International Applicants

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Qualified applicants must have:

• Bachelors Degree from an accredited college or university or an appropriately certified foreign institution
• liberal arts coursework in the social sciences and humanities
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Applicants with a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree or those that intend to complete a BSW prior to starting the MSW program are considered ADVANCED STANDING  students and begin the MSW program at Augsburg in May.

Applicants who plan to enter the Augsburg MSW program with a bachelor’s degree in something other than social work (BSW) are considered GENERALIST students and begin the MSW in September.

Admission with Advanced Standing

Advanced standing is an application category open to those who have earned a bachelor’s degree in social work that is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), CASWE, or an internationally-earned ISWDRES-evaluated degree comparable to a baccalaureate social work degree. Applicants who completed their BSW over 15 years from the program start may be required to complete additional generalist coursework. Candidates will also be asked to share a brief statement about how they have stayed connected to emerging social work practices and standards since graduates when submitting their application.

Transfer Admissions

Augsburg University welcomes transfer students from other CSWE accredited programs.  In addition to providing the required application documents, transfer candidates must provide a letter of good academic and professional standing from the program director of the program they are transferring from. Additional reference letters from faculty are welcome but not required. Please contact us at mswinfo@augsburg.edu if you would like an unofficial transcript evaluation to determine what credits may transfer from your current/former institution.

DEADLINES

The application opens September 1st. Students may apply to the program after January if space is available. Students looking to enroll full-time are encouraged to apply by the priority deadline to ensure field placement for the upcoming start.

Priority Deadline: December 1st. Students will receive a decision by December 31st

Second Deadline: Mid-Late January.

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APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Online Application

Complete the online application form.

(2) Recommendations

Personal Statement

Address the following in a cohesive essay.

• The mission statement of the Augsburg social work department is: “We strive to prepare exceptional social work professionals for anti-racist and anti-oppressive advanced social work practice that promotes intersectional racial and social justice in a diverse and global society.” In relation to our mission statement, why have you chosen the Augsburg MSW program?
• What principles and values would guide your social work practice?
• Identify a current event related to a social injustice. What are possible social work responses to it?
• Think about your education, employment, and/or volunteer experience. Describe one skill or interest you have developed from these experiences. Explain how this skill or interest is relevant to the study of social work.

Tips: Your Personal Statement should be well-written. It should be comprehensive yet concise. Editing suggestions and feedback from another person can be helpful, but the ideas and writing should be your own.

Explanation of GPA (for GPA below a 3.0)

Students with a GPA below a 3.0 can still be considered for admission. If your GPA is below 3.0, please include a brief explanation by responding to one or both of these questions:

• Were there extenuating circumstances contributing to the GPA? If so, have those circumstances been resolved?
• Were there limitations that affected your GPA that still remain today? If so, what is your plan to address these limitations?

Certificate of Finances

In order to process your Form I-20, the following documents must be received:

• Completed Augsburg Certification of Finances form *document may be obtained by contacting Augsburg Admissions at mswinfo@augsburg.edu
• Proof of funding as demonstrated by supporting financial documents (such as bank statements – current within three months; Government Support Letter; etc…)
• Copy of the first page your passport

Students with current F-1 status through another university in the United States: You will need to have your SEVIS record transferred from your current institution to Augsburg. The SEVIS Transfer form must be completed by you and your Designated School Official. You will need to present your Augsburg letter of admissions to the DSO when submitting your transfer request. This form may be returned to Augsburg by e-mail.

Transcripts

Applicants must submit an official transcript(s) from each institution where a degree was earned, as well as from the most recently attended institution, if not the same. Military veterans are required to submit all official transcripts from previously attended institutions to qualify for military benefits.

In the case where prerequisite requirements exist or transfer credits or waivers are sought, official transcripts are required from institutions at which the prerequisites or equivalents were completed. The Program Director may ask for additional transcripts if determined to be necessary.

