• Apply HERE

• Be sure to select the correct program, quarter and year. Selecting the wrong program, quarter, or year may require you to begin a new application and repay the application fee. 

  • Social Work - Seattle (MSW - Advanced Standing Full-Time - Current Seattle BASW Students)

  • Social Work - Seattle (MSW - Advanced Standing Part-Time - Current Seattle BASW Students)

Please only submit one application- choose the program application that is your top choice. If you are interested in applying to multiple programs, applicants have the opportunity to list second and third choice program options in the application.

All current UW-Seattle BASW Seniors are eligible for a fee waiver but must apply by the listed deadline. Instructions on how to apply for a fee waiver were sent via email. Otherwise, an $85.00 application fee is required and must be paid by credit card through the online application system. 

You must submit unofficial transcripts from every accredited college or university where you earned academic credit, including your current UW transcript. Please review the Eligibility Criteria and Special Applicant Groups 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.
• Since you have not yet graduated from UW, please upload an unofficial transcript including the most recently completed quarter/semester. 
• If you transferred credits from a previous institution and they are listed in detail on your UW transcript (with full course names), you do not need to list and upload them separately. If they are not listed in detail, 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. 
• 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 must be accompanied by the original transcript(s).

Please enter the eligibility code provided via email to all eligible students.

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. 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. After the application deadline you will be contacted by email to complete a separate Advanced Standing survey, with additional specialization information, to confirm your selection and preferences; make sure the email you use on your Graduate School application is accurate. 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 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 a second choice program option in the event they are not admitted to their first choice. Only list an alternate option if you have fully reviewed the program information, fully understand the distinct program costs, and are willing to pursue an MSW degree in this program. (Note: the specializations offered in the part-time Advanced Standing Program are different from the specializations offered in the full-time program.)

Applicants must estimate the total hours (paid and unpaid) of relevant social work experience. 

For additional guidance on identifying relevant experience we have developed a handout with information on social work and human services. Please be sure to include any hours completed so far in your current practicum, as well as relevant practice at any level (micro/mezzo/macro) from direct practice to advocacy/activism.

GPA: We highly encourage applicants with an overall 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

Streamlined applicants do not have to request recommendations. Instead, by applying through the streamlined application, you consent to the Admissions Committee receiving a recommendation form completed by the UW BASW Program Director, in consultation with Program Advisors, Instructors, and Field Faculty.

You will have the option to retain or waive your right to review your recommendation. 

Applicants cannot review recommendations. However, under the provisions of Public Law 93-380, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, and under University guidelines pursuant to that Act, students (defined as persons who have been officially admitted and registered at the University of Washington) have the right to review recommendations made on their behalf if the students retain this right at the time the recommendations are solicited.

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 racism and white supremacy 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: 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. For 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 service experience (including your past and current practicum placements)
• 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. 

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 through the Grad School should be submitted at least one week prior to the deadline to ensure they are processed in time. 
• You can login into the application portal to check your admission status and/or the status of other uploaded items. 
• Congratulations on completing your application, and good luck!
• Questions regarding the School of Social Work application requirements: email Admissions
• 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@uw.edu

This form is separate from the online Graduate School application and does not impact admissions decisions. We encourage applicants who would like to be considered for departmental 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 WAFSA, if eligible) for the current year by the priority deadline, however, the departmental funding consideration form is not a replacement for the general need-based financial aid application (FAFSA). UW's priority FAFSA/WAFSA deadline is February 28th, however, we strongly recommend submitting by January 16th to ensure full consideration for School of Social Work funding. Please note that international students are exempt from completing the FAFSA/WAFSA.

• Access the Funding Consideration Form HERE

• 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).

UW has two state-funded partner programs (CWTAP and WDI) that offer financial support for MSW students at UW Seattle. These both have separate applications. 

• Applicants who are offered admission to the MSW program will receive email invitations to apply to CWTAP along with application packets.

• To apply for the WDI Program, follow the instructions here.