Traditional Program Admissions

The traditional MSW@USC is a 60-credit program that can be completed on a full-time (four semesters) or part-time (six semesters) basis. Learn more about the curriculum for the traditional program here.

The admissions standards for the traditional online MSW are the same as those for our on-campus program, and we seek applicants who are motivated to succeed in a challenging master’s degree program.

We offer start dates throughout the year. Please refer to application deadlines below.

Spring 2021

Spring 2021 Admissions Deadlines
Deadline Date
Early Action Deadline Closed
Priority Deadline Closed
Final Deadline November 4, 2020
Classes Begin January 11, 2021

Summer 2021

Summer 2021 Admissions Deadlines
Deadline Date
Early Action Deadline February 2, 2021
Priority Deadline March 2, 2021
Final Deadline March 23, 2021
Classes Begin May 25, 2021

The campus-based MSW program has one application deadline per academic year. If you are applying for admission to the campus-based program, please refer to its individual schedule of application deadlines and start dates.

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Application Requirements

You must complete the online application and submit all supporting documentation by the deadline in order to be considered for admission. You can see the application requirements here.

Eligibility

Eligibility requirements for the traditional MSW@USC program are:

  • Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from a regionally accredited college or university, with a minimum of 18 units of interdisciplinary liberal arts coursework, spanning both social and biological sciences
  • Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (based on a 4.0 grading scale) for the full-time, 4-semester program. Prospective students with a cumulative undergraduate GPA below 2.8 will not be considered
  • Strong academic promise to perform successfully at the graduate level
  • Experience in providing service to people preferred
  • Potential for professional competence; strong interest and motivation; and commitment to social work values such as the appreciation for cultural and ethnic diversity, belief in the dignity and freedom of every individual, promotion of social justice and equal access to resources, and institutional responsiveness to human needs and social change
  • Personal attributes such as sensitivity and responsiveness in relationships, capacity for self-awareness, concern for the needs of others as well as strong abilities in abstract reasoning, conceptual thinking and interpersonal communication