36-Credit Fall Online Accepted Students

ACCEPT AND CONFIRM YOUR ADMISSION

To secure your spot, pay the $300 non-refundable Confirmation Deposit by May 30th, 2026. 

• • 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 the 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 2027 (we do not have a Spring start for the OMSW program), please complete the Deferral Form no later than July 25, 2026.  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.

If you experience technical difficulties or questions related to these accounts and logins, please contact the UMB CITS Helpdesk: 410-706-HELP or help@umaryland.edu or on the 5th floor of the HSHSL. If you experience delays or lack of resolution above, please contact ideateam@ssw.umaryland.edu (only) and include the email with ticket number from the CITS Helpdesk above.

Current UMB Employees Please Note: If you are already employed by UMB and have a Umaryland Email address and UMID, you can ignore the above as you do not need to set up a UMID and will continue using only your existing UMID. Please see this page with more information for UMB Employee Students: https://idea.ssw.umaryland.edu/students/umb-employee-students

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 prior to the first day of enrollment
  • DC Residents will download and complete a separate exemption form to qualify for in state rate exemption tuition. 
  • Please review the Residency FAQs for details.

TUITION

• • Learn more about the specific tuition and fees for the Online MSW Program
  • 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 2026-2027 application is March 1, 2026.
    • School code: 002104

IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS

Every student is required to comply with the University of Maryland's mandatory immunization and TB testing requirements, even as an online student, since you will be in practicums within the community.  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)

Since you are taking more than 9 credits, you will be automatically billed for and enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan.  If you prove you have other coverage, you have the option to waive the insurance plan, but must do so by September 15th.  Find more information about SHIP on their website: https://www.umaryland.edu/student-financial-services/student-insurance/. 

Practicum Education provides students the opportunity to expand their learning experience and develop essential social work skills. You will be placed at an agency where, under the supervision of a licensed social worker, you will apply what is learned in the classroom to real-life situations.  Advanced Practicum is either 2 or 3 days per week for both your Fall and Spring semesters.

Log in to the electronic practicum notebook (you will need your UMID username and password) to access the online application and submit it within 2 weeks after you have confirmed your admission. After your application has been submitted, you will be assigned to a practicum coordinator who will find a placement site for you.

For more information, check out the FAQs and the Office of Practicum Education website, or send an email to practicum@ssw.umaryland.edu.

FALL 2026 COURSES

Fall Registration will open for new students on June 22nd.  Registration information will be emailed to you during the month of June.  You will register for the following 12 credits:

• • SWCL 700: Advanced Clinical Interventions (Synchronous, Thursday 6-9pm)
  • SWCL 744: Assessment, Diagnosis and Intervention Planning (Asynchronous)
  • SWCL 794: Advanced Practicum

Find your textbooks on our UMB Bookstore. 

Fall courses will be available in Blackboard a week before the Fall semester begins

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 is available here.  Email sswveteransaffairs@ssw.umaryland.edu or call (410) 706-6102

UMB ONE CARD

After you have been registered for classes, you can submit your photo in order to receive an Online Student ID (UMB One Card), as you will need the barcode/one card number to access some online services.  

Before the first day of classes, all incoming students are required to complete SOWK 690: MSW Incoming Student Pre-Requisites.  This self-paced online course will be available in Blackboard beginning July 7th and takes approximately 35 hours to complete. 

IMPORTANT: If you don't see SOWK 690 in the Courses tab after logging into Blackboard, please contact sswregistration@ssw.umaryland.edu to ensure all required materials have been received and that you have been registered for the course. 

The course consists of four required modules:

1. Blackboard Orientation (2 hours)

• Learn how to navigate and access your online courses and materials.

2. Academic Integrity and Anti-Plagiarism (2 hours)

• Review the SSW's expectations for academic integrity and responsible scholarship.

3. Artificial Intelligence (1 hour)

• Learn about the responsible use of AI tools in graduate social work education. 

4. A Brief History of Oppression and Resistance (15-30 hours)

• This module provides important historical and social context that will support your learning throughout the MSW program and your future practice as a social worker.  The course explores materials that may elicit strong emotions, so please allow yourself sufficient time and space to engage with the content and practice self-care as needed.
• Journal activities are included throughout the course.  While these journals are required for Foundation students, Advanced Standing students are encouraged to complete them as an opportunity for reflection and learning. 

Watch this video to learn how to log in to Blackboard for the very first time
If you cannot successfully log in, please call 410-706-HELP

All new Online MSW students are required to complete orientation before the start of the semester.  Additional details and reminders will be sent via email

OMSW ORIENTATION

This is your required program orientation and will introduce you to key SSW resources, your online cohort, and program expectations.

• Tuesday, August 18th, 6-8pm (Zoom link will be sent via email)

UMB NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION

This will provide an overview of university-wide resources and services across UMB. Register to attend one of these virtual sessions:

• August 13th, 5:30-7:30pm
• August 20th, 5:30-7:30pm

ADVANCED STANDING PRACTICUM ORIENTATION

Practicum Education Orientation is mandatory for Advanced Standing students. 

• August 27th, 9am-12pm (Zoom link will be sent via email)