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Currently the master’s degree enrollment of the college is approximately 325 full-time and 130 part-time students, including the South Korea-based program. Since its first class graduated in 1971, the college has awarded the M.S.W. degree to more than 3,500 women and men. Over 90 percent of all graduates are currently employed as professional social workers, and those who are not employed in the field are voluntarily out of the job market. The employment picture continues to be a bright one for our graduates. While most graduates pursue employment in South Carolina or nearby southeastern states, an increasing number are living and working in other parts of the country and internationally.

Mission

The mission of the College of Social Work MSW program is to prepare graduates to work effectively, ethically, and collaboratively in diverse settings, including public and private venues, where they will serve primarily those vulnerable populations who experience problems related to economic and social deprivation and the consequences of institutionalized discrimination and oppression.

Program Goals

The program views its goals as supporting both practice competencies that are essential and unique to social work, and other professional competencies (e.g., critical thinking, communication) that sustain most professions.

Practice Competency Goals

Goal 1: The program produces social workers who act in accordance with the ethical mandates of the profession.

Goal 2: The program produces social workers who possess a strong professional identity, including the internalization of professional values and the commitment and ability to promote social and economic justice through policy and societal change.

Goal 3: The program produces social workers who are capable of effective practice with and for client systems with sensitivity to their diverse strengths, experiences, and needs.

Goal 4: The program produces social workers who possess knowledge and skills that can be applied across multiple settings; and with expertise either in working with individuals, families, and groups or in working with organization and communities.

Goal 5: The program produces social workers who are able to access, record, manage, analyze, and communicate information using practice-relevant technology.

Professional Competency Goals

Goal 6: The program produces social workers who demonstrate proficiency in independent reasoning and critical thinking.

Goal 7: The program produces social workers who are able to use various means of communication to effectively record, interpret, advocate, influence, convey and defend ideas, and inspire change across various settings and with different audiences and stakeholders.

Goal 8: The program produces social workers with the potential to assume leadership roles within the profession and the larger society.

Admission

The admission policy for the M.S.W. degree program shall apply to every applicant—full-time, part-time, and advanced standing—regardless of the location at which the applicant plans to attend classes. (See the following section entitled “Part-time Program.”) The College of Social Work is committed to diversity in the student body. An applicant for admission as a degree candidate in social work must fulfill the general admission requirements of both The Graduate School of the University and the College of Social Work prior to registration. Therefore, the applicant will complete application forms for both The Graduate School and the College of Social Work.

The applicant must submit the following to The Graduate School:

• graduate application form;
• two letters of reference from professors or employers (the same reference letters may be used for both applications);
• an official transcript from each college or university previously attended.

The following is submitted to the College of Social Work online:

• supplementary application for admission;
• an autobiographical statement.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that all required application materials have been received. Admissions for advanced standing will be closed on February 1, while full-time and part-time will close on March 1. All application materials must be received by these dates. Full-time and part-time admissions are available only for the fall semester.

Admission to the master’s degree program is on a selective basis and is determined by the academic preparation and personal qualifications of the applicant. The applicant must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. A grade point average of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) on all advanced undergraduate courses is normally expected. An applicant who has not attained the required undergraduate grade point average must submit a score of at least 800 on the verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Examination as additional evidence of capacity to pursue graduate study. The Graduate Record Examination must have been taken within the past five years. It is also expected that the applicant will have a sound educational foundation with a liberal arts perspective. The applicant should have completed courses in social and behavioral sciences that provide knowledge about social, psychological, and biological determinants of behavior and of diverse cultures, social conditions, and social problems. Intellectual maturity, emotional stability, and motivation and capacity to work with people are essential qualifications. An interview with a member of the faculty may also be required.

Openings for admission are limited, and competition is considerable. Persons will be selected who have the strongest qualifications in terms of the college’s admission criteria: grade point average, GRE scores, autobiography (content and writing quality), references, work and volunteer experience, and commitment to social work values.

International Students

The College of Social Work requires applicants whose native language is not English to submit a satisfactory score on the TOEFL or the IELTS International Academic Course Type 2 exam. The minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL (internet-based) is 80. The minimum acceptable overall band score on the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam is 6.5. For more information, international students should contact International Programs for Students, University of South Carolina, Byrnes Building, Columbia, SC 29208. Telephone: 803-777-7461.

Transfer From Other Programs

An applicant who wishes to transfer from another M.S.W. program must complete the same admissions process and meet the same admission requirements as other degree candidates. A formal written request for transfer must be made at the time of application for admission. A maximum of 30 semester hours (foundation content) of graduate credit may be transferred from other institutions accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Acceptance of graduate transfer credit is determined by the associate dean for academic affairs and M.S.W. curriculum chair, who assess potential transfer courses in terms of their equivalence with courses in this graduate program and the adequacy of the applicant’s performance in these courses. A grade of less than B in any course will disqualify that course from consideration for transfer. Transfer students coming from another accredited MSW program will be allowed to take Advanced Standing courses if they are missing content that is offered in the USC master’s program and need to complete their foundation year experience. Credit will not be given for work or life experience.

Degree Requirements

Requirements for the M.S.W. degree include the completion of 60 hours of course work with an average grade of B or better on all classroom courses and satisfactory grades in all field courses.

All work for the M.S.W. degree must be completed within a four-year period, and two consecutive semesters must be in full-time status (9 hours per semester). Other general requirements for the M.S.W. degree are the same as those established by The Graduate School and are in accordance with accreditation standards established by the Council on Social Work Education.