Department of Social Work Education
MSW Application Procedure
Apply to the University by completing the CSU application through Cal State Apply. The MSW application is in the "Program Materials" section of the Cal State Apply
application. Complete all required sections and submit with required documentation
before the closing date.
Applicants who have a cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 must provide a statement in the appropriate area of the Cal State Application in which they explain the circumstances that affected their cumulative GPA, and evidence to demonstrate their potential to successfully complete graduate level course work (e.g., grades received in upper division or graduate level coursework taken since receiving the BA/BS degree).
The Advanced Standing (AS) program has a separate application process from the traditional two- or four-year MSW programs. This program is only open to applicants that have completed an undergraduate degree in Social Work.
The Advanced Standing option is a three-semester program that will begin in Summer 2026, with admissions applications open February 1st through March 2nd on Cal State Apply. The program is in person and no more than 50% of courses can be completed as online courses.
Key Details:
- Applicants must have a BA in Social Work within 5 years from an CSWE-accredited university
- Minimum GPA 3.0, all Social Work courses must have been completed with at least a "B" grade
- Field Placement will consist of 21 hrs/week ( 600 hours for the year )
- Students can select the Child Welfare or BHIP sub-specializations
- The AS MSW is eligible for the IV-E Stipend
***Students participating in the Advanced Standing program are not eligible for the SSW/PPS sub-specialization.
You will find the Personal Statement instructions and prompts when you complete the
CAL STATE APPLY application. Your statement should enable the MSW Admissions Committee
to make an informed decision about your potential for success in the Graduate Social
Work Program.
Guide to crafting a Personal Statement can be found here:
https://www.mswdegrees.org/resources/social-work-personal-statement
All references should be listed in the appropriate area in the CAL STATE APPLY application.
Suitable references include employers/supervisors, professional and academic references.
Do not use relatives or social acquaintances as references.
Official transcripts will be required to be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office
as requested through the CAL STATE APPLY application process. This is required for
the University portion of the application.
Unofficial transcripts will need to be uploaded into the Cal State Apply portal as part of the Program Materials section for the MSW portion of the application.
If your undergraduate institution did not issue grades (e.g., A through F), the registrar of that institution needs to interpret your transcript to reflect grades.
Transcripts from institutions outside the United States must be reviewed by International Admissions.
Please be mindful that some MSW programs require a minimum of BA field hours for admission. The MSW program at Fresno State DOES NOT have a minimum field hours requirement so it does NOT apply to Fresno State applicants.
If you have applied to another MSW program, be sure to verify the prospective program’s
current requirements, especially for advanced standing programs, as we cannot discuss
other program’s requirements.
Virtual MSW/Title IV-E info sessions
(Previous recordings; click titles to access each video)