WHAT CAN I DO WITH A SOCIAL WORK DEGREE?
A myriad of activities can be performed by social workers in a variety of employment settings once a student receives a Master of Social Work degree. Below is a listing of just a few tasks social workers perform:

Working in a hospital setting to assist medical personnel in gaining insights into the social, economic, and psychological situations of patients, as well as helping in their treatment and discharge planning;

Counseling people with psychiatric, emotional, and personality disorders in mental health clinics or other clinical settings;

Preparing and implementing community-wide action plans to respond to various social problems;

Working with young offenders in juvenile courts, youth outreach programs, and prisons;

Helping abused, neglected, and/or foster children with their reintegration into the community;

Providing services to the elderly in hospital settings, geriatric psychiatric units, day treatment and/or day care programs and other community settings;

Counseling individuals, couples, and families with personal problems in private practice settings. (License required);

Assisting victims of rape, spouse abuse, and other forms of domestic violence;

Helping in the rehabilitation of drug and alcohol abusers through counseling, group treatment, and social support;

Providing testing and evaluation in the school system for children with ADD and ADHD.

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REQUIREMENTS & APPLICATION PROCEDURES

What are the requirements to apply?
The School of Social Work grants admission on the basis of the applicant’s academic record and personal qualifications. This admission, however, does not constitute admission to candidacy for a degree. Please note that the School of Social Work only admits students in the fall semester of each year.

The following are requirements that must be completed prior to admission to the MSW program in the LSU School of Social Work:

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university;
• Demonstration of a liberal arts undergraduate preparation through completion of at least 12 credit hours in the social and behavioral sciences (psychology, sociology, anthropology, human geography, economics, political science, curriculum & instruction, etc.), and at least 9 hours in the humanities (literature, languages, history, women’s studies, art or music history, philosophy, cultural and comparative studies, communication studies, etc.);
• An undergraduate human biology course that covers humans as well as other animals;
• “C” or better in an introductory statistics course in any undergraduate department;
• A 3.0 cumulative grade point average on undergraduate course work and acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE);
• Evidence that the applicant possesses the personal qualities and aptitudes essential for the social work profession.
• Personal Interview

A genuine interest in people and emotional stability are also important qualifications for admission to the school. Information concerning these qualities will be obtained from the student’s application materials and from present or former employers, teachers, other persons acquainted with the applicant, and from pre-admission interviews on campus.

 

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MEETING THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS DOES NOT GUARANTEE ADMISSION.

When is the application deadline?
THE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 15TH of every year. If the 15th falls on a weekend, applications will be due the Monday following the 15th. All information must be received by the School of Social Work and the Graduate School by this date, not postmarked. You will be notified by the School of Social Work once we receive all of your application materials. Students applying to the Advanced Standing Program and the Advanced-Year Distance Education Program must apply to the Graduate School for the summer semester. All other students should apply for the fall semester. NOTE: Only applicants whose materials are complete and received by the deadline will be considered for admission (this includes reference letters). Applicants are responsible for insuring that all letters of recommendations are sent by those writing the letter of recommendation.

Can I apply for the spring semester?
No, the school only admits students for the fall semester.

I received an application packet from the Graduate School and sent in my application. Is this all I need to apply to the School of Social Work?
No. You must apply to the LSU Graduate School AND the School of Social Work. The application process is a two-step process. In the first step, the Graduate School performs the initial screening and recommends to the department if the student is admissible to the University. In the second step, the School of Social Work evaluates the letters of recommendation, letter of intent, GRE, GPA, work and volunteer experience, and do a more thorough and final review of your application. You will also be required to attend an on-campus personal interview to complete your admission application.

The School of Social Work has separate application and recommendation forms that need to be completed. Students applying to the advanced standing program and the advanced year distance education program must apply to the Graduate School for the summer semester. All other students should apply for the fall semester. Note that meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. If you have not received a Graduate School application, please call 225-578-1641 or click here to complete the Graduate School application.

Can I take social work classes while I’m waiting to get in?
No. The required social work classes are restricted to enrolled students in the MSW program. However, some elective courses may be appropriate for an applicant to enroll. Please contact the assistant dean of Student Services for more information.

Applicants can take graduate level courses in another program or university that will transfer as an elective credit. Applicants are only allowed to transfer six hours of credit that can be used toward the MSW degree. Please consult with the assistant dean of Student Services to be sure the course is acceptable before enrolling.

How hard is it to get into the MSW program?
Relatively competitive. There are approximately two applicants for every position.

When will I be notified of an admission decision?
No admission decisions will be made until after the application deadline on February 15th. You will be notified via e-mail if we have received your application materials or which pieces of your application we are missing. Applicants are requested not to call the school to inquire on admission status during March and April. You will be notified the FIRST OR SECOND WEEK IN MAY AT THE LATEST OF THE ADMISSION COMMITTEE’S DECISION.

