Admission is competitive and applications are evaluated holistically. Applicants to the MSW Day Program or MSW Extended Degree Program must meet the minimum requirements outlined by the UW Graduate School.

• Social Work Experience: All MSW candidates are recommended to have at least 2000 hours of relevant social service experience by the time of application; however, this is not a requirement.

• Degree: We do not require any specific major or baccalaureate degree to apply for either program. Applicants must have, at a minimum, a four-year baccalaureate degree. The degree must be posted before the start of the MSW Program. However, the School of Social Work may consider an exceptional applicant without a four-year bachelor’s degree. An admission petition to the Graduate School must be submitted by the School of Social Work before an offer is made for any applicants that do not meet the degree minimum and is subject to denial. More information on minimum degree requirements here.

• GPA: Applicants must meet the 3.0 grade point average (on a 4 point scale) for credits earned at a regionally accredited institution awarding the bachelor’s, master’s, graduate doctoral degree, or professional doctoral degree OR at least a 3.0 for the last 90 quarter credits/60 semester credits. However, the School of Social Work may consider an exceptional applicant with a GPA below a 3.0 – applicants with less than a 3.0 GPA are encouraged to provide additional information related to the context of their GPA in the Application Questions section of the application. An admission petition to the Graduate School must be submitted by the School of Social Work before an offer is made for any applicants that do not meet the GPA minimum and is subject to denial. Please see this document for suggested strategies to help strengthen your candidacy for admission.

• English Proficiency: Non-native English speakers must demonstrate English language proficiency. More information on English proficiency requirements can be found here. We require applicants to meet/surpass the RECOMMENDED test scores.

• Criminal Background Check: Applicants who are offered admission to the School of Social Work will receive instructions to complete the criminal background check and Request for Criminal History Information Form with the admission notice. Prospective applicants with questions or concerns about this requirement should review our information on Criminal History Information and Admissions/Continuance.

Admission is competitive and applicants are evaluated holistically. Applicants to the Advanced Standing Programs must meet the minimum requirements outlined by the UW Graduate School, in addition to a bachelor’s degree in social work/social welfare. If you are a current BASW Senior at UW Seattle with a 3.5 GPA at the end of junior year you are eligible for a streamlined application process – please click here for specific instructions. 

• Social Work Degree: All Advanced Standing applicants must have graduated from a U.S. baccalaureate program in social work or social welfare accredited by the CSWE or a Canadian bachelor’s level social work program accredited by CASSW (CASWE). 

• Students who have a BSW/BASW degree from a social work program outside of the U.S. may have their degree evaluated by the International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Service, and may apply for Advanced Standing if the degree is determined to be consistent with CSWE requirements. 

• Advanced Standing applicants who graduated more than five years ago should demonstrate continued professional growth through social work experience. (Professional training, leadership, and advancement in the social work field are also considered).

• Social Work Experience: All MSW candidates are recommended to have at least 2000 hours of relevant social service experience by the time of application; however, this is not a requirement. 

• GPA: Applicants must meet the 3.0 grade point average (on a 4 point scale) for credits earned at a regionally accredited institution awarding the bachelor’s, master’s, graduate doctoral degree, or professional doctoral degree OR at least a 3.0 for the last 90 quarter credits/60 semester credits. However, the School of Social Work may consider an exceptional applicant with a GPA below a 3.0 – applicants with less than a 3.0 GPA are encouraged to provide additional information related to the context of their GPA in the Application Questions section of the application. An admission petition to the Graduate School must be submitted by the School of Social Work before an offer is made for any applicants that do not meet the GPA minimum and is subject to denial. Please see this document for suggested strategies to help strengthen your candidacy for admission.

• English Proficiency: Non-native English speakers must demonstrate English language proficiency More information on English proficiency requirements can be found here. We require applicants to meet/surpass the RECOMMENDED test scores.

• Criminal Background Check: Applicants who are offered admission to the School of Social Work will receive instructions to complete the criminal background check and Request for Criminal History Information Form with the admission notice. Prospective applicants with questions or concerns about this requirement should review our information on Criminal History Information and Admissions/Continuance.

If you are a current BASW Senior at UW Seattle with a 3.5 GPA at the end of junior year you are eligible for a streamlined application process.

View specific instructions.

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The School of Social Work accepts applications from prospective students regardless of citizenship status – we encourage applicants who identify as undocumented, DACA eligible, or HB 1079 eligible to connect with the various resources on campus that may provide additional information about UW resources, residency, and funding opportunities.

Our hope is that you’ll find safe and welcoming spaces at the School of Social Work and the UW. The Graduate Student Equity & Excellence (GSEE) has detailed instructions for students on how best to complete the demographics portion of the graduate school application. Please review these materials prior to beginning your application.

We highly encourage students to review the Northwest Immigrants Rights Project DACA Advisory that outlines recommendations for community members who have applied for DACA or who are interested in applying.

