Social Work

Degrees Offered

Program Degree Offered
Social Work M.S.W. Program Description

Admission

ADMISSION APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Welcome to the University of Montana (UM) School of Social Work Masters of Social Work Application. Please carefully review the information below before submitting your application. Any application that is incomplete will not be considered for admission. Applicants must be able to fulfill the requirements for both the UM Graduate School and the UM School of Social Work. *NOTE: The application will close at 11:59 MST on February 15, 2023. 

To submit your file to the university for review, you will need the following items.  See below for more in depth information.

  • A completed application
  • Your official transcripts from all prior academic institutions
  • 3 references
  • Statement of purpose (2 essay questions)
  • Professional resume

UM Graduate School Application Requirements:

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. (Transcripts are submitted through this system. Do not send physical copies of transcripts directly to the school. Please see transcripts section below.) 
  • Minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 for all undergraduate work, based on a 4.00 scale. 
  • Three statements of recommendation which must meet the following specifications: 
    • Recommendations must be completed and submitted by persons outside the applicant's extended family who have direct knowledge of the applicant's character and abilities. 
    • One recommendation must be academic. 
    • For tracking purposes all recommendation letters should be submitted through the Graduate School application. 

School of Social Work Requirements:

  • Evidence of a solid foundation in the liberal arts and the sciences, including course work in the social and behavioral sciences.
  • Responses to the two essay questions listed below.
  • In the Supporting Information portion on the main Graduate School application, complete the Experiences section. Information in this section must include paid and volunteer experience with specific dates and number of hours per week invested.

Transcripts

It is highly recommended that applicants begin the transcript process as soon as possible to allow time for transcripts to arrive and resolve any issues should they arise.

  • All transcripts must be submitted to the Graduate School application. (Excluding the University of Montana)
  • Applicants must request transcripts from each educational institution attended, even if they did not earn their Bachelor degree through it.
  • The Graduate School application system does not request transcripts for applicants.

Resume 

A current resume, which includes the following sections specifying the dates of your education as well as your employment and volunteer experiences. Indicate If the employment and volunteer experiences were full-time or part-time endeavors; if part-time, please include the number of average weekly hours invested.

  • Education
  • Paid Experience
  • Volunteer experience and community involvement

Personal Statement

A personal statement is not required. However, if an applicant feels their academic record does not reflect their potential, they may submit a personal statement in this section telling the Admissions Committee why they think they can handle the demands of graduate education. Please upload the personal statement into your Graduate School application.

Essay Questions

Please upload your two essay responses as two separate files in your Graduate School application portal. Do NOT upload both essay answers as one document. Both documents must follow APA formatting guidelines and be no more than four double-spaced pages.

Essay Question One: Submit an essay that addresses how your personal qualities, life experiences, and professional and volunteer work have led you to the field of social work and prepared you to honor the UM MSW Mission Statement (outlined below). How will these qualities and experiences shape what you bring to the MSW learning community and to the pursuit of social justice in the field of social work? How do these qualities and experiences make you a strong candidate for the specific MSW program offered at the University of Montana?

University of Montana School of Social Work Mission Statement: The Master of Social Work program prepares social workers who, guided by a person-in-environment perspective, will promote and support the profession’s historic commitment to social and economic justice and equality through direct practice activities and community-based efforts reflecting the needs and dignity of all people. The program educates students to become competent, ethical, and collaborative practitioners, community leaders, and researchers who appreciate diversity, use critical thinking skills, and understand rural and global contexts. Graduates will embrace advances in knowledge and practice promoting the rights and well-being of people and creating a more humane society.

Essay Question Two: Submit an essay that analyzes a contemporary social issue that you consider relevant to the field of social work. In this essay, demonstrate your skills in professional writing and critical analysis. The essay should include the following:

  • Overview of the issue and its relevance to social work
  • Brief historical background and context of the issue
  • Rationale that addresses why this issue matters to social workers in pursuit of social justice
  • Brief overview of relevant research (3-4 sources) that provides evidence regarding the nature of the issue and strategies for addressing it
  • Brief description of ways in which social workers and others are working to address the issue
  • Innovative possibilities for action and change that you would put forth based on your understanding of and experience related to the issue
  • Proper citation of sources and Reference page

 Application Review

  • Applications will not be reviewed until all materials are received. Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission.
  • If you are presenting an academic record that in your opinion does not reflect your potential, please include a personal statement telling the Admissions Committee why you think you can handle the demands of graduate education. This can be submitted in the Documents tab of this application.
  • GRE: The School of Social Work does not require the Graduate Record Exam as part of the application process. However, for applicants with a GPA of less than 3.0, the School recommends submission of GRE scores as an additional source of data regarding readiness for graduate-level education. (If you choose to submit a GRE score, please do so in the Standardized Test section of the main Social Work CAS application.)

General Information

  • For questions specific to the University of Montana School of Social Work program and requirements, please contact the MSW Program Interim Director Jen Molloy, MSW at jen.molloy@mso.umt.edu or 406.243.4278.

For questions specific to the application, please contact Heidi Holzer at heidi.holzer@mso.umt.edu or 406.243.4941. 

ADMISSION DEADLINES

Campus:

  • February 15th Fall Deadline- In Person MSW Program (state mid/late Aug)
  • Jan 15th Advanced Standing MSW Program (start mid/late Aug)

Online:

  • Dec 5th Online Asynchronous MSW Program Spring Start (start mid-Jan)*
  • April 5th Online Asynchronous MSW Program Summer Start (start in May)*
  • July 5th Online Asynchronous MSW Program Fall Start (start mid/late August)*

*Online program dates are Priority Deadlines, applications received after will be considered based on space availability


DEPARTMENT WEBSITE

Campus Location
Jeannette Rankin Hall Room 004

Federal Express Delivery - Street Address
32 Campus Drive
Missoula, MT 59812

For Program Information Contact:
(406) 243-5543
Fax: (406) 243-5275
social.work@umontana.edu