunities, and the Financial Aid Office regarding loan options.
A limited number of Graduate Assistantships may be offered to highly qualified applicants. To obtain more information about Graduate Assistantship applications, please see visit the Graduate School Website.
If you are interested in an Assistantship, be sure to check it off on your Graduate Application.