Apply to Advanced Standing MSW
Applying to the University of Montana's Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program requires applicants to meet both UM Graduate School and School of Social Work application requirements.
Carefully review the application dates, admission requirements, and required materials below before submitting your application.
Application Dates
Applications open September 15. The deadline for all application materials is February 15.
Application Checklist
To submit your application for review, the following materials are required:
- Completed Graduate School application
- Transcripts from all prior academic institutions
- Three references
- One-page Personal Statement
- Two essay responses
- Professional resume
Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission.
Applicants for the 2027 start will also be asked to indicate their preferred fall and spring program format in the application.
Admission Requirements
Advanced Standing MSW Eligibility
Applicants must have a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW) from a CSWE-accredited program, or an international social work degree recognized by CSWE through its International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Services.
Applicants must have a GPA of 3.25, or an overall GPA of 3.0 with a minimum GPA of 3.25 in core social work courses.
Preference is given to applicants with at least 2,000 hours of post-BSW professional social work experience and to applicants who earned their BSW or BSSW within the past seven years.
Applicants whose BSW or BSSW was earned more than seven years ago may still apply and should clearly describe relevant social work experience and continuing education or professional training on their resume.
References
Applicants must submit three recommendations. Recommendations from relatives or friends will not be accepted.
- At least one recommendation must be an academic reference from a BSW or BSSW faculty member who has direct knowledge of the applicant's performance in the program.
- Applicants who graduated from their BSW or BSSW program less than two years ago must also include a recommendation from a member of their BSW or BSSW practicum or Field Education Program who has direct knowledge of their practicum performance.
Application Materials
Transcripts
To help reduce application costs, the School of Social Work does not require official transcripts for application review. Applicants may submit unofficial transcripts with their application.
If admitted, students must meet the Graduate School's official transcript requirements. The Graduate School requires an official transcript showing that you have been awarded a bachelor's degree. Official transcripts must be sent directly to the Graduate School by the issuing institution or through an approved third-party service such as the National Student Clearinghouse or Parchment.
If your bachelor's degree is still in progress when you apply, you may submit an in-progress transcript for application review. If admitted, wait until your bachelor's degree has been officially conferred before ordering your final official transcript. You must be awarded your bachelor's degree before you begin the graduate program.
University of Montana graduates: If the University of Montana awarded your bachelor's degree, you do not need to order an official UM transcript for the Graduate School. UM can access this information internally.
International transcripts: International transcripts must be evaluated before they can be accepted as official by the Graduate School. Evaluations must be completed by a current member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
Resume
Submit a current resume that includes the dates of your education, employment, and volunteer experience. Indicate whether employment and volunteer experiences were full-time or part-time. For part-time experiences, include the average number of hours per week.
- Education
- Paid Experience
- Volunteer Experience and Community Involvement
Personal Statement
Submit a one-page Personal Statement addressing your overall performance in your BSW or BSSW program, your interest in and capacity for pursuing the Advanced Standing MSW at this time, and your professional social work experience following completion of your BSW or BSSW.
Essay Questions
Submit two essays. Each essay must be 3-4 pages, not including the title and reference pages, and must follow APA formatting guidelines, including proper citation of sources.
Essay Question One
Submit an essay that addresses how your personal qualities, life experience, and professional and volunteer work have led you to the field of social work and prepared you to honor the UM MSW Mission Statement (see 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?
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 relating to the issue.
- Properly cited sources and a reference page.
Generative AI
In the School of Social Work, we ask that you not use Generative AI to complete your coursework, and this request extends to your application to our program.
While we don't yet know the full impact of generative AI and acknowledge that there may be ways it can support learning, we believe that most uses allow students to sidestep the careful, conscientious work of developing skills in critical personal reflection, clinical reasoning, and ethical professional practice.
Your journey in our program's community begins with this application. We look forward to getting to know you through your writing.
UM MSW Program Mission Statement
The Master of Social Work program prepares trauma-informed, anti-racist social workers who embody the profession's commitment to social, racial, environmental, and economic justice. The program educates students to be collaborative and integrated practitioners, advocates, community leaders, and researchers.
Guided by a person-in-environment perspective, graduates of UM's Master of Social Work program are prepared to disrupt systems of oppression, promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, and partner in community-based efforts within rural, Indigenous, and global contexts.
Application Review
Applications will be reviewed after all required materials are received. Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission.
Questions and Contact Information
General and Application Questions
For most questions about the Advanced Standing MSW program, admission requirements, application process, or next steps, contact:
Tomas Hernandez
tomas.hernandez@mso.umt.edu
Curriculum and Licensure Questions
For detailed questions about the MSW curriculum, academic requirements, or professional licensure, applicants are welcome to contact:
Logan Cook, MSW Program Lead
logan.cook@mso.umt.edu
Dual Degree Options
Dual degree programs may be available to Advanced Standing MSW students. Because the Advanced Standing curriculum follows an accelerated sequence, students considering a dual degree should contact the School of Social Work and the partner program early to confirm eligibility, course sequencing, and degree requirements.
MSW/MPA
Students interested in combining the MSW with the Master of Public Administration must complete a full application for each master's program and should work with both programs to determine an appropriate course sequence.
Learn more about the MSW/MPA dual degree.
Clery Act
In 1998, Congress passed amendments to the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990, which had amended the earlier Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), renaming the law to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, also known as the Clery Act.
The purpose of the Clery Act is to provide current and prospective students and employees with accurate and important information about crimes and campus safety so they can make informed decisions. The U.S. Department of Education electronically publishes UM data, along with comparable information from other colleges and universities.
Campus Safety and the Clery Act
Last reviewed: October 2026