Apply to the MSW program for summer and fall 2026!
Browse the information below to find information about applying to the Master of Social Work (MSW) program. There are no GRE and no prerequisite course requirements for admission to the St. Thomas MSW program.
September 2, 2025: Applications open for 2026 enrollment
November 15, 2025: Early application deadline
January 10, 2026: Priority application deadline
Application Process and Requirements
Academic History
Employment Information
Current Resume
Two Letters of Recommendation
Personal Statement
Special Circumstances (Optional)
Academic History
No GRE required. No prerequisites required.
You'll be asked to provide the following information regarding your academic history:
List of all associate, undergraduate, and graduate degree institutions attended and whether degree was completed or not at that institution
Official transcript for each institution where a course was completed is required
Employment Information
The application will ask for your current or most recent employer. You can only enter one employer, but your entire employment history will be reviewed using your resume.
Current Resume
Please differentiate between paid work experience and volunteer activities. Indicate whether the experience/activity was part-time or full-time in nature, and specify the dates of employment/volunteering. You will be asked to upload this as a PDF (preferred) or Word document.
Two Letters of Recommendation
Two (2) letters of recommendation are required for the MSW application. Please provide contact information below for individuals who can attest to your skills and experience. MSW recommendation must be completed by individuals who can attest to applicant’s readiness for graduate social work education, including:
Self-reflection, engagement, and respect for others
Engagement as a learner and preparation for graduate education
Previous related experiences — personal, professional, or educational — that would prepare the applicant for advanced social work practice
Only professional, community, or academic references will be considered; personal references are not acceptable. A link to submit letters of recommendation will be emailed to references when the recommendation section of the MSW application has been completed. Please alert your references in advance to expect an email.
These are confidential recommendations submitted directly from the references to the Office of Graduate Admissions; applicants who wish to view the recommendations are responsible for making the appropriate arrangements with their references.
Personal Statement
The personal statement component of your application to the MSW Program at the University of St. Thomas will be used to assess your writing, critical thinking, and capacity for self-awareness and self-reflection in terms of readiness for graduate level work and supervised practice in the field. Please respond to each of the following questions.
What personal, educational, volunteer, or professional experiences led to your interest in pursuing a master's degree in social work at the University of St. Thomas? What are your professional goals, and how will a master's degree in social work help you to achieve them?
CSWE explicitly states engaging anti-racism, diversity and equity and inclusion (ADEI) in practice as one of its nine core competencies. What experiences, knowledge, or values have prepared you to engage in learning about ADEI in practice?
Special Circumstances (Optional)
If you feel it would be pertinent to your application, please take this opportunity to contextualize your academic journey (for example, if you have a non-social work background, are making a career change, or your undergraduate grades do not reflect your academic preparedness). Provide us with any details or explanations that will help the reviewers accurately understand your previous academic performance and experiences. As well, please address what support systems you have in place to help you succeed in your graduate studies. (250 words)
Academic History
No GRE required. No prerequisites required.
You'll be asked to provide the following information regarding your academic history:
List of all associate, undergraduate, and graduate degree institutions attended and whether degree was completed or not at that institution
Official transcript for each institution where a course was completed is required
Employment Information
The application will ask for your current or most recent employer. You can only enter one employer, but your entire employment history will be reviewed using your resume.
Current Resume
Please differentiate between paid work experience and volunteer activities. Indicate whether the experience/activity was part-time or full-time in nature, and specify the dates of employment/volunteering. You will be asked to upload this as a PDF (preferred) or Word document.
Two Letters of Recommendation
Two (2) letters of recommendation are required for the MSW application. Please provide contact information below for individuals who can attest to your skills and experience. MSW recommendation must be completed by individuals who can attest to applicant’s readiness for graduate social work education, including:
Self-reflection, engagement, and respect for others
Engagement as a learner and preparation for graduate education
Previous related experiences — personal, professional, or educational — that would prepare the applicant for advanced social work practice
Only professional, community, or academic references will be considered; personal references are not acceptable. A link to submit letters of recommendation will be emailed to references when the recommendation section of the MSW application has been completed. Please alert your references in advance to expect an email.
These are confidential recommendations submitted directly from the references to the Office of Graduate Admissions; applicants who wish to view the recommendations are responsible for making the appropriate arrangements with their references.
Personal Statement
The personal statement component of your application to the MSW Program at the University of St. Thomas will be used to assess your writing, critical thinking, and capacity for self-awareness and self-reflection in terms of readiness for graduate level work and supervised practice in the field. Please respond to each of the following questions.
What personal, educational, volunteer, or professional experiences led to your interest in pursuing a master's degree in social work at the University of St. Thomas? What are your professional goals, and how will a master's degree in social work help you to achieve them?
CSWE explicitly states engaging anti-racism, diversity and equity and inclusion (ADEI) in practice as one of its nine core competencies. What experiences, knowledge, or values have prepared you to engage in learning about ADEI in practice?
Special Circumstances (Optional)
If you feel it would be pertinent to your application, please take this opportunity to contextualize your academic journey (for example, if you have a non-social work background, are making a career change, or your undergraduate grades do not reflect your academic preparedness). Provide us with any details or explanations that will help the reviewers accurately understand your previous academic performance and experiences. As well, please address what support systems you have in place to help you succeed in your graduate studies. (250 words)
Estimated tuition and fees effective for academic year 2025-2026.
