MSW Program with Non-Degree Seeking Status

Students may be admitted to the MSW Program with non-degree seeking status. Approval will be determined based on the evaluation of the applicant’s undergraduate GPA, previous coursework, application materials, and program capacity. Non-degree seeking students do not qualify for financial aid. Graduate tuition applies for all courses taken as a non-degree seeking graduate student. Information about tuition rates and payment deadlines is available on the Bursar’s website.

Students accepted into the MSW Program with non-degree seeking status who hold an undergraduate degree in a field other than social work may be approved to take up to 12 credits of the MSW Program’s foundation level coursework. Completing coursework as a non-degree seeking student does not guarantee future admission into the MSW Program with degree-seeking status. Should a non-degree seeking status student wish to apply for degree-seeking status, a full MSW Program application and fee are required. These courses may count toward MSW degree completion if accepted into the MSW Program as a degree-seeking student. Approval will be determined based on the evaluation of the applicant’s undergraduate GPA, previous coursework, application materials, and program capacity. Approved coursework typically includes:

• SWKM 5400 – The Art of Theoretical Inquiry: Social Work Theories Over Time (3 credits, offered fall semester)
• SWKM 5425 – Exploring the Foundations of Justice (3 credits, offered fall semester)
• SWKM 5500 – Integrating Research and Evaluation into Social Work Practice (3 credits, offered spring semester)
  • Completion of an undergraduate level statistics course required
• SWKM 5575 – Groups and Teams: Collective Action for Change (3 credits, offered spring semester)

Social workers with an MSW degree from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited program may take SWKM 6635 – School-Based Social Work Practice as a non-degree seeking student upon acceptance.

Note: we are not able to sign a TEE form until after you are registered for SWKM 6635. We begin reviewing applications and releasing decisions (allowing applicants to register) after the full consideration deadlines listed below.

These deadlines and required application materials apply both to applicants wanting to take foundation year coursework and to applicants wanting to take SWKM 6635 – School-Based Social Work Practice.

Note: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; please see individual deadline notes below.

Application Deadlines

• Summer Start (SWKM 6635 only) – applications can be submitted and are currently being reviewed. Applications must be completed and submitted by Friday, May 30^th, 2025, to be eligible for this Summer 2025 course.
• Fall Start – applications can be submitted at any time but will not be reviewed until May 2025 for a Fall 2025 start. Applications must be completed and submitted by Friday, August 8^th, 2025, to be eligible for Fall 2025 courses.
• Spring Start – application dates TBD for Spring 2026

Application Materials

Only complete applications are considered. Required application materials include:

• Graduate Admissions Application and $50 application fee
  • Make sure to select “Graduate Non-Degree” as the program type and “Non-Degree Social Work” as the planned graduate program of interest
  • Note regarding application fee: Any domestic graduate application submitted through September 30, 2025, will not have an application fee applied.
• Transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended (official or unofficial, if accepted official transcripts will be required)
  • If you are applying to take SWKM 6635, you must submit your undergraduate transcripts and your MSW Program transcripts
• Current detailed resume
• Statement of Intent – 1-2 pages double spaced, addressing how you would use the non-degree program to further your educational and/or career goals

The MSW Program may reference admissions materials from previous applications to the MSW Program when making non-degree seeking admissions decisions.

Submit your resume and statement of intent to the Office of Social Work Student Services at [email protected]

Unofficial transcripts can be uploaded directly into your graduate admission application.

Official transcripts should be submitted directly to the Office of Graduate Studies. Please note that transcripts need to be submitted directly to the Office of Graduate Studies by the college or university or dropped off by a student still in a sealed envelope. Once transcripts have been opened by a student they are no longer considered official.

If you obtained your undergraduate degree from MSU Denver, your transcripts will be automatically associated with your application during the processing of your application.

All transcripts should be submitted by choosing one of the options below. Please do not submit any materials to the Office of Admissions at MSU Denver. Failure to submit using one of the options below may result in a delay in processing your application.

• Submit Transcripts Electronically (preferred method)
  • Request official transcripts be sent electronically to [email protected].
• Submit Transcripts by Mail
  • 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.

Applicants accepted into the MSW Program with non-degree seeking status are held responsible, both academically and financially, for any class in which they enroll. Failure to withdraw from any class, regardless of attendance, results in a grade of “F”. Students remain liable for tuition and fees. All grading policies for degree-seeking students also apply to non-degree seeking students.

Applicants accepted into the MSW Program with non-degree seeking status must take courses the term they are accepted into. There is no deferral process for accepted non-degree seeking students. Students who do not take courses in the term they are accepted must reapply for non-degree seeking status.

Students must earn a grade of “B-” or better in all courses. Failure to obtain a passing grade of “B-” or better will result in dismal from the MSW Program with non-degree seeking status. All coursework completed while in the MSW Program with non-degree seeking status will remain on the academic transcript. Should the non-degree seeking status student become degree-seeking, all grades earned while non-degree seeking will reflect on the official academic transcript.