MSW Admissions Application Instructions

Accessing the Online Application

When you visit the online graduate admissions application system for the first time, you will be prompted to create an account in order to begin your application for graduate admission. The online application system will send you an automated e-mail with instructions for updating your log-in credentials (password) and accessing your individual application.

Application Updates and Status Checks

After you begin an application, you may save it and continue working on it later, but once you submit your application, you may no longer change your record online. You will still be able to login to check your application, monitor its status, and communicate with your recommenders. For other changes or questions, please email the Social Welfare Admissions Office directly at swadm@berkeley.edu.

Technical Difficulties?

If you experience technical difficulty when applying online, please send an email describing the problem to gradadm@berkeley.edu.

Transcripts for ALL college-level coursework undertaken must be uploaded as PDF files directly into the "Academic History" section of the online application. Unofficial copies are acceptable for the graduate admissions application, but all submitted transcripts MUST include:

• the legible, full name of the applicant;
• the legible, full name of the issuing academic institution; and
• name of official degree conferred and date of conferral.

All uploaded transcripts should also display in the correct page orientation (i.e. landscape or portrait), and include the transcript legend (the back page in most cases).

Official copies of transcripts will be requested by the Graduate Division for all applicants who are admitted to and matriculate at Berkeley.

You will be required to enter both your Cumulative Undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA), and your Advanced GPA into the "Grades" page of your online application.

The minimum requirement for admission eligibility is a GPA of 3.0 for all coursework completed after the first two years (typically the last 60 semester units or 90 quarter units) of undergraduate study. This is the GPA you should enter in the “Advanced GPA” field in the "Grades" section of your online application for admission. 

Calculate and enter your GPA as a value between 0.00 and 4.00. If your GPA is not based on a 4-point scale, leave these fields blank. This may be the case for many international applicants.

GRE

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Revised General Test is not required for admission to the MSW-only program.

Applicants for concurrent degree programs should confirm standardized test requirements for admission to the other respective degree program.

TOEFL

International applicants from countries in which the official language is not English, and who do not meet the TOEFL exemption qualifications, must submit official evidence of English language proficiency. This requirement is most commonly satisfied by submitting an official score report for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

For purposes of admission, your most recent TOEFL score must be at least 90 for the Internet-based test (IBT), and 570 for the paper-based format (PBT). Acceptable TOEFL scores are from tests taken between June 1, 2022 and November 15, 2023. TOEFL tests taken after November 15, 2023, will not be accepted for admission into the 2024-25 academic year.

Electronic Score Reporting

If required, all standardized test scores should be sent electronically, directly to UC Berkeley Graduate Division (Institution Code 4833); they do not need to be sent to the School of Social Welfare. All official test score reports must be received by the application deadline.

Three Letters of Recommendation are required, and should include two professional and one academic.

Recommendations are submitted directly to your online application by your recommenders, and must be received by the application deadline. Your recommenders will receive an email at the email address you provide when you apply, and will be asked to follow a link to submit their recommendation. Please use your recommender's institutional or corporate email address. Submissions from anonymous email addresses (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) may be subject to additional review.

We strongly encourage you to contact your potential recommenders and confirm their contact information early in the process of preparing your application. Let them know that they will be receiving an automated invitation from the application system to complete their recommendation and submit a letter online directly to your application file. Be sure to inform them of the application deadline. After submitting your application, you can check your Application Status page to monitor when your recommendations are received, and communicate with your recommenders as necessary.

You may waive the right to inspect your letters of recommendation on a voluntary basis. To waive access to your letters, complete the waiver section for each Letter of Recommendation.

In 500 words or less, please respond to the following prompt in your Statement of Purpose:

• Discuss a social problem you are passionate about addressing and how you see your role and/or the role of social work in taking action.

Statements should follow general APA Style Guidelines. They should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" margins on all sides. Please use a clear font that is highly readable; APA recommends using 12 pt. Times New Roman font. Statements should not exceed the 500-word limit, and should be free from spelling, grammar and punctuation errors.

Upload your Statement of Purpose as a single PDF file to the corresponding page in your online application. Before submitting your application, double-check that you have uploaded the correct file.

In 500 words or less, please address the following questions in your Personal History Statement:

1. How has your professional and personal experience motivated and prepared you to pursue an MSW degree at UC Berkeley?
2. Provide a concrete example of how you addressed a challenging professional situation where you felt discouraged, stressed, or overwhelmed. Please identify the relevant group(s) you worked with as part of this experience.

Statements should follow general APA Style Guidelines. They should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" margins on all sides. Please use a clear font that is highly readable; APA recommends using 12 pt. Times New Roman font. Statements should not exceed the 500-word limit, and should be free from spelling, grammar and punctuation errors.

Upload your Personal History Statement as a single PDF file to the corresponding page in your online application. Before submitting your application, double-check that you have uploaded the correct file.

Please upload a current copy of your résumé/CV highlighting your relevant social work experience to the Supporting Materials section of your online application.

Review your résumé to confirm that your total hours of experience meet the minimum requirements for admission into the program as of the date you will submit your online application. The résumé must include all of the following information for all entries you wish to be counted towards satisfying the minimum experience requirement:

• Organization name and location
• Position title
• Start date and end date
• Hours per week worked, and total hours worked to date.

Do not exceed the page limit guideline of one to three total pages.

Child Welfare Scholars Training Program Applicants

Applicants to the Social Welfare MSW Program who wish to be considered for participation in the Child Welfare Scholars (CWS) stipend-based training program must upload an Application for the Child Welfare Scholars Program as a PDF file to the Supplemental Materials section of the online admission application.

For CWS program eligibility requirements and application instructions please see the Child Welfare Scholars Program departmental website.

MSW/MPH Concurrent Degree Program Applicants

The SOPHAS application is not required for applicants to the Social Welfare & Public Health MSW/MPH Concurrent Degree program. There are no additional materials required for the MSW/MPH Concurrent Degree application.

MSW/MPP Concurrent Degree Program Applicants

Applicants to the Social Welfare & Public Policy MSW/MPP Concurrent Degree program are required to submit a Statement of Purpose for both programs. For instructions for the Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP) Policy Statement of Purpose, please see the GSPP Applying for Concurrent Degree Programs departmental website.

Application Fee

For U.S. citizens or current permanent residents, the application fee is $135. For all others, the fee is $155. The application fee is nonrefundable.

For your application to be considered complete, you must pay the required fee with a major credit card, or apply for a fee waiver from Berkeley Graduate Admissions, in the Payment/Fee Waiver section of your online application.

Fee Waiver

U.S. citizens or current permanent residents may be eligible to apply for a graduate admissions application fee waiver if they meet certain qualifications. For eligibility requirements please see the Berkeley Graduate Admissions Requesting an Application Fee Waiver website.

The form to request a fee waiver is included in the Payment/Fee Waiver section of the online application. To be considered, applicants need to select the waiver payment option and upload any required supporting documents before submitting the online application.