https://socialwork.nmsu.edu/academic-programs/graduate-students/msw-apply.html
All MSW Application including Regular MSW and Advanced Standing require the
following:
1. Earn a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Pre-requisite course work
for bachelor’s degree in liberal art major is human biology content and basic
statistics or research methods. Pre-requisite course work in non-liberal art’s major
includes humanities, natural and biological science, behavioral and social science
content, basic statistics of research methods course.
2. Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (Regular MSW only). The School of Social
Work will consider a 2.75 to 2.99 GPA for admission on a provisional basis.
Applicants who are admitted provisionally due to GPA below 3.0 may be required
to enter the three-year program. Students admitted on provisional standing must
maintain a 3.0 GPA in the first semester to continue in the program.
3. A completed MSW Program Application form
4. Copy of transcripts from all previous colleges or universities attended
5. A current resume
6. Two (2) letters of reference (We do not accept letters of recommendation from
family members or friends of the family). References should be able to speak to
your academic capabilities, your maturity, your ability to manage time and take
responsibility, and your commitment to social work. References are best from
individuals having recent contact (past six years). Since you are applying for a
graduate level academic degree, it is recommended that some of your references be
academic ones. Other references could come from an employment supervisor
and/or from a community or volunteer program representative.
7. Personal Statement
Personal Statement Guide: In reviewing your Personal Statement, the Admission’s
Committee will assess your written communication skills, your critical thinking
skills, and your ability to follow directions. The committee will evaluate the
reflection of your motivation for entering the social work program, your
preparedness to work with diverse cultures and groups, as well as other criteria.
In the personal statement, do the following:
8. Answer each question thoroughly and with depth. Demonstrate your graduate level
writing skills by answering questions in a way that shows your ability to follow
directions, write ideas coherently, use abstract thinking, and use proper grammar
and syntax.
9. For all questions, use the Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association (7
th
ed.) (2019). Also use this manual when citing in the text and
include a reference page for any professional literature you quoted or paraphrased.
To refresh your knowledge about APA style you can Google - APA Style Guides.
10. Your personal statement should be no more than 10 double-spaced pages with 1-
inch margins on all sides. All pages need to be numbered and you are to use a 12-
point font size.
11. Clearly number your answers to correspond to the number of the question being
addressed. Repeat only the question for ease in reading by the reviewer (Do not
include direction material)