MSW Application Process
Our application process is completely electronic. All documents should be submitted through the application portal.
Watch our application process and timeline video for an overview [3:42]
Advanced Standing MSW Prerequisites
Please note that the criteria below is very strict and there are no exceptions. If you do not meet all the prerequisites, then you must apply to the Traditional MSW program instead.
- Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from a CSWE-accredited program, with no more than six years between BSW conferral and start date of the MSW program.
- Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 required.
- B- or better in all undergraduate social work major courses.
- Minimum of 24 credits of undergraduate liberal arts coursework. Of those 24 credits:
- 6 must be in the social or behavioral sciences (e.g., psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science).
- 6 must be in the arts or humanities (e.g., history, English, foreign languages, philosophy, ethnic/gender studies).
- 12 credits may be made up with any combination of the above or with courses from the natural sciences or mathematics.
- Human biology undergraduate course (3 credits) must be completed prior to the advanced year MSW curriculum, if not fulfilled at the time of application.
All above advanced standing eligibility criteria must be met at time of application and at time of bachelor degree completion.
All application components (including recommendations) must be received by the deadline in order to be considered.
Apply to the University at Buffalo School of Social Work using our electronic graduate application system.
Be sure to read the drop-down list of program options thoroughly, since each track has different application questions (traditional, advanced standing, on-campus, online, dual-degree, etc.). If you are unsure of which program you need to select, contact us. If you do not see your program listed, it means that it is not currently open. Check our deadlines page for information about when program applications open and close.
On the application form, you will be asked to send electronic recommendation requests to three professional references who are best able to assess your potential for graduate-level academic work and for the profession of social work. This includes:
- Faculty
- Classroom instructors
- Academic advisors
- Current or past employers, supervisors or professional colleagues
Do not use personal friends, relatives, friends of the family or other personal relationship sources. In addition, do not use clients or individuals you provide services to, or therapists or other individuals you receive services from.
When you send the requests, your recommenders will receive an email with a link to complete the brief evaluation form and upload their letter of recommendation for you electronically. You will receive a notification email when a recommendation has been received.
Plan ahead to give your references enough time to submit their recommendations before the deadline.
Copies of transcripts should be uploaded to the application portal. Please note:
- You must provide a transcript from each and every previous school attended at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
- Transcripts must be from the original school you earned the credits from. Transfer credits listed on another school’s transcript are not sufficient.
- You must provide all transcripts regardless of the number of credits earned, how long ago you attended, or whether or not a degree was earned.
- Transcripts must include your name, the institution name, all courses taken with semesters, grades received, overall GPA, degree conferral date (if applicable) and transcript key if available (often printed on the back).
- Do not upload advising reports or degree evaluations from your student portal.
If you prefer to send official transcripts instead of uploading copies, you may do so. Note that official transcripts will take longer to arrive, so be sure to request them well in advance of the deadline. All transcripts MUST be received in the School of Social Work admissions office by the posted application deadline.
If accepted to the program, you will be required to submit final official transcripts from all schools attended (except from the University at Buffalo) if you have not already.
Official transcripts must be mailed to:
University at Buffalo
School of Social Work- Admissions
685 Baldy Hall
Buffalo, NY 14260-1050
or sent via secure and official electronic delivery to: swinfo@buffalo.edu.
After you submit your application form, you will be redirected to your status portal, where you will be able to upload your application essay to your application checklist. This is a key component of your application. Your essay should reflect strong technical writing and critical thinking skills. Write a full essay answering ALL questions in the Application Essay Guidelines.
After you submit your application form, you will be redirected to your status portal, where you can find the secure payment link, allowing you to pay the non-refundable application fee by credit card or e-check.
The Traditional and Advanced Standing On-Campus MSW application fees are $75 each. The Traditional and Advanced Standing Part-Time Online MSW application fees are $100 each.
Questions?
Email us!
swinfo@buffalo.edu
New York Residency
To qualify for the in-state tuition rate, admitted students must provide proof of New York State residency. Visit the accepted student information page for details.
Felony Disclosure
If you have a previous felony or criminal conviction, please read our felony disclosure statement before applying.
Online Applicants Please Note:
Accepted applicants living 50 or more miles from the Buffalo, NY, campus will be given priority for seats in the online programs.