Take a look at our page, What is Social Work? You can explore different careers and pathways to becoming a social worker, as well as information on licensure. 

Yes! Please see our admissions event calendar to register for an upcoming on-campus MSW information session, or online webinar. Recordings of recent webinars are also available. 

We welcome prospective students to meet with us! If you’d like to meet with an admissions advisor, we encourage you to schedule an advising appointment. The School of Social Work is generally open to the public daily from 7:30 a.m.– 6 p.m., outside of academic breaks and university holidays. Our address is 4101 15^th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105. The Admissions Office is on the ground floor, Suite 23, and we are generally on campus from 9:00am – 4:00pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Please note that we do not offer building tours, but you are welcome to explore on your own or check out a UW Campus Tour. Take a look at our calendar for additional opportunities to connect with us.

There is no minimum requirement of experience, however, all applicants are recommended to have 2000 hours when they apply. The amount of experience prospective students have does not determine admissions alone; the quality and depth of experience is also taken into consideration.

We are looking for social work and human service related experience — this might include a variety of paid and/or unpaid jobs, service corps, internships, or volunteer work. As a guide for students, we have developed a handout with some descriptions of what we would consider related social work experience. We are interested in efforts “…aimed to promote the welfare of others; services that improve the well-being of individuals, families, and communities” (HHS, 2017). We value experience (paid or unpaid) related to serving marginalized, or underserved/ underrepresented groups. 

EXAMPLES OF SERVICE POPULATIONS (this list is NOT exhaustive):

•  Women 
• Children and Adolescents 
• Homeless 
• LGBTQ 
• Immigrants/refugees/non-citizens 
• Low-income communities 
• Communities of Color 
• Individuals living with mental or physical disabilities 
• Populations impacted by education inequity, health disparities, environmental injustice, or poverty

Many students in the first year of the Full-Time Program work part-time jobs, on weekends or during weeknight evening hours. Students in the second year of the Full-Time Program and those in the Advanced Standing Program often find it challenging to work part time. 

Many Part-Time Program students are able to work full-time during their first year. Practicum for Part-Time students begins in the fourth quarter of the program and typically occur during weekday (Monday-Friday) daytime hours. Many second and third year Part-Time students adjust their work schedules by reducing from full-time employment to half-time/part-time employment, in order to accommodate MSW practicum requirements in addition to classes. Some Part-Time students are able to maintain full-time employment throughout the entirety of the program. 

Compare our MSW Programs here. 

In any case, it is up to each student to consider the potential impacts on maintaining employment during their graduate studies, given the time constraints of classroom and practicum commitments.

A Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work is not a requirement to be admitted into our Full-Time and Part-Time Programs. We encourage students from all backgrounds and undergraduate majors to apply. However, if applying for our Advanced Standing Program, it is a requirement for admissions. To learn more about the requirements needed for admission, please visit our MSW Application Process page.

Unfortunately no, our MSW Advanced Standing Program is for students who have earned a BA degree from a U.S baccalaureate program in Social Welfare or Social Work that is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). 

No, the information refers only to MSW programs on the University of Washington’s main Seattle campus. To learn about UW Tacoma’s MSW Programs or apply, please visit their site. 

See the “Transfer Applicant” section of our eligibility requirements.

If you are interested in two of our programs, OR are willing to consider admission to a secondary option, you can complete one application and list a second/third choice. Apply to the program that is your top choice and list the alternative as your second choice when prompted. Your application can only be considered for one program at a time. If you are not accepted to your first choice, you may be considered for the second choice, but there is no guarantee of admission.

The exception to this is the Part-Time Online Program. If you would like to list the Part-Time Online Program as a second or third-choice option, you will need to submit a separate application, as the application is slightly different.

Advanced Standing applicants are not able to list alternate programs. 

Information about fee waivers offered through the UW Graduate School is available here. If you are not eligible for the UW Graduate School fee waiver, you may be eligible for our departmental fee waiver. 

If you are planning on applying for the fee waiver, you must submit all the documents required and list your references one week prior to the application deadline. HOWEVER, references do not need to submit their letters prior to your submission/request for a fee waiver. 