Need additional support in applying? Feel free to reach out to our office, GSEE, or Leadership Without Borders.

Most international applicants are only eligible for a visa if enrolled full-time (Day or Full-Time Advanced Standing program). International students requiring an F-1 student visa to attend the University of Washington should not list the Extended Degree Program (EDP) or Part-Time Advanced Standing Program among application choices for consideration. Visit the UW Graduate School’s International Student page, which includes important details about visas, U.S. immigration laws, and the financial ability requirement. International applicants must provide proof of financial ability, demonstrate English proficiency, and will need a student visa to attend. Please note that international students are not eligible for the CWTAP traineeship and are only eligible for the WDI traineeship if they have guaranteed work authorization after their education visa has expired.

Non-native English speakers can demonstrate English language proficiency in several ways: a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from a U.S. institution, a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from an institution located in a country where English is the official language, official documentation from the degree-granting institution verifying that all instruction is in English, OR, an Official English Language Test Score (sent electronically to the University of Washington via testing center). The UW School of Social Work requires scores to meet/surpass the “recommended” scores. We will accept the TOEFLI or TOEFLB scores of 92 or higher, Duolingo scores of 125 or higher, and IELTS scores of 7.0 or higher. Test scores should be sent at least two weeks before the application deadline to 5 ensure they are processed in time. Due to the rigor and pace of our programs, students with scores below the “recommended” scores will not be admitted and enrolling in an Academic English Proficiency (AEP) class is not permitted. More information on English proficiency requirements can be found here.

Students are encouraged to only begin an MSW program they intend to complete. We strongly discourage starting a program with the intention of transferring later on.

Applicants transferring from another CSWE-accredited MSW program are considered for admission into the MSW Day and Extended Degree Programs on a space-available basis only after required pre-application advising – pre-application advising must be completed before January 3rd. Transfer students who do not complete this advising process will have their applications withdrawn.  

Pre-application advising is intended to proactively ensure students do not encounter course sequencing issues. To schedule pre-application advising, make an appointment with an admissions advisor here. After the initial pre-application advising, an official from your current/former MSW program must complete a Certification of Good Standing form and submit to our office BEFORE January 3rd, 2025. Once all completed forms have been received, they’ll be reviewed to determine if you meet our requirements to transfer. If cleared to apply, you’ll apply like a typical applicant.

Transfer students must meet all general eligibility requirements, be in good standing at their current/previous MSW program, and have completed their full generalist curriculum and practicum. 

Due to the part-time format, the Extended Degree Program and UW-Tacoma’s MSW Program may be more feasible options for transfer applicants.

The Office of Admissions may request updated transcripts after an offer of admission. Failure to successfully complete the generalist curriculum prior to the start of the program can result in a withdrawal of admission or enrollment.

Credits will be evaluated by the MSW Program Office after receiving an offer of admission. Transfer students are only eligible to be waived out of a maximum of 39 quarter credit hours. However, this is subject to review by the MSW Program Director to ensure course equivalency. UW’s generalist curriculum often differs from other MSW programs, therefore, transfer students almost always need to take some generalist courses which can extend the typical graduation timeline. We cannot guarantee credits will fully transfer.

Per UW policy, students must complete all degree requirements within six years. If previously completed MSW coursework was done four years ago or more, they will be reviewed by the Director of Student Services. If admitted, transfer students will choose an area of specialization and a practicum site. Some specializations and practicum sites have limited capacity and are therefore only available to transfer students on a space-available basis.

Students wishing to transfer credits from a different type of graduate program from which they did not earn a degree are limited to 6 transfer credits per UW Graduate School policy. Students who have taken graduate-level research courses may be waived out of the required MSW research courses. Under both circumstances, eligibility is assessed only after the student has been admitted, paid the enrollment deposit, and provided relevant syllabi.

The UW does not award general credit for work or life experience

We welcome you to reapply. Reapplying is never looked at negatively, and does not impact admission chances. As of May 2023, reusing materials is no longer possible due to a change in application platforms.

Learn more about reapplying

For full details about the current GNM registration process, visit this Canvas page. Per Graduate School policy, prospective GNM students must meet the following minimum requirements:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. or its equivalent from a foreign institution.
2. Have earned at least a 3.0 grade-point-average (on a 4 point scale) for the last 90 graded quarter credits or 60 graded semester credits.

Before filling out the application and paying the fee, please contact the School of Social Work Student Services at mswadvising@uw.edu to inquire about classes available to GNM and NM students during the quarter you are hoping to enroll. Initial contact must be made more than two weeks prior to the quarter beginning. The adviser will go over the next steps with you, at this time. We only want you to pay the fee if we are able to allow you into a course in which you’d like to enroll.

For GNM status, you will also have to complete these additional steps.

