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Admissions

Students earning a bachelor’s degree in social work practice in a variety of social welfare settings and with a variety of populations. The school does not approve academic credit for prior work or life experience. Students who wish to enroll in the professional curriculum in social work must first apply and be accepted to upper-division status (candidacy) for the B.A. degree in social work (BSW degree).

Forms

Application Process

The School of Social Work reviews and approves applications for admission to BSW upper-division status (candidacy) each October and March.

  • Applications for students to begin upper division course work in the following spring semester should apply by the first Friday of October.
  • To begin upper-division courses the following fall semester students should apply by the first Friday of March.

Students may apply for upper-division status (candidacy) during the semester in which they are completing their 52-55 prerequisite credit hours

The School welcomes diversity and invites interest and applications from persons who seek to participate in a profession committed to helping people. Admission to candidacy for the degree is determined by: Faculty evaluation of student application

Requirements for Admission to the Professional Curriculum

Courses required for BSW candidacy completed with a grade of C of higher (SOCWRK 101 and 201 must be completed with a B grade or better):

  • ENGL 101 and 102
  • UF 100 and 200 (not required of transfer students if core certified)
  • Disciplinary Lens course in Visual and Performing Arts (DLV)
  • Disciplinary Lens course in Literature and Humanities (DLL)
  • Disciplinary Lens course in Biology (DLN) – must take BIOL 100, 191 or 227
  • Second Disciplinary Lens course in Natural, Physical, and Applied Science (DLN)
  • Disciplinary Lens course in Math
  • Two Disciplinary Lens course in Social Science (Must take COMM 101 and SOCWRK 101 – must earn a grade of B or better)
  • POLS 101
  • SOC 230
  • SOC 101
  • PSYC 101
  • ECON 201 or 202
  • SOCWRK 201 (earning a grade of B or better)

A minimum GPA of 2.5 OR a minimum GPA of 2.8 during the two contiguous semesters of full-time enrollment of 12 or more credits prior to application. In order to maintain candidacy status, students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher in required social work courses.

Applications are also judged by the following criteria:

  • Quality of written statement
  • Recommendation letters
  • Quality and quantity of work/volunteer experience in the human services
  • Overall presentation (look/feel) of application
  • Criminal background

Items to Include with Your BSW Application

All of the following items must by turned it together when you submit your application:

  • The Application Materials Checklist
  • A Personal Vitae or Resume and Applicant Information Sheet
  • Two essays (see directions in application materials)
  • Filled Out Copy of the Academic Checklist
  • An Unofficial Copy of Your Boise State Transcripts and/or Transcript Evaluations from Other Colleges or Universities You Have Attended
  • Three Letters of Recommendation (one letter should come from 201 Service Learning adviser)–Cover letters are included in the BSW Application Packet.
  • Notarized Criminal Record Statement–Included in the BSW Application Packet
  • Notarized Ethical Statement–Included in the BSW Application Packet
  • Completed criminal background check — directions can be found in the BSW Application Packet.