Apply to the BSSW Program

American Government

• PSC 1010: American National Government
• (PSC 1025: American State and Local Government can fulfill the pre-requisite for social work but does not count for general studies.)

Biology (Choose One)

• BIO 1000: Human Biology for Non-Majors, or
• BIO 1030: General Biology for Non-Majors, or
• BIO 1080+1081: General Biology I + General Biology I Lab
• (BIO 2310: Human Anatomy & Physiology can fulfill the pre-requisite for social work but does not count for general studies.)

Psychology

• PSY 1001: Introductory Psychology or 6 credit hours of PSY coursework

Social Work (Complete Both with a Grade of C- or Better)

• SWK 1010: Introduction to Social Work
• SWK 1600: Community Engagement and Civic Responsibility (Requires ~3 hrs/week of volunteer work, for 45hrs/semester)

Written Communication (Complete 6 Credit Hours)

• ENG 1010: Composing Arguments
• ENG 1020: Research and Argument Writing
• (Any combination of 6 credit hours of CO1/CO2 or CO2/CO3 coursework fulfills Written Communication and the social work pre-requisite)

Social Cultural (Choose One)

• AAS 1010: Introduction to Africana Studies
• ANT 3335: Asian American Experiences
• ANT 2330: Cross-Cultural Communication
• CHS 1000: Introduction to Chicano/a Studies
• COMM 3000: Diversity and Communication
• ECO 3600: Economics of Social Justice
• GWS 1200: Sexuality, Race, and Power
• PSY 3030: Multicultural Psychology
• NAS 1000: Introduction to Native American Studies
• RLG 1090: Religion, Justice, and Liberation Movements
• SOC 1040: Introduction to Social Gerontology

Either of the classes below can fulfill the pre-requisite for social work, though they do not fulfill ESSJ they do fulfill other general studies:

• ANT 1310: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (SBS, Global Diversity)
• SOC 1010: People, Power, and Progress (SBS)

*Unless otherwise noted, all classes above fulfill general studies requirements.

Application Dates

You can apply to begin the BSSW Program in the fall (August) or spring (January) semester. 

• Fall Start Application Opens early September
• Spring Start Application Opens early February 

Review BSSW Program Student Policies & Procedures

The first part of the application is important information about the BSSW program including:

• Volunteer and internship requirements
• Course sequencing requirements
• Classroom and departmental policies, including review of the BSSW Program Student Handbook

Personal Statements

The second part of the application includes four personal statement prompts. Each answer should be 200-250 words maximum. The purpose of personal statements is to assess your dedication and understanding of the social work profession, ethics, and values, and that you can communicate clearly and effectively in writing.

We recommend drafting your responses in Word and then pasting into the text boxes in the application once you’re ready. Sometimes formatting can get off when pasting into the text boxes in the application – if you run into this issue, pasting with Ctrl + Shift + V is one way to paste from Word without formatting, and then you can use the formatting tools in the essay box.

Remember to keep your responses brief but thorough (there are word limits), and don’t hesitate to reach out to the Writing Center if you need any assistance along the way.

• Website: www.msudenver.edu/writectr
• Phone: 303-556-6070

Sometimes the writing center can get busy. Therefore, we also have writing support within the Social Work Department. Reach out to Tisha Townsend ([email protected]) to set up a writing support appointment.

Personal Statement Prompts

• Beyond your desire to help others, why have you selected social work as a major and profession over another helping profession or field? Please include any relevant work, volunteer, or life experience that contributes to your choice of social work.
• Social Work is a value-based profession with Social Justice and the Inherent Dignity and Worth of the Person as two of its core values. Illustrate your understanding of social work by sharing how your values and lived experience support the social work values of Social Justice (i.e., equity, liberation, power/privilege, oppression, etc.) and the Inherent Dignity and Worth of the Person.
• Describe a recent occasion when you experienced conflict in your life. This can be a conflict with another person or perhaps when you have had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged. What do you think you handled well in this situation? What do you wish you had done differently? What did you learn about yourself?
• In the social work program, each three-credit course you take requires at least six hours of out-of-class work per week. Social work classes will examine emotionally challenging topics such as suicide assessment, oppression, child abuse, neglect, and grief & loss. Course content will require ongoing critical self-reflection. Additionally, the BSSW Program requires 400+ hours of agency-based work across the upper division coursework. Please share how you will manage the rigorous demands of the BSSW Program and take care of yourself on this journey.

Once admitted to the BSSW program it is important to meet with your Social Work Academic Advisor to make a graduation plan. Download the BSSW Program Guide to ensure you stay on track.