1. Visit the Graduate School’s online application to complete the application. There is a $75 non-refundable or transferable fee for GNM applications.
2. As part of the online application, you will upload unofficial transcripts. 
3. Additionally, you will also be required to upload a resume.
4. Alert the Student Services Department that your application has been submitted and is ready for review. Please email mswadvising@uw.edu. The application portal does close for a period of time during the spring and summer – in order to submit your application you will need to communicate with Student Services to coordinate.

What other things should I know in order to take class(es)?

• UW Time Schedule for course and schedule information
• Tuition information
• Academic Calendar
• If you are a UW or State employee, planning to use tuition exemption, please visit the Registrar’s webpage. MSW Extended Degree Program students cannot use tuition exemption, since the EDP program is a fee-based program
• UW Graduate School Policies for GNM.

An $90.00 application fee is required and must be paid by credit card through the online application system. Information about an application fee waiver through the Graduate School is available here. Be sure to submit an application fee waiver at least one week prior to the application deadline to allow adequate time for processing.

If you are not eligible for the Graduate School Fee Waiver, you may be eligible for a departmental fee waiver. More details here.

You must submit unofficial transcripts from every accredited college or university where you earned academic credit. Please review the Eligibility Criteria and Special Applicant Groups (above) regarding minimum degree and GPA requirements.

• Please make sure your first and last names, degree conferred date, and the name of the institution are clearly included on all transcripts.

• 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. A final transcript showing confirmation of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent will be due before the start of the program, if admitted. 

• If you transferred credits from a previous institution and they are listed in detail on your degree-granting transcript with a GPA (and full course names), you do not need to list and upload them separately. If they are not listed in detail, or if there is no GPA, please list and upload the additional schools and transcripts. 

• Please submit PDF files only via the Graduate School application; we will not accept incomplete, blurry, or illegible documents or pictures from your phone. We will not accept e-mailed, faxed, mailed transcripts nor transcripts sent through electronic transmission services. 

• All current or former students of the University of Washington, including UW Tacoma/UW Bothell, are still required to upload unofficial transcripts. 

• If you attended a school that does not use a traditional grade point system, please upload all narrative transcripts as one PDF package.

• Transcript evaluations such as those from WES are not required, but if included, must be accompanied by the original transcript(s).

• Day students will officially select their area of specialization during Winter Quarter. However, to help with course planning, we ask you to rank the specialization options.
• EDP and Part-Time Advanced Standing applicants do not need to select a specialization since we offer only one specialization in our part-time programs: Clinical Social Work. 
• Full-Time Advanced Standing applicants are admitted directly to a specialization. Applicants will note their ranking of the offered specializations in the application in the “Interest Area” section. Please review specializations choices before finalizing these selections and submitting the application. Advanced Standing applicants will also be asked to write a short rationale for their top choice selection in the essay portion of the application. Specializations are space-restricted and once offers are made, changes are not guaranteed and limited. Please contact us if you need additional information to select your specialization area.

Applicants interested in the Child Welfare Training and Advancement Program (CWTAP) or Behavioral Health Workforce Development Initiative (WDI) should note that in order to be considered, they must follow a Clinical Social Work specialization. 

Need help choosing a specialization? Watch this webinar!

Applicants have the opportunity to list second and third choice program options in the event they are not admitted to their first choice. Only list alternate options if you have fully reviewed the MSW program information, fully understand the distinct program options and costs, and are willing to pursue an MSW degree in this program. (Note: the specializations offered in the full time programs are different than those offered in the Extended Degree Program and Part-Time Advanced Standing Program.)

Applicants will be prompted to enter all relevant experience in the application, as well as the total hours of experience. 

For additional guidance on identifying relevant experience we have developed a handout with information on social work and human services.

GPA: We highly encourage applicants with a GPA below 3.0 to provide additional information for our Admissions Committee. Please see this document for suggested strategies to help strengthen your candidacy for admission.

We are seeking students who want to join us as we wrestle with complex social problems, and who understand that we must work together to end white supremacy and oppression in all its forms. As such, You are required to critically reflect and respond to two short answer questions. 

• How does oppression impact the communities you intend to serve? Please highlight examples of structural, institutional, or systemic-level oppression that are of particular concern to you. (300 words or less)

• How have you developed self-awareness around racism or other areas of oppression? Identify areas where you’d like to grow in your anti-oppressive approach. (300 words or less)

The required personal statement portion is an important component of your application package. 

• Prompt: The MSW Program at the University of Washington School of Social Work is grounded in our commitment to racial, economic, gender, and social justice informed by and for those at the social margins of our local, national, and global communities. Reflecting on the UWSSW’s MSW Program Statement of Purpose, in 2 – 3 pages write a personal statement about why you have decided to pursue an MSW at UW. Include the following:

  • How has your unique background shaped your perspective and prepared you to work towards social justice? Highlight any skills, professional work, and/or lived experiences you see contributing to the diversity of the school’s learning community and the field of social work.

