Fall Accepted Students

ACCEPT AND CONFIRM YOUR ADMISSION

To secure your spot, pay the $300 non-refundable Confirmation Deposit by May 30th, 2025. 

• • PAY ONLINE: Use our secure online portal
  • PAY BY MAIL: Alternatively, mail a check/money order to UMB School of Social Work, Office of Admissions, 525 W. Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
  • Allow up to 3 business days for payment processing
  • This non-refundable deposit will be credited to your first tuition bill

Have questions or need assistance before making your decision? Contact our Admissions Office at admissions@ssw.umaryland.edu 

Once you've accepted admission, kindly complete the remaining steps below before starting the program.

DEFER START TERM

If you need to defer your enrollment until Fall 2026, please email Associate Dean for Admissions and Enrollment no later than July 25, 2025.  You must still submit a confirmation deposit following the step above to hold your position. 

DECLINE 

If you wish to decline our offer of admission, please complete this survey.  

GET CONNECTED BY SETTING UP A UMID Account

The UMID is your unique UMB user name, and grants access to many UMB systems, including your umaryland.edu email, which will be the primary source of all SSW and UMB communication.

• • It can take a few days after you have paid your confirmation deposit for your email account to be created.
  • Expect an email with the subject "Welcome to Office 365 - University of Maryland, Baltimore - Action Needed" to your personal email address. Check spam/junk folders.  This will inform you of your new email address, and specific instructions to validate and activate your email.
  • Log into https://directory.umaryland.edu with your UMID and password to validate and activate your email
  • Once completed, you can log in https://portal.office.com to start sending and receiving emails using your UMaryland email

NOTE: While your UMID is being created, proceed with completing Steps 3 and 4. Please be aware that Step 5 cannot be completed until your UMID is created.

RESIDENCY

ALL NEW INCOMING STUDENTS DEFAULT TO AN OUT OF STATE STATUS. 

• • To qualify for "in-state" status, you must submit an Application for In-State Classification to the UMB Office of the Registrar between January 3 - August 2025. 
  • Please review the Residency FAQs for details.

TUITION

• • MSW Tuition information is available here. 
  • Information on due dates and payment options can be found here.  Tuition bills can be paid online in SURFS or via mail. 

*Tuition rates do not include fees and are subject to change

FINANCIAL AID

• • Review the Student Financial Assistance webpage for information. 
  • We recommend you complete the FAFSA
    • Apply immediately; the priority deadline for the 2025-2026 application is March 1, 2025.
    • School code: 002104

PRACTICUM EDUCATION: Practicum Education is a significant portion of your social work education, and is a place where you learn to make a real, lasting contribution to the lives of others.

Practicum Education:  Practicum Education provides students the unique opportunity to expand their learning experience and develop social work skills and competencies. As part of the MSW program, students are placed at an agency where, under the supervision of a licensed social worker, they may apply what is learned in the classroom to real-life situations. Practicum is typically 2 or 3 days per week during the academic year.

Within 2 – 3 weeks after you have confirmed your admission, the Office of Practicum Education will contact you via your school email address with instructions on how to submit your Field Practicum Application. You will need your UMID username and password to log in and access the online application.

For more information, go to the Office of Practicum Education Website or send an email to fieldeducation@ssw.umaryland.edu.

IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS 

Every student is required to comply with the University of Maryland's mandatory immunization and TB testing requirements.  You should receive an email from EXXAT, our immunization tracking system, to your UMB email address. This email will contain detailed instructions on how to access and navigate EXXAT, accessed through your SURFS accounts, using your assigned UMID and password. For more information, see the Student Health page here.

STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN (SHIP)

All full-time graduate students (9 credits or more) are automatically billed for and enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP).  Students taking fewer than 9 credits will not be automatically billed for SHIP, but are eligible to enroll on a voluntary basis

FALL REGISTRATION

Registration for newly admitted students begins on June 23, 2025, at 12:15 PM Eastern.  Registration takes place using SURFS and logging in requires using your UMID account information (see STEP ONE above). Course information for Fall 2025 newly admitted students is located here.

