MSW Application Walkthrough

Three letters of recommendation are required for application to the MSW Program at MSU Denver. Each letter of recommendation is individually evaluated by the Admissions Committee. The committee can only evaluate three recommendations per application. Therefore, if you enter more than three recommenders into the system, it is your responsibility to exclude the recommendations you do not want reviewed by the committee prior to the deadline. If you need assistance excluding recommendations, please email [email protected]. If you have not excluded any recommendations from review, our office will take the first three letters completed for review. You must have three completed recommendations by the application deadline for your application to be considered complete and eligible for review.

Recommenders should be professional and should not be family, friends, and/or personal therapists. Professional recommenders include faculty, employment/volunteer supervisors, and professional colleagues.

It is strongly recommended that at least one letter come from a faculty member (when possible – the committee understands that applicants who have been out of school for some time may not have faculty able to provide recommendations) and one letter from a supervisor (employment or volunteer based).

Advanced Standing Applicants ONLY: you are required to have at least one letter of recommendation from someone associated with your undergraduate social work program. This could include a faculty advisor, field director, field instructor, field liaison, or program director.

Professional colleagues may serve as adequate recommenders if need be, but use caution that the Admissions Committee highly values faculty and supervisor letters.

Recommenders should be able to speak to your academic and/or professional abilities as well as comment on your potential to succeed in graduate school and/or the field of social work. When considering your recommenders, think about who can write a strong letter of recommendation for you. The quality of the letter contributes to your overall application score.

As soon as you enter your recommenders into the system, they will receive an email with a unique link to complete their recommendation. Recommenders can start work on completing the recommendation as soon as they are entered in the system, even prior to you submitting your application!

Recommenders will need to upload a written narrative (Word or PDF only) and fill out an evaluation form within the system to complete their recommendation.

We ask that your recommenders upload a written narrative statement that addresses/describes the following:

• In what capacity and for how long have you known the applicant?
• Applicant’s suitability for professional social work practice;
• Applicant’s strength (skills/values) as a candidate for professional education in social work;
• Applicant’s response to supervision and critical feedback;
• Applicant’s ability to collaborate with others.

If the recommender evaluates the applicant as “excellent” or “below average” in any areas on the evaluation form, they are asked to explain those ratings in their narrative as well.

Request official transcripts be sent electronically to [email protected].

We can only accept electronic transcripts as official when they are sent directly by the college or university. Any electronic transcripts emailed by an applicant are considered unofficial.

Important Note About Ordering Transcripts:

If you are ordering your transcripts and select to send them to a school, you may be forced to choose from a list of schools and will not be able to enter the [email protected] email or mailing address. If this is the situation, do not select MSU Denver as this will have your materials sent to the MSU Denver Office of Admissions and will delay processing. Instead, you should select to send the transcripts to a third party at which point you should be able to directly enter our information. Sending to a third party and directly entering the email or physical address you want them sent to should be an option at all institutions. We have had transcripts from all schools in Colorado and from schools across the U.S. sent to us via the [email protected] account and Office of Graduate Studies mailing address.

Request official transcripts be sent by mail to:

Metropolitan State University of Denver
Office of Graduate Studies
PO Box 173362, Campus Box 48
Denver, CO 80217-3362

Important Note About Ordering Transcripts:

If you are ordering your transcripts and select to send them to a school, you may be forced to choose from a list of schools and will not be able to enter the [email protected] email or mailing address. If this is the situation, do not select MSU Denver as this will have your materials sent to the MSU Denver Office of Admissions and will delay processing. Instead, you should select to send the transcripts to a third party at which point you should be able to directly enter our information. Sending to a third party and directly entering the email or physical address you want them sent to should be an option at all institutions. We have had transcripts from all schools in Colorado and from schools across the U.S. sent to us via the [email protected] account and Office of Graduate Studies mailing address.

NOTE: The application materials listed below were accurate for the Summer/Fall 2023 application. We cannot guarantee they will remain the same for the Summer/Fall 2024 application, and will update this section if any changes are made.

Download the MSW Admissions Essay Requirements & Prompts (PDF) or read the information below.

The Admissions Essay must be written and saved to the applicant’s computer as a Word or PDF file prior to being uploaded to the application checklist.

