Becoming a social worker enables you to play a role in improving the lives of countless individuals, families, and groups. While many social workers begin their careers after earning a BSW degree, many more continue on to earn a master’s degree in social work. This post-baccalaureate degree can open doors to new opportunities and higher-level jobs with more responsibilities and a higher pay rate.
Increasingly, MSW programs, especially those that are online, don’t require the GREs (graduate record examinations). If you are looking for an online MSW program with no GRE requirement, read on for some tips on how to find the best program for your needs.
How To Get Into an MSW Program Without Taking the GRE
Although many online MSW programs do not require the GREs, there will be requirements you will need to meet to enroll. These requirements vary from school to school, but here are some of the common ones:
- An undergraduate GPA of a certain level — often 3.0 or higher.
- An undergraduate BSW degree — this may not be required but can qualify you for advanced standing status, which will allow you to earn your degree more quickly.
- An application, which may be either online or hard copy, depending on the school. There may also be an application fee, usually between $10 – $100.
- Official transcripts from your undergraduate school. These are sent directly to the admissions office of your proposed graduate school from your undergraduate school’s registrar.
- Letters of recommendation from individuals who can attest to your ability to manage graduate-level coursework and be an asset to the social work field.
- A personal essay highlighting any past experience, as well as your future career goals.
- A resume or CV.
Each school will have its own list of required materials and deadlines by which they must be submitted. It’s good practice to pay attention to all submission deadlines since missing them could cost you your place in the class.
How To Choose an Online MSW Program
Let’s say you’re looking for the school that will be the best place for you to earn your MSW degree, and you’ve narrowed your choices down to schools that don’t require GRE scores. That still leaves you with multiple options. Here are a few other factors you may wish to consider as you’re deciding:
Tuition
Here are a few things to keep in mind. First, it is generally (but not always) true that private institutions charge more than public schools since they do not receive state subsidies. Second, public schools may charge different tuition for in-state and out-of-state students. That fact is especially worth considering if you will earn your degree online. An online degree means you can choose an institution anywhere in the U.S. since you will attend remotely. But if you choose a school that is not in the state where you reside, you may pay significantly more.
Both private and public schools offer scholarships, loans, grants, and other forms of financial aid. So the school that seems cheapest on paper may not be the best choice if it doesn’t offer you as much assistance. If you believe the best place to earn your degree is a private institution or out-of-state school, it may be worth applying to see if their financial aid package brings the tuition rate down significantly.
Scholarships and grants
As noted, financial aid is available at almost all higher education institutions. Some assistance is merit-based, but much of it is based on student needs. When you apply to your chosen school(s), you should fill out the FAFSA form, which stands for free application for federal student aid. You’ll include information about your financial situation on this form and will receive a report that indicates how much you are expected to contribute and what the government, your school, and other sources can offer you to help with college costs.
There are also sources of aid that have their own application forms, such as grants or scholarships from municipal entities, private foundations, or corporate philanthropic organizations. Some social work programs also have scholarships and grants based on which particular field students are interested in (for example, your school may offer a stipend for those interested in becoming CPS workers). Indeed, it can pay to spend time searching for these programs to see if money is available for you. A knowledgeable librarian or financial aid counselor can be a great asset when looking for funding for your education.
Curriculum
When evaluating schools, you should take a close look at their curriculum, especially if you have a specific area you’d like to study. You should also look at their community partnerships as well as their faculty research priorities — this can help you find internships that match your interests and start networking for future job opportunities.
So, for example, if you are hoping to become a mental health social worker, you will want to choose a school that is strong in that subject and features courses that focus on mental health issues. Ask your admissions counselor if it’s possible to do clinical work or practicums in your focus area. This is also true for other specialty areas, whether you are hoping to become a school social worker or one who works with older adults, or small children—or any of the many areas where social workers work with specific groups or individuals.
Student services
Your chosen school should offer you more than just academic courses. Online students need support services as much as those who attend on-campus. These student services could include anything from career assistance to tutoring services.
Does your chosen school have counseling services for students? How easy do they make it for you to work with a research librarian? Are you able to connect with a faculty or student mentor who can guide you through any complexities you encounter in your academic journey? Are they providing job fairs and licensing workshop opportunities that will help you advance your career?
All these questions matter, and when researching schools, it pays to ask questions such as these to determine how well a school supports its online student body. If you are not receiving student services similar to those available to in-person students, consider expanding your search further.
Our Research
This list features some of the country’s best online MSW programs (no GRE). Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution, either public or private, with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions.
We evaluated each school’s program on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation. Then, we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.
Next, we compared this comprehensive list of the best online MSW programs (no GRE) to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications, such as U.S. News & World Report, to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.
The 38 Best Online MSW Programs (No GRE)