EXEMPTION EXAMS

If you have a strong background in policy, research, and/or human behavior, we encourage you to take an exemption exam to place out of one or more of the following foundation courses:
•  SOWK 600 Social Welfare and Social Policy
•  SOWK 645 Human Behavior and the Social Environment
•  SOWK 670 Social Work Research
Passing Exemption Exams does not decrease the number of required credits for your degree, but it does increase the number of elective credits you can take. Students must pass an Exemption Exam within the first two semesters of the program.

Exemption exams will be available for incoming students from May 20th through June 6th. Please email Prism Shilling to learn more.

ACCOMMODATIONS

You can request academic accommodations for coursework & field education through the Office of Educational Support and Disability Services(ESDS). ESDS works with students with all types of disabilities including physical, learning, sensory, psychological, ADHD, and chronic and acute medical conditions. To ensure timely and appropriate accommodation, please submit your request as early as possible.

VETERANS AFFAIRS

The SSW Office of Records and Registration can assist eligible students with enrollment certification and navigating eligibility for benefits.  Additional information on VA benefits is available here. Email sswveteransaffairs@ssw.umaryland.edu or call (410) 706-6102

STUDENT ID's

   One Card                                               USG ID

Before the first day of classes, you are required to complete SOWK 690.OA1. The course will be available in Blackboard on July 7, 2025 at 12:00 p.m.

Please note that it will take up to 35 hours to complete all THREE prerequisite modules.

1. Blackboard Orientation (2 hours) (You can begin the first few steps in the IDEA Knowledgebase.)
2. Academic Integrity and Anti-Plagiarism (3 hours)
3. A Brief History of Oppression and Resistance (15-30 hours*)
   • This module provides important context and foundational knowledge for social work students who will be learning and practicing in Baltimore, Montgomery County, and the surrounding areas.
   • It should be completed prior to beginning your semester and will help prepare you for your coursework here at the School of Social Work. 
   • Journal assignments that are integrated into the prerequisite will need to be submitted in SOWK 610 (Structural Oppression and Its Implications for Social Work) by the second week of class
   • *Recognizing that students have different styles of learning and engaging, most students report that it takes somewhere between 15 and 30 hours to complete A Brief History of Oppression and Resistance. Additionally, this course explores a great deal of material and may elicit a variety of strong emotions. Be sure to give yourself enough time and space to engage with the course and also to check in with yourself and prioritize self-care as you need it.

Watch this video to learn how to log in to Blackboard for the very first time:

BALTIMORE: Fall Orientation will be in-person and is scheduled for Monday, August 18, 2025.  Please note that orientation is mandatory for all incoming students.  Prior to Orientation Day please ensure that you have completed all of the steps as listed above and on the Orientation website.  

UNIVERSITIES of SHADY GROVE: Fall Orientation will be in-person and is scheduled for Tuesday, August 19, 2025 from 8am to 12:30pm on the USG campus.  Please note that orientation is mandatory for all incoming students.

ONLINE MSW: Fall Orientation will be online and is scheduled for Tuesday, August 19, 2025 from 6-8pm.  Please note that orientation is mandatory for all incoming students.

ORIENTATION VIDEOS: prior to attending orientation, you will be asked to watch a series of short videos about services on campus.  Links will be provided to you at some point in the future. 

ORIENTATION for PRACTICUM

In addition to New Student Orientation, all students who are newly entering field practicum at UM SSW are required to attend a Field Orientation in August. Field Orientation information is available here.

Complete Calendars, Course Schedules, and Important Dates. 

Advising
Blackboard-Basic Guides for Students
Concentrations
Contact SSW
FAFSA
Housing Information
In-State Residency
Parking and Transportation Services
Scholarships
SSW Leadership
Student Affairs
Student Handbook and Academic Catalog
Student Services
Tuition and Fees