Partnership Session

Moving Beyond the Old Metrics: Master of Social Work Holistic Admissions

Presenter(s)

Jacki Englehardt, MSW, MA

MSW Admissions & Recruitment Coordinator
West Virginia University School of Social Work
Elizabeth (Liz) Szpilka, LMSW (she/her/hers)

Director of Outreach, Enrollment & Professional Advisement
Adelphi University School of Social Work
Anna Hunter, MSW (she/her/hers)

Director Recruitment and Admissions
University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work
Amber Mollhagen, PhD, LMSW (she/her/hers)

Assistant Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs
University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work
Henry M. Cantu, MA, BASW (he/him/his)

Director of Recruitment and Admissions
University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work

Contributor(s)

Kyle R. MacDonald, MA, BA (he/him/his)

Assistant Dean for Enrollment Services
Boston University School of Social Work

Holistic admissions reviews for MSW programs promote equity, diversity, and mission alignment. Topics in this presentation include structured review processes, bias mitigation, and equity-driven selection. Attendees will gain insights into inclusive admissions frameworks and an overview of the National Deans and Directors of Social Work Admissions (NDDSWA) Enrollment Trends Survey.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, attendees should be able to:

Identify methods for incorporating holistic review processes in social work graduate admissions
Identify barriers and solutions to implementation of holistic review practices
Describe several current trends in social work graduate enrollment