Apply to the In-Person MSW
Applying to the University of Montana's In-Person 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 Deadline and Requirements
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
- Two essay responses
- Professional resume
- Brief GPA statement, if undergraduate GPA is below 3.0
Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission.
Admission Requirements
In-Person MSW Eligibility
Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 for all undergraduate work, based on a 4.0 scale.
Applicants with an undergraduate GPA below 3.0 may still apply but must submit a brief GPA statement as described in the Application Materials section below.
References
Applicants must submit three recommendations. Recommendations must be completed by individuals outside the applicant's extended family who have direct knowledge of the applicant's character and abilities. At least one recommendation must be academic.
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
GPA Statement, if applicable
Applicants with an undergraduate GPA below 3.0 may still apply but must submit a brief statement addressing their GPA, the strategies they will use as a graduate student to maintain a 3.0 or higher, and their readiness to meet the demands of graduate education.
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 not be reviewed until all required materials are received. Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission.
- Applicants with an undergraduate GPA below 3.0 must submit the GPA statement described in the Application Materials section.
Questions and Contact Information
General and Application Questions
For most questions about the In-Person 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
Tomas can also help connect applicants with Logan when appropriate.
Dual Degree Options
The University of Montana School of Social Work offers two dual degree opportunities. Students interested in a dual degree must apply separately to each participating program and should contact the respective programs early for academic planning.
MSW/JD
The School of Social Work and Alexander Blewett III School of Law have collaborated to offer an MSW/JD Joint Degree program. The MSW/JD Joint Degree allows students to complete curriculum requirements in four years, rather than the five years it would take to complete both degrees consecutively.
The Joint Degree offers students an opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration while preparing graduates to respond to the unique needs of a rural state like Montana. Students graduating with an MSW/JD will be prepared to address the complex problems that arise at the intersection of both professions. Many key social issues and concerns of vulnerable populations involve the intersection of social work and law, such as criminal justice, child protection, housing, homelessness, and domestic violence. Having both degrees facilitates graduates' granular understanding of these systems, the impact they have for individuals, and how best to advocate for clients. Graduates of the Joint Degree program will be prepared to fill a variety of positions upon graduation, including leadership roles within government agencies, community human service agencies, and non-profit organizations, to name a few.
Interested students will apply to each program separately using established procedures for each program. Students completing the Joint Degree will complete courses at both The School of Law and The School of Social Work. For more information regarding the application process and course sequence, please get in touch with Ashley Trautman, MSW, JD: ashley.trautman@mso.umt.edu.
Learn more about the MSW/JD dual degree.
MSW/MPA
Under the MSW/MPA dual degree program, students may complete two separate degrees: the Master of Social Work and the Master of Public Administration. The program requires satisfactory completion of 69 semester credits, with 9 credits shared between the MSW and MPA.
Students must complete a full application for each master's degree and should contact the respective programs for guidance on the application process and course planning.
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