BA to MSW Pathway
For students admitted as part of a BA-to-MSW pathway agreement, the same credit transfer policy applies except that up to 21.5 quarter units may be transferred, which include five MSW generalist core courses for 13 quarter units and seven generalist licensing courses for 8.5 quarter units. Grade points earned in these courses taken at PAU are counted in the student’s PAU grade point average.
MSW Course Waivers for Students with Bachelor of Social Work Degrees
Students who have a baccalaureate social work degree from a CSWE-accredited baccalaureate social work program* and who are not admitted to or did not apply for Advanced Standing may request waiver of generalist courses, with the exclusion of practice, field education, and licensing courses, because they have achieved the content at the baccalaureate level. The following generalist courses can be considered for waiver:
SOCW 600. Human Behavior in the Social Environment (3)
SOCW 601. Anti-racism and Culture-building Practice (3)
SOCW 604. Organizational & Community Practice (2)
SOCW 605. Social Welfare Policy & Services (2)
SOCW 606. Research Methods for Social Workers (3)
Once admitted to the program, the applicant submits a course waiver request with course descriptions or syllabi, if available, from baccalaureate social work courses (omitting practice and field education courses) in which the applicant earned a minimum grade of B. For courses that are waived, the student must take additional graduate level coursework in the MSW or another program at PAU to fulfill the total units required for the MSW degree (e.g., if SOCW 600 is waived, the student can take three more elective MSW units or take a 3-unit course in the Master in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program). The student’s faculty advisor, in consultation with the student, will determine a plan for completing the waived units that best meets the students’ educational needs.
Advanced Standing students, in contrast to those who have a baccalaureate social work degree from a CSWE-accredited baccalaureate social work program* but who are not admitted to or did not apply for Advanced Standing, are automatically waived all generalist courses, including practice and field education courses. This is based on an Advanced Standing curriculum that excludes all generalist courses, except for 8.5 units of generalist licensing courses required for post-graduation licensure as clinical social workers in California.
*This includes degrees earned from programs accredited through CASWE (the Canadian social work accreditor) which are recognized through an MOU between CSWE and CASWE and programs in other countries evaluated by the International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Service (ISWDRES) as being comparable to a baccalaureate social work degree.
No Course Credit for Life Experience or Previous Work Experience
The MSW program does not grant course credit for life experience or previous work experience.