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Winter/Spring 2010 PDP Schedule available January 4, 2010
Admissions Frequently Asked Questions
Application Inquiries
- Where can I get an application?
- What is the application deadline?
- When can I expect an admission decision?
- How many applicants do you admit?
- What supporting materials do you require for the application?
- Which of the materials can I submit online?
- Can I apply for Winter or Spring admission?
- I have been out of school for a while. What should I do about academic references?
- Do I have to send a transcript from every school I have attended?
- What is a Supplementary Statement?
- Is the GRE required? What are the codes for SSA?
- Is there a minimum GPA required for admission? What is the average GPA?
- Do I need an undergraduate degree in social work (a BSW) to apply?
- How can I apply as a transfer student?
- I applied to SSA in the past. Do you still have my application?
- Can I defer admission for another year?
- Is an interview required for admission?
- How do I apply for financial aid?
- When do I submit the FAFSA?
General Information
- Is the MA program from SSA equivalent to an MSW degree?
- Can I visit SSA and sit in on a class?
- Can I communicate with a student in the program?
- If my questions is not answered here whom do I contact?
Program Information
- Does SSA offer an Advanced Standing program?
- Does SSA offer Clinical Social Work?
- What is SSA's enrollment?
- What is the typical class size?
- Are Field Placements assigned or chosen?
- What is a typical first-year schedule like?
- What is a cohort?
- Does SSA have a part-time program?
- What kind of diversity does SSA have in its student body?
Where can I get an application?
You can apply on-line, just click here. (link to landing page for application) If the April 1 deadline has passed, please wait until after September 1 to access the new application.
What is the application deadline?
There are 3 application deadlines for the MA program: December 1, January 15 and April 1. We strongly encourage you to use one of the first two deadlines.
When can I expect an admission decision?
If your application is complete by the deadline above you can expect to have a decision within 6-8 weeks of the deadline date. A complete application is one for which all of the application's supporting materials (letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc.) have been received in our office.
How many applicants do you admit?
We accept about 300 applicants a year and enroll about 180 students each year.
What supporting materials do you require for the application?
In addition to the online application, you must submit:
A resume;
4 letters of recommendation, both academic and professional (including social work-related volunteer experience);
Official transcripts from every institution at which you took 3 or more classes;
4-page Supplementary Statement;
$60 Application fee
Which of these materials can I submit online?
You may be able to submit all of these materials online:
The resume can be submitted as part of the online application;
Letters of recommendation can be submitted online by choosing this option on the online application;
Official transcripts can be submitted online if your institution offers this option, please direct correspondence and transcripts to pthigpen@uchicago.edu;
The Supplementary Statement can be submitted as part of the online application;
The application fee can be paid online with a credit card at the time you submit your completed application;
Can I apply for Winter or Spring Admission?
No. SSA only admits students for the Autumn Quarter.
I have been out of school for awhile. What should I do about academic recommendations?
Letters of recommendation are designed to allow us to assess your degree of academic preparedness for the SSA program; therefore letters that can attest to your academic skills are important. If you began a graduate program in another field, or took a class or two since your undergraduate program, you might approach these instructors.
If you have a general letter that was written for you at your undergraduate institution some time ago, make sure that this letter comes from the institution (i.e., in a sealed envelope).
If you still will not have any academic references ask professional references to speak to your analytic and critical thinking skills.
Do I have to send a transcript from every institution I attended?
You must submit a transcript from every institution at which you took 3 or more courses.
What is a Supplementary Statement?
A Supplementary Statement is a written statement of no more than 4 pages double-spaced, answering the questions below:
a. Discuss a social problem of importance to you, and how a direct practice or policy intervention might provide a way to engage it.
b. Describe your specific short and long term goals, and how a social work education at SSA provides a way for you to achieve them.
c. For EEP applicants only - Combining full-time employment and part-time graduate study presents unique challenges to working students. Briefly discuss how you intend to accommodate the additional demands of course and field responsibilities in this program.
Is the GRE required? What are the codes for SSA?
The GRE is not required for admission to the MA program. However if you have a low GPA submitting the GRE score may help your application. The school code for SSA is 1832 and the department code is 5001.
Is there a minimum GPA required for admission?
SSA does not have a minimum GPA for admission. A low undergraduate GPA should be accompanied by strong evidence of experience and success in a social work-related profession or volunteer capacity.
The average GPA is 3.5.
Do I need an undergraduate degree in social work (a BSW) to be able to apply?
No. The largest percentages of applicants to SSA have majored in psychology or sociology. However, we accept applicants from a wide variety of academic backgrounds, as long as they have taken courses in the liberal arts (humanities, social sciences, mathematics and sciences).
How can I apply as a Transfer student?
Students who have recently completed one full year, including the foundation field placement, of a M.S.W. program at an accredited school should be able to complete the A.M. at SSA in one year by following the second-year curriculum. Transfer applicants should include with their application a catalog from their previous program to determine the comparability.
I applied to SSA in the past. Do you still have my application?
