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School of Social Work College of Health & Human Services

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Apply to the MSW Program

The MSW program seeks to enroll students who are well-qualified and highly diverse. The program is highly competitive and seeks to matriculate applicants who are well-suited for advanced practice with vulnerable, marginalizes, and justice-seeking populations and communities. Admission is based on academic and professional preparation, potential for success in graduate school, and potential to contribute to the profession.

Before Applying

Before submitting an application to the MSW program, it is recommended to better apprise yourself about the program.

GRE Requirement Suspended for Fall 2024 Admission Cycle

Due to the Covid-19 challenges, the School of Social Work has decided to suspend the requirement for GRE scores for applicants to the MSW program indefinitely for admissions cycle. Applicants DO NOT need to submit GRE scores with MSW applications. The School of Social Work reserves the right to implement the GRE at any time or at a future date.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Academic Requirement: Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and have at least a 2.80 GPA in the last 60 semester units or 90 quarter units of coursework.
  • (Waived for Fall 2024 Admissions) GRE (Graduate Records Examination)
  • Human Biology Requirement: Pass an acceptable course with human Biology content with a grade of "C" or better. Course content should include: introduction to the major concepts of biology and their application to humans, reproduction and heredity, energy, and metabolism, ecology, evolution, and the levels of biological organization using the human as an example. This must be completed before the start of the fall semester of matriculation. See the list of example acceptable Human Biology
  • Statistics Requirement: Pass an acceptable course in statistics with a grade of C or better. Course content should include: descriptive and inferential statistics, sampling, probability distribution, This must be completed before the start of the fall semester of matriculation. See the list of example acceptable Statistics

Application Process

  1. Review the MSW Application Instructions below
  2. Apply online to the university (Available October 1st)
    Must complete to access the MSW Supplemental Application
  3. Receive email from Sacramento State, Graduate Studies
  4. Set up your SacLink account to access supplemental application
  5. Complete all required materials for the School of Social Work MSW Application found in the application instructions (Available October 1st)

MSW Application PowerPoint

Application Timeline

Review of the submitted MSW applications is time-intensive and involves the commitment and work of the faculty within the School. Applicants will be notified of admission via their Sac State email, as early as possible. Typically, notices are sent out by mid April.