The submission requirement is an academic essay which helps the admissions committee to evaluate your capacity and readiness for graduate education and advanced social work practice.

The admissions essay is a critical part of your admissions application and will be the basis for evaluating your writing skills, critical thinking skills, and capacity for self-awareness and personal growth. Be sure to include all required elements in an academic essay, using academic sources where appropriate (your ability to use and cite appropriate sources is an indicator of critical thinking) and follow APA 7th Edition style. We strongly encourage applicants to thoroughly review and edit their submission prior to upload.

While some personal information is required in the essay (e.g. your strengths), you should be judicious in the use of self-disclosure. You are not expected to disclose intimate details of your life; however, if you choose to do so, you should do so only briefly and make it clear how the issue has been resolved so that you may now succeed in the program and the profession.

The maximum length of the entire essay is no more than six pages (12 pt. font, double spaced, title page and/or reference page do not count towards the page limit). This is not short answer and should not be bullet-pointed; you should address and arrange the required information in a coherent, well-structured essay. An abstract is not required.

Your essay should incorporate the following information:

1. the alignment of your personal philosophy and values with that of the profession;
2. your understanding of and commitment to diversity and social justice;
3. your professional experience;
4. your career plans and focus in the field of social work versus another helping profession (i.e., why social work?);
5. your strengths and weaknesses that are relevant to the social work profession;
6. describe a time you were given critical feedback – what was your reaction and how did that experience inform your development?;
7. how the MSU Denver MSW Program is best suited for your educational and professional goals; and
8. how you will manage the rigorous demands of graduate education.

The arrangement of this information is up to you; all must be addressed, but the order in which you do so should be guided by your writing style. Overall, we are looking that you understand the profession, are committed to it, and are ready for graduate-level work.

Due to the large number of applications the MSW Program receives, the Department of Social Work regrettably cannot provide feedback on your admissions essay prior to submission.

However, the MSU Denver Writing Center does provide support for MSW Program applicants – please visit their website for more information and to schedule an appointment. When looking at available appointments, make sure to limit to “MSW applications” to get paired with a team member who can assist with graduate-level writing. When scheduling, make sure to select the following options:

• What is your standing at MSU Denver? MSW program applicant
• What type of appointment do you want? Writing consultation (if individual) or group writing consultation (if going as a group of 2-4 applicants)
• Course the writing is for (department): Social Work – MSW
• What department is your major? Social Work

NOTE: The application materials listed below were accurate for the Summer/Fall 2023 application. We cannot guarantee they will remain the same for the Summer/Fall 2024 application, and will update this section if any changes are made.

Download the MSW Case Study Requirements & Prompts (PDF) or read the information below.

The Case Study should be completed by Advanced Standing applicants and must be written and saved to the applicant’s computer as a Word or PDF file prior to being uploaded to the application checklist.

The case study is an important part of your application because it reflects your ability to think critically about a situation and indicates your level of knowledge about social work. The case study is assessed based upon its level and quality of comprehensiveness, appropriateness, clarity, and academic writing.

Your essay must incorporate the following:

• not to exceed 4 double-spaced pages, using 12-point Times New Roman font;
• be written from the perspective of the school social worker;
• provide the Admissions Committee a clear picture of your ability to construct a cohesive, academic essay that demonstrates your readiness for graduate-level work;
• synthesize your foundational social work knowledge and combine academic sources to support your rational (references are expected and APA 7th Edition style should be followed); and
• provide the information requested below in a well-formed essay (that is, incorporate the required information into an essay) and NOT in short answer form.

Case Study Prompts:

1. Very briefly describe the current situation.
2. Assess the family. What are the major issues, the dynamics, the strengths and challenges this family faces? Your explanation should be supported by scholarly sources.
3. Develop an action plan. Describe your action plan to address all the identified issues.
4. What are the cultural considerations for working with this family? Support with scholarly sources.
5. How do the macro systems impact the way you serve this family? What changes would you like to see in these systems and how would you go about creating change?

Case:

Paula Romero, age 35, was born and raised in El Salvador. She has lived in the US for eight years and her daughter Beatriz, age 8, was born here. Paula does not have papers for legal residency in the US. Her husband and son, Edgar, age 37, and Tomás, age 15, live in El Salvador and have been trying for years to join Paula and Beatriz. They have applied for Visas to the US but have been denied. The family has typically communicated several times a week by phone and computer. Paula’s sister Evelyn and her husband Mario were also born and raised in El Salvador and have lived in Denver area for 15 years. Evelyn has a work visa and has had an application pending for a green card for the past three years. Evelyn’s husband, Mario, does not have a visa or green card.

