Information for Students Entering Fall 2025
Mark Your Calendars!
- TBA: Social Welfare New Graduate Student Orientation
- TBA: Berkeley Graduate Division Orientation
Important Dates and Deadlines
| When | What |
|---|---|
| April 1, 2025 | Priority departmental SIR deadline |
| April 2, 2025 | Priority filing deadline for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and CADAA (California Dream Act Application) |
| April 15, 2025 | Final SIR Deadline |
| June 1, 2025 | Deadline to submit required Statement of Legal Residence |
| July TBD, 2025 | Deadline to submit Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) Waiver |
| July TBD, 2025 | Enrollment begins for new graduate students |
| August TBD, 2025 | New MSW Student Orientation & Welcome Activities |
| August 22, 2025 | Registration Fee Payment Deadline |
| August 27, 2025 | Fall 2024 instruction begins |
| October 1, 2025 | Deadline to submit final official transcripts to Graduate Division Admissions Office |
Newly Admitted Student FAQ
Admissions
Accepting Your Admission Offer
How do I accept my offer of admission?
Log into the status page of your UC Berkeley Graduate Admissions Application account and follow the instructions to “Reply to Offer of Admission.”
What is the deadline to accept my admission offer?
We are eager to learn of your decision and hope to soon welcome you to Berkeley! We hope you will let us know as soon as possible. Our departmental priority deadline is April 1st with a final deadline of Aprl 15th.
What if I need more time?
If you need an extension of the April 15th deadline to accept your offer, please let us know by sending an email to swadmissions@berkeley.edu.
Admission Deferral
May I defer my admission offer to Fall 2025?
No. Berkeley Social Welfare does not offer deferred admission. Applicants who accept an offer of admission and then must later decline or withdraw must reapply in a future admissions cycle.
Waitlist
I am on the waitlist for Fall 2025 admission; when will I hear from you about my admission status?
We will begin contacting all applicants on the waitlist after April 15, 2025.
Classes
Where can I find information about the fall class schedule and courses?
You can view the official Schedule of Classes and Berkeley Course Catalog by visiting the Berkeley Academic Guide.
Are specializations part of the Berkeley MSW program?
Specializations are phasing out and will not be available for cohorts admitted after Fall 2023; however, students may select specific electives in the advanced (second) year that align with their interests.
Tuition, Fees, & Financial Aid
How do Social Welfare graduate students pay for school?
Educational financing needs are diverse and will vary according to individual circumstance. In addition to a personal contribution to pay for graduate school, most graduate students receive some form of financial assistance through a combination of resources listed on our departmental financial aid page. At Berkeley, 90% of all graduate students receive some form of financial support (including loans).
I didn’t receive a department or stipend award with my admission offer. How do I apply for financial support from the department?
Offers of financial support from the department for new (incoming) students are made at the time of admission. Upon accepting your admission offer, regardless of whether you received a financial award or not, you will be eligible to apply for other departmental support opportunities as they arise. We always notify all students when new opportunities become available, and how to apply for them; you don’t need to submit any additional applications at this time.
All eligible students are strongly encouraged to submit a completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) as quickly as possible, even if you don’t intend to take out student loans. You can decide later whether to accept aid for which you are eligible. A FAFSA is required for federal aid (e.g., Federal Student Loans)
Mixed Status Families: Which aid application is right for you?
If you are part of a mixed-status family (with parent/spouse contributors of varying citizenship or immigration statuses), you may be considering the potential risks and benefits of completing the 2025-26 FAFSA. While the Higher Education Act currently prohibits the use of FAFSA data for immigration enforcement, we understand your concerns about privacy. Every student and family has different circumstances and considerations that factor into how you will pursue financial aid. We strongly recommend that you and your family hold discussions to determine the best pathway forward for your situation.
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On the California Dream Act Application Changes page, we have listed some factors to consider when weighing the potential privacy risk of completing a FAFSA.
- The 2025-26 California Dream Act Application is open for students from mixed-status families who may have data privacy concerns or encounter challenges completing the 2025-26 FAFSA.
What if I’m not eligible to submit a FAFSA or CADAA?
If you aren’t eligible to submit a FAFSA or CADAA, visit the following link for information about other possible alternatives:
If I receive a workforce program stipend (such as Child Welfare Scholars) or departmental award, am I still eligible for federal student loans?
Most likely yes, although the total amount you are eligible to borrow may be reduced. To learn more, see the publication, Federal Student Loans: Basics for Students.
New Student Checklist
- Accept your admission offer by completing the “Reply to Offer of Admission” form in your UC Berkeley online admission application account.
- If eligible, submit a FAFSA or CADAA as soon as possible upon accepting admission.
- Establish your CalNet ID and bConnected account.
- Set up your berkeley.edu email address.
- Accept the email invitation to join the SSW Graduate Academic Hub when you receive it in your campus email.
- Submit Statement of Legal Residence in CalCentral.
