Effectiveness of Admission Criteria on Student Performance in Classroom and Field Instruction

This study examines the effectiveness of admission criteria on graduate student performance in classroom and field instruction in a new MSW program. Graduate applicants’ undergraduate GPA, GRE, and total weighted admission score consisting of four items were gathered. These were correlated with their classroom and field instruction performance. Findings reveal that GRE, undergraduate GPA, and total weighted admission scores are significantly correlated with their classroom performance. End of first year cumulative GPA and human service experience were identified as significant predictors of field performance. Implications of these findings for social work educators and graduate school programs are discussed.