MSW Admission Requirements
- Hold a Bachelor’s degree with a liberal arts foundation from an accredited college or university. Advanced Standing Applicants need to possess an undergraduate degree in Social Work earned within five years of admission.
- Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 units (90 quarter), but not less than a minimum of a 2.85 GPA.
- Submit results of the GRE Examination – see GRE Resource Page (pdf) and TOEFL Examination (if applicable). (MSW/JD applications may substitute the LSAT Exam Score). The GRE, TOEFL and LSAT must be submitted prior to by the deadline in order for your application to be considered.
- Complete SDSU School of Social Work Application form which includes: Supplemental information, Liberal Arts Perspective Form; Personal/Professional Statement; Letters of Recommendation (Advanced Standing Program applicants need a letter from their field instructor and a social work faculty member); Education and Experience; Application Information Certification.
- Verify minimum of 500 hours of any paid or unpaid (volunteering or internship) work with a diverse, vulnerable population. (Example: hospitals, mental health centers, advocacy programs, universities, training departments, treatment centers, churches, care facilities, social service agencies, non-profit organizations, etc.)
- Complete an undergraduate statistics course.
- Note: Completion of a statistics course is required with a grade of a C or better. Examples would include Stats 119, Stats 250, Soc 201, Psy 280. The course may be taken in the summer but must be completed prior to beginning the MSW program.
- All MSW students will be required to pass a background check for program participation.
Fall MSW Application Deadlines
| Program | Dual Degree Program Application | Cal State Apply Application | Supplemental Materials to Interfolio | Test Scores/ Transcripts to SDSU Graduate Admissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, 2, 3 and 4-year MSW programs, and MSW transfer applications | not applicable | Dec. 15 | Jan. 12 | Jan. 12 |
| MSW-JD Dual Degree | Cal Western School of Law application required by Jul. 3 |
Mar. 1 | Mar. 1 | Apr. 1 |
| MSW-MPH Dual Degree | SOPHAS application required by Feb. 15 (Feb. 1 recommended) | Mar. 1 | Mar. 1 | Apr. 1 |
1. Submit the Cal State Apply Online Application (all applicants)
- See the Cal State Apply Application Instructions (docx)
- An application fee applies.
- A SDSU “RED ID” number will be assigned which allows tracking of application status online.
- Personal Statement Prompt:
Please review the following SDSU MSW Mission Statement and provide at least 2 examples that reflect how you have incorporated the mission of the School in your past experiences as well as how you will incorporate the mission of our school with your future career intentions. The mission of the MSW program is to prepare graduates competent to work in public and private sector health and human services organizations. Using both generalist and advanced specialist frameworks, graduates work both with and on behalf of diverse and vulnerable populations in the Southern California border region and beyond. Graduates enhance human and community well-being and eliminate social disparities. Grounded in the ethics of the social work profession, graduates apply evidence based approaches in their work with individuals, families, groups, communities and the organizations that serve them.
2. Submit the Cal Western School of Law (MSW-JD applicants only) or SOPHAS Application (MSW-MPH applicants only)
- MSW-JD Applicants: Follow this link for the Cal Western School of Law instructions on the Cal Western site. Applications for the MSW-JD program are reviewed by both the SDSU School of Social Work and the Cal Western School of Law.
- MSW-MPH Applicants: Follow this link to the SOPHAS instructions on the SDSU School of Public Health page. Applications for the MSW-MPH program are reviewed by both the SDSU School of Social Work and the SDSU School of Public Health.
3. Submit Supplemental Materials to Interfolio (all applicants)
- Social Work (MSW): Direct Practice & Administration and Community Development: http://apply.interfolio.com/52096
- Social Work (MSW): Transfer Students: http://apply.interfolio.com/52098
- Social Work (MSW): Joint/Dual-Degree Programs: http://apply.interfolio.com/52097
4. Submit Official Test Scores and Official Transcripts to SDSU Graduate Admission (all applicants)
- Have official GRE – see GRE Resource Page (pdf) – (and if applicable, TOEFL) test scores sent by ETS directly to SDSU (institution code 4682).
- Mail official transcripts from all colleges attended to SDSU Graduate Admissions (Students who attended SDSU need only submit transcripts for work completed since last attendance):
SDSU Graduate Admissions
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-7416
- If you have international coursework, you must have your school send SDSU Graduate Admissions one official original-language copy of all records of academic coursework and proof of degree. For each document you must also send a certified literal English translation, which can come directly from the school itself or from a professional, certified translator. The translation must contain all information shown on the original-language documents. (For details on which documents are required, check http://arweb.sdsu.edu/es/admissions/international/grad/apply/step3.html).
Questions?
- Download MSW Frequently Asked Questions (pdf, updated 7/13/2018)
For MSW admissions questions not answered in the FAQ, please contact Cheryl James (mswadmissions@sdsu.edu).
last updated: 9/20/2018