Please take a moment to review the full text of the campus residency policy, what students should do once they arrive, and applicable deadlines, which can be found on the Office of the Registrar's Residency website. Students with residency questions can also contact the Residence Affairs unit by email to orres@berkeley.edu or by calling 510-643-4222. - Complete tasks listed below under "Preparing for Orientation."
- Get your Cal 1 Card (campus student ID card).
First Next Step: Get Onboarded!
Upon accepting your offer of admission, you will receive an email with your Student ID number and a temporary password you will use for creating a CalNet ID to access CalCentral, UC Berkeley’s student portal, where you will start the onboarding process. Please review the onboarding messages and checklist items under “Tasks” on My Dashboard that you will need to complete in order to prepare for your arrival and register for classes.
Establishing Required Electronic Communication
All University of California, Berkeley students must establish a berkeley.edu e-mail address. Students are responsible for keeping the address current and for regularly monitoring their email for official communications from the University. You should establish your bConnected account and set up your berkeley.edu email address immediately upon activating your CalNet ID (see above).
Once your berkeley.edu email address is available in CalCentral, you will begin to receive official email communications from us, as well as other campus administrative and student support units. Emails are frequently the only means of official communications from the University, so please make sure you understand your responsibilities related to electronic communication.
Registration, Enrollment & Fee Payment
Enrollment for new graduate students begins in late July. Students complete all enrollment, registration and fee payment actions through the CalCentral student portal. You will receive detailed instructions from the Student Services Office sent to your official Berkeley email address in early summer, prior to the start of the enrollment period.
Registration fees must be paid by Friday, August 22, either in full or with the 1st Installment on the Fee Payment Plan (FPP). You can activate the FPP through CalCentral once you have enrolled in units for Fall 2025.
Please be sure to monitor your CalCentral account for any upcoming tasks you need to complete. The "Tasks" section of your CalCentral dashboard will show any current or upcoming tasks you need to complete for other campus units (i.e. The Residence Affairs Unit, the Berkeley International Office, the Graduate Division, etc.). Please monitor this list regularly to ensure that you are completing tasks assigned to you in a timely manner.
Tuition, Fees, & Financial Aid
All U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents are highly encouraged to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a California Dream Act Application (CADAA), even if you don't intend to take out student loans. You can decide later whether to accept aid for which you are eligible. All students who accept our offer of admission and submit the FAFSA or CADAA will receive information about financial aid from the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office in early summer.
All incoming students will automatically receive notifications about any new opportunities for financial support as they become known - please make sure you set up your berkeley.edu email right away, and monitor it regularly!
Additional resources:
- Berkeley Social Welfare - Financing Your Degree
- Berkeley Graduate Division - Options for Financial Support
- UC Berkeley Financial Aid & Scholarships Office (FASO) - Graduate Award Guide
- UC Berkeley Financial Aid & Scholarships Office (FASO) - FAFSA Completion Overview
- UC Berkeley Financial Aid & Scholarships Office (FASO) - CADAA Changes
MSW Social Work Practicum Education
Newly admitted MSW students will be contacted by the Practicum Education Office in mid-April to begin the engagement process for determining your foundation (first-year) placement. To learn more please visit the Practicum Education Office.
The program will recommend to Graduate Division that an offer of admission be revoked for an incoming student if any of the following apply:
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Incomplete practicum placement application by the due date indicated in the placement application and/or
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Non-timely communication with Student Services or the Practicum Education Office
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Absence of a confirmed practicum placement– without the prior approval of the Practicum Education Office– six weeks before the Fees/Tuition Deadline (fee schedule) of their first semester in the program
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Lack of response to the Student Services Office and/or the Practicum Education Office by June 30 prior to their first semester.
New MSW Student Orientation
Information about new student orientation activities and welcome events will be posted here as plans develop. Please check back often for updates! Meanwhile, here are some things we recommend to help you get started:
- Read the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics
You will be asked to sign a Pledge Card affirming your commitment to upholding and abiding by our profession's code of ethics. - Read the Academic and Professional Standards for Master of Social Welfare Students
Academic and Professional Standards for the MSW Program set forth the responsibilities and expectations of all Berkeley MSW students. You will be asked to acknowledge your understanding of these requirements at Orientation. - Review the online MSW Student Handbook and the MSW Student Guide to Field Education.
- Join the SSW Graduate Academic Hub when you receive the email invitation later in June. You'll first need to establish your campus email address so you can access the bCourses learning manaagement system.
Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Prevention Mandatory Trainings
The University of California is committed to a campus environment where all persons are free from sexual violence and sexual harassment (SV/SH). To help support this commitment, and ensure that new students are aware of our community expectations of respect, as well as your rights and resources, all incoming graduate and professional students are required to complete SV/SH prevention education training prior to the start of instruction. For more information, please visit the Graduate Division's New Graduate Student Welcome page.