Information for Prospective MSW Students
About the Program
*The Master of Social Work is a 61-credit degree program that can be completed full time in two years or part time in three to four years.
In the foundation year, students take two direct practice courses, two policy and organizing courses, two human behavior courses, a research course, and a data analysis course.
In the advanced year, students choose a concentration: (1) clinical practice or (2) macro practice (management or policy/organizing. Students also complete three required practice courses, three electives, two professional development courses, and two advanced research courses. In both foundation and advanced years, students complete a required field internship. Many students opt to take electives during a Summer Session or early spring to lighten their course load in the fi nal year of graduate study.
For information contact:
Mimi Mumm, LICSW, PhD
amumm@ric.edu
Professor of Social Work and
Director of Admissions
Rhode Island College
School of Social Work
600 Mt. Pleasant Avenue, BLDG. 9
Providence, RI 02908
phone 401 456-8176 fax 401 456-8620
Full-Time Students
In the full-time program, students complete four courses and fieldwork in semesters one, two, and four. In semester three, students complete fi ve courses and fi eldwork, unless a course is taken in summer or early spring..Part-Time Students
Part-time students take two courses for two semesters and two courses and fi eldwork for the remaining four semesters, if they plan to graduate in three years. Those who wish to complete the program in four years distribute their course work, including concentration courses, fi eldwork, and electives, throughout their third and fourth years.Advanced Standing Students
Preference in admission to advanced standing is given to students who have completed a BSW during the last five years from an undergraduate program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. All students accepted into this program will participate in and successfully complete an online summer preparatory course. The fee for enrolling in this course for summer 2011 is $375.
Applicants who obtained a BSW degree more than five years prior to their application year can still apply to the Advanced Standing Program; however, they will be granted conditional admission and must successfully complete the summer preparatory course.
Students who are granted admission to advanced standing are exempt from the foundation year, pending completion of comparable course work. Students in the program must complete 32 credit hours and may do so in one or two years.
Fieldwork
All students, except those in the advanced standing program, are required to complete 480 hours of fieldwork during the foundation year of the M.S.W. program and 600 hours of fieldwork in the advanced year of the program. Students in the advanced standing program complete 600 hours of fi eldwork. All foundation-year students take their field placement concurrently with the social work practice courses (SWRK 532 and 533). It is possible to do one year of fieldwork in the student’s place of employment, provided that the placement meets all the criteria for placement settings. Plans for a placement in a student’s place of employment need to be discussed with and approved by the director of field education.
*A full description of course offerings is available online in the Rhode Island College course catalog.
Admission Requirements/Process/Application
The deadline for MSW applications for Fall 2013 is February 1, 2013.
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.
- 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.
- 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:
- A minimum grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale in undergraduate work;
- At least 15 credit hours drawn from course work in psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, and political science;
- Course work in human biology; and
- Course content in the humanities (English, visual and performing arts, philosophy, language, and Western and non-Western history).
- 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.
- 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 Process
To complete the admission process, the following must be submitted to the Rhode Island College, School of Social Work, MSW Department, Providence, Rl 02908-1991, by February 1.- Completed application form or online application and a nonrefundable fifty-dollar application fee. For the application form, send check or money order made payable to Rhode Island College.
- Official transcripts. It is the responsibility of the applicant to request offi cial transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate programs previously attended, including community colleges, and send them 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.
- Letters of recommendation and rating scale. 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 BSW 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.
- Personal statement. The personal statement is six to eight double-spaced pages and aids the Admission Committee in assessing the applicant’s qualifications for social work practice. Among these qualifi cations 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.
NOTE: The School of Social Work immediately processes applications that are complete. Applicants are encouraged to submit application materials early.
Deadlines
The closing date for receipt of all admission materials is February 1. Applicants whose admission files are not completed by February 1 may not be considered for the academic year which begins the following September. Normally, four to six weeks are required for the School of Social Work to receive transcripts; applicants should therefore make every effort to ensure that all relevant documents are requested well before the deadline date. The School of Social Work reserves the right to change the closing date for the receipt of application materials. Notice of any deadline extension will be given by the School of Social Work.
MSW Financial Aid
To be considered for any financial aid administered through the college, prospective students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A copy of this form may be obtained from the Offi ce of Student Financial Aid or downloaded from 
www.fafsa.ed.gov. It is very important that the completed form be submitted to the federal processing center by May 15. Applicants are encouraged to complete this form as soon as possible. No student can be considered for aid through the college until the college has received the results from the student’s FAFSA.
The School of Social Work actively seeks funds for tuition assistance. There are a limited number of graduate student traineeships. These traineeships are available only to full-time students and carry a full tuition waiver in return for ten hours per week of work at the School of Social Work. The traineeships are for one year only. Recipients of traineeships in their first year must reapply for the second year. Please contact the school for information and an application. Applications are available after April 1 and are sent with letters of acceptance to all students accepted into the full-time program.
Other forms of financial aid include MSW scholarships and research and graduate assistantships. Students are also advised to contact the Office of Student Finanical Aid at (401) 456-8033 about educational loans, federal work study, and college administered aid.
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