 

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GRE and GPA

What are the GPA and GRE requirements?
GPA: The School of Social Work requires a minimum 3.0 undergraduate gpa for regular admission. If an applicant has a 2.55-2.99, the applicant will be placed on admission probation. If the gpa is lower than a 3.0, the last 60 hours will be recalculated. Applicants with a cumulative and last 60 hours of a 2.54 or less will not be considered for admission. See the Graduate Bulletin for more information on how to strengthen your application.

GRE: Applicants are more competitive when they score 500 or better on the verbal and quantitative components of the GRE. Please keep in mind thatan applicant’s total admission packet is considered when making decisions, and the GRE is only one component.

Do I need to take the GRE? If so, which GRE test do I take?
All applicants are required to take the GRE test. Admission will not be granted unless this test is taken and your scores are received by February 15th. Applicants need to take the general test. The GRE test needs to be taken and your scores received by LSU before the February 15th deadline. Taking the test a few days before the deadline will be too late. The test should be taken by the beginning of February to ensure your official scores reach LSU by February 15th. The test is administered daily by computer. GRE registration and information materials can be obtained through the LSU Graduate School at 225-578-1641, other universities by calling 800-GRE-CALL, or online at www.gre.org. We advise taking the GRE several weeks before the deadline to insure that scores are reported.

PROGRAM OF STUDY

How long will it take me to get my MSW degree?
Please refer to the MSW Information Section

When will I be attending classes and internship?
For students in the foundation year, classes are tentatively scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday in three hour blocks from 8:30a.m. - 11:30a.m., 12:30p.m. - 3:30p.m. and 4:00p.m. - 7:00p.m. (times subject to change). Internship consists of 16-18 hours per week (two full days) in a field agency. In the foundation year, internships can be done on Monday, Tuesday, or Friday, depending on agency need, scheduling, availability of supervision, meetings, staffings, etc.

In the advanced year, classes are tentatively held on Monday and Tuesday in three hour blocks from 8:30a.m. - 11:30a.m., 12:30p.m. - 3:30p.m. and 4:00p.m. - 7:00p.m. Internship can be done on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, depending on agency need, scheduling, availability of supervision, agency meetings, staffings, etc.

What is the Advanced Standing program like?
Please refer to the MSW Information Section

What is the part-time program like?
Please refer to the MSW Information Section

Can I switch from part-time to full-time?
No. The way in which courses are sequenced will not allow this. The change from part-time to full-time can only occur after the first 30 hours are completed.

I need to work full time while I’m in school, but I want to go full-time in the program. What should I do?
The curriculum is very structured and very demanding. A full-time student can expect to be in class FOR TWO FULL DAYS AND INTERN FOR TWO FULL DAYS EACH WEEK. Working full-time and going to school full time is going to be very difficult. The part-time program may be more manageable.

Are admissions standards the same for full-time, part-time, distance education and advanced standing?
Yes

 

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INTERNSHIP

Do I complete my course work and, then do my field internship?
No. Full-time students complete their internships concurrently with other course work. Part-time students complete at least two to three semesters of course work (foundation academic courses) before beginning the internship. Please refer to the MSW Section of this Web site for more information.

I need to work full-time. Can I complete my internship on the weekend or at night?
No internship can be completed entirely during the evening or weekend hours because it is essential that students participate in staff meetings and other agency activities when learning is at its peak. Although there are some social work agencies that are open 24 hours, there are usually not adequate learning experiences nor supervision taking place during late night and weekend work. Students need to work internship hours during the traditional work day. Evening and weekend hours are the exception.

Can I do field internship work in my hometown?
Yes, as long as there are available agencies. For example, it is quite common for students in Lafayette to commute to Baton Rouge for classes and do internship work in Lafayette.

Do I set up my own field internship or will the school handle this for me?
Responsibility of making field placement assignments rests with the director and assistant director of field education. STUDENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO APPROACH AGENCIES DIRECTLY OR TO ARRANGE THEIR OWN PLACEMENT.

I work for an agency and would like to do my internship there. Is this possible?
The Field Office will generally NOT assign a student to a placement in an agency where the student is an employee. However, in certain circumstances, the request to utilize the work setting may be granted. The Council on Social Work Education’s standards address the need to maintain the educational focus of the field experience and to differentiate between job and internship activities. This option is considered on an individual basis by the director of field experiences to ensure that the student receives a variety of field experiences and supervision in the internship.

I would like to visit campus
I would like to extend a personal invitation for you to attend one of our Open House Informational Meetings. These meetings are very informal, and I will be answering questions about the MSW program and explaining the admission procedures. These sessions will be held throughout the fall 2007 and spring 2008.

September 11th 10:00 am

September 12th 10:00 am or 1:30 pm

October 3rd 10:00 am or 1:30 pm

October 9th 10:00 am or 1:30 pm

November 6th 10:00 am or 1:30 pm

November 7th 10:00 am or 1:30 pm

December 5th 10:00 am or 1:30 pm

January 9th 10:00 am or 1:30 pm

January 30th 10:00 am or 1:30 pm

To reserve a seat at one of these Information Sessions, please contact Becky Cavalier at 225-578-1326. If you need further information or have any questions, please contact our office at your earliest convenience at 225-578-5875 or 800-848-7111.

 

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