Admissions

The admissions process is intended to identify and select the most highly qualified applicants to the School of Social Work. The Admissions Committee oversees the selection process and recommends admissions policies to the School.

Requirements for Admission

Academic prerequisites:   

• Completion of a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. (If degree is in progress at time of acceptance, degree must be completed prior to matriculation.)
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better is preferred.  (If your GPA is lower, please address this in your personal statement.)
• Have completed a distribution of liberal arts courses, including content in human biology.  (Applicants, who have not taken a course with content in human biology, must complete a human biology course during the first year of the MSW program.)
• Evidence of significant work or volunteer experience in the human service field with MSW supervision is highly recommended

Procedures and Policies

• Applications for admissions are submitted through UNE’s online application.
• • Submit a 5-7 page personal essay as part of the online application
  • • Expressing the applicant’s reasons for pursuing a graduate social work degree at this point in his or her life
    • Assessing the applicant’s prior formal and informal learning and social work-related experiences
    • Discussing the applicant’s perception of UNE’s School of Social Work Missions Statement and its applicability to professional social work.
  • Provide two education/professional references as part of the online application
• Applicants must submit the following to the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions, 716 Stevens Avenue, Portland, ME, 04103
• • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis through early spring prior to the fall start date.  Applicants are encouraged to apply early.
• Deadline for submissions of a completed application with supporting documentation is April 1st of each year prior to the start of fall classes. Complete applications submitted by the deadline will be considered by the Admissions Committee. (Applications received after the deadline will be reviewed on a space available basis.)
• International students and students with international degrees must have transcripts evaluated for degree and grade equivalency to that of a regionally accredited US institution.  See International Students for a list of educational credential evaluators. 
• All applicants to UNE must be able to understand and communicate in English to be admitted to the university.  UNE accepts several methods of English Proficiency, see International Students.  English Proficiency requirement must be completed at the time of application.

Transfer Credit

Transfer Credit
The transfer of credit for graduate courses taken at another institution (other than advanced standing) may be possible under the following conditions:

• Transfer students with one full year of graduate social work education accredited by the Council on Social Work Education
• • Minimum grade of “B” in all courses and acceptable field work evaluation   
  • Graduate work must have been completed within five years of admission to UNE
  • Student must complete a minimum of 32 credit hours at UNE’s School of Social Work to earn a degree the university
• Transfer students with less than one full year of graduate education must meet the following requirements:
• • Request for transfer of credit must be initiated at the time of application, but no later than beginning of attendance as a degree-seeking student
  • Earned graduate credit at an accredited university within five years of the request for transfer credit
  • Graduate coursework must be accepted by the SSW as having a direct relevance to the program of study at UNE
  • Maximum of nine credit hours for graduate credits earned in another discipline may be transferred toward elective credit, provided the credits were not taken as part of an earned graduate degree at another institution
• All coursework was completed with a minimum grade of “B”.
• Graduate credit earned from a completed graduate program of study in another discipline will not be considered for transfer into the SSW.  Waivers of requirements, without award of credit will be reviewed by faculty for consideration
• Applicants wishing to apply for transfer of credit must provide the SSW with written petition along with the following documents:
• Official transcript indicating course was completed with a grade of “B” or better
• Copy of the course description, syllabi, or bibliographies in which the course and course assignments are described.

Advanced Standing
Qualified graduates of BSW programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education may be considered for Advanced Standing under the following conditions:

• Graduation from a C.S.W.E. accredited BSW program within five to seven years of enrollment in the School of Social Work
• Minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA for the last 60 credit hours of the BSW program.
• Review by the Admissions Committee of course outlines/syllabi and field work evaluations indicating that the applicant has had the class and field experiences that parallel the University of New England School of Social Work Foundation year and received a minimum “B” average (3.0) on a four-point scale.
• Evidence of significant work or volunteer experience in the human service field with MSW supervision preferred
  

Applicants meeting the above criteria may be awarded up to thirty-two (32) credit hours toward degree requirements. Applicant may be required to take additional coursework preceding regular enrollment to address knowledge deficits or gaps in their undergraduate education.

Students admitted into advanced standing are required to enroll in two 2.5 credit hour summer intensive bridge courses prior to the fall semester ( SSW 515 Integrating Micro and Macro Frameworks; and SSW 525 Introduction to Advanced Practice) prior to starting their advanced year courses. Students not meeting the UNE foundation field requirements (560 hours) may be required to complete an additional field practicum (up to 3 credit hours).

Experiential Learning
Applicants may not receive academic credit for work experience in the field or for life experience.