Thank you for your interest in our MSW Program. The University of Houston uses ApplyWeb for the processing of graduate applications. Proceed to the link on this page to create an ApplyWeb account, submit an application, review a submitted application, and access post-submission functionality.

Click here to start or return to your application

The following will be needed to complete the application:

APPLICATION FEE | TRANSCRIPTS | INTERNATIONAL TEST SCORES | LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION | PERSONAL STATEMENT & RESUME | ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS | DEADLINES

APPLICATION FEE 

The Application Fee for the MSW Program is $50.00 for domestic applicants and $80.00 for international applicants. Applicants submit the fee with the online application.   

TRANSCRIPTS 

For the application process: Obtain official transcripts for your personal records from all prior institutions. Follow the UH Graduate School's scanning instructions to scan and upload them into your application. Please do not order official transcripts to be sent to UH Graduate Admissions at this time. Grade reports and unofficial transcripts will not be accepted.

After admission is offered: You will not be able to enroll without the official transcript(s) showing undergraduate degree conferral sent directly to the UH Graduate School. The Graduate School provides information on how to submit official sealed paper or electronic transcripts after admission is offered. Additional instructions for international applicants can be found here.  

INTERNATIONAL TEST SCORES

TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo Scores are required from international applicants to satisfy English proficiency requirements. Please see the UH Graduate School’s English Language Proficiency page for more information on the requirement. 

The GRE is not required for admission into the MSW program. 

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION 

Letters of Recommendation are gathered electronically. You will be asked to provide the email addresses of two to three references who know you well enough to evaluate your potential for graduate-level study in the field of social work. The Admissions Committee recommends including letters from recent employers or volunteer supervisors from social service agencies and current or former faculty members/instructors. If you are applying for Advanced Standing, the suggestion is that at least one of your references be from individual/s in your BSW program who can speak to your BSW performance, which could include the program director, a faculty member, or practicum instructor or coordinator. 

PERSONAL STATEMENT & RESUME 

For your Personal Statement, please address the following three questions. The total length of the personal statement should be 3 pages, double-spaced, using 12 pt. font. A cover page is not necessary: 

1. Discuss your professional goals and one or more social justice issues that you would like to address. Considering your strengths, how do you see yourself advancing equity as a social work practitioner?  
2. How does your life experience connect with your motivations and insights for social work practice? This could include experiences you have had with people who are different from you, personal growth stemming from your family, community, and educational background, or relevance of current and/or past work experience.  
3. Tell us about your choice of enrollment model (face-to-face, hybrid or online), the reason you selected it, and how you plan to be fully engaged in all the requirements of the MSW program, including practicum hours and coursework. If you have any concerns about prior academic history, please provide additional information here. For transfer applicants, please also address the reason you are requesting to transfer into the University of Houston.   

 Resume (Recommended length 1-2 pages) should include the following: 

• Educational background including major, minor, type of degree, honors and distinctions 
• Paid or volunteer experience in social service agencies or other settings (include beginning and ending dates, whether full-time or part-time, number of hours per week) 

• Other work experience 
• Community and/or college activities 
• Reading and listening interests (could include examples of books, news sources, podcasts, blogs) 

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS 

International Applicants are strongly encouraged to upload the following documents, which will be required to obtain a student visa if admitted: 

• A scanned copy of a passport-size photo 
• Passport copy 
• Letter of Financial Backing 
• Please visit the UH Graduate School’s International Students page for more information on visas, transcripts, and the English proficiency requirement. 

Conditional Admission Applicants:  If your cumulative GPA AND last 60 hours GPA are less than a 3.0, you will be considered for conditional admission. Please address the low GPA within your personal statement. For more information on conditional admission, see our website.

Transfer Applicants: Please address within your personal statement the reason you are requesting to transfer to the University of Houston. Additional documents will need to be submitted. Refer to our website for instructions. 

Advanced Standing Applicants: To be considered for Advanced Standing, applicants must hold or be in the process of completing a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited institution or have completed the CSWE International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Service if they hold a BSW from outside the United States. Additional requirements for Advanced Standing can be found on our website.

DEADLINES 

Fall  

January 1: Early Consideration (Advanced Standing Face-to-Face applicants only) 

February 1: All Face to Face-to-Face applicants 

March 1: All Hybrid and Online Students 

Spring  *Only open to applicants requesting to transfer from another CSWE accredited MSW program 

October 1:  MSW transfer applicants 

All records and documents submitted to the GCSW become property of the University and may not be returned. The application fee covers part of the cost of handling the application and is therefore nonrefundable.  

Click here to start or return to your application