This page is designed to answer questions about the Baylor online MSW program, one of the best grad schools for social work. If you have additional questions about the Baylor MSW program, feel free to email MSW_Admissions@baylor.edu.
No. The GRE is not required.
Our Admissions Committee takes a holistic approach when reviewing applications. Though, many factors enter into the admission decision for a professional school; there is not one single indicator for admission.
Three recommendation letters are required from each applicant. At least one of the letters must be an academic recommendation. Select people who have knowledge of you in some of the following areas: intellectual competence; potential for success; the ability to work with people about sensitive issues, including people from diverse backgrounds; possession of critical thinking and communication skills; and a sense of values and ethics. References from your faculty and those who have supervised you or know of your work in a social work-related paid or volunteer setting are particularly helpful. Advanced Standing applicants will need a reference from the undergraduate program director, the director of practicum education, or the social work supervisor (CSWE calls field instructor).
Yes, a non-refundable $250 deposit is required. Federal financial aid cannot be used to pay deposits.
There are many opportunities for internships, and students engage in a personalized conversation with the practicum team to determine the best internship placement. Our team is dedicated to finding you an internship that meets the CSWE competencies, provides quality supervision and allows you a diverse exposure to the social work profession. If you are a standard student, you will have a generalist internship and a specialized internship. If you are an advanced standing student, you will have a specialized internship. You will spend approximately 20 hours per week in the internship during normal business hours Monday through Friday. With the help of your practicum team, this internship is found within 75 miles of your residential address. Visit our Practicum Education page to hear from our Practicum team.
Students in our online Master of Social Work program have classes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3:00 - 9:00 p.m., CST. Each class will have a once a week live Zoom meeting and each class will be about 90-120 minutes in length. Students can reach out to Student Support to discuss class schedule and planning, each term your class schedule may change, discussing this in advance is best for planning your courses!
Yes! We are a CSWE accredited MSW program. That means CSWE has deemed our program as one that provides excellent social work education and training for you to be a competent professional social worker no matter the area of practice you choose to serve.
Our program is based from a Christian worldview, and there are reading assignments that include a Christian perspective. However, our program's chief purpose is to prepare and educate professional social workers, regardless of the student's faith (or non-faith) base. The role and influence of faith and practice relates to these ideas:
For Baylor’s online MSW program, tuition is based on the number of credits for which you register. Current tuition rates can be found on the Financial Aid page.
Your potential eligibility for a scholarship is determined on a case-by-case basis. If you have any questions, please call your student success advisor directly at 254-710-8360 or by email at MSW_Admissions@baylor.edu.
To make the process of paying for your Baylor education more manageable, Payment Plans are available to all MSW students. Plan enrollment is required each term in which you participate in a Payment Plan. To complete financial settlement by participating in a Payment Plan, enrollment must be complete by the due date. Details about about plan options can be found here.
Contact Baylor One Stop. Please be sure to identify yourself as an online student.
The federal student aid graduate students are eligible to apply for include the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan and the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan. Visit the Federal Student Aid website for more information.
Graduate students not eligible for the Federal Pell Grant or the Federal Subsidized Loan. The Department of Education awards Federal Pell Grants and Direct Subsidized Loans to eligible undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need and have not yet completed their bachelor’s degrees. The Department of Education does not evaluate need or income for loans at the graduate or professional level. Therefore, graduate students are not eligible for the Federal Pell Grant nor the Direct Subsidized Loan.
Students must be registered for at least 5 credit hours per term, to receive federal student aid. For MSW trimesters, full-time status requires at least 9 credit hours and half-time status requires at least 5 credit hours.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an online application the Department of Education uses to determine if you are eligible to receive federal student aid. The Baylor FAFSA school code is 003545.
Yes. Because eligibility for federal student aid does not carry over from one award year to the next, you will need to complete the FAFSA for each award year for which you are or plan to be a student. An academic year is the year for which financial aid is used to fund your education. Generally, this is the 12-month period that begins on July 1 of one year and ends on June 30 of the following year.
To begin the process of applying for eligible military education benefits, visit Baylor’s VA website.
For questions regarding the use of your military education benefits, contact VA_Benefits@baylor.edu or 254-710-1814.
No; participation in the Yellow Ribbon program is only available to a limited number of eligible undergraduate students.
Baylor University is not a public institution and therefore is not eligible for participation in the Texas Hazlewood program. For more information about the Hazelwood Act please visit the Texas Veterans Commission website.
There are a number of resources and things to do once you've been accepted into the program and you get ready to begin your time with the Garland School of Social Work. You can find MSW-specific checklists and resources under Current Students here. You can find additional Baylor-specific "Day One" resources here.
This page is designed to answer questions about the Baylor online MSW program, one of the best grad schools for social work. If you have additional questions about the Baylor MSW program, feel free to email MSW_Admissions@baylor.edu.
