Frequently Asked Questions
Admissions
Q. When will I be notified of the admission decision?
A. All applicants will receive an email notification from BYU Graduate Studies no later than April 1st. The admissions process is ongoing, so some admitted students may receive notice before then.
Q. What is the application review and notification process?
A. The admissions committee is made up of Social Work faculty who meet and review each application, focusing on six areas:
- Completion of the three prerequisite courses (Intro to Social Work, Research Methods, Statistics)
- Undergraduate GPA
- Three letters of recommendation
- Paid and/or volunteer experience
- Statement of intent
- Diverse life experience
Following deliberations, the committee recommends students to Graduate Studies. Graduate Studies reviews applicant files to ensure all university criteria have been met then notifies admitted students by email and a formal letter. The School of Social Work then follows up with additional information for the admitted student. The recommendation and review process continues until a complete cohort of approximately 40 students has been filled. Admitted students are notified by April 1st.
Application
Q. When is the deadline to apply to the MSW program?
A. January 15th at 10:00 pm MST. ALL supportive application material must be submitted to Graduate Studies, 105 FPH, Provo, UT 84602.
Q. Can I reapply or defer my application?
A. Yes, applicants may reapply to the MSW program with a new, complete application. If you are accepted into the program, you may defer your enrollment for missionary service. A leave of absence may also be granted for military or medical reasons.
Q. When asked if I am a BYU Employee, is it referring to a full-time employee or a student employee?
A. Full-time employee.
Q. How do I complete the Digital Interview part of the MSW application?
A. When you are working on your application you will receive an email with detailed instructions and a link to complete the Digital Interview. You will record your answers to two different questions when prompted.
Q. I started the application process for the MSW program but will not be able to apply for this coming fall semester. I would like to apply for next year, but I do not want my application to appear incomplete--how do I prevent that?
A. Applications are not officially reviewed until you click the "submit" button. You may start a new application the following year.
Q. I submitted all my application materials but some, such as my Ecclesiastical Endorsement, say they are "not yet received." What do I need to do?
A. Ecclesiastical Endorsements and letters of recommendation are received electronically. If something is 'not yet received,' first check with Graduate Studies (801-422-4091) to see if there is a delay in processing. Next check with your Bishop, Stake President or those you asked for recommendations to see if they have submitted them correctly, or if they need further instructions.
Q. How do I create a BYU Net ID?
A. Follow these BYU Net ID Instructions
Q. How do I submit my Ecclesiastical Endorsement?
A. All Ecclesiastical Endorsements will be submitted electronically. You will need interviews with your Bishop and Stake President. Non-LDS applicants may interview with their religious leader and the BYU Chaplain.
Q. Do I need to take the GRE?
A. No, but if you are an international applicant, the test scores will be helpful to us.
Q. I am an international applicant and have some questions about admission. Who should I talk to?
A. Graduate Studies International Admissions intern at (801) 422-7367 or intl@byu.edu.
Q. Do I have to submit TOFEL or IELTS scores?
A. Yes. All applicants whose native language is not English and who have not graduated from an institution in a country wherein the primary language of instruction is English are required to submit TOFEL scores. The IELTS minimum band score is 7. For more information visit our international application instructions page here.
Q. I applied last year and want to use my same letters of recommendation. Is that okay?
A. No, you will need to request three new letters of recommendation for your new application. You may ask the same recommenders if you like.
Q. What content should be included in the prerequisite courses?
A. Visit the MSW Prerequisites page for more information.
Q. Does the committee prefer the sections of the Statement of Intent to be listed in sequence or can I arrange them as I wish?
A. The committee would prefer to have them in the sequence listed.
Volunteer Experience
Q. What kinds of volunteer, internship or work experience do you recommend doing before applying to the program?
A. Social Work with children, youth and/or families that provide exposure to clinical work, research, writing, administration, or community development. You might want to start on your career path by getting involved in an agency with which you would like to do an internship.
Q. What extracurricular activities are recommended before applying to the program?
A. Volunteer work in your area of interest, and commitment to working with vulnerable populations. These can be a wide range of people, including at risk children and youth, elderly, domestic violence victims, persons with disabilities or mental illness, newly arrived migrants, human trafficking victims, etc.
Q. Do you require/recommend I upload a document in the Additional Info/Work Experience section?
A. No, leave this section blank.
Q. Is there a required number of hours for volunteer, internship, or work experience to be admitted to the MSW program? How heavily is this kind of experience weighted for acceptance?
A. There are no minimum requirements. Ideally, the applicant should have enough exposure to social work related experiences to know for themselves what social work entails. The more time an applicant has spent volunteering or working, the more informed and solid their decision will be about seeking an MSW degree.