Advanced Standing Requirements

Students who have earned a Bachelor of Social Work degree from an accredited CSWE institution within the last five years can apply for the advanced standing program at the Garland School of Social Work. Full time, advanced standing students can complete their MSW at Baylor in 10 months.

Note: Students applying to the Waco campus must have a degree conferred date by July 15th to be eligible to apply for the upcoming academic year.

To be considered for admission to the advanced standing program, students must submit a completed application which includes:

• GoGarland Online Application
• $45 Application Fee
• GSSW Financial Aid Form
• 2021-2022 Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) or CSS International Profile for international applicants
• Letters of recommendation: At least two of your three letters of recommendation must be from an academic professor who has direct knowledge of your academic work. Of these two academic references, one must be the undergraduate program director, the director of field education, or the field instructor
• Transcripts from all previous institutions. Prior to graduation, transcripts should include grades earned at least one semester into your final year.
• A cumulative grade point average of 2.7 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• A grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale in social work coursework, including a minimum grade of B in all practice and field courses
• A final field evaluation

Field Evaluation Criteria:

Applicants applying to the Advanced Standing program are required to submit a final field evaluation to be reviewed for admission in the Baylor MSW program. The admissions committee expects to see the following components on a final field evaluation*:

• Student Name
• School Name
• Agency Name/Placement Site Name
• Rating/commentary of performance in social work competencies as outlined but the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
• Signatures from Field Instructor and student

If an applicant’s field placement is still in progress at the time their application is complete, a midterm field evaluation may be submitted for admission decision review. If admitted into the program, a final field evaluation is required prior to enrolling in the program. All the above requirements also apply to any midterm evaluations that are submitted.

Applicants applying for the Advanced Standing program who are unable to submit the documentation listed above, may submit the GSSW Field Verification Form. For information about the form, contact email MSW_Admissions@baylor.edu.

*Note: Submitting a field evaluation that is missing any of the components outlined above may impact admissibility into the program. Applicants should use the open-ended “Additional Factors for Consideration” question on the application to explain any missing components or special circumstances.