Frequently Asked Questions

A: You must have a BA/BS from an accredited 4-year institution and a cumulative minimum 3.0 GPA.

A: You do not need a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work to apply for our MSW program. We only require that the BA/BS you have is from an accredited 4-year institution.

A: There are three prerequisites required to apply to our MSW program only if your undergraduate degree was not in Social Work.  Prerequisite coursework must be taken for letter grades (or document that CR means a “C” or better); you must earn a minimum grade of “C” in each course – there are three course prerequisites; 1) Research Methods/Data Analysis, 2) Human Biological Development, and 3) Cultural Diversity (Cultural Diversity must be an upper division course).

http://fresnostate.edu/chhs/social-work/masters/prerequisites.html

A: Yes, you can choose to do the extended four year MSW program.

A: The difference will be the sequence in which you take the courses. Click on the link below to see the MSW Sequence of Course Requirements.

MSW Sequence of Course Requirements

A: We offer a multisystem approach to social work practice, with specialized tracks in the advanced year of the MSW.  There are three tracks: Child Welfare (CW, also Title IV-E), School Social Work (SSW, PPS program), and Behavioural Health & Integrated Practice (BHIP).

B: We offer a two-year Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Program. For those interested in the Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Program, you must submit a separate application for the Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Program. 

A: YES. University Admissions require that you have your official transcripts sent directly to them. The Department of Social Work Education will accept unofficial transcripts that have been uploaded into the Cal State Apply application (in the appropriate area). If you are already a Fresno State student your official Fresno State transcripts are already on file for admissions, but you still need to upload unofficial transcripts into to the program materials portion of the application.. 

A: Yes. The entire departmental application is through Cal State Apply.

You can find a guide on crafting a personal statement here: https://www.mswdegrees.org/resources/social-work-personal-statement

A: If you are transferring from an accredited MSW program, and are accepted into our MSW program, we may accept up to 6 units provided we determine that they are equivalent to our coursework. However, you must submit an application to the university (Cal State Apply). If you are admitted, you can meet with the graduate program coordinator who will determine which prior courses meet the requirements for the Fresno State MSW Program.

A: No, we only accept admission applications during the Fall semester for the following school year.

A: If you want to re-apply to the program, you will need to submit a new application via Cal State Apply. 

A: Please follow the instruction on the Cal State Apply application.

A: We do not have rolling admission.  We only accept students into our program for the Fall semester, and all completed applications received are evaluated equally. 

A: MSW Info Sessions are held during the Fall semester. It is an informational meeting for prospective applicants, and any student interested in the MSW program is welcome to attend. 

A: Students can apply for a two year stipend program, the Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Program. For more information on Title IV-E Child Welfare Stipend program please visit the Department of Social Work website or contact the Title IV-E office at 559-278-3076.

A: Yes. For more information, go to http://www.fresnostate.edu/studentaffairs/financialaid/

A: Yes. The Title IV-E program is a stipend program that we offer and requires a separate application, in addition to the MSW application, which has a separate application process and due date.  Acceptance to the Title IV-E program is contingent of being accepted into the MSW program.

A: Yes. For more information about applying as an international student, go to http://www.fresnostate.edu/studentaffairs/issp/future/graduate.html.

A: The MSW program is a 60-unit program. We offer a two year full-time program or an extended four year part-time program. 

A: We typically accept approximately 40% of the applicants whom apply to the MSW program each year with a targeted incoming class size of around 60. This estimate includes the two-year and four-year MSW program on-campus cohorts.

A. For more information, please click on either of these links: Social Work Degree Center or Fresno State Career Center.