Master of Social Work

The number of credit hours for degree completion is dependent on the student’s background. Students holding a BSW may be able to be admitted with advanced standing and complete the program in 1-2 years. Students admitted at the foundation level can complete the program in 2-4 years.

Student’s Undergraduate Degree	Total Required Credit Hours	Admission	Types of Courses to Take
BSW from a CSWE-accredited program within the last 10 years (Students who earned the BSW degree more than 10 years ago will be considered for advanced standing based on social work experience.)	30	Advanced standing	Specialized courses only
Undergraduate degree other than BSW from any accredited institution	57	Foundation	Generalist + specialized courses

Field education placement requirements will be fulfilled at an organization near you.

Students who enter the MSW program at the foundation level complete 900 hours in field education and students who enter the MSW program with advanced standing complete 500 hours in field education.

Applications for the MSW program are accepted year-round. Students admitted at the advanced standing level can begin the program in January, May, or August. Students admitted at the foundation can begin the program in August.

ADMISSION CRITERIA:

1. GPA of at least 3.0 on 4.0 scale (or equivalent). Applicants who do not meet the minimum GPA requirement may be conditionally accepted.
2. College transcript showing undergraduate degree from a college or university that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
3. Two professional references that attest to academic and professional achievement; strong preference for one reference to be from a practicing social worker. If applying for advanced standing, preference for one reference to be from one of the applicant’s BSW social work faculty.
   1. Please forward the names and email addresses for your references to Kellam Venosky, senior graduate admissions counselor, kmvenosky@goshen.edu.
4. Personal statement/essay. This form asks five questions about the social work field, your intentions for joining the program and managing the rigorous demands of graduate coursework.
5. Resumé. (Applicants are encouraged to have professional experience in the human service field.)
6. TOEFL scores if English is not the applicant’s first language, and undergraduate degree was completed in a language other than English.
7. An interview with the MSW program director may be required.

Advanced standing is awarded to students holding degrees from baccalaureate social work programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education or recognized through its International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Services. The degree must be conferred within the last 10 years. (Applicants whose BSW was earned more than 10 years ago may submit a special request for admission.)

Goshen College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and the MSW program is approved by the HLC. The Bluffton University and Goshen College Collaborative MSW program has achieved candidacy for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA) and expects to receive initial accreditation in early 2026.

Candidacy for an MSW program by the BOA indicates that it has made progress toward meeting standards of program quality evaluated through a peer review accreditation process. A program that has attained candidacy status has demonstrated a commitment to meeting the standards set by the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) but has not yet demonstrated full compliance.

Students that are admitted to candidate programs in the fall (or later) of the academic year in which the program is granted candidacy status will be retroactively recognized as graduates from a CSWE-BOA accredited program as long as the program attains initial accreditation. Candidacy is typically a 3-year process and attaining candidacy does not guarantee that a program will eventually attain initial accreditation.

Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program. Review our program’s candidacy status in CSWE’s Directory of Accredited Programs. For more information about social work accreditation, contact CSWE’s Department of Social Work Accreditation.

Our program assessment outcome data are available here.