Frequently asked questions

Yes, the BSW program has been accredited by the Council of Social Work Educators (CSWE) since 1988.

Acceptance to the BSW program is a separate/additional application process that occurs after a student is accepted to NAU. A student is eligible to apply to the BSW as soon as they have met the eligibility requirements, including freshman.

Applicants must have:

• been accepted to NAU
• at least 24 credit hours, including SW 220, with a grade of B or better
• a minimum grade point average of 2.25

Step-by-Step BSW Application Process

Classes offered in-person at the Yuma and Flagstaff Mountain Campus. Classes are also offered online.

Yes! The BSW online and in-person programs are set up to go at your own pace.

Application deadlines for Flagstaff Mountain and Online campus:

• Click here for the Application Deadlines

Application deadline for Yuma campus:

• Click here for the Application Deadlines

Applications are submitted online: Apply Here

This is an additional application to the NAU admission application. Students applying to the BSW program must first be accepted to NAU.

A student is able to log into the account created during the application process to check on the status.

Contact socialwork@nau.edu and ask for the BSW application to be re-opened. The Department of Social Work office will re-open the application and then the student can make all the necessary updates needed. When completed, remember to re-submit the application and then it will be available for the admission committee to review.

Yes! Students will complete 450 hours of a field education internship prior to graduation. Students in the online program are able to complete their internship within their local community.

Yes, the MSW program has been accredited by the Council of Social Work Educators (CSWE) since October 9, 2020.

Licensure requirements and processes vary by state.  For a state by state guide to licensure CLICK HERE or visit www.SocialWorkLicensure.Org

Why is accreditation important?

A student with a bachelor’s degree in any discipline is eligible to apply for the 2-year MSW program.

A student with a BSW from an from an CSWE accredited program with in the last 5 years qualifies to apply for the 1-year MSW, Advanced Standing.

The 2-year MSW program is offered online only. This program starts in Fall & Spring of each year. The 1-year MSW, Advanced Standing program is offered online starting in Summer & Spring. It is offered in-person at the Flagstaff Mountain Campus starting in Summer.

Yes! The 1-year MSW, Advanced Standing option is offered in-person at the Flagstaff Mountain Campus starting in Summer and online starting in Summer and Spring. Students who qualify for advanced standing must have:

• Completed their BSW from a CSWE-accredited institution within the last 5 years
• Have a 3.3 GPA

You may apply for the MSW program prior to completing your bachelor’s degree if your bachelor graduation date is prior to you beginning your MSW program. If you are accepted it will be a conditional admittance based upon completing your degree prior to the start of the MSW program while maintaining a GPA that meets the admission criteria.

The MSW program offers a part-time option for both the 2-year MSW and 1-year MSW, Advanced Standing option.

If you are considering a part-time option, this can be chosen when submitting the application, please contact the Department of Social Work at socialwork@nau.edu if you have any questions.

Attach Plan of study for AS-Part time and MSW part time.

Overview of NAU Grad College Transfer Credit Policy:

Students are allowed per NAU policy to transfer in 25% of the total credits of the program. The 2-year MSW program has a total of 60 credits and the 1-year MSW, Advanced Standing option has a total of 39 credits. Because of CSWE, the MSW accrediting body, policy, the MSW program does not transfer credits in to substitute for core MSW courses unless they were completed in a MSW, CSWE accredited program.

If you have completed graduate courses at NAU or a different institution, there is the potential that credits can be transferred in for credits for your MSW program. Most often these will replace Behavioral Science Cognate requirements. This is 6 credits toward graduation requirements.

If you have completed courses from a MSW, CSWE accredited program, then there may be courses that can replace MSW core courses as well as Behavioral Science Cognates.

The process of approval for transfer credits is to email your transcript along with course descriptions to MSW Coordinator, Natalie Randolph Natalie.Randolph@nau.edu for consideration.

Attach transfer credit guidelines. Let’s also attach the link for NAU transfer credit policy on NAU site.

