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Online MSW Admissions

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What Matters to Us?

New Orleans is a city of resilience, one committed to social justice. Here at Tulane University, we believe wholeheartedly in upholding the community spirit that keeps New Orleans moving forward. Tulane, in fact, lays claim to the distinction of having housed the first training program of social workers in the Gulf South. We have had decades to build on our innovative, audacious beginning, and U.S. News & World Report ranked us in the top 14% of Best Schools for Social Work in the country. Our students are part of the reason why. Because we strive to maintain the high standard we established over a century ago, Tulane’s online Master of Social Work and Doctorate in Social Work programs are highly competitive. Below are program details and admissions requirements for each of these graduate programs.

We want to ensure that our program’s strengths will help activate the strengths of our students. The online MSW program is interested in prospective students who are driven to:

  • Provoke global changes by advocating for oppressed groups;
  • Work in disaster and trauma relief and recovery in New Orleans and beyond;
  • Actively give back to their communities; and
  • Do work that matters.

Applicants to Tulane’s online MSW program must meet the following requirements:

  • Demonstrate a strong performance in the junior and senior years of undergraduate study or in a postgraduate degree program, or have strong employer references
  • Possess a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in a liberal arts-related field
  • A grade-point average of 3.0 or better on a 4-point scale (preferred)

Full-time / Part-time MSW Key Dates and Deadlines

Spring 2025

Advanced Standing MSW Key Dates and Deadlines

Summer 2025

Program Details

The online and on-campus Traditional MSW programs can be completed on a flexible timeline. Students choose one of three tracks based on which one works best for them:

  • Traditional Full-Time Track: 4 Semesters (16 Months)
  • Traditional Part-Time Track: 8 Semesters (2.5 Years)

Specialize your expertise by adding a focus area to your MSW (optional):

Advanced Standing status is available to applicants who possess a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), allowing them to earn an MSW in three full-time semesters (12 months). To qualify for Advanced Standing, students must meet the following requirements:

  • Cumulative GPA of 3.3 or better on a 4.0 scale
  • 3.0 GPA in all undergraduate substantive courses
  • B+ average in the field practicum

Learn more about our upcoming program information sessions here.

MSW Application Requirements

We invite prospective applicants to visit https://tssw.tulane.edu/tulane-school-social-work-admission-application to begin and submit an application.

Applicants’ resumes (or curriculum vitae) should list their relevant work experience, internships, research, awards, and/or publications, as well as educational history. Resumes can be uploaded in the Resume section of the application portal.

You are required to submit a Statement of Purpose written essay (3-5 pages) addressing the material below. Please note that the Personal Statement guidelines have been updated. If this affects your application that is currently in progress, please review the statements below and make the appropriate updates. If you have further questions, please contact the Office of Enrollment Management – msw@tulane.edu.

1. Trace the origin and development of your interest in social work as a professional, including any significant influences or experiences.

2. What qualifications do you bring to the classroom and social work practice? Do you have any limitations that might affect your ability to practice social work, that you would like to disclose?

3. Discuss your experience working with populations other than your own. This may include gender identity, race, religion, socioeconomic and/or cultural background.

A minimum of two Letters of Recommendation (LORs) must be received. The recommenders will submit the letters of recommendation directly into the application portal. Applicants should select two individuals who know them well and have agreed to write a recommendation. As an applicant, keep the following guidelines in mind:

  • If you are presently working or have been engaged in volunteer work in human services, one letter should be submitted by your supervisor or employer.
  • If you are currently a student, two (2) letters should be submitted by a faculty advisor or professor in your major area.
  • NO personal references (family, friends, social acquaintances, co-workers) will be accepted.
  • We ask applicants to please have on hand the name, title, professional email address, phone number and relationship of each recommender.

If the applicant suspects that any portion of his or her application package may present an area of concern (e.g. poor grades), or if the applicant would like to offer more information to the faculty regarding a unique situation (e.g. a large gap in his or her resume), then the applicant should consider submitting an optional statement.

You can upload unofficial transcripts for the review process. Tulane requires transcripts from all postsecondary institutions you attended, including schools where you did not earn a degree. If your overall GPA from your undergraduate degree-granting institution is 3.0 or higher, you are not required to submit transcripts from institutions where you received transfer credit toward your Bachelor’s degree. Admitted students who enroll in the Online MSW must email official transcripts prior to registration to tsswtranscripts@tulane.edu.

International transcripts will need to be evaluated to show equivalency of the U.S. four-year degree. Applicants are asked to please include a WES evaluation with their transcripts.

If an applicant’s native language is not English and the applicant does not have a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college or university, he or she will be required to submit a valid score from the TOEFL a minimum score of 600 on the paper-based test, 250 on the computer-based test, or 90 on the Internet-based test.

Scholarship Opportunities

Prospective students applying to a traditional (4 or 8-semester program) MSW, MSW/DRL, or DRL program will receive a minimum merit award totaling $15,000 at the time of admission.

Prospective students applying to the Advanced Standing (3 or 6-semester program) MSW or MSW/DRL program will receive a minimum merit award totaling $11,250 at the time of admission.

Upcoming MSW Webinars

Check back soon for more upcoming events.

Online MSW/MS DRL Dual Degree

We are excited to announce that the Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Science in Disaster Resilience Leadership (MS-DRL) dual degree is now offered online.

Communities need capable and compassionate leaders to help them prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural and manmade disasters. This program prepares students to launch extraordinary careers as social workers who possess interdisciplinary training in disaster resilience. The unique curriculum develop leaders to create of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.