Incoming Students

SEC at Orientation

Announcements

Update from the Chancellor June 8, 2020
Message from Dean Betsy Farmer May 15, 2020
Orientation materials will be announced soon.
Campus Map
Information on how to get your Pitt ID. To save time upload your photo ahead of time.
Follow us on social media for announcements, events and more (links at the bottom of the page)
Medical Coverage for Students.
Access the updated way to View/Accept/Decline your Financial Aid Awards.
Looking for more information? Visit our Incoming Student Resource Blog

Incoming Student Frequently Asked Questions

Congratulations on your acceptance! We look forward to meeting you in the Fall! Visit our FAQ page for some important information to help guide you through the processes following your tuition deposit.

Exemption Exams

As you may know, MSW students who do not have advanced standing take two research courses: a Foundations course and a second level research course in their final semester. Prior to the start of the fall semester, we offer the opportunity to take a 50 item multiple choice exam in research that if you pass, exempts you from taking the research foundations class.

The exam is comprehensive and you can prepare for it by purchasing the text and taking the practice quizzes . The text is The Practice of Research in Social Work, Third edition, Engel & Schutt.

First-year MSW students who do not have advanced standing must also take the foundations Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE) course during fall semester. An HBSE exemption exam is also offered, allowing students who pass an exemption so that they do not have to take first-level/foundations HBSE. The exam is a 77-item comprehensive test covering content from the following text book:

Lesser, J.C., & Pope, D.S. (2011). Human behavior and the social environment: Theory and practice. Boston: (2ed.): Allyn and Bacon.