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]

application process and timeline

Application Prerequisites

Traditional Advanced Standing

Traditional MSW Prerequisites

  • Bachelor's degree (or international equivalent) in any discipline from an accredited institution. 
  • 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.
  • Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 preferred.
  • Human biology undergraduate course (3 credits) must be completed prior to the advanced year MSW curriculum, if not fulfilled at the time of application.

Application Process

All application components (including recommendations) must be received by the deadline in order to be considered.

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. See 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.