Application FAQ

    Application Process


    What is the application deadline?

    SPRING 2025

    Priority Deadline: October 1, 2024 11:59 PM ET
    • 16 Month students are encouraged to apply by this deadline.  
    • Priority applicants will be strongly considered for our top scholarships.
    Final Deadline: October 15, 2024 11:59 PM ET


    FALL 2025

    Priority Deadline: December 1, 2024 11:59 PM ET
    • Advanced Standing, Transfer, and International students are encouraged to apply by this deadline.  
    • Priority applicants will be strongly considered for our top scholarships.
    Second Deadline: February 15, 2025 11:59 PM ET
    • Two Year students are encouraged to apply by this deadline.  
    Final Deadline: April 1, 2025 11:59 PM ET


    All materials (e.g., recommendation letters, field evaluations, international (non-U.S.) coursework evaluations, English language proficiency test scores) must be received by the final deadline.

    We recommend starting and completing your application as soon as possible in order to allow for sufficient time to gather all required documents, especially if you have non-U.S. international coursework (excluding study abroad) which will require WES evaluation, as this process can take several weeks. We also cannot review an application until it is complete; the sooner you complete your application, the sooner you will receive a decision.



    Am I eligible to apply for an MSW?


    At a minimum, applicants must meet the following criteria:
    • A regionally-accredited bachelor's degree or its evaluated international equivalent
    • Academic record suggesting the ability to excel at graduate-level study
    • Serious commitment to the profession of social work and the capacity to meet the demands of professional training, often demonstrated by internships and life experiences
    • For non-native English speaking applicants only: a combined TOEFL score of 100 or higher (MyBest Scores not accepted); IELTS Band of 7.0 or higher; Duolingo English Test score of 130 or higher

    Additional pathway-specific requirements include:

    Advanced Standing
    To be eligible for the Advanced Standing program, applicants must have completed (or be in the process of completing) a Bachelor of Social Work degree (CSWE-accredited, CASWE-accredited, or ISWDRES-evaluated) within the past 5 years.

    One-Year Residency for Working Professionals (Reduced Residency)
    To be eligible for the One-Year Residency for Working Professionals program, applicants must have completed at least two years of full-time, or four years of part-time, direct practice professional experience at the time of application. You must also be able to complete the residency requirement outlined below within your agency.

    The OYR program is structured into two periods: the pre-residency period (usually two years of part-time enrollment while continuing to work full-time at a social services organization), and the residency period (a year of full-time enrollment).

    In place of their generalist year practicum learning placement, students enroll in a practicum learning seminar in which they integrate classroom learning with their employment experiences. In their residency year, students complete a 28-hour per week practicum placement at their place of employment, of which 14 hours of their usual employment activities may be counted. The student must also be able to complete 14 separate hours on assignments outside of current work responsibilities with a different supervisor (Practicum Instructor) who has an MSW and is, or will be, SIFI certified (or its equivalent).

    Transfer
    To be eligible for the Transfer program, applicants must have completed (or be in the process of completing) one full year (approximately 30 credits) of practicum learning and coursework at another Master of Social Work program (CSWE-accredited, CASWE-accredited, or ISWDRES-evaluated) within the past 5 years.



    What is required to submit an application?

    You must submit an online application. Please review our application requirements in detail. In general, application materials include the following:

    • Resume
    • 2-3 essay responses
    • Two letters of recommendation
    • Transcripts and/or international (non-U.S.) coursework evaluation
    • For non-native English speaking applicants: English language proficiency scores
    • $75 application fee


    Do you provide any application fee waivers?

    Application fee waivers are granted to alumni of AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, Teach for America, McNair Scholars, Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), and Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), and to veterans of the U.S. armed forces. Fee waivers are also granted to applicants who are experiencing financial hardship.

    To request an application fee waiver, applicants should submit their request via the Application Fee Waiver Request Form after creating an online application. Applicants must be prepared to submit an official document confirming participation in the appropriate program. The fee waiver must be requested prior to submitting the application and application fee. Applicants should not submit an application fee if they fall into one of these categories. All submitted fees are non-refundable. Please submit the application fee waiver request at least a week or two prior to the application deadline to allow for sufficient processing time.

    Why am I receiving an error message when I try to submit the application fee payment?

    There are a couple of common reasons for this. Please make sure that you are filling out the Billing Address entirely, including selecting a state from the dropdown list. Please also ensure that the Billing Address you are entering matches the credit card's billing address on file with your bank.

    Where can I learn more about the social work profession?

    You can read the Code of Ethics by the National Association of Social Workers. You may also be interested in reading about the nine social work competencies outlined in the Education Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

    What essay prompts do I need to respond to?

    Please start your application in order to view the application essay prompts. The prompts vary by program pathway.

    Can I submit three recommendation letters instead of two?

    No, the application will only accommodate two letters of recommendation per applicant.

    Can I submit GRE or GMAT scores?

    No, the GRE and GMAT are not components of our application (optional or required), so we do not consider these test scores in reviewing applicants for the master's program.

    Where should I submit my English language proficiency scores?
    • For TOEFL, our ETS code is 2158
    • For Duolingo, our organization is Columbia University - School of Social Work - Graduate
    • For IELTS, please email your Test Report Form (TRF) Number (see bottom right corner of the Test Report Form) to us at cssw-admit@columbia.edu; please make sure to include your 9-digit Application Reference Number from our application portal.

