BA/MSW Application Process
This program is meant for current UB undergraduate students who want to apply to the MSW program early. Our application process is completely electronic. All documents should be submitted through the application portal.
Students apply to the BA and MSW portions of the program separately.
If you are NOT a current UB undergraduate student, you will need to first apply to the University at Buffalo and the BA interdisciplinary health and human services program through the Undergraduate Admissions Office.
If you are a current UB undergraduate student, you must meet ALL the following prerequisites before applying to the MSW part of the program:
- Major in the Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Degree Program in the UB College of Arts and Sciences.
- Have completed a minimum of 93 undergraduate credits.
- Have completed 11 of 15 required Interdisciplinary Degree Program health and human services courses.
- Have completed the general education program.
- Have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or greater.
- Have significant employment or volunteer experience in a human services setting.
- Have completed 24 credits in liberal arts coursework:
- 6 must be ins 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 wit 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.
This is for students who have already completed all the prerequisites above, and are ready to apply to the MSW portion of the program.
All application components (including recommendations) must be received by the deadline in order to be considered.
You must first meet with the Interdisciplinary Degree Programs Director or another staff member from the Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Department to make sure you meet all the requirements and complete the prerequisites checklist.
Email sscidp@buffalo.edu or call the office at (716) 645-2247 to set up this meeting.
Apply to the University at Buffalo School of Social Work using our electronic graduate application system.
Be sure to select the "BA/MSW (Interdisciplinary Studies/ Social Work)" program option from the drop-down menu, since this indicates to us that you are currently a UB undergraduate student who will not have a bachelor's degree by the time you start the MSW. If you do not see the 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 BA/MSW application fee is $75.
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.