Announcements and Key Dates
- First day of classes in Fall 2023 is August 28, 2023. Click here for the academic calendar
- Date of Incoming Fall 2023 Orientation is August 24, 2023. More information about orientation will be coming soon. Please check back
- Incoming Student Frequently Asked Questions: Visit our FAQ page for some important information to help guide you through the processes following your tuition deposit
- Campus Map
- Information on how to get your Pitt ID. To save time upload your photo ahead of time
- Follow us on social media for announcements, events and more (links at the bottom of the page)
- Medical Coverage for Students
- Access the updated way to View/Accept/Decline your Financial Aid Awards
Field Education and Registration Information
Field Placement and Registration Information for Incoming MSW Students
Exemption Exams
Incoming students who have not earned a bachelor’s degree in Social Work are eligible to take exemption exams for Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE) and Generalist Social Work Research course. Additionally, students beginning the MSW Program who have earned their bachelor's in social work and who did not receive advanced standing credit for the mentioned courses may also wish to take this exam if they believe they have mastered the material. Students who pass these exemption exams will be awarded the credits for these courses (up to six total credits) toward the completion of their MSW degree and be exempt from taking the class(es).
For the HBSE course, students who have completed undergraduate work in human, family, and community development may know this material and wish to take this exam to determine if they can exempt from this class. The current text book for this class is: Rogers, A.T. (2019). Human behavior in the social environment (5th ed.). Routledge.
For the Generalist Social Work Research Course, the current text book is: Engel, R. J., & Schutt, R. K. (2017). Practice of research in social work (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Exemption Exam Dates for 2023: May 12 and 13; June 9 and 10; and July 21 and 22
Find Exemption Exam FAQs here.
Incoming Student Academic Resources
International Students
All newly accepted international students please refer to the University of Pittsburgh Office of International Services (OIS) website.
Student Organizations
- BASW Club
- MSW Student Executive Council
- Doctoral Student Organization (DSO)
- Union of Black Social Work Students
- Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG)
Writing APA Resources
- Mini APA Orientation Training (Pitt username required)
- APA Quick Reference Guide
- Taylor & Francis editing standards: Updates of American Psychological Association documentation style (2020)
- Taylor & Francis Journals Standard Reference Style Guide: American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition (APA-7)
- DOI and URL Flowchart
- Transition Words: Little Words That Do a Lot
Living in Pittsburgh
- The Cool Pittsburgh website has information about where to live, eat, shop, and play in Pittsburgh.
- University of Pittsburgh Housing Resource Center