Frequently Asked Questions

Application forms are available each fall beginning October 1. We will review applications received by the Priority Application Deadline each year for the class being admitted for the following summer for Advanced Standing students and following fall for Traditional students. Applications received after the priority deadline may be reviewed if space is available after the priority applications are reviewed and the first round of admissions have been determined.

Yes. Applicants will need to submit their academic transcripts for ALL previous college and/or university courses whether or not they received a degree. Your cumulative undergraduate GPA, the courses you have taken, and any previous graduate study are part of the admissions process. If your undergraduate GPA is less than 3.0 you will be asked to explain your circumstances. Transcripts are submitted with your application to the College of Graduate Studies and Research. For details go to Admissions & Forms.

Yes. We encourage international students to apply. You should be aware, however, that there are additional steps you need to take to be admitted to graduate education at Minnesota State University, Mankato. And these take additional time. In addition to other admissions requirements, students who have received their undergraduate (baccalaureate) degree from a university outside the U.S. need to have their credentials evaluated by an international equivalency evaluator and to take and submit TOELF scores. International applicants should visit the University's International Applicant Webpage, contact the Office of International Students, and the College of Graduate Studies and Research for more information and assistance related to studying at Minnesota State Mankato. Our department can not make any admissions decisions about international applicants unless the other steps are taken first. This process can take several months to complete.

No additional exams are required for admission to our program.

Experience in social work, human services, health care, education and related fields as a paid employee, intern or volunteer is considered as part of your application. After looking at the required criteria for program admission, the Admission's Committee will consider the length, breadth, and types of social service experiences as part of the overall recommendation for admission.

Yes, background checks are required for field placement and licensure purposes though not part of application for admission. You should be aware that past legal problems, particularly violations of criminal code, may limit internship and employment opportunities.

Maybe. Under some conditions the MSW program may be able to accept up to 10 transfer graduate credits from other programs or institutions, but this will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Concentration year required courses are not accepted in transfer, but foundation year and elective courses may be accepted. Once accepted into the program, a student may work with the MSW Program Director or faculty advisor to determine which graduate credits may be transferred into their program. University policy requires that those credits must be no more than 6 years old at the time you complete the MSW program.

No. Though previous social service experience is evaluated as part of the admissions process and is a valued part of your overall qualifications, no college course credit will be given to any student in the MSW program for either previous life or work experience. This policy is part of the CSWE Accreditation standards.

Yes, but it is a very individual decision. We have tried to develop a program that meets the needs of working and commuting adults by spreading the credits out over a full calendar year rather than traditional two semesters. We have scheduled classes for Thursday nights, Fridays, and Saturdays. We are open to working with students to develop practicum placements that work with their lives. We also have to balance these considerations with what is feasible for our institution and fits the requirements of our accrediting body, while offering a high quality program. It is our experience that most students can do this program while working at least part-time. In some isolated cases, students have worked full-time, but we don't encourage this. In both Spring and Summer students have to devote about 20 hours/week to Field Practicum. The answer is that it depends upon your particular situation. Taking on the demands of a graduate education means making a major commitment of time and energy, so it is something to carefully consider.

The field education (eg. practicum, internship) component of the program has been developed based upon our successful undergraduate field program. We have been placing students in a number of settings from county social services to community-based private agencies in and around the South Central Minnesota region and within a 150 mile radius of Mankato. See the Field Education/Practicum section of this website for additional field site information.

See the Field Education/Practicum section of this website.