Why Choose Berkeley?
At UC Berkeley Social Welfare, you will:
Apply a multi-level lens to social work: To be an effective social worker, it’s critical to understand how systems impact your social work practice. At UC Berkeley, you’ll engage in a multi-level approach to social work. This means you’ll learn about the layers—individual, family, organizational, and policy—that impact well-being, rather than approaching social work issues in isolation.
While there are no specializations, you’ll have a range of opportunities in your advanced year to choose what knowledge, skills, and competencies to add to your toolbox.
Ground your practice in multidisciplinary evidence: Berkeley Social Welfare is a professional program situated in a research-intensive university. You’ll learn from our faculty who are conducting cutting-edge research in aging, reproductive health, child welfare, public systems of care, and more.
Make community connections: Through our practicum program, you’ll be placed at a local agency two to three days a week to gain real-world social work experience. Recent practicum placements include:
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Adult Protective Services, San Francisco Health Services
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Code for America
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Contra Costa Behavioral Health Services
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City of Berkeley – Health, Housing, and Community Services
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Homeless Prenatal Program
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Kaiser Permanente
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La Clinica
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Oakland Unified School District
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San Francisco Department of Public Health
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US Department of Veterans Affairs
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Alameda Family Services
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East Bay Agency for Children
Explore UC Berkeley Social Welfare!
- Visit our Curriculum Page to review our program of study, 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.
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Explore UC Berkeley Graduate Admissions to learn more about graduate study at UC Berkeley and minimum requirements for admission.
- Get a feel for the type of work and classes you would be taking here! Explore UC Berkeley graduate courses online in the UC Berkeley Graduate Catalog
Consider Financial Aspects of Graduate School
- Begin planning for any needed financial assistance arrangements as far in advance of anticipated enrollment as possible.
- Visit our Funding Your MSW page to check out tuition and required fee information, along with the variety of support resources available to UC Berkeley Social Welfare graduate students.
Prepare Required Application Materials
- 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).
Submit Online Application for Admission
- 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 (500 word essay responding to the Child Welfare Scholars prompt) 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.