MSW Admissions Checklist | Berkeley Social Welfare

Why Choose Berkeley?

Explore Berkeley Graduate Admissions to learn more about graduate study at Berkeley and minimum requirements for admission.
Get a feel for the type of work and classes you would be taking here! Explore Berkeley graduate courses online in the Berkeley Academic Guide.

Visit our master's degree programs to review areas of specialization and curriculum, special program options, and more! Compare similar information from MSW, MFT, and other programs to aid you in your decision-making process.
Attend an Admissions Information Session or Recruiting Event.
Visit us! Contact us to schedule an admissions advising visit: send an email to swadmissions@berkeley.edu.

Begin planning for any needed financial assistance arrangements as far in advance of anticipated enrollment as possible.
Visit our departmental web page on Fees and Financial Aid to check out tuition and required fee information, along with the variety of support resources available to Berkeley Social Welfare graduate students.

Review MSW Admission Eligibility Requirements.
Request/obtain required transcripts. Make sure all transcripts you will be uploading to your application are legible, and include your full name and the name of the issuing institution.
If you are applying to a program that requires the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), request your scores to be sent to UC Berkeley (Institution Code: 4833).
Identify and contact your recommenders; verify their contact information.
Prepare your résumé/CV highlighting your relevant social work experience, according to our Experience and Résumé Guidelines for MSW Applicants.
Prepare your admissions application essay statements according to the departmental prompts given in our MSW Admissions Application Instructions.
Prepare any additional application information needed to apply for special program options (e.g., Child Welfare Scholars).

Give yourself plenty of time to complete and review your application a few days ahead of the submission deadline. You do not want to wait until the last minute to submit an online application. Allow plenty of time for any unforeseen technical issues with submitting your application, including processing your application fee payment.
Upload transcripts from ALL college-level coursework undertaken to the "Academic History" page of your application. Ensure all transcripts display with proper page orientation.
Provide contact information for three recommenders: one academic and two professional.
Upload a résumé/CV highlighting your relevant social work experience to the “Supporting Materials” section of online application.
Upload Statement of Purpose and Personal History Statement.
If applying for Child Welfare Scholars, upload stipend program supplemental application to your online admissions application.
Provide payment information for the non-refundable application fee.
Click the "Submit Application" button when you are ready to submit your application.