Application Forms and Instructions for Applying Via Mail

Paper MSW Application - Fall Term 2010

Students may submit a paper application to the Office of Student Services at the School of Social Work. The School promotes a self-managed application process. In this process, the applicant is requested to collect and submit all required application materials together as one packet. This ensures a timelier processing of materials. When this is not possible, the applicant is responsible for ensuring that any required missing materials are received by the Office of Student Services. The School of Social Work application fee for paper applications is $75.00 (U.S. dollars).

Applicants should send application materials and related correspondences to the following address:

Office of Student Services
School of Social Work
University of Michigan
1080 S. University Avenue, Room 1748
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106
(734) 936-0961

Fax copies of supporting documents will not be accepted without prior approval. Failure to complete application procedures in their entirety will delay processing of an application.

The MSW application packet submitted to the U-M SSW must include the following:

  • Non-refundable application fee. Applicants must attach a personal check, money order, or cashier's check in the amount of $75.00 (U.S. dollars) to the front of the paper application form. Payment should be made payable to the University of Michigan. Applicants who are applying to another unit/school within the University of Michigan and to the MSW program concurrently and who have paid an application fee to the other unit/school are not required to pay an application fee for the MSW application. Applicants must indicate this on the first page of the MSW application for the School's verification purposes. A limited number of application fee grants are available for U.S. Citizens and Permanent REsidents of the U.S. who demonstrate that payment of the application fee would cause them extreme financial hardship. Further information regarding applying for an application fee grant is available by contacting the Office of Student Services at the School of Social Work via email(ssw.msw.info@umich.edu) or calling (734) 936-0961. Such assistance is reserved for cases of established economic hardship.
  • MSW application. Applicants must complete and sign the application form. All information must be provided in the relevant spaces on the application form. If more space is needed for educational or work experience, applicants can include an additional sheet following the same format as the application form.
  • Admissions conduct form. Applicants must complete and sign the admissions conduct form. This must be accompanied by the required statement(s) if the applicant answered "yes" to either question.
  • One official academic transcript from each college/university the applicant has attended. This includes colleges/universities at which applicants were enrolled for academic credit as a non-degree student and/or credits which applicants transferred from another college. All transcripts must bear the official seal and signature of the institution attended. Applicants must request these transcripts directly from the registrar or appropriate officer of each institution and ask that they send them directly to the applicant in a sealed, signed envelope. Upon receipt of all transcripts, applicants should submit the envelope, unopened, along with all other application materials.


    • NOTE: A transcript with the notation "issued to student" is acceptable if submitted in the appropriate sealed, signed envelope. If a college/university will not provide an official transcript directly to the applicant, it may be sent directly to the School of Social Work. If this is the case, applicants should attach a note with their application, indicating that the transcripts will be sent directly from the college. It is the applicant's responsibility to make sure that the required transcripts reach the SSW office in a timely manner. Admission determinations for undergraduate work include a grade point average calculation based on the last two years (or equivalent) of academic work completed at the time of application. International applicants or other applicants who have completed academic work abroad are required to submit official academic transcripts (records) issued by the academic institution(s) they attended, which should include all coursework enrolled in and grades received. If a degree was granted by a foreign institution, a certified true copy of the diploma is also required if the degree and date conferred are not posted on the academic transcript. Documents must bear the original signature/stamp of the registrar and the seal of the issuing institution. Credentials, if not in English, must be accompanied by English translations certified by the institution issuing the official credentials.
  • Three supporting recommendations. We suggest applicants submit recommendations from persons who have been directly responsible for assessing the applicants' human service-related work/volunteer experience and academic performance. Applicants who wish to substitute one or more career center references for our recommendation forms may do so. However, the School prefers that applicants utilize the School of Social Work recommendation forms. We encourage applicants to register their recommenders through the online MSW application to allow recommenders to submit their recommendations online. If applicants or recommenders opt to submit a hard (paper) copy recommendation, applicants should send the recommender(s) a recommendation form instructing them to return the completed recommendation to the applicant in a sealed envelope that is signed across the seal. The unopened envelopes should then be included in the application packet.


    • NOTE: Individuals applying under the Provisions for Non-Baccalaureate Degree Applicants should refer to the "Instructions to Recommender" note on page 6 of "Special Instructions/Forms for Persons Applying Under the Provisions for Non-Baccalaureate Degree Applicants" for additional instructions regarding recommendations.
  • Supplementary Statement. This statement must be submitted with the application for admission. Applicants must provide a double-spaced three (3) page statement (12-point font) that addresses the following four topics:
    1. Describe a social problem. Assuming you have the power and resources at your disposal, what would you recommend for intervention and/or social change to address the social problem?
    2. Describe how your personal and intellectual qualifications, past human service experience and/or future goals are relevant to assisting the most economically and socially disadvantaged groups in our society. Please use specific examples.
    3. How will your chosen MSW dual concentration help you reach your personal and professional goals?
    4. The NASW Code of Ethics includes the following statement:

      "Social workers treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers promote clients' socially responsible self-determination. Social workers seek to enhance clients' capacity and opportunity to change and to address their own needs. Social workers are cognizant of their dual responsibility to clients and to the broader society. They seek to resolve conflicts between clients' interests and the broader society's interests in a socially responsible manner consistent with the values, ethical principles, and ethical standards of the profession."

      Discuss how your personal values and beliefs are or are not compatible with this professional standard. How will you reconcile any conflicts between your personal values and the requirement of the profession?

      We recommend that applicants also review the Criteria for Admission to help them prepare for their statement.

      NOTE: Applicants should address any gaps or deficiencies in their academic record, including incomplete grades or withdrawals from courses, in an addendum to their statement.
  • Resume. Applicants should submit one copy of their resume with their application.
  • Residency Statement. Applicants should review, complete, and submit the residency statement form with their application.
  • No admissions tests (e.g., GRE, GMAT) are required for admission to the MSW degree program.

Once applicants have completed and accumulated all of the required materials, they should send them (in one envelope) to the following address:

Office of Student Services
University of Michigan
School of Social Work
1080 South University Ave., Room 1748
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106

Fax copies of supporting documents will not be accepted without prior approval. Failure to complete application procedures in their entirety will delay processing of an application.