BASW Application
The UW School of Social Work seeks to enroll well-qualified students with a commitment to working with diverse populations. The BASW program is a capacity-constrained major, admitting about 50 students each Fall. Students are admitted based on academic performance and potential, clarity of career objectives, understanding of social issues, and knowledge of diverse populations. Our commitment to diversity is elaborated in our Essential Skills, Values and Standards of Professional Conduct page.
Eligibility
The Admissions Committee strives to give all applications prompt and thoughtful consideration. Please carefully review these guidelines before beginning your application to ensure you are eligible for admission.
Student Status
All applicants must either be a current UW Seattle student or gain admission to UW as a transfer student prior to the start of the program.
If you are applying to our program as a transfer student, you must submit a UW Transfer Application in addition to our departmental application. The UW Transfer Application for Fall quarter admission typically opens in December and closes in February.
Prerequisites
Ensure you will satisfy all BASW prerequisites by the end of Spring quarter. BASW prerequisites include:
- Completion of one introductory course in Psychology and one introductory course in Sociology. Any 100 or 200-level course can satisfy this requirement, and a 2.0 minimum grade (“C” grade) must be earned in each course to satisfy this requirement. Completion of these courses is required by end the end of Spring quarter, but completion is not required by time of application. Note that transfer courses listed as 1XX or 2XX do not necessarily satisfy the BASW prerequisites, though they are accepted as general transfer credit. If you have questions about how credits will transfer from a four-year or out-of-state college or university, contact admissions.
- A 2.0 cumulative minimum GPA or higher by the end of Spring quarter.
- A minimum of 65 college level credits (equivalent to 44 semester credits) by start of program. Note that the University of Washington does not accept any kind of vocational credits, including Human Service credits (SHS, HS, etc.), as transferable credits. Any credits earned in these courses will not count towards the minimum 65 transferable quarter credits (44 semester credits) required to transfer into the program.
Additional Planning Resources
The following are also helpful for planning your pathway:
- Statistics: Though not a requirement for BASW admission, an approved introductory Statistics class is a required prerequisite of senior year BASW courses and is recommended prior to admission. Approved UW courses include STAT 220/221, STAT 311, and EDPSY 490. If you are considering taking any other statistics courses, please contact admissions.
Foreign Language Requirement: Though not a requirement for BASW admission, BASW students must fulfill the Foreign Language Graduation Requirement (third year of high school foreign language or third college quarter of a foreign language, or equivalent) in order to graduate. This graduation requirement is different from the UW foreign language admission requirement. It is helpful but not required to complete your language requirement before starting the BASW program.
- Service Experience: If you’re interested in gaining (paid!) social service experience, UW CELE Center’s Undergraduate Community-Based Internships (UCBI) are a great option.
BASW Application Instructions
The application for Fall 2026 admission is closed.
*Please note: this is not the correct application if you’re applying for the UW Tacoma BASW program.
Application Timeline
- December 15, 2026: UW General Transfer application opens
All transfer applicants are required to submit the UW General Transfer application and BASW application
- January 2027: BASW application opens
- February 15, 2027: UW General Transfer Application deadline
- February 28, 2027: UW priority financial aid deadline
Submit the FAFSA or WASFA by this date for priority consideration. Applicants can still still submit after the deadline, however.
- April 15, 2027: BASW Application Deadline
Submit your application by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on the deadline date.
- Late May – June 2027: Applicants will be notified of an admission decision by email. Please monitor your inbox.
Transfer applicants will receive a separate admission decision from the UW Office of Admissions. Transfer applicants must be admitted to the BASW program and the University of Washington.
- September 2027: Fall quarter begins.
Review the 2026-27 Academic Calendar.
- We strongly recommend preparing all required materials ahead of time. Once the application is submitted, you cannot make changes.
- Your progress in the application will be saved and you may complete the application in more than one session.
- Once you’re ready to submit your application, click “Submit” at the end of the application. Upon clicking “submit”, you’ll be moved to a screen confirming the submission of your application. If you are experiencing technical difficulties, email our admissions office.
*Please note: applicants are expected to create and submit accurate and original application materials by the deadlines without excessive assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) content generators, such as ChatGPT. Issues of dishonesty may result in denial of admission, rescinding an offer of admission, and/or revoking funding/scholarship.
Unofficial Transcripts
Upload unofficial transcript(s) from every college you’ve attended to the “Academic History” section of the application.
- Title your document as follows: “Last Name_First Name_Institution Name Transcript.pdf.”
