Social Work

Admissions

Choosing Social Work as Your Major

B.S.W. Application
Programs of Study
Student Categories
Academic Advisement
GSU Core Curriculum
Contact Us

If you have questions or want more information about the following information, contact Office of Academic Assistance at (404) 413-1000.

Applicants who are transferring from a community college or another college or university should contact the Office of Academic Assistance if they have questions regarding their transfer credit or GSU core curriculum requirements before applying to the College of Health and Human Sciences.

Step 2: The undergraduate application process permits a potential student to indicate the college and intended major in which the individual wishes to register upon acceptance.

Entering students who wish to major in social work begin their affiliation with the School of Social Work in a Pre-Social Work (P.S.W.) status.

Step 3: Develop an individualized program of study with the guidance of the Student Advisement Center and the College of Health and Human Sciences’ Office of Academic Assistance. Your first two years should be focused on your core course work. You will need to have the majority, if not all, of the core curriculum completed prior to beginning the BSW program.

Step 4: Apply to the B.S.W. program during your sophomore year (approximately 45 semester hours completed). A separate application and decision process is required before a student can be formally accepted into the Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) status. The application will be reviewed by the Office of Academic Assistance and will be forwarded to the School of Social Work if all admission requirements have been met.

Entry into the B.S.W. program is a highly selective process on a space availability basis. A student who meets only the minimum grade-point average or other criteria is not necessarily guaranteed acceptance. Qualified students who initially are denied entry will be placed on a competitive waiting list in the order of their initial application to await possible access to the program at a subsequent time.

Applications received between January 1 and May 15 will be given priority for Fall admission.

Consideration for B.S.W. status requires the student to:

File a formal application in the school for B.S.W. status |
Have grades of C or better in English 1101 and 1102;
Have successfully completed Areas A through F (except SW 2000); and
Have a minimum grade-point average of 2.5 in the lower-division courses necessary to complete Areas A through F and a minimum grade of a C in SW 2000, if completed.
Pass Regents Test

All social work students must complete field education requirements as part of the BSW degree program. Please be aware that field placement agencies are more frequently requesting background checks of potential student interns. Background checks often focus on such issues as prior arrests and convictions for felonies and misdemeanors, abuse of illegal drugs, and certain motor vehicle offenses (e.g., driving under the influence). If you have such a record or if there are criminal charges pending against you at this time, this may impact your ability to complete all degree requirements. An agency may deny a student a field placement position based on the results of the background check. Since field education is a program requirement, a student may be excluded from completing the social work program if an approved field placement cannot be arranged.

Step 5: If accepted, the student will develop an individualized program of study for their concentrated social work education with the guidance of BSW director. Students may continue to receive advisement regarding graduation and GSU curriculum with the Office of Academic Assistance.

B.S.W. Application
The B.S.W. application is available online.
(PDF | Microsoft Word). The application can also be picked up in the Office of Academic Assistance (8th floor Urban Life) or mailed to you. If you would like it mailed, please call the office at (404) 413-1000.

Submit Application

Students are strongly encouraged to apply online. Applications can also be submitted by hand delivery, mail or fax.

• Hand Delivery:
  Office of Academic Assistance, 8th floor Urban Life Building, Georgia State University. Please deliver to the attention of Grace Gipson.
• Mail:
  Office of Academic Assistance, College of Health and Human Sciences, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3995, Atlanta, GA 30303-3995
• Fax:
  (404) 413-1011; Attn: Grace Gipson

Student Categories
Pre-Social Work (P.S.W.) Student - All students admitted to Georgia State University who choose Social Work as their intended major begin as pre-social work students. It is during the P.S.W. status that students complete the general core curriculum. P.S.W. students should seek advisement in the Office of Academic Assistance in the College of Health and Human Sciences or the Student Advisement Center.

Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) Student – B.S.W. students are advised by the Director of the BSW program in the School of Social Work. B.S.W. status indicates that a student has demonstrated commitment to professional social work and has been recognized by the school as being ready to utilize that commitment in the demanding preparation for practice in this field. A student with B.S.W. status is expected to internalize the values and ethics of social work and to develop and enhance professional practice skills. In this process, the B.S.W. student is expected to abide by the academic regulations related to the program, as contained in the General Catalog of the University and the School of Social Work Student Handbook.

Programs of Study
The Bachelor of Social Work program is a 48 semester hour academic program, which includes 12 hours of field placement and 9 hours of social work (SW) electives. An additional 12 hours of Social Work electives (Area H) must be approved by the student's social work advisor.

• Full-time study - Classes in this program are offered during the day. Applicants who apply as full-time students can expect to complete their program of academic study in two years, by taking 5 courses per semester during the junior year (not including required courses in the university's core curriculum, areas A - F).
• Part-time study - Classes in this program are offered in the evening. Applicants who apply as part-time students can expect to complete their program of academic study in four years (not including required courses in the university's core curriculum, areas A - F).

Academic Advisement
Students in the Bachelor of Social Work program are required to participate in academic advisement. Each entering P.S.W. student is assigned to a professional staff member in the Student Advisement Center if they have less than 42 credit hours. The advisor in the Office of Academic Assistance is available during walk-in hours and by appointment to meet with students who have over 42 hours of credit, as well as all P.S.W. students who are in the process of applying to the BSW program. It is recommended that all students applying to the BSW program, (including those in other majors) seek advisement in the Office of Academic Assistance prior to submitting their application.

When the student achieves B.S.W. status, the student will be academically advised by the Director of the B.S.W. Program. The student is expected to meet with the Director prior to enrollment in all social work courses for the purpose of beginning or enhancing acculturation to the field of social work, as well as for sequencing course selections in accordance with school procedures. Undergraduate advisement is offered both during B.S.W. Student Orientation which occurs prior to Fall semester enrollment and by individual appointment. Students are expected to plan accordingly for any outstanding core curriculum and graduation requirements to be completed prior to completing the BSW program.

If you have questions regarding the application process, please refer to the General Catalog.  For academic advisement, please contact at (404) 413-1000. To contact the B.S.W. Program Director, Cynthia East, please email ceast@gsu.edu or call (404) 413-1065.