Why Pursue a Master's Degree in Social Work
Community Impact
UTSA is proud to partner with communities in San Antonio and beyond, which create a wide range of possibilities for student practicum experiences. In addition to engaging with the community, students engage with dedicated faculty and with one another through campus organizations. On the state licensing exam, students and alumni from the MSW program have a passing rate that is significantly higher than the national passage rate. MSW alumni are transforming lives and organizations in San Antonio and across the country.
See What Our Students Say
UTSA’s Master of Social Work program focuses on transformative, culturally competent practice. Alumnus Rogelio Narvaez talks about his meaningful work in San Antonio since earning his degree.
Degree Options
Admission & Application Requirements
Applications are submitted through the UTSA Graduate Application. Please upload all required documents (listed below) on your UTSA Graduate Application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure completion and submission of the application, a nonrefundable application fee, and all required supporting documents are on file with UTSA by the appropriate application deadline.
| Social Work (MSW) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Required Degree | Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or have proof of equivalent training at a foreign institution. | |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) Departments may consider GPA of last 60 semester credit hours | |
| Coursework | 18 credit hours in an area related to this graduate degree and at least 12 hours must be at the upper-division level. | |
| Transcripts* | Required from all institutions attended; international transcripts must be recorded/translated to English | |
| Credential Evaluation | Required if you have earned university-level credit from foreign institutions. Submit an evaluation of your transcripts from Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) directly from the graduate admission application platform | |
| English Language Proficiency | 550 TOEFL Paper / 79 TOEFL Internet / 6.5 IELTS / Duolingo 100 | |
| Purpose Statement | Required Your purpose statement should be a narrative no longer than five double-spaced pages that should address the questions found in this MSW narrative document. | |
| Letters of Recommendation | 3 academic or professional reference(s) demonstrating your attributes for successful completion of this program (you will request these through the Graduate Admissions Application; let your recommenders know of your deadline to ensure submissions are on time). For the 36-hour program, 1 letter of reference should be from a BSW program/field director, indicating your good-standing and how many hours were completed in field practicum. | |
| Field Evaluation | Required for the 36-hour program | |
| Liberal Arts Perspective | Required for the 60-hour program. Form must be completed in the graduate application. | |
| *Unofficial transcripts will be taken into consideration for admissions; however, if admitted into the program, you must submit official transcripts to the University. | ||
Application Deadlines
Applicants are encouraged to have their admission file completed as early as possible. All applications, required documents and letters of recommendation, if applicable, must be submitted by 5:00 PM U.S. Central Time on the day of the deadline. Deadlines are subject to change.
| Social Work (MSW) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Timing on Admission Decision: Completed applications will be reviewed for admission on a rolling basis. Decisions generally will be made and sent to applicants within 4 to 6 weeks of receiving the application. | |||
| Application Deadlines for: | Priority | International | Domestic |
| Spring 2025 | November 1 | December 1 | |
| Summer 2025 | Not Available | Not Available | |
| Fall 2025 | June 1 | June 1 | |
| Spring 2026 | November 1 | December 1 | |
| Summer 2026 | Not Available | Not Available | |
Funding Opportunities
Title IV-E of the Social Security Act authorizes the federal government’s Foster Care and Adoption Assistance programs to provide matching funds to state educational programs. Students who qualify will receive a stipend under the Title IV-E program to help off-set costs associated with obtaining a Master of Social Work. For more information, click below.
For information about scholarships, click below.
Learn moreCareer Options
UTSA prepares you for future careers that are in demand. The possible careers below is data pulled by a third-party tool called Emsi, which pulls information from sources like the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, online job postings, other government databases and more to give you regional and national career outlook related to this academic program.
The Master of Social Work program was fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) in February 2008, with reaffirmation in 2012 and 2021, making it a CSWE accredited program through 2028.
This program is offered at the UTSA Downtown Campus. This accredited program offers a Master in Social Work degree for part-time or full-time students. We offer primarily evening classes, with some day classes, to provide options for students with a variety of schedules. Evening classes meet once a week during the fall, spring, and 10-week summer sessions and twice a week during 5-week summer sessions.
Students also do two 450 clock hour field practicum while in the program, which means working in an agency setting 12-15 hours a week for four of the semesters they are in the program. Occasionally, weekend and evening placements are available, but students should plan on trying to be available for field approximately 8 hours per week during the regular 8-5 workweek in order to increase placement opportunities.
