Admissions Information & Requirements
Admissions Questions?
Contact Dana DeBoer at ddeboer2@admin.fsu.edu or (850) 644-9591 or for our online MSW please email admissions@onlineadvising.fsu.edu or call (888) 368-0834.
Guidelines for Applying:
Please review the following screenshots as a helpful guide when applying to our MSW programs:
Online/Distance Learning Program
*A link to the application portal can be found at the bottom of this page.
It is important to apply to the correct program, so please read these carefully. If you need further assistance with choosing a program, please email ddeboer2@admin.fsu.edu.
Application Deadline:
The application, application fee and all supporting documents are due by the dates below:
| Term for Admission Consideration: | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025 | Spring 2025 |
| Tallahassee Campus | |||
| Advanced Standing Program | May 1, 2025 | October 1, 2024 | |
| Traditional Program | May 1, 2025 | ||
| Panama City Campus | |||
| Advanced Standing Program | July 1, 2025 | ||
| Traditional Program | July 1, 2025 | ||
| Online Program | |||
| Advanced Standing Program | March 1, 2025 | May 1, 2025 | October 1, 2024 |
| Traditional Program | March 1, 2025 | May 1, 2025 | October 1, 2024 |
*Please note priority deadline of January 15, 2025 for international applicants applying for Fall 2025 admission consideration.
College of Social Work:
Application and Guidelines:
Please read the application requirements below before moving on to the online application. You will be required to upload your statement of purpose and resume during the application process. The application will also ask for the contact information for the persons who will write your letters of recommendation. This information will need to include an email address.
The following information is to be sent to the University Admissions Office. One OFFICIAL copy of your transcripts from all institutions you have attended. Transcripts must not be “Issued To Student.”
Mail transcripts to:
Florida State University
Office of Graduate Admissions
222 S. Copeland Street
314 Westcott Building
Tallahassee, FL 32306-1410
Electronic transcripts to: graduateadmissions@fsu.edu
Unofficial Transcripts
To upload unofficial transcripts, go to your Application Status Page under the "upload materials" section, and select "Unofficial College Transcript." *Be sure to upload transcripts from any university you have earned credits from.
The university policy allows for application review based on unofficial transcripts. Then, if admitted, you must submit official transcripts within your first semester.
**If you graduated from FSU your transcripts are on file with the University. You do not need to request that a copy be sent.
If you are interested in the JD/MSW program please contact the College of Law. The College of Law has a unique admissions process independent of University Admissions. Please click http://www.law.fsu.edu for more information.
International applicants or degrees earned from international institutions, please review transcript evaluation requirements here, https://gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/international-admissions. Official evaluations are required to be sent to Graduate Admissions.
GRE Information:
THE GRE IS WAIVED FOR ALL APPLICANTS APPLYING THROUGH THE 2026 ADMISSIONS CYCLE.
Statement of Purpose:
Social Work is a profession that addresses the needs of vulnerable populations. We are bound by a professional Code of Ethics (see MSW bulletin) that mandates our professional behavior. Students admitted into our graduate program are expected to act in a manner that reflects these standards. We wish to evaluate as accurately as possible your qualifications for a professional education in social work and the appropriateness of the program for your educational needs and goals. Therefore, it is important that you respond to EACH of the following questions. Please type your replies, double-spaced, in three to six pages (total length.) This is one of the most important parts of your admission application. It is your opportunity to share with the Admissions Committee information about yourself that we will use to evaluate your appropriateness for the program and the profession. Before submission, please make sure to highlight significant work or volunteer experience that will demonstrate your commitment to the field of social work. In addition, please make sure that your Statement of Purpose is carefully edited as we do consider spelling, grammar and writing style. Remember, each of these questions is scored individually, along with your writing skills, so please answer to the best of your ability. **Please write and number each prompt and then write your answer.
- Give specific examples how your past experiences and academic achievements have led you to choose social work as a profession.
- The social work profession is guided by the NASW code of ethics: https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
This code includes working with diverse populations and clients/communities whose values and beliefs may be different from yours. Discuss how your personal values and beliefs are or are not compatible with this professional standard. How will you reconcile any conflicts between your personal values and the requirement of the profession?
- Describe an ethical dilemma (Ethical dilemmas, also known as a moral dilemma, are situations in which there is a choice to be made between two options, neither of which resolves the situation in an ethically acceptable fashion) that you have faced in your life. How was it resolved?
If you feel that your present record does not reflect your potential, please share with the Admissions Committee in your Statement of Purpose why you think you can manage the demands of graduate education.
Resume:
A resume gives you an opportunity to share information about yourself to the Admissions committee. It should be concise, easy-to-read, grammatically correct, well composed, and formatted. Below is a sample format of a resume. While it is not necessary for you to arrange yours in this manner, it is necessary that you include all the information listed (limit your resume to two typed pages or less if possible).
- Personal Data: name, address, phone number
- Educational Background: degrees earned
- Work/Volunteer Experience: List your work and volunteer experience in chronological order. Provide a brief (2-3 lines) job description and give beginning and ending dates for each position. Clearly identify those positions that were paid, internships, or volunteer.
- Special skills or Attributes: List skills or attributes that enhance your ability to work with others. For example, do you speak a foreign language? Do you know sign language? Are you skilled in athletics, art, music, or speech? Do you know how to use computers or special equipment?
- Professional affiliations and honors: Are you a member of any professional organizations? Did you receive academic honors form your college or university? Have you received honors from a community service or social group?
We also strongly encourage applicants utilizing the resume writing tips provided by the Florida State University Career Center: https://career.fsu.edu/sites/g/files/upcbnu746/files/Resume%20Writing.pdf
Letters of Recommendation:
The online application will ask you to submit contact information for your references in the “Recommendations” section. Letters must be submitted by your recommenders via the application status check. We do not accept letters sent directly from applicants.
Minimum of three (3). The three letters must be a combination of work or professional and academic references (minimally need to submit at least 1 academic reference if graduated in the last 3 years). If you graduated more than three years ago, you may substitute professional references in place of academic references. A good letter of recommendation should be from someone who knows you well professionally or academically and can speak to your strengths and your ability to succeed in a graduate program. It is always a good idea to have the person writing your letter describe how they know you. Do not have a relative, friend or personal therapist write a letter for you.
The references will become part of your admissions file. They will be used only for admissions consideration and will not be disclosed to any unauthorized individual without your consent.
Petition for Exceptional Consideration:
To be completed ONLY by the applicant whose Undergraduate GPA is below 3.0
An applicant who believes that her or his individual circumstances warrant exceptional consideration for a waiver of the minimum university admissions requirement of an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 must petition the MSW admissions committee.
The request should be a one page statement entitled “Petition for Exceptional Consideration”. The petition should include a statement indicating how not meeting the minimum admissions requirement of a 3.0 GPA should be waived, as it does not adequately represent the applicant’s capabilities. The applicant should briefly discus how he or she has indeed demonstrated a capacity for successful achievement in a rigorous graduate program. For example, an applicant might provide evidence of:
- Superior grades during the final semester(s) of work prior to graduation indicating a trend toward improved performance;
- Subsequent to receipt of the undergraduate degree, an applicant might demonstrate competence through achievement in another graduate program;
- Outstanding work experience in human services (volunteer or paid).
The applicant should also discuss how, if granted admission to the program, she or he plans to address potential obstacles to successfully completing the program (for example, if a low grade point average was viewed as the result of a “needing to work full time during my undergraduate studies” the applicant should discuss why that is not likely to be a factor during her or his graduate study).
Petitions must be submitted as part of the required Statement of Purpose.