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Admissions

BASW Application

The UW School of Social Work seeks to enroll well-qualified students of varying backgrounds and a commitment to working with diverse populations. The BASW program is capacity constrained, admitting about 50 students each Fall, and is based on academic performance and potential, clarity and appropriateness 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. All applicants should carefully review these essential abilities before completing the BASW application. 

*Please note: this is not the correct application if you’re applying for the UW Tacoma BASW program.

Watch a BASW Information Session recording to learn more about the program and application process!

Eligibility

The Admissions Committee strives to give all applications the most prompt and thoughtful consideration possible. Please carefully review these guidelines before beginning your application to ensure you are eligible for admission.

Accessible Accordion

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.

Ensure you will satisfy all BASW prerequisites before beginning the program in Fall. 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 before beginning the BASW program in Fall, 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.

  • A minimum of 65 college level 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 credits required to transfer into the program.

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.

BASW Application Instructions:

The application for Fall 2025 admission will be available in late January 2025.