Application Requirements

All applicants must submit:

GRE scores are not required for admission and will not be considered as part of the review if provided. There is no application fee.

Provide an up-to-date resume or CV with dates for each job you have held and school or academic institution you have attended. Please highlight paid and volunteer experiences.

We require transcripts from a regionally accredited college or university, recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), that demonstrate completion of a bachelor’s degree in any field of study. The Mandel School also requires transcripts from any school at which you completed six or more credits. Unofficial transcripts may be uploaded into the application system for application review. Official degree conferring transcripts will be required following admission.

Request official transcripts be mailed to:

Case Western Reserve University
Application Processing Center
Online Social Work at CWRU
PO Box 30096 004-001
College Station, TX 77842

Official electronic transcripts should be sent to appsvcs@mandelonline.case.edu.

Please note: To be considered an official transcript, the transcript must be sent in a sealed envelope directly from your institution(s) or through an electronic transcript vendor retained by that institution.

While it is highly recommended to submit two recommendation letters, please note that the application process requires only one recommendation letter. The recommended letter(s) should ideally be references who can speak to your qualifications for this rigorous program and your potential for the field of social work. Ideal references include faculty members, direct supervisors or volunteer coordinators.

Submit a two-part essay that addresses the questions below. The entire essay should consist of a maximum of five typed pages (double-spaced, 12-point font) and exemplify graduate-level writing.

Discuss significant factors influencing your decision to pursue a Master of Social Work (MSW), including:

Analyze a social, racial, economic and/or environmental justice problem of great concern to you.

Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) graduates of a CSWE-accredited program are automatically eligible for advanced standing, if you completed the BSW within the past seven years. In addition to the two-part essay detailed above, you must include a description of your previous field education, including roles, responsibilities and key learning objectives. This description should be no more than two double-spaced pages.

Any applicant who has a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program, but who completed the degree beyond the seven-year post-graduation requirement may submit a written request for advanced standing consideration to the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. The exemption request should include a detailed statement of your social work experience and continuing education activities. Demonstration of professional growth through social work experience, continuing professional education, leadership, and advancement in the social work field would be elements for consideration. You may request this approval before applying.

The Certificate in Trauma-Informed Practice is a program available to online MSW students and is also available as a post-master’s certificate for Mandel School MSW and MSSA alumni. Alumni may also be eligible to leverage past MSW classes toward the 15-credit-hour certificate.

New students interested completing the certificate in the online MSW program are required to complete the following form and email a copy of the form to TraumaCenter@case.edu

If you have completed graduate-level social work courses at a CSWE-accredited institution, you may request an evaluation of coursework for transfer credit approval. To be eligible for consideration, you must have earned a grade of B or better (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) and completed the course within the last seven years. Mandel School faculty will review previously completed courses to determine which, if any, are eligible for transfer credit.

If you are applying as a transfer student, you must submit the following documents in addition to all other application materials:

To obtain a Request for Transcript Credit Evaluation Form, reach out to our admissions team at admissions@mandelonline.case.edu or +1.855.997.2972.

Request information today and an admissions counselor will contact you.