 

*PLEASE NOTE: Students must request official transcripts through a verified transcript service. Most commonly used are National Clearinghouse or Parchment. Check the degree-granting institutions website for the appropriate service to request. Any copies (including marked official) uploaded to the application are considered UNOFFICIAL and will not be accepted.*

 

International Transcript Evaluations

Augsburg requires an evaluation of credentials for any transcript(s) from an institution outside of the United States.

This evaluation should include the following:

1. 1. Analysis of credentials to determine if your degree is equivalent to an accredited U.S. bachelor’s degree.
   2. Verification that the degree is equivalent, at a minimum, to a four-year US bachelors degree is required.
   3. Course by course evaluation to show your complete course listing with credit values and grades received for each course.
   4. Calculation of grade point average to demonstrate your cumulative grade point average using the standard U.S. grading system, i.e., A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0, D=1.0, F=0.0.
   5. Translation to English (if applicable)

Evaluations can be accepted from World Education Services, SpanTran Pathways – Augsburg University, Educational Credential Evaluators, or any NACES accredited organization. Learn more about NACES and find a list of accredited evaluators at NACES.org

Augsburg may waive the foreign credential evaluation if an official transcript provides sufficient information to determine credit and degree equivalency. This includes but is not limited to students who have earned a Master’s level degree or higher in the United States and those who have completed coursework as part of a study abroad experience.

Non-degree seeking students may submit an unofficial transcript as part of their non-degree application. However, depending on the course of study, Augsburg may request an official transcript and foreign credit evaluation.

 

Submit transcripts directly to the Graduate Admissions Office by electronic transfer or by mail.

By electronic transfer: admissiondocs@augsburg.edu (if prompted by your institution for an email address)

By mail:
Graduate Admissions Office, CB 65
Augsburg University
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN  55454

English Language Proficiency

To fulfill Augsburg University’s Graduate Applicant English Language Proficiency Requirement, all applicants must provide evidence of a sufficient command of both written and spoken English. Non-native English language speakers may be exempt from this requirement and request a waiver based on the successful demonstration of one of the following (applicants may be asked to provide official documentation):

• Completion of a previous undergraduate or graduate degree at a college or university within the United States.
• Completion of a previous undergraduate or graduate degree at an English-speaking college or university in any country where English is the sole or dominant language.
• Completion of one academic year of transferable college level English courses (e.g.: English 101 and English 102) at a college or university within the United States, with equivalent grades of a B or higher.

Outside of the waiver able exemptions listed above, prospective international graduate students may demonstrate English language proficiency through one of the following:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
  • Minimum score of 80 on the Internet-based TOEFL (iBT) with a sub-score of 20 on the written and 20 on the speaking sections. (The Augsburg University TOEFL code is 6014.)
  • Score of 8.5 or better on the TOEFL Essentials exam.
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
  • Score report of 6.5.
• Duolingo English Exam
  • Score of 105.
• Minnesota English Language Program (MELP): Successful completion of all required Level 4: High-Advanced ESL classes.  Completed coursework must be documented by MELP and sent directly to Augsburg University. Students should contact their MELP advisor to request an English Proficiency Letter.

Score reports must be sent to Augsburg directly from the testing center. Score reports must be for exams completed within the last two years. Please contact your Admissions representative to inquire about any tests not reflected here.

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Pending Bachelor’s Degree

We accept applications for prospective students with a pending Bachelor’s degree, provided your degree has been received and conferred at the time you matriculate into the MSW program at Augsburg. Submit an official transcript at the time of application and a second official transcript once your final grades are posted and the degree has been awarded. Admission decisions will be made based on the initial transcript submitted with a condition to successfully complete your undergraduate degree of study prior to starting classes at Augsburg University.

Prerequisite Coursework

We value applicants’ undergraduate coursework in the areas of social sciences and humanities and appreciate having at least 3-4 courses in each area.

Social science courses can be drawn from the following disciplines: anthropology, sociology, psychology, social welfare, social work, economics, political science, geography, or history.

Humanities courses can be drawn from the following disciplines: philosophy, ethics, jurisprudence, modern or classic languages, linguistics, comparative religion, literature, folklore, archaeology, cultural histories, ethnic studies, poetry, art, music, theatre.