The requirements for admission to the M.S.W. program are based on prior academic performance, values consonant with the social work profession, and paid and/or volunteer human service experience. The minimum requirements include the following:

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a strong background in the liberal arts and sciences
2. Personal characteristics and qualifications related to successful professional performance consonant with the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics.*
3. A minimum undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0 on a four-point scale.
4. Paid or volunteer experience in the human services preferred.
5. International students must have a TOEFL score of 585.

Candidates for the Advanced Standing program must have obtained an undergraduate degree from a C.S.W.E.-accredited social work program within the past five years, and are required to have achieved grades of "B" or better in all of their social work courses. In some cases, additional courses may have to be taken if the candidate’s program varies significantly from Adelphi’s foundation curriculum.

*Please Note: The NASW Code of Ethics is available online at www.socialworkers.org/pubs/codenew/code/asp.

Application Procedure
Each candidate is required to file an application provided by the University’s Office of Graduate Admissions or the School of Social Work, or downloaded from the University’s Web site.

Applications for full-time study should be completed and received by the University with all required documents by July 15 for priority consideration for the fall semester and by December 1 for priority consideration for the spring semester. Completed applications for fulltime study received after these dates will only be reviewed on a space available basis. It is strongly recommended that applicants for the Advanced Standing program and transfer students file applications by March 1 for fall semester admission. The School reserves the right to limit admissions as necessary.

Candidates must submit three reference letters. Preferred sources are supervisors in the social agencies in which they have been volunteering or employed, college instructors, or others unrelated to the applicant who are equipped to evaluate their readiness for graduate study and capacity for social work practice. Candidates must arrange for the forwarding of their college transcripts and submit a personal statement of how their interest in social work developed and the life experiences that influenced this professional choice. Please refer to the questions on the application. At the discretion of the School’s Admission Committee, a candidate may be interviewed to secure additional information or to gain impressions as to personal qualifications.

For additional information please contact Marcia Edwards, coordinator of admissions for the School of Social Work, 516.877.4384/4360.

Admission Process
Each step of the admissions process is designed to contribute information about the qualifications of the candidate. The application form, transcripts, references, and, if required, the interview are used to elicit relevant data.

Application Form

1. The application form provides information about prior educational experience and paid or volunteer work experience.
2. Educational background data, including transcripts, provide insight as to the quality of educational institutions attended, continuity of participation in the educational process, scholarly potential as revealed in grade-point average, and prior areas of study.
3. Material on employment background and volunteer activity sheds light on the quality of the applicant’s work history in relation to readiness for professional education.
4. Information on organizational affiliations in school and community gives evidence of leadership experience, interests, and commitment to social issues.
5. The personal statement provides evidence of the motivation of the applicant, the role of significant life experiences on the choice of the social work profession, and on the applicant’s writing and conceptual abilities.

References
Letters of reference are particularly valuable when received from employers or supervisors in social work settings or from college teachers who can report on learning patterns and academic potential. References from close friends and family members are not appropriate. Letters of reference are used to help to assess the candidate’s potential for growth or readiness for professional social work education.

Personal Interview
A personal interview may be required for transfer applicants, advanced standing applicants, accelerated applicants, O.Y.R. applicants, and for any candidates for whom the written materials are insufficient to arrive at a judgment as to the applicant’s ability to successfully pursue graduate study in social work. The interview is used to evaluate the applicant and to secure any additional information necessary to arrive at an overall assessment of the applicant’s capacity and readiness to undertake professional social work education.

Decision-Making Process
On the basis of review by members of the admissions committee and the coordinator of admissions, a decision is made and forwarded to the University admissions department. The University then notifies the applicant of the School’s decision.