Registration Information

Students follow a specific curriculum according to the program into which they were accepted. You can find your curriculum guide on the School of Social Work website:

Dual-degree students follow a specific curriculum according to the programs into which they were accepted. You can find your curriculum guidance on the School of Social Work website:

For students enrolled in SW 510 Scientific Methods in Social Work, SW 520 Interventions I, and/or SW 555 Field Seminar, the School Registrar will force register you into your subsequent sections of SW 514 Evaluation in Social Work, SW 521 Interventions II, and/or SW 555 Field Seminar courses.

You are responsible for registering for all other required courses

All students must register themselves for field for every semester they are in a field placement! If you do not register for field, your field instruction hours will not count toward your program. In addition, during your first field placement, you will need to register for the SW 555 Field Seminar co-requisite. 

If you have not fulfilled the Human Biology prerequisite, be sure to enroll as soon as possible, as you may not begin your advanced year without completing this requirement. 

To enroll you must complete the “Petition for Course Credit Outside Your Primary Academic Career” form, found on the Registrar’s Website, as this is an undergraduate course.

Please submit all forms via email to swinfo@buffalo.edu until otherwise instructed. 

Unsure if you’ve met the prerequisite? Check your Academic Advising Report.

Class sizes are limited. Please do not call the office if a class is closed. We understand that it is frustrating when you do not get the class you want but calling the office will not resolve the issue.

If there are multiple sections of the course, register for a different section of the course.

If the course has a waitlist, please add yourself. Please note, not all classes have a waitlist. If you are on a waitlist and someone drops the class, students will be automatically enrolled based on their position on the waitlist. Please note - Holds and time conflicts will prevent you from being automatically enrolled from the waitlist.

Please note that while we do not guarantee you a spot in your preferred elective or section of a course, we do guarantee you a spot in each of your required courses for the semester.

We reserve seats in online sections of required courses for students enrolled in our Online MSW Programs. Online students must register for virtual sections, which are designated by “ON” at the end of any given section (ex. SW 500LEC AON). Failure to register for online courses may result in increased tuition and fees. Online advanced topic analysis and advanced interventions courses will have a portion of the seats reserved for students in the online programs. Anyone can sign up for online electives.

Seated students desiring online sections of required courses must complete this "Request to Take Online Section of Required Course." If any extra online seats are available, we will prioritize students with the highest need. 

Decisions cannot be made until ALL STUDENTS in the online programs have registered for classes. Because of this, it is likely that you will not receive a response until about a month prior to the start of the semester. Due to this potential delay in the decision, it is imperative that you register for a seated section of your requested course in case your request is denied. Completing this form does not guarantee a spot in an online class. 

Our MSW program is registered with the New York State Office of Professions, and your earned MSW degree automatically qualifies you to sit for the Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) exam.

If you plan on obtaining your clinical license, at some point in your career, please review the clinical course list to determine the courses that satisfy the 12-credit minimum clinical requirement, within all three categories, for the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) exam as you plan your MSW course schedule.