Taking classes with the intention of applying to the MSW program

Students may take 5000-level social work classes for graduate or undergraduate credit without being enrolled in the MSW Program. Students may transfer such credits into their MSW degree program if:

• They earned a grade of at least a B (3.0), and
• They earned the credits within seven years of enrolling as a degree-seeking student, and
• They registered using the 99PRD Student Status Form and paid graduate-level tuition (if the student registers for undergraduate credit, the class cannot later be used for graduate credit).

A maximum of eight (8) hours of graduate credit, taken as a non-degree-seeking student, can be transferred into the Full Program and six (6) hours into the Advanced Standing Program. Taking classes as a non-degree-seeking student does not guarantee acceptance to the MSW Program.

For information on registering for classes as a non-degree seeking student contact the graduate program coordinator.

Other courses at the 5000-level can transfer to the MSW program as electives.

Cost of classes

While graduate tuition is considerably more expensive than undergraduate tuition per credit hour, taking a course at the graduate level allows students to transfer credits to the MSW or YDL program in the future (assuming the previously mentioned criteria are met). Graduate School tuition rates and fee information is available on the OneStop tuition page.

Taking classes with the intention of applying to the YDL program

Students may want to take classes before being enrolled in the Youth Development Leadership Program.

Please email Bao Lee-Yang leeyang@umn.edu if you are interested in taking classes with the intention of applying to the YDL program.

Recommended classes

Full program

Students who qualify for the Full Program should begin with classes that are part of the MSW foundation curriculum. We recommend beginning with the following classes:

• SW 5051: Human Behavior and the Social Environment (2 credits)
• SW 5101: Historical Origins and Contemporary Policies and Programs in Social Welfare (3 credits)

Advanced standing program

Students who qualify for the Advanced Standing Program should consider 5000-level courses (excluding the 5051 and 5101 foundation courses above) and 8000-level courses. At the 8000-level, students must meet the course prerequisites and obtain permission from the instructor.