  • How do your professional goals align with the Program’s Statement of Purpose?

• Part 2: Advanced Standing Specialization Rationale (ONLY applies to Advanced Standing applicants): Please restate your first-choice specialization and provide reasoning for your selection. How might specializing in this area help you to achieve your social work career goals? If you identified a second choice option, please briefly describe why you might also consider specializing in this area. This section should be less than 1 page.​

• Format: Statements should be double-spaced with 1-inch margins, using 12-point font (either Times New Roman or Calibri). Citations are not required or expected unless you have cited specific evidence in your writing. Feel free to tell your “story” in a reflective, creative, and expressive style. If you are including Part 2, please use the header: “Advanced Standing Specialization Rationale”. Please submit all parts as one PDF document and upload to the “Personal Statement” section in the online application.

Provide a resume (no more than 2 pages; in PDF format only) that includes:

• Educational background

• Paid work experience: dates, employer name and address, job title, brief overview of job responsibilities

• Unpaid, relevant social work experience including practicums/internships

• Other paid/unpaid experience involving community work, leadership/capacity building, and/or advocacy/activism

• Awards, honors, and special achievements you have earned (academic, work, volunteer)

• Languages spoken and written and level of fluency, if bilingual (including ASL)

• Research experiences: any research you have conducted or been a part of

• International experiences (length of time, work/volunteer experience)

Please address gaps in your work history as appropriate and/or explain these in your Personal Statement.

Please do not include a photo of yourself, your home address, or phone number.

Three (3) unique recommendation forms must be submitted. You must designate these references in the online Graduate School application portal. References should support your social work/human service background and/or academic preparedness, and potential for contributing to the learning community and field of social work.

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. You may choose to send your references this MSW Recommender Guide prior to designating them in the application. 

• You do not need to wait for your recommendations to be submitted in order to submit your application.

• It is your responsibility to ensure all three recommendations are submitted by the application deadline. 

• Upon designating a reference, an email will be sent to each reference requesting they complete a brief online recommendation form; there will also be space for them to upload a supporting document. You can check that they’ve completed the recommendation by logging in to the application portal.

• We will not accept e-mails, faxes, or mailed letters as substitutes for the recommendation forms.

• Family members, partners, clients and personal friends are not appropriate references.

• Advanced Standing (Part-time and Full-time) Applicants: Must include one social work faculty member from your BASW/BSW program among the required references.

• Re-Applicants: As of May 2023, reusing materials (such as recommendations) is no longer possible due to a change in application platforms.

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.
• 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, and/or revoking funding/scholarship.
• I acknowledge that I have read, understand, and, if admitted, 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.
• I understand the School of Social Work reserves the right, on the basis of an educational judgment, to recommend to the Graduate School that an applicant be denied admission or to recommend dismissal to the Graduate School of an admitted student whose academic record or performance in field instruction does not meet minimal expectations, or whose performance is not consistent with the accepted standards for professional behavior.
• I assert that I am prepared to fulfill the expectations of the Master of Social Work program. I will work with advisers and/or Disability Resources for Students to arrange reasonable accommodations as needed.

• Applications and fee payment must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. PST on the deadline date; the portal will close exactly at midnight. Fee waiver requests should be submitted at least one week prior to the deadline to ensure they are processed in time. 

• Applications will not be considered complete until the application fee has been paid. 

• You can login into the application portal to check your admission status, and/or the status of your recommendations.

• After submission, applicants can still submit/update unofficial transcripts and update recommenders.

Congratulations on completing your application, and good luck!

• Questions regarding the application portal/platform: uwgrad@uw.edu 

• To request disability accommodation in the admission and application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206.543.6450 (Voice), 206.543.6452 (TTY), 206.685.7264 (FAX), or dso@u.washington.edu.

This form is separate from the application and does not impact admissions decisions. We encourage applicants who would like to be considered for School of Social Work fellowships/scholarships to submit this form. The deadline for submission is the same as the general admission deadlines. Please be aware that this is the only opportunity for departmental funding consideration for incoming students. 

• In order to be considered, the applicant must also file a FAFSA (or WASFA, if eligible) for the current year, however, the departmental funding consideration form is not a replacement for the general need-based financial aid application (FAFSA). UW’s priority FAFSA/WASFA deadline is January 15th and we strongly recommend submitting by that date to ensure full consideration for School of Social Work funding. Please note that international students are exempt from completing the FAFSA/WASFA.

• Please explore the School’s website for additional options for funding your education (e.g. graduate assistantships, traineeships, scholarships for continuing students, resources for undocumented students)

The Funding Consideration Form will appear in your online application checklist upon submitting the app. It is titled “Post-Application Questions”.