Application
No
No. Students are admitted for the Fall Quarter only.
For concurrent degrees, you need to submit a complete application to each school separately. If you are admitted to both programs, the graduate advisor in each program will tell you which courses you need to take for the concurrent degree program.
Address Your Audience
- Your primary audience is the faculty in the program to which you are applying. Treat your statement of purpose as an application to work with a specific professor in that department or scholarly field.
Show That You Know Something
- The main section explains what you know and who you are. Show knowledge of your field (e.g., a specific research focus) or your profession. Show how you will impact the field, or what has impacted you in the pursuit of your field.
- Describe your research and how graduate school will help you reach your career goals, as well as the contribution you will make to the program. The introduction of your essay should clearly describe the degree you want to earn and the topic you want to study. Summarize your undergraduate accomplishments, research projects, classes, or work that stimulated your desire for graduate study. Mention the encouragement you’ve received from professors in the program you wish to enter.
Focus On Your Specific Research or Professional Interests Within a Particular Field
- Detail how your academic and professional experiences have developed those research or professional interests and prepared you to pursue them at a higher academic level. Include courses, experts whose work you admire or who aligns with your interests, and factors such as internship opportunities or opportunities provided by the school’s location
Be Compelling & Clear
- Be positive and concise. Write using an active voice. You want to instill confidence that you are prepared to undergo graduate-level research in your desired area. The most compelling essays are thoughtful, clear, and concise.
Provide Specific Examples
- Rather than simply saying you are a high achiever, for example, describe a project on which you exceeded a professor’s expectations.
- If your grades suffered because of a misfortune, such as an illness, explain how you persevered. You can describe a mistake that taught you a valuable lesson — but don’t make excuses.
Tell your story
- This is your opportunity to expand on your background, highlight unique experiences, challenges and triumphs and give the committee a more compelling reason to accept you. If a personal statement is not requested, consider incorporating this content into your statement of purpose. It is in your best interest to offer supplemental information when given an opportunity.
Describe goals, achievements & challenges
- Describe your academic and career goals and highlight how graduate school will advance them. Tell how personal experiences shaped your aspirations, and don’t shy away from discussing poor grades or large time gaps in your resume.
- Address any particular challenges you’ve faced, and how you worked to overcome them. Focus on issues that have had an impact on your education, such as being raised in a single-parent household, working to help support family, thriving in unsafe environments, persevering with physical or other challenges, or coming from an underrepresented minority group.
Have An Angle
- Even if your life has been less than dramatic, you still have a story to tell. The best approach to the “angle” is to find a THEME that can unify all your paragraphs.
Showcase experiences related to diversity
- Mention your engagement in programs that increase diversity in your chosen field, such as participation in undergraduate academic preparation, diversity and equity programs, higher education pipeline and summer research opportunities, and mentoring underrepresented students.
- Highlight research you have conducted that addresses underserved populations, such as issues of race, gender, equity and inclusion, disparities in health or educational access, and human rights. Mention artistic and cultural works you have produced that reflect diverse communities and voices not well represented in the humanities.
Pay Special Attention to Your “LEAD”
- In the first paragraph, you will either grab attention or you will lose it. Use the lead to set the tone and direction for the statement. Note: the lead can, but does not have to be an attention-grabbing story. The goal of the lead is for the readers to know who you are and what your goal is by the end of the first paragraph
How to fill out the GPA worksheet
- Do not include non-graded classes. It is okay if you are under the 90/60 units but please do not include more than the 90/60 units you are being asked to provide.
- Do not include any grades prior to junior year even if that leaves you below 90 quarter units or 60 semester units. You must convert the excel file to a PDF in order to upload it to the application portal. Do not include P/NP. The worksheet is only for undergraduate transcripts. If you completed an advanced degree, please simply upload them to the application portal.
I have over the 90/60 units being asked, which do I include?
- You can count backward from the end of your degree and leave off the first couple of units that would push you past the maximum threshold. It is okay if the total is not perfect, again, do not include more than the 90/60 units being asked.
While there is no set number, the majority of our students have at least 1-2 years of social work related experience.
No. AP coursework is not acceptable for graduate admission. Please consider taking any outstanding prerequisites at your current university or a local community college.
Yes, you are still eligible to submit an application. All outstanding prerequisites must be completed by the end of the Spring term leading into the entering Fall. (Example: Applicant for Fall 2027 must have all requirements met by end of Spring 2027.)
Transcripts
If you or your university will be mailing hard copies of the official transcripts, please have them sent to:
UCLA Department of Social Welfare
3250 Public Affairs Building
Box 951656
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1656
Having your transcripts sent electronically?
Please have them sent to: sw@luskin.ucla.edu
Unofficial transcripts should be uploaded to your online application portal. They do not have to be mailed in. Official transcripts will be required only after admission into the program. Community college transcripts are not necessary.
Evaluations are not necessary for international transcripts as we will evaluate them internally.
Your transcript should include the following information:
Your Name
Name of the School
Degree Awarded
Conferral Date
Timeline
PhD applicants are generally notified of their admission status in January. MSW applicants can expect to be notified of their admission status mid-late February.
Applications generally open in early September.
Our Program
Yes, we have an 8-quarter option for the MSW and a 9-quarter option for the MSW and PPSC. Please check here for more information.
UCLA Luskin’s Master of Social Welfare is a full-time, two-year program. In addition to our core curriculum, you can participate in an advanced research course or research project focused on an issue of interest to you. Two field placements with social work agencies let you put into action what you have learned in the classroom, providing invaluable real-world experience.
MSW graduates work in variety of settings along the social welfare continuum. MSW alumni from UCLA have worked in the public and private sectors, and have held jobs as child and adult therapists, children’s social workers in protective services, psychiatric and medical social workers, probation officers, community organizers, program planners, researchers, and executive directors.
To find out more regarding the Human Services Management Certificate Program click here.
For concurrent degrees, you need to submit a complete application to each school separately. If you are admitted to both programs, the graduate advisor in each program will tell you which courses you need to take for the concurrent degree program.
Yes. Information regarding our capstone project could be found here.
Information based on Employment results could be found here.
General
Please visit UCLA Graduate Campus Tours for details.
Please visit our Registrar’s Residency page for more information.
Undocumented/DACAmented
Yes! There are no citizenship restrictions to apply.
No. Background information and residency/citizenship status are not part of the application review process and have absolutely no bearing on an applicant’s admission decision.
UCLA is committed to ensuring that all students, regardless of their citizenship status, are receiving the resources that they need. The Undocumented Students Program serves as a hub to provide resources and support to all Undocumented/DACAmented students.
All financial aid opportunities are available to Undocumented/DACAmented students. All departmental merit based fellowships, TAships, and RAships do not have citizenship as a requirement. For need based aid, applicants should fill out a Dream Act application instead of a FAFSA.
No. The application is the same for all applicants. The welcome screen of the application will provide additional guidelines to those who are uncertain how to discuss their citizenship status.
You could find more information here.