There are several methods to calculate the Grade Point Average (GPA).

1. Use the cumulative GPA listed on your degree-granting transcript
2. Use the last 90 quarter or 60 semester graded credits: working from the most recent quarter/semester add the graded course credits (excluding thesis or dissertation courses) until you reach 90 quarter or 60 semester credits. Multiply each course grade by the credits to achieve grade points. Add all grade points and divide by the total number of credits. You can use a GPA calculator like this one from Scholaro to help. 
3. Use methods 1 or 2 and include any college-level coursework completed after you earned a degree. 
4. If you have additional questions about calculating a GPA for your major field of study, or for a time period less than reported on your transcript, please reference the Graduate School; for further assistance contact uwgrad@uw.edu or 206.685.2630. 

Your references are people who can help you present the full picture of your unique and diverse potential to contribute to our learning community and develop into a strong social justice advocate. This can include a faculty member, supervisor, co-worker, volunteer coordinator, etc.

Please do not have family members, friends, intimate partners or clients as references. These are not appropriate references for your application. 

It is recommended that all applicants designate at least one reference that is an academic reference and at least one reference that is a professional reference.

• Advanced Standing Applicants: Must include one social work faculty member from your BASW/BSW program among the required references.

• Applicants Transferring from Other MSW Programs: If you are applying as a transfer student from another MSW program, include at least one member of the social work faculty at your current/previous MSW institution among the three required references. 

For the Full-Time and Advanced Standing program, students who also meet the qualifications for the Tuition Exemption Program may use the tuition exemption program toward their MSW. Because the Part-Time Programs are fee-based, students are not eligible for tuition exemption benefits. For additional information, please visit the Tuition Exemption Program webpage.

Please note that it can be challenging to maintain the minimum hours of employment to be eligible for tuition exemption. Feel free to contact us if you have additional questions regarding this matter.

As of Spring 2023, the UW School of Social Work no longer requires a statistics prerequisite. 

The School of Social Work determines scholarships primarily based on merit and financial-need based. Citizenship status will not affect your eligibility. Please complete the Funding Consideration Form and submit by the application deadline. Additionally, it may be beneficial to start an external funding search early. If you have additional questions, please contact our Admissions office. 

Undocumented/DACA Students:

If you have graduated from a WA state high school, you may be eligible for in-state tuition. Please complete the WASFA as soon as possible as this assists us in determining your financial need. 

The Graduate Student Equity and Excellence office (GSEE),  and Leadership Without Borders are also great resources on campus for students. Prospective students can also explore scholarship opportunities and resources offered by Immigrants Rising and My Undocumented Life.

International Students:

Unfortunately, the UW at large does not provide financial aid/assistance for international students. U.S immigration laws require international applicants to provide proof of financial support before the university can formally admit a student and issue appropriate immigration documents. The International Student Services provides greater detail on financial assistance at UW.

We do not offer rolling admissions. Students who are applying for the Advanced Standing Program will begin classes during the summer quarter. The Full-Time and Part-Time Programs begin classes starting in the fall quarter.

Applicants who completed a FAFSA or WASFA by the priority deadline can expect to receive funding information (loans, need-based aid) via email from the Office of Student Financial Aid in early April. Questions about financial aid (including questions about revising your financial need figure) should be directed to the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Applicants who completed an MSW Funding Consideration Form are automatically considered for departmental funding (scholarships and fellowships); notifications about departmental scholarships, if applicable, will be sent throughout March and April on an ongoing basis (notifications of departmental funding do not necessarily come at the same time as your admission offer).

MSW applicants can also apply separately for graduate assistantships (deadlines vary), and are encouraged to explore our MSW Funding page along with resources offered by UW’s Graduate School.

There are also two state-funded partner programs (CWTAP and WDI) that offer financial support for MSW students at UW Seattle. These traineeships are separate application processes from the main MSW Program application. 

You can check on the status of application materials by logging back into your application. If there are any issues in screening your application, we will reach out to alert you.