MSW Student Guide
Section 1.04.00: Policy and Guidelines for Accepting Graduate Transfer Credit
Students who have completed approved graduate-level courses related to social work in another institution or another unit of the University of Michigan may be allowed to transfer this credit in the Master of Social Work program. The specific number of hours that may be transferred is subject to the following guidelines.
• Students who were degree seeking in another CSWE (https://www.cswe.org/accreditation/about/directory/? )or CASWE-accredited (https://caswe-acfts.ca/members/accredited-universities/ ) school of social work may transfer a maximum of 30 hours of graduate credit into the MSW program.
• Students who are transferring from a degree-seeking program other than social work or from a non-degree-seeking program may transfer a maximum of 15 credit hours into the MSW program. If MSW courses are included then transferring a maximum of 19 credits will be considered.
• No more than 9 credit hours may be transferred after enrollment at the University of Michigan. All other transfer coursework must be completed prior to enrollment at the University of Michigan.
• All potential transfer credits must be earned within seven years of the student's MSW start date.
• A grade of B or better was achieved. Courses that were graded by narrative evaluation or as pass/fail (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) will also be considered for transfer credit.
• All graduate transfer credit in cognate (non-social work) courses taken in another unit at the University of Michigan or at another graduate program (in an accredited institution) will be reviewed to ensure that the content applies in a substantive way to the student's program of study.
• The maximum number of cognate credit hours that are eligible for transfer are limited to the number of exemption and elective credit hours available to the student.
• Graduate credits are not eligible for transfer if they were used toward another degree unless the student pursues an approved dual degree at the University of Michigan School of Social Work.
• All MSW students at The University of Michigan School of Social Work must earn a minimum of 30 hours of credit in order to receive a degree from this institution.
• A student may transfer up to four (4) credits of advanced field education and two (2) credits of foundation field education to cover field education requirements. Field education credits to be transferred to the University of Michigan as advanced field education must be designated as advanced field education by the other institution to receive advanced field education credit. Additional field education credits may be eligible for transfer to the University of Michigan as elective credit.
• All MSW students must complete a minimum of 8 credit hours of Advanced Field Education at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. Students in the Joint Doctoral Program in Social Work and Social Science typically will complete 8 of their advanced hours through their doctoral program.
See also volume 3, section 5.03 Transfer Credit Policy for Field Education
Transfer credit will not be granted until the student has satisfactorily completed at least one full-time term of work or a minimum of 9 credits. Grades in the courses for which transfer credit is granted are not included in grade point averages.
Applicants to the MSW program should review the MSW Program Transfer Applicants page (https://ssw.umich.edu/programs/msw/apply/transfer-applicants ) and submit the “Review My Courses” form (https://ssw.umich.edu/assets/transfer-applicant-credits/index.php?page=applicant-form ) at or prior to the time of application. Potential transfer credits will be reviewed by the MSW program director and students will be notified before registering for the first term how the potential transfer credits would count in the MSW program.
If students seek to take courses to transfer once enrolled in the SSW, they should discuss potential transfer credits with their faculty advisors who will submit a request to grant such credit to the school's registrar via the Transfer of Credit Request form found at https://ssw.umich.edu/r/transfer-credit-request . If necessary, the academic advisor may refer the student to the technical advising team to discuss potential transfer credits.
• Students who were degree seeking in another CSWE (https://www.cswe.org/accreditation/about/directory/? )or CASWE-accredited (https://caswe-acfts.ca/members/accredited-universities/ ) school of social work may transfer a maximum of 30 hours of graduate credit into the MSW program.
• Students who are transferring from a degree-seeking program other than social work or from a non-degree-seeking program may transfer a maximum of 15 credit hours into the MSW program. If MSW courses are included then transferring a maximum of 19 credits will be considered.
• No more than 9 credit hours may be transferred after enrollment at the University of Michigan. All other transfer coursework must be completed prior to enrollment at the University of Michigan.
• All potential transfer credits must be earned within seven years of the student's MSW start date.
• A grade of B or better was achieved. Courses that were graded by narrative evaluation or as pass/fail (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) will also be considered for transfer credit.
• All graduate transfer credit in cognate (non-social work) courses taken in another unit at the University of Michigan or at another graduate program (in an accredited institution) will be reviewed to ensure that the content applies in a substantive way to the student's program of study.
• The maximum number of cognate credit hours that are eligible for transfer are limited to the number of exemption and elective credit hours available to the student.
• Graduate credits are not eligible for transfer if they were used toward another degree unless the student pursues an approved dual degree at the University of Michigan School of Social Work.
• All MSW students at The University of Michigan School of Social Work must earn a minimum of 30 hours of credit in order to receive a degree from this institution.
• A student may transfer up to four (4) credits of advanced field education and two (2) credits of foundation field education to cover field education requirements. Field education credits to be transferred to the University of Michigan as advanced field education must be designated as advanced field education by the other institution to receive advanced field education credit. Additional field education credits may be eligible for transfer to the University of Michigan as elective credit.
• All MSW students must complete a minimum of 8 credit hours of Advanced Field Education at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. Students in the Joint Doctoral Program in Social Work and Social Science typically will complete 8 of their advanced hours through their doctoral program.
See also volume 3, section 5.03 Transfer Credit Policy for Field Education
Transfer credit will not be granted until the student has satisfactorily completed at least one full-time term of work or a minimum of 9 credits. Grades in the courses for which transfer credit is granted are not included in grade point averages.
Applicants to the MSW program should review the MSW Program Transfer Applicants page (https://ssw.umich.edu/programs/msw/apply/transfer-applicants ) and submit the “Review My Courses” form (https://ssw.umich.edu/assets/transfer-applicant-credits/index.php?page=applicant-form ) at or prior to the time of application. Potential transfer credits will be reviewed by the MSW program director and students will be notified before registering for the first term how the potential transfer credits would count in the MSW program.
If students seek to take courses to transfer once enrolled in the SSW, they should discuss potential transfer credits with their faculty advisors who will submit a request to grant such credit to the school's registrar via the Transfer of Credit Request form found at https://ssw.umich.edu/r/transfer-credit-request . If necessary, the academic advisor may refer the student to the technical advising team to discuss potential transfer credits.