$875 per credit.
Advanced standing students take a total of 39 credits
Regular standing students take a total of 56 credits
Technology Fee: Graduate students who take six or more credits will be assessed a $135 technology fee each term.
Health Fee: Graduate students who take six or more credits will be assessed a $82 health fee each term.
Field Placement Fee: MSW students enrolled in field seminar courses (GRSW 505, 506, 607, 608) will be assessed a $159 field experience fee
Student Support Services Fee: $15 per semester
Application Fee: $0
Financial Aid may be available to assist you with your direct costs (i.e. tuition and fees) and other indirect costs (off campus housing, food, books, supplies, course materials, equipment, transportation, personal expenses, etc.).
Each year the School of Social Work provides well over $350,000 in scholarships and grant awards to incoming graduate students. In addition, many students receive outside scholarships and grants.
Scholarship Opportunities
The School of Social Work is proud to offer the following scholarships and grant awards to new, incoming MSW students. Students may apply for the scholarships listed below in their application for admission. The number of scholarships awarded varies annually, based on eligibility and budgetary considerations.
The MSW Diversity Scholarship is equivalent to a 20% discount over the course of the program ($9,800 for Regular Standing students or $6,825 for Advanced Standing students).
Purpose
The purpose of the MSW Diversity Scholarship is to recruit, train, educate, and retain MSW students who represent the communities where social workers serve; meet the community’s and profession’s need for a more diverse workforce; and create inclusive and equitable learning environments that will assist in building cultural competence and awareness among the student body as a whole. In creating a diverse community, students will be able to share and learn from multiple perspectives, enhance the cultural competency of the overall program, and be prepared to practice at the highest professional standards, as set forth in our Council on Social Work Education Accreditation Standards and the NASW Code of Ethics.
The MSW Mission Scholarship is equivalent to a 20% discount over the course of the program ($9,800 for Regular Standing students or $6,825 for Advanced Standing students).
This scholarship aims to support students' unique contributions to the MSW program and its mission through their lived and professional experiences, and commitment to the social work profession. Applicants will be automatically considered based on a holistic review of their application with special considerations to the below criteria:
Demonstrated social work-related, full-time professional practice experience
Demonstrated commitment to practice within underrepresented communities, advancing social justice and health equity
Demonstrated potential to make unique contributions to future social work practice consistent with the mission of St. Thomas, the Morrison Family College of Health, and the MSW program
Clearly articulated readiness for social work practice by demonstrating their capacity for self-reflection, engagement, and respect
The MSW Pathways Scholarship is equivalent to a 10% discount over the course of the program ($4,900 for Regular Standing students or $3,400 for Advanced Standing students).
The MSW Pathways Scholarship aims to support students who have experienced less-than-typical pathways to graduate school. At the School of Social Work, we recognize that many applicants to our MSW program may have taken a less direct route to graduate school than others, due to family obligations, dedication to public, volunteer, or military service, career change, financial challenges, or for some other reason. We value students with these diverse educational, professional, and lived experiences, and believe that they can be an asset to our program and profession.
The Tommie Alumni Scholarship is equivalent to a 15% discount over the course of the program ($7,350 for Regular Standing students or $5,100 for Advanced Standing students).
This scholarship is intended for alumni who have received either an undergraduate or graduate degree, from any discipline, from the University of St. Thomas. In order to be considered for this scholarship you must have graduated from St. Thomas prior to your desired start term in the MSW program.
The MSW Service Grant is equivalent to a 10% discount over the course of the program ($4,900 for Regular Standing students or $3,400 for Advanced Standing students).
The St. Thomas MSW program places a high value on social service experience and recognizes that students who have served at least one year in a service program such as AmeriCorps and the Catholic Volunteer Network have gained valuable professional, educational, and life skills, including cross-cultural experience and civic engagement.
Students can apply for the following endowed scholarships offered by the School of Social Work:
Jan Andrews Schenk Memorial Scholarship (JASMS) for a student who demonstrates commitment to the promotion of social justice through social group work.
Bernard P. Hart Scholarship for a student returning to school after raising a family.
Archbishop John Ireland Scholarship is for full-time students.
Dr. Kari L. Fletcher Memorial Scholarship is for applicants who have served in the military or have an interest in working with the military population.
Additional Funding Opportunities
After acceptance to the MSW program, incoming students are provided information about additional funding opportunities for which they are invited to apply.
The School of Social Work offers numerous graduate research assistantship opportunities each year. Applying for a research assistantship is an excellent opportunity to work with individual faculty or staff on academic research or special projects. Research assistantships run from September - May and are paid $18.00/hr. Students are awarded a certain number of total hours for the year (typically 100 hours), depending on the needs of the faculty/staff member with whom they are matched.
Admitted students can find more information through OneStThomas.
Students accepted into one of the MSW Areas of Emphasis Scholar programs gain specialized training in a specific field of social work as well as a $1,000 tuition remission. Admitted students can apply through OneStThomas.
In addition to the scholarship opportunities above, students are encouraged to seek additional external scholarships and to explore St. Thomas Graduate Financial Aid for opportunities.
