Master of Social Work Program

Jayashree Nimmagadda Professor MSW Program   Building No. 9 - East Campus 112 (401) 456-8042 (401) 456-8210 jnimmagadda@ric.edu

• To all MSW Students: Registration Information for spring 2010
• About the Program
• Graduate Fees
• Admission Requirements
• MSW Application Packet

About the Program

Full-Time Program

To achieve full-time status in either year, a student must register for field instruction and three courses each semester. Students who are admitted full-time are expected to complete the program in two years.

Part-Time Program

A limited number of part-time students will be admitted. Admission requirements and procedures are the same as those for full-time study. Part-time students are normally expected to take a minimum of two courses during the academic year. A field placement will occur in a public or private nonprofit agency after the completion of 11 credit hours of course work. Degree requirements must be met within four years. Students may switch from part-time to full-time study after completing the first year on a part-time basis, thereby completing the program in three years instead of four

Advanced Standing Program

A limited number of students possessing a B.S.W. from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education will be exempt from the professional foundation, pending completion of comparable course work. Students granted advanced standing will be required to complete 32 credit hours. These students will begin the program in the fall semester. The advanced standing program may be completed on either a full-time or part-time basis.

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Admission Requirements

Admission to the Master of Social Work program is on a selective basis and is determined by the quality of the total application. Certain admission requirements may be waived under special circumstances if the applicant demonstrates sufficient cause.

1. Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. Students who have completed all but their last semester of baccalaureate work may also apply.
2. Evidence of the intellectual capacity to participate successfully in academic work at the graduate level. A diverse academic background with a liberal arts perspective that includes course work in the human biological sciences, social sciences, humanities, and mathematics. Specifically, an applicant is required to have:
   1. A minimum grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale in undergraduate work;
   2. At least 15 credit hours drawn from course work in psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, and political science;
   3. Course work in human biology; and
   4. Course content in the humanities (English, visual and performing arts, philosophy, language, and Western and non-Western history).
3. Evidence of a combination of personal qualities considered essential to professional social work practice, such as responsiveness and sensitivity in relationships, commitment to improving social conditions, and the ability to function both independently and collectively with others.
4. A commitment to social work as a profession, based in part on personal experience in the field. This experience may have been attained in a variety of ways, such as through volunteer work, fieldwork experience in conjunction with course work, life experiences, etc.

Admission Procedures

Applicants to the School of Social Work should submit the following material by February 1 of the year in which they want to begin the program:

1. A completed application form accompanied by a nonrefundable fifty dollar ($50) application fee payable to Rhode Island College.
2. Official transcripts. It is the responsibility of the applicant to request official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate programs, including community colleges, which they previously have attended and have them sent directly to the School of Social Work. Even if the student transferred into RIC or into another college, transcripts must be requested from the previous college. The School of Social Work will obtain official transcripts for all work completed at Rhode Island College.
3. Three letters of recommendation. More than the three required recommendations may be provided if the applicant wishes. Applicants should provide references with the enclosed guidelines for completing letters of reference. Advanced standing candidates must provide a fourth reference signed by the current director of the B.S.W. program (or designee). A form is provided for this reference. All references should be returned to the applicant, each in a sealed envelope, with the signature of the person providing the reference across the sealed flap. Suggested references include a professional social worker, a professor, and an employer, all of whom are familiar with your work.
4. A personal statement that is approximately six to eight double-spaced typewritten pages. The statement aids the Admission Committee in its assessment of the applicant's qualifications for professional social work practice. Among these qualifications are: the ability to think analytically and conceptually; clarity in self-expression; responsiveness and sensitivity in minority and culturally diverse relationships; the ability to develop professional self-awareness and self-evaluation; commitment to improving social conditions; and the ability to function creatively, responsibly, and independently.

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