The 2-year MSW program is 60 credit hours. The 1-year MSW, Advanced Standing option is 39 credit hours.

No, campus visits are not required. All coursework can be completed online. Students are able to complete their field placement internship within their local community. Online students are encouraged to participate in commencement ceremonies at the Flagstaff Mountain Campus

Yes, students need a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and a 3.0 GPA to be eligible to apply. Students without a BSW qualify for the 2-year MSW program. Students with a BSW within the last 5 years from a CSWE accredited university qualify for the MSW, Advanced Standing option. See our 2-year MSW page for details.

A student in the 2-Year MSW program requires two 450 hour internships for a total of 900 hours (450 a year). Each year a different internship at a different position/location is required.

A student in the 1-Year MSW, Advanced Standing program requires one internship for a total of 450 hours.

Yes, you can. We will expect you to work with the Field Education faculty in identifying appropriate agencies within your community. Once students are admitted to the program, they will receive more information about the field placement process.

Begin your MSW Application Here

• deadlines for the 2-year MSW program
• deadlines for the 1-year MSW, Advanced Standing option

As you complete the MSW application you will be asked to supply names and emails of your references. Your references will be contacted by email with a reference form to complete and submit.

NAU does not require graduate entrance exams for applicants to the MSW program.

Your professional resume should include an overview of your professional and volunteer experience, education, and skills.

Three professional references must be provided from supervisors, professors, professional colleagues or other community associates. References provided from friends, family members, or significant others are not appropriate references to include in this application process.

For students who completed a BSW or other internship, we would highly recommend a reference from your field education liaison/supervisor.

Troubleshooting

Students applying for the MSW Program must have completed a minimum of 250 hours of volunteer/paid work experience in a human service field.  These hours could include face-to-face or remote contact with individuals/families/communities in need.  Populations served may include: children and youth, people of color, individuals navigating mental or physical disabilities, homeless, LGBTQIA, immigrants/refugees, or other populations that are impacted by health or social disparities.  Please be specific about your duties/activities, including the dates and hours of your experiences in your application to the MSW Program.

What would qualify as volunteer and/or relevant paid human service experience?

Learn more about this requirement. Process for approval.

Students who have not completed all prerequisites may be admitted conditionally. On the application, you will be asked to include a statement explaining how you plan to complete these requirements before beginning, or during, the first year of your MSW program. Students have until the end of the first year of their MSW program to complete the statistics and/or human biology requirement.

• A course in human biology (a minimum of one 3-credit hour course) completed by the end of the first year in the MSW program. Process for course approval.
• A course in basic or applied statistics (a minimum of one 3-credit hour course) completed by the end of the first year in the MSW program. Process for course approval.
• A minimum of 250 volunteer and/or relevant paid human service experience, learn more about this requirement. Process for approval.

Students with a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited institution have already completed this requirement. At NAU its would be fulfilled with SW 310 and SOC 365.

The fee for MSW applications is $65.00. Look for the current fee waiver code on the MSW or MSW, Advanced Standing page.

• The MSW program is a professional graduate degree program where each semester students take, most often, 15 credit hours. NAU charges online tuition per credit hour, therefore the more credits you take in a semester the greater your tuition cost.  Graduate tuition rates at NAU for an online program do not change if a student has in-state or out-of-state residency status. This link provides the most up-to-date rates to assess the tuition and NAU fees for each semester Current Tuition Rates.  To navigate this sight, first choose the correct term; Spring, Summer or Fall. Then scroll down to Graduate and choose Online. This page provides tuition and NAU fee rates depending on the total number of credit hours a student is enrolled in.
  • For more details about tuition/payments/due dates and your account, visit Student & Departmental Accounts
  • Here is a link to a per credit breakdown of NAU online graduate tuition: Current Tuition Rates Also this link is the best way moving forward to determine your semester tuition costs.
• $600 MSW program fee assessed each semester in the program

MSW program fee is $600 each semester. This is used to support and enhance the applied nature of our program.