Until recently, Paula worked long hours at a small, family-owned (no relation to her) restaurant six days a week. With her limited income, she has been able to support Beatriz and herself. They have a small, one-bedroom apartment. Paula is a devout Catholic and loving mother. Beatriz is a good student and attends the second grade a local elementary school. She walks home from school, heats up dinner her mother would prepare, does homework, and reads or watches television until her mother arrives at about 8 p.m. On weekends while her mother works, Beatriz sometimes stays at home but often stays with her aunt or friends.

Six months ago, Paula began experiencing multiple health issues. She lost her appetite and experienced extreme pain and fatigue. After several visits to the doctor, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer and underwent surgery and chemotherapy at Denver Health. The treatment was unsuccessful and her condition has deteriorated. She is expected to live for just a few days longer.

Beatriz and Evelyn and several friends and neighbors have been caring for Paula at home during these past several months. Since Paula is unable to work, Edgar and others were sending money to help pay the bills. Church members from their parish also have provided financial and other support to Paula and Beatriz during Paula’s illness. For the past two months, Beatriz has been quiet and seems disinterested in any activities.

Both Evelyn and Mario work full-time. They are renting a small, two-bedroom apartment, where they have lived for the past two years. They have no children. They are hoping Beatriz can stay with them. Beatriz is probably open to the idea but worries about her father. If she stayed with Evelyn and Mario, Beatriz would remain in the same school district but would have to change schools, as they live too far away from her current school. Evelyn and Mario are concerned about any state support or interference, due to Mario’s residency status. Edgar would like to be with Beatriz but would prefer for Beatriz to remain in Colorado, as he thinks it too dangerous for her to be in El Salvador.

You are the School Social Worker at Beatriz’s school. You received a referral from Beatriz’s teacher, Ms. Ochoa. Ms. Ochoa has been concerned about Beatriz for the past several months. She reports that Beatriz has missed approximately 20 days of school in the past four months and has not been in school at all for the past week. When in attendance, Beatriz has been uncharacteristically quiet and unprepared for her lessons. She also appears tired and a little unkempt at times. When Ms. Ochoa has talked with Beatriz, Beatriz has teared up and has only said her mother is ill.

NOTE: The application materials listed below were accurate for the Summer/Fall 2023 application. We cannot guarantee they will remain the same for the Summer/Fall 2024 application, and will update this section if any changes are made.

The Petition for Advanced Standing is built into the application checklist and will be completed there if required.

This form is only required for individuals whose bachelors degree in social work is more than 6 years old.

The Advanced Standing Program is reserved for those who have earned a bachelors in social work form a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited program within the last 6 years as of the start of MSW Program courses in June 2023. However, applicants with a degree older than 6 years, but still less than 10 years old as of June 2023, may petition the MSW Program to review their eligibility for Advanced Standing. Eligibility is determined upon the applicant’s extent and level of current professional activity and development in the field of social work. Applicants whose bachelors in social work degree is older than 10 years must apply to the Regular Program.

• If you earned your bachelors in social work between December 2016 and present, you do not need to submit the Petition for Advanced Standing
• If you earned your bachelors in social work between December 2012 and November 2016, you must submit the Petition for Advanced Standing as part of your MSW Program application if you want to be considered for Advanced Standing.
• If you earned your bachelors in social work degree in November 2012 or earlier, you are not eligible for Advanced Standing and may submit the Regular Program application.

NOTE: The application materials listed below were accurate for the Summer/Fall 2023 application. We cannot guarantee they will remain the same for the Summer/Fall 2024 application, and will update this section if any changes are made.

Applicants may upload supplemental items to their application checklist. This is not a required step in the application process. There is no guarantee that the Admissions Committee will review any uploaded supplemental materials. As such, if an uploaded document is a critical component, applicants are encouraged to refer to the document in their admissions essay. Items uploaded as supplemental items are not evaluated as part of the formal review, but may serve to answer some questions or paint a more comprehensive picture of the applicant.