If you were admitted within the last three years but did not matriculate and now wish to attend, you must reapply for admission by completing the supplemental application form. Contact the Office of Admissions to obtain this application. The supplemental application requires two additional letters of recommendation and transcripts of any academic work completed since your last application. You will not be charged another application fee.
If it has been more than three years since you were admitted, you must complete a new application.
Can I defer admission another year?
SSA does not offer deferred admission; if something occurs that prevents you from attending once admitted, please contact us.
Is an interview required for admission?
No. SSA does not conduct interviews for admission.
How do I apply for Financial Aid?
Financial Aid is of two types.
SSA offers financial aid in the form of tuition assistance, which does not have to be re-paid, to over 90% of applicants. To be eligible for this aid you must submit a Scholarship Aid form available as a pdf on the online application or at http://www.ssa.uchicago.edu/admissions/ScholarshipAidApp09.pdf . No gift aid will be provided without receipt of this application.
The second type of aid is Federal Aid provided by the U.S. government to U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents. To apply for this aid you must fill out the FAFSA which is available on January 1 of each year at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ and you must also submit the University of Chicago's Application for Federal Aid at https://sla.uchicago.edu/gradapp/ . This application is available beginning March 1 each year.
If you use either of the first two admissions deadlines (December 1 or January 15) we will contact you with the information you need to receive a Preliminary Letter of Federal Aid eligibility before you make your admission decision.
It is to your advantage to submit the FAFSA as soon as possible after it opens on January 1.
Is the MA degree from SSA the same as a MSW degree?
A.M. is the Latin abbreviation for a Master of Arts degree and is considered equivalent to an M.S.W. degree by the National Association of Social Workers. SSA has been continuously accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and its predecessors since 1919. You can become a licensed clinical social worker with an A.M. degree.
Can I visit SSA and sit in on a class?
We are happy to have prospective students come for a campus visit. Generally students visit on either Monday or Wednesday so they can visit first-year student's classes. You will go to class with your student host, have lunch with students, and then meet with the Director or the Assistant Director of Admissions. Please contact the Office of Admissions to set up a campus visit.
Can I communicate with a student in the program?
Yes, simply contact the Office of Admissions and we can put you in touch with a current student through email.
If my question is not answered here whom do I contact?
You can contact the Assistant Director of Admissions, Mary Debose at msdebose@uchicago.edu or 773.834.8104.
Does SSA have an Advanced Standing program?
SSA offers a 5-Quarter Accelerated Program for students who enroll with a bachelor's degree from an accredited social work program within the past five years.
Criteria for admission are: high academic achievement; completion of course material equivalent to SSA 300, 301, 327, and 302. The link which provides an overview of these courses can be found at: http://www.ssa.uchicago.edu/programs/corecurr.shtml; and a minimum of 200 field hours completed in the BSW program, with preference given to students who have additional post-BSW experience.
Does SSA offer Clinical Social Work?
Yes. Two-thirds of SSA students choose the Clinical Concentration. In addition, SSA offers a variety of programs of study within the Clinical Concentration a description of these can be found at http://www.ssa.uchicago.edu/programs/special.shtml .
SSA has approximately 450 students enrolled in its full-time and part-time MA program and its doctoral program combined.
What is the typical class size?
Classes may be as large as 30 students and as small as 6-10 students.
Classes in the Core Curriculum are capped at 30 students.
Are Field Placements assigned or chosen?
Both. The first year your Field Placement is chosen for you by the Field Office based on the information you provide in the Field Placement Questionnaire.
In the second year you will choose your Field Placement based on your career interest and concentration.
What is a typical first-year schedule like?
As a first-year full-time student you will have 3 classes each quarter and 16 hours of field placement spread over 2 days. Classes will be on Mondays and Wednesdays at SSA and on Tuesdays and Thursdays you will be in your field placement. Most of your Fridays will be free.
Part-time evening (EEP) students take 2 classes each quarter on Monday and Wednesday evenings and are in the field Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for a total of 8 hours per week. EEP students spend 1.5 years in their first field placement and 1.5 years in their second field placement.
A cohort is a group of 25-30 first-year students organized geographically by field placement who take their first two quarters of classes together. The cohort provides a support system for first-year student socially and academically. SSA students find the cohort system extremely helpful and a source of lasting friendships.
Does SSA have a part-time program?
SSA has 2 part-time programs, both of which are 3 years long.
Part time evening (EEP) students take two classes per quarter in the evenings. Throughout the duration of the program, they spend one 8 hour weekday (Monday through Friday) in the field on a consistent schedule including over the summer. EEP students complete two internships. In the first internship, they are in the field for an entire calendar year from October through the following September, including over the summer. In their second internship, they are in the field for 18 months, including over the summer.
In the part-time day program, students in their first year take 2 classes each quarter and do no field placement. In their second and third years students continue taking 2 classes/quarter and add field placement to their schedule.
What kind of diversity does SSA have in its student body?
SSA draws its students from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds, geographical areas and racial groups. Approximately 37% of our students are students of color.
