Thank you for your interest in the BYU Master of Social Work program. In addition to the information in this document, you will find a wealth of information on our web page at socialwork.byu.edu

All applicants need to apply on-line through the Graduate Studies web page at: www.byu.edu/gradstudies or click here for step by step instructions.

The deadline to apply is Janua ry 15^th for the following Fall semester (September). Tuition is currently $2,580.00 for LDS members per semester, and you'll pay tuition five times. Our program takes 20 months to complete, including 1,100 clock hours of field internship.

The mission of the School of Social Work at Brigham Young University is to support the overall mission of BYU and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by generating new knowledge and by educating and training students to use the appropriate knowledge, skills, and abilities of the social work profession to serve children and families within the context of their specific cultures.

The concentration of curriculum focuses on preparation for clinical practice and research with families and children. Starting in Fall 2009, we offer two emphases:

Clinical: Approximately 33-35 students will be admitted to the clinical emphasis each year, to be trained in direct clinical practice. If your goal is to become a practitioner or a clinician with strong direct clinical practice skills, this is the emphasis for you. Alumni from this emphasis work in mental health and other direct practice settings, go on to receive LCSW licensure, and work toward becoming agency directors and administrators of social work organizations.

Research: Approximately 5-7 students will be admitted to the research emphasis each year. Students who choose this emphasis are expected to go on for advanced training in top social work Ph.D. programs. Research emphasis students, like those in the clinical emphasis, will receive strong clinical training but, in preparation for Ph.D. level training, they will 1) take advanced research courses outside of social work as part of their elective requirements (instead of clinical electives), and 2) submit their research project for professional publication. Alumni from this emphasis will go on to become university professors, work in a research or policy arena, or receive advanced clinical training.

Three pre-requisites are required from all applicants: Introduction to Social Work, Research Methods, and Statistics. Other courses are recommended. Please refer to the following pages for more specific information:

MSW Admissions

Application Checklist

We have between 100-180 students apply for the 40 available slots each year. The university requires a GPA of at least a 3.0 for the last 60 credit hours; the current accepted MSW students' average GPA is 3.68. We do not require the GRE.

Our program strives to achieve diversity in the student body, taking into account each applicant's individual qualifications, including racial, ethnic, and gender based factors.

Three letters of reference are required, of which at least 1 should be from a professor and at least 1 from someone who knows you from a social work setting.

Please feel free to contact us with questions or for further information.

Lisa W. Willey

Graduate Secretary

lisa_willey@byu.edu