A Professional Statement

• Applicants must answer the following questions within 3-6 pages. Please use headings for each question.

1. Without disclosing personal information, what are the reasons and experiences that led you to choose social work as a profession?
2. What are your social work career interests?
3. What are your personal strengths that you can bring to this profession? How have these strengths been demonstrated in the past?
4. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now in the field of social work?
5. What major social issue do you think that professional social workers should be concerned with? What is the role of social work in relation to this issue?
6. As a social worker, you will be expected to practice ethically according to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. This includes working with diverse populations and clients whose values and beliefs may differ from your own. How will you incorporate and uphold the NASW Code of Ethics into your work with diverse populations?
7. The MSW program requires students to complete a generalist (400 hours) internship and a clinical (600 hours) internship concurrent with their coursework. Evening (after 5:00 p.m.) and weekend placements are extremely limited. The School of Social Work is under no obligation to provide such placements. Given the above considerations, please tell us how you plan to balance your internship hours with your coursework and personal obligations. Tell us about any challenges you may have and how you plan to overcome them.