An official transcript from each undergraduate and graduate college attended. Please note: unofficial copies of transcripts may be submitted for admission review purposes. If offered admission, an official transcript hold prohibiting registration will be placed on all student accounts until official transcripts are received. Offers of provisional admission to those currently enrolled in undergraduate degree programs are made pending receipt of final transcript showing award of the bachelor's degree.
A purpose statement developed according to the guidelines provided below (four to six typewritten, double-spaced pages):
Profession of social work as a career goal. Why does the profession of social work appeal to you? What aspects of social work are of greatest interest to you? Discuss proposed career goals. Why did you choose to apply to NCSSS?
Life and relationships. Discuss how your background (e.g., family, cultural, religious, economic, ethnic, racial) has affected your desire and ability to work in social work.
Work experience. Describe current and/or past work experience, including volunteer work, as it relates to the profession of social work. How have these experiences helped prepare you for social work practice?
Experience in the helping role. Social work is concerned with helping individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. Using an example from your professional, volunteer or personal life, discuss and analyze a situation in which you have observed the helping role, including how it changed a problem situation.
Experience as a student. Evaluate yourself as a student. What differences in performance between your previous educational experiences and your forthcoming graduate experience might you anticipate? Discuss any special circumstances affecting your undergraduate performance.
Planning. Describe your ability and commitment to undertake graduate education at this time. What family, work or other responsibilities do you anticipate during the course of your studies at NCSSS? Evaluate your ability to fulfill these obligations, including the ability to spend 16 hours per week in the foundation year and 20 hours per week in the advanced year in field placements.
Resume including educational history, work and volunteer experience.
Three current letters of reference from persons, other than family and friends, who are able to address personal, professional and academic capabilities. The three references should not come from a single source.
Standardized test scores are not required as part of the admissions portfolio.
Students for whom English is a second language are required to submit the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores, including the written test, or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Scores for all three components (listening, writing, vocabulary/comprehension) should be submitted as part of the application process.
A pre-admission interview may be requested by the NCSSS Office of Admissions after all written material has been received. Applications are reviewed on a rolling admissions basis, once all materials have been received. Applicants will receive an email when a decision has been made on their application. The decision letter will be available for viewing and printing in the online application portal.

Minimally accepted TOEFL scores, when applying for graduate programs, are 550-paper, 213-computer, and 80 Internet. Students taking the TOEFL should have at least 20 out of 30 in each of the TOEFL subcategories. The minimally accepted graduate IELTS score is 6.5. Individual IELTS test module scores are also reviewed in addition to the overall IELTS score.