St. Cloud State University

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Social Work Programs at St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University appears in our ranking of the 20 High-Value BSW Degrees in Metro Areas with Top Salaries for Social Workers.

Students can develop the strong foundations they need in the social work profession in either of the two programs that St. Cloud State University offers. The university offers a Bachelor of Science in Social Work for undergrads, which is a cohort program that groups students together in small cohorts of around 40 students. They have the chance to take classes from related disciplines, including interpersonal communications, psychology, aging, community health and ethnic studies. Students take classes in those areas to learn more about the clients they will one day work within the field.

SCSU requires that students take at least 64 credits of social work classes and some general education classes. Those classes include Human Interaction in Social Systems, Social Work Research Methods, Social Work Policy and Introduction to Social Work. They'll also do some fieldwork as part of a practicum class.

The university's Master of Social Work (MSW) program prepares students for working in both the private and the public sectors. They can enroll in a Plan A or a Plan B version of the program. The Plan B program requires that students do a thesis, while the Plan B program requires that they do a final capstone. Students can also enroll in an advanced standing program if they already have social work experience, which reduces the number of classes they need to take down to just 32 credits. All St. Cloud State University MSW students will do fieldwork and take some of the same classes, including Mental Health and Social Work Practice and Advanced Social Work Practice.

About St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University is a state university that is part of the Minnesota system of public schools. Founded in 1869, it opened for classes as the Third State Normal School. Fewer than 100 students enrolled in classes the first year, with students split almost equally between men and women. Those students took courses designed to help them perform in the field as teachers. It wasn't until the 1920s that this school gained college status and the chance to offer degree programs. This led to the school becoming the St. Cloud Teachers College. As it added new programs in other fields, the school became St. Cloud College. It added upper-level degree programs to its curriculum in the 1950s and became a university in the 1970s.

While Forbes ranked SCSU as one of the top schools in the nation, U.S. News & World Report ranked it as the 118th best college in the Midwest. Washington Monthly also recognized the university as being one of the best graduate schools in the United States. The university is now home to five schools and three distinct colleges. Those schools and colleges offer more than 60 programs for graduate students and more than 200 programs for undergrads. SCSU has a total enrollment of more than 15,000 students, which includes around 1,800 graduate students.

St. Cloud State University Accreditation Details

One of the more important types of accreditation that SCSJ has is the specialty accreditation it received from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Students working on undergrad and graduate degrees will have access to resources and opportunities that can better prepare them for working in nonprofit and private social work fields. The university also has the regional accreditation that allows students to transfer their college credits and apply for financial aid. This accreditation comes from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS).

St. Cloud State University Application Requirements

Undergrads applying to SCSU will find that the application process involves only three steps. The first of those steps is the submission of an official high school transcript. Their transcripts must come from the high schools they attended and list a student's class ranking, classes taken, and overall grade point average. They will then request that their ACT or SAT test scores go to the university.

Students will also need to fill out the university's online application and pay the $20 processing fee. The university begins accepting applications on September 15 and gives scholarship priority to those who apply early. It also gives priority to students who took four years of English, three years of math, social studies and health, two years of foreign language classes and at least one art class in high school.

Graduate students must also complete an online application and pay an application fee of $40. These students must submit the application and all required documents prior to the university's deadline. SCSU asks for an unofficial transcript as part of the application process and an official transcript before it will fully admit a new grad student. The application has different sections that allow these students to upload a resume and a statement or letter of intent. This letter should explain why the student wants to study, any reasons the student had for choosing SCSU and what he or she wants to do with that degree. Students may need to submit a resume and/or a writing sample from a class taken at the bachelor's level.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Students attending SCSU who are also Minnesota residents pay around $4,100 a semester. The university has a reciprocity agreement that allows students from Wisconsin and North Dakota to qualify for in-state tuition. Students from Manitoba also qualify for the resident tuition rate. Residents of South Dakota pay around $4,900 a semester, while those from other Midwestern states, including Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Montana, pay around $5,900 a semester. All other undergrads pay around $8,200 a semester. Graduate students who are Minnesota residents pay $3,869 per semester for tuition and fees, while nonresident graduate students pay more than $5,600 per semester.

All students attending SCSU can apply for financial aid. Both undergrad and graduate students will use the FAFSA and list the university's school code on the form. Undergrad financial aid packages can include loans, grants, and acceptance to the university's work-study program. Graduate students may receive both loans and grants too, but they can also apply for PLUS loans and for alternative student loans. St. Cloud State University offers a small number of scholarships for incoming and returning students also.