How to Apply: MSW Program

Online Application

The online application gives you the ability to submit all supporting documents in one form and save your application in progress. You will be asked for the items listed below, which will be required to complete the online application.

• Resume: Professional resume with current/prior work or volunteer experience
• Narrative statement: Narrative statement about your interest in graduate social work education
• Professional references: Contact information for three professional references
• Transcripts: Official transcripts from each college attended
• Area of interest: Select if you are interested in specializing in clinical social work practice or macro social work practice

Resume

Upload a professional resume detailing your current/prior work or volunteer experience. Follow a reverse chronological format and include dates and hours per week worked. For helpful resume writing tips, use the following University Career Center resource.

University Career Center resumes webpage

When submitting your resume, be sure to save as a "WORD" (windows compatible) or as a PDF document. Please double-check your formatting after saving it in WORD or PDF, and before uploading the document.

Narrative Statement

When responding to the following questions, please explicitly reference the School’s Mission and Guiding Principles and the NASW’s Code of Ethics.

Draft a statement that is no more than 3 pages total, typed and double-spaced with one-inch margins. Type each question prior to your answer to that question. This section is also used to evaluate master’s level writing ability. Questions:

1. Given that there are many helping professions (e.g., psychology, nursing, public health, public administration, etc.), why have you chosen to apply for a Master of Social Work (MSW) program?
2. What do you hope to gain from your graduate education? How do your hopes relate to your future plans as a social worker with an MSW degree?

Professional References

You will be asked to list the contact information for three references in the application. The application system will then email a reference form to each person. 

Note: Choosing to list more than three references will delay application review significantly. Only three references will be included in the review. Applications with fewer than three references are marked incomplete and denied admission.

Advanced Standing Plan of Study: References should be professional in nature and include those who can speak to the applicant’s ethics, experience with social justice issues, readiness for graduate social work education, skills, abilities and work styles.

Applicants should include a practicum supervisor/and or practicum instructor as well as a faculty member if the degree was earned within the past 3 years.

Traditional Plan of Study: References should be professional in nature and include those who can speak to the applicant’s ethics, experience with social justice issues, readiness for graduate social work education, skills, abilities and work styles.

Family members and friends are not recommended except in cases of special circumstance, which may be described within the application.

College Education and Transcripts

If you are a current or former KU student, you don’t need to provide official transcripts.

Current and former KU students are not required to request and purchase official KU transcripts, or to provide official KU transcripts or copies of KU transcripts to apply for admission to KU graduate programs. If KU students earned a degree from another institution, they will need to upload copies of those transcripts with their application. 

If you have never attended KU, your application must include official transcripts from each college attended.

For processing purposes, you may attach scanned versions of official transcripts to your application. If you are admitted to a program and accept the admission offer, you will be required to submit an official, final transcript that shows your degree has been conferred. Transcripts must be submitted to Graduate Admissions in one of the following ways:

• Electronically (Preferred Method)
  If your institution offers a secure electronic transcript delivery service (such as Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse), you may have transcripts sent to graduateadm@ku.edu.
   
• Via mail
  Transcripts must be sent directly from your institution, in a sealed envelope, to:
  
  Graduate Admissions
  University of Kansas
  1502 Iowa Street
  Lawrence, KS 66045

For more guidance on transcripts from non-U.S. institutions, see the International applicants webpage.

Area of Interest

Clinical Practice: The clinical social work practice specialization prepares students in the professional application of social work theory and methods to the treatment and prevention of psychosocial problems, disability, or impairment, including emotional and mental disorders. Students expecting to sit for the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) examination two years after the MSW must take the clinical social work practice specialization.

Macro Practice: The macro practice specialization prepares students in the professional application of social work theory and skill to the development and management of social service programs in both public and voluntary human services organizations. 

Non-Native English Speakers Applying to the MSW Program

All applicants who are non-native English speakers must demonstrate English proficiency to be considered for MSW admission. This includes both International Students who reside in the U.S. and outside the U.S. at the time of application. Please consult the English proficiency requirements information from KU Graduate Admissions. 

Note: In order to begin practicum for the MSW Program, Full Proficiency must be met. If Full Proficiency requirements are not met at the time of admission, and additional language requirements are required from the KU Applied English Center, MSW classes and/or practicum may be delayed.

Colorado-Based Applicants: Important Information Regarding Colorado Workers’ Compensation Requirements for Field Placements and Practicums

According to the Colorado Workers’ Compensation Act, students participating in unpaid, in-person field placements or practicums within the state of Colorado must be covered by Workers’ Compensation insurance. To ensure student protection and institutional compliance, please review the following guidance:

• The University of Kansas is unable to provide Workers’ Compensation insurance coverage for students to meet the requirements outlined by Colorado law.
• Colorado law prohibits students from securing Workers’ Compensation coverage independently. Coverage must be arranged by the academic institution or an approved sponsoring institution within Colorado.
• Students applying to an online program that includes a required in-person field placement or practicum will not be eligible for admission if that placement is intended to occur in Colorado.
• Students enrolled in campus-based programs at the University of Kansas may not engage in field placements or practicums located in Colorado.

Though, in the case of paid, in-person field placements or practicums (i.e., employment-based practicums or EBPs), the employer is responsible for meeting the requirements outlined by Colorado’s Worker’s Compensation law, the impermanence of these EBPs can lead to students being in a situation without required coverage. As such, EBPs should not be considered a workaround to our inability to accommodate students with field placements or practicums in Colorado.

MSW Application Dates and Deadlines for 2026

• Oct. 1, 2025 - MSW admissions application opens for summer/fall 2026
• Feb. 3, 2026 - Advanced Standing MSW application deadline (full-time and part-time; all campus locations - Lawrence, KU Edwards, Salina and Online)
• Feb. 3, 2026 - Online Traditional Full-Time MSW application deadline (Online only)
• March 3, 2026 - Traditional Full-Time MSW application deadline (Lawrence, KU Edwards and Salina campuses)
• April 1, 2026 - Traditional Part-Time MSW application deadline (all campus locations - Lawrence, KU Edwards, Salina and Online)