- Transcripts must be legible and complete
- Transcripts must clearly show your name, the name of your university/college, all course and grade information, cumulative GPA, etc.
- Official transcripts are not required at time of application
Currently enrolled at a college or university?
If you are currently enrolled in a college/university and have not yet graduated, please upload a transcript including the most recently completed quarter/semester.
Current or former UW student?
University of Washington students, including UW Tacoma/UW Bothell students, are required to upload unofficial transcripts.
Applying as a transfer student?
If you are offered admission to our BASW program, you will be required to email uwsocialwork@uw.edu your final updated unofficial transcript that includes your final quarter grades at your current institution, all prerequisite courses, credits and/or degrees earned. You will also be required to submit official/final transcripts to the UW Office of Admissions.
*The University of Washington does not award transferrable credit for Human Service courses (SHS, HS, etc.) or other vocational courses. Credits earned in these courses will not count towards the minimum 65 transferable credits required to transfer into the program. See UW Transfer Credit Policies for details.
Social Service Experience
Please list all social service experience(s) in the application.
Don’t have social service experience?
Social service experience is not required to apply. If you do not have social service experience to report, you may skip this form and confirm your total hours as “0” in the following application question.
What is social service experience?
Social service experience includes experiences where you helped other humans in ways that align with the School of Social Work mission statement. For additional guidance, review our What is Relevant Social Work/Human Service Experience? handout.
Resume
Please use this resume template. Please include, if applicable:
- Relevant Experience
- Other Work Experience
- Leadership & Activities
- Skills & Additional Information
- Education
Short-Answer Questions
- Why do you want to pursue social work? What interests you in the field? (250 words maximum)
- Describe your commitment to furthering social justice and serving diverse communities. (250 words maximum)
- How have your background and life experiences shaped the perspective you would bring to social work and prepared you to understand and support diverse communities? (400 words maximum)
- Students in this program are expected to consistently participatein class, engage in critical self-reflection, demonstrate professionalism at their practicum site, and communicate proactively. What do you anticipate as your biggest struggle and what skills or resources will help you succeed? (200 words maximum)
*Optional: Our goal is to admit students who are prepared to be successful academically, and we understand that people’s journeys are complex. If your cumulative GPA is below a 3.0 or if you have multiple instances of incomplete coursework (grades such as 0.0, NS, NC, W), we strongly encourage you to use this space to provide any information that might help us understand better how your situation or skills have changed since that time.
Social Work Policy Acknowledgement
Prior to submitting your application, you’ll need to review and agree to the following School of Social Work Admissions Policies in the online application:
- I acknowledge that failure to submit complete and accurate information by the deadline, including all required documents, may result in denial of admission.
- I acknowledge that I have been provided the following conduct expectations; I understand that, if admitted, I will be held accountable to the UW Student Conduct Code, the School of Social Work’s Essential Skills, Values, and Standards for Professional Conduct and the NASW Code of Ethics.
- Applicants are expected to create and submit original application materials without the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) content generators, such as ChatGPT. Except for minor editorial assistance, I confirm I wrote all my own application materials and understand the importance of academic and professional honesty and integrity. Issues of dishonesty may result in denial of admission, rescinding an offer of admission, dismissal from the program and/or revoking funding/scholarship.
- I assert that I am prepared to fulfill the expectations of the Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare program. I will work with advisers and/or Disability Resources for Students to arrange reasonable accommodations as needed.
Admissions decisions will be sent between the end of May and mid-June.
- Monitor your inbox for communications regarding your application. If your application is incomplete or missing information, you will be contacted via email.
- Email uwsocialwork@uw.edu to update your application. Notify us address changes, requests to withdraw your application from consideration etc.
Applying as a transfer student?
In some cases, transfer students may not receive a decision until later. If you do not hear from our department regarding your admission decision by mid-June, please contact uwsocialwork@uw.edu.
Changemaker Scholarships
Applications open at the end of January
Students often come to our program from communities that have experienced inequity, economic difficulty, or limited access to higher education. Tuition costs and high cost-of-living can cause students to work excessive hours, take on significant debt, or delay their education. We know that these barriers can deter or derail even capable and motivated learners.
These scholarships are designed to:
- Partially or fully cover remaining tuition costs for BASW students based on financial need, with awards of up to $20,000 over two consecutive years.
- Allow students to focus on learning, practicum education, and community engagement
- Support students who might not otherwise be able to pursue a social work degree
- Recruit students into a rewarding, high-impact profession
By reaching as many students as possible, this scholarship initiative recognizes that broad access—not just a few individual awards—is essential to building a strong, diverse, and effective social work profession.