Determine if the program of your interest leads to an accredited degree by checking with the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE). CSWE publishes a directory which lists accredited programs (see Resources). You need an accredited degree to get a license for employment in most agencies.
Look for a school that has the concentration areas or programs that fit with your career goals. There are many areas of concentration among which are: clinical social work, services in health and occupational social work. Some schools also offer dual degree programs.
Check out the variety of programs available and the time requirement for the completion of the MSW program. You usually need 60 semester hour for the completion of the degree. Realize that to graduate in less time, you need to choose a school that has advanced standing programs. Be sure to find the school and program that fit your particular situation or time schedule (like the need for weekend college, work study or part-time).
Find out what are the criteria for admission to the program. Make sure you meet the requirements for the GPA and any test score for the GRE or MAT. The Graduate Record Examination or Miller Analogy Test scores may be a prerequisite for entrance into the program. Plan ahead if you must take these exams and also know the deadline for the admission application.
Realize that most graduate programs are expensive so choose a Master's program in Social Work that fits your financial situation or budget. Tuition is an important factor so learn about the financial aid options available to you. Know the procedure and deadlines when applying for these different types of financial aid programs.
Consider the location of the school and the cost of living there. You need to know your budget for graduate school to determine if you can meet the tuition as well as the basic living expenses of moving to a new location. Whether to stay near family or relocate is a major factor that you need to seriously consider when choosing a program.
Schedule a tour of the school and campus. Talk to admissions counselors, program directors, faculty and graduate students to find out about the difficulty level of the program and placement opportunities. Evaluate the quality of the faculty, courses and the size of the department to determine if the structure of the program meets with your expectations.