    What is the application review, evaluation, and decision process?

    All required application materials must be submitted by the posted deadlines in order to facilitate application review and decision. Each application is screened by admissions staff first, then reviewed by a minimum of two trained readers who review all components of the application using a robust rubric that has been reviewed and approved by the Admissions Committee. International applicants may be contacted for an interview.

    All applications are reviewed within a week of submission for completeness; applicants are notified if there are any missing or additionally required materials. All completed applications will be reviewed within eight weeks of a confirmed completed application. If a reviewer has any relationship to a particular applicant, that reviewer must make this known and recuse themselves from evaluating that application.

    All applicants with fully complete and reviewed applications will be notified of a decision. Notifications concerning admission application processing and final decisions are provided electronically to all applicants submitting completed applications.

    Applicants who are pursuing an undergraduate degree at the time that admissions acceptance is granted are informed that they are admitted pending the receipt of their final transcript indicating receipt of the bachelor’s degree.

    How can I check the status of my submitted application?


    To monitor the status of your application materials, you may log into your application portal. Please check your email to ensure you receive and respond to missing material communications from us. You will receive a notification email once a decision has been made.
     

    Curriculum (Coursework and Practicum)


    What coursework comprises the curriculum?

    An overview of the curriculum is available here, and study plans by program and specialization are available here. You can also browse our 8 program pathways, 4 specializations, and 7 fields of practice here. You can also review past courses offered and course descriptions here (CSSW Course List).

    Note: You are asked in the admissions application to indicate interest in a particular specialization and field of practice. You will officially declare your specialization and field of practice when you submit your Specialized Year Placement Form to the Office of Practicum Learning.



    Is there a difference between the residential and online program options? Can I switch between them?

    The application requirements and curriculum offered is the same for the residential and online program options. You can switch between the residential and online program options, but you can only do so between academic years. For example, if you are enrolled in the online option for Fall, you must stay online for Spring. However, you could change to the residential option for the subsequent academic year. 

    Please note that the Part-Time program is available online only, and the 16-Month and Five-Term International programs are available residential/in-person only.



    Does this program make me eligible for social work licensure?

    As a CSWE-accredited program, Columbia School of Social Work’s Master of Science in Social Work (MSW) program provides you with the requisite degree to be eligible for licensure as a master-level social worker upon graduation. Please visit our licensing webpage for more information.



    What is the role of practicum?

    Practicum is the signature pedagogy for social work. Signature pedagogies are elements of instruction and socialization that teach future practitioners the fundamental dimensions of professional work in their discipline: to think, to perform, and to act intentionally, ethically, and with integrity. The practicum setting is where students apply human rights principles from global and national social work ethical codes to advance social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. It fosters a learning environment where anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion are valued. Practicum is designed to integrate the theoretical and conceptual contributions of the coursework curriculum in the practicum setting. It is a basic precept of social work education that the two interrelated components of curriculum—classroom and practicum—are of equal importance, and each contributes to the development of the requisite competencies of professional practice. Practicum is systematically designed, supervised, coordinated, and evaluated based on criteria and measures of student acquisition and demonstration of the nine social work competencies.



    How much practicum do I need to complete? Do I have to find my own practicum site?

    • Students in the Two-Year, 16-Month, Five-Term International, Part-Time, and Part-Time to Full-Time (Extended) pathways complete two yearlong practicum placements (Generalist Year and Specialized Year).
    • Students in the Advanced Standing and Transfer programs complete one yearlong practicum placement (Specialized Year).
    • Students in the One-Year Residency program, in place of a generalist year practicum placement, enroll in a practicum seminar in which they integrate classroom learning with their employment experiences. In their final year, while typically still in their place of employment, students complete a 28-hour per week practicum placement of which 14 hours of their usual employment activities may be counted.

    The generalist year practicum placement is broader in nature so that students can build foundational skills. These placements involve direct practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Students carry out case management, assessments and documentation, advocacy, and other such activities, while also developing their expertise in the nine core competencies of social work. The Office of Practicum Education places students at practicum sites that provide an educationally sound environment where they can learn and practice social work.

    The specialized year approaches social work practice within two levels of specialization, based on a student’s chosen specialization and field of practice. Students have more input into this placement, which begins with a virtual Practicum Placement Fair and includes the completion of a detailed Practicum Placement Form. These students work closely with Office of Practicum Education's associate directors, who spend months coordinating these placements as they consider each student’s individual needs.

    Students are permitted to suggest a particular placement site in their practicum placement form.

     

    Tuition and Financial Aid

    What does tuition cost?
    Current tuition estimates by program option and pathway can be found here.

    Is financial aid available?
    To apply for financial aid, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Once our Office of Financial Aid receives your FAFSA data—which generally is not available to the School until sometime in March—we can begin the evaluation process for determining your financial aid package. Financial aid packages typically include a mix of scholarships, federal direct unsubsidized loans, federal work study, and other types of loans. For more information, please visit our tuition and financial aid webpage.

    Are there any steps I should take right now to apply for financial aid?
    Please complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and add Columbia School of Social Work as a recipient (our school code is 002707).

    Do you have full scholarships and financial aid for international students?
    Unfortunately, we are not able to provide financial aid for international students. Generally, international students fund their education. However, student loans are available for eligible borrowers. For more information, please review the Student Loans page on the University's Student Financial Services site. You are also welcome to review this list of external international scholarship search engines.