Application Requirements

All applicants must submit:

  • the online application
  • transcripts from all previously attended institutions
  • three recommendation forms
  • essays — one for Standard applicants, two for Advanced Standing
  • field evaluation – Advanced Standing applicants only
  • a $45 application fee

Our admissions team is available to answer any questions regarding application requirements, however, they cannot accept submissions of application materials. All application materials must be submitted to our application services team (SWappsvcs@onlinegrad.baylor.edu). Application materials that are not submitted through application services will not be accepted.

Transcripts

You are not required to upload a transcript to submit your application. However, you are required to provide unofficial or official transcripts to be reviewed for an admission decision.

We request that applicants send all official transcripts to:

Baylor University
Application Processing Center
MSW@Baylor
PO Box 30096 003-004
College Station, TX 77842

To submit official transcripts electronically, applicants may send them to swappsvcs@onlinegrad.baylor.edu.

Admitted applicants must submit official transcripts from all institutions they have attended before they can matriculate to MSW@Baylor.

Please note: To be considered an official transcript, the transcript must be sent directly from your institution(s) or through an electronic transcript vendor retained by that institution. Transcripts submitted by enrolled or prospective students are considered unofficial documents, even if they are in a sealed envelope provided to you by the issuing university.

Recommendation Forms

Applicants must provide three recommendations from people who can speak to some of the following areas: intellectual competence; potential for success; the ability to work with people on sensitive issues, including people from diverse backgrounds; critical thinking and communication skills; and a sense of values and ethics. Professional references related to social work (professors, employers, etc.) are encouraged.

Based on the applicant’s program track, recommendations should come from the following references:

Standard MSW

  • One recommendation form from an academic reference
  • Two recommendation forms from professional references

Advanced Standing MSW

  • Two recommendation forms from academic references (one of which must be from the Bachelor of Social Work program director, director of field education, or field instructor)
  • One recommendation form from a professional reference

Application Essay

As part of the MSW application, Standard and Advanced Standing applicants are required to submit an essay covering the following topics:

  • The social work profession
  • Advocating for others
  • Diana R. Garland School of Social Work Mission Statement
  • Societal issues

All essay prompts related to these topics can be found in the online application. This essay is an opportunity for applicants to highlight their strengths and communicate their motivation for pursuing social work.

Responses for each topic should be 500 words or less. Formatting should be size-12 font, two pages double-spaced or one page single-spaced. Your essay will be used to evaluate your writing skills.

Field Internship Experience Essay

Students applying to the Advanced Standing MSW program are also required to provide a one- to two-page essay that demonstrates an understanding of social work practice by providing an in-depth description of field tasks and/or roles at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Essays should exhibit a foundational knowledge and tasks associated with each.

Heading 1: Micro Field Experience

Heading 2: Mezzo Field Experience

Heading 3: Macro Field Experience

Field Evaluation

Applicants applying to the Advanced Standing program are required to submit a final field evaluation to be reviewed for admission in the Baylor MSW program. The admissions committee expects to see the following components on a final field evaluation*:

  • Student Name
  • School Name
  • Agency Name/Placement Site Name
  • Field Instructor Name
  • Rating/commentary of performance in social work competencies as outlined but the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
  • Signatures from Field Instructor and student

If an applicant’s field placement is still in progress at the time their application is complete, a midterm field evaluation may be submitted for admission decision review. If admitted into the program, a final field evaluation is required prior to enrolling in the program. All the above requirements also apply to any midterm evaluations that are submitted.

* Submitting a field evaluation that is missing any of the components outlined above may impact admissibility into the program. Applicants should use the open-ended “Additional Factors for Consideration” question on the application to explain any missing components or special circumstances.

You can reach out to the admissions team with any questions regarding the Field Evaluation at swadmissions@onlinegrad.baylor.edu or 1-855-605-7232.