Admission Requirements

First-time freshmen students that meet ONE of the following criteria will be automatically admitted to SIUE and eligible for Direct Entry to the Social Work major in the College of Arts & Sciences.  Current University admission standards are:

• Cumulative 2.6 high school GPA (4.0 scale)
• Cumulative 2.0 high school GPA (4.0 scale) AND 990 SAT ERW + M OR 19 ACT
• Rank in Top 10% high school graduating class

Transfer

Transfer students who have attempted at least 30 semester hours in courses at accredited institutions will be automatically admitted to SIUE and eligible for Direct Entry to the Social Work major in the College of Arts & Sciences provided they have earned a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA (4.0 scale) in coursework at the previous accredited school(s) attended.

Transfer students who have attempted fewer than 30 semester hours in courses at accredited institutions must meet transfer admission criteria AND first-time freshmen criteria to be automatically admitted to SIUE and eligible for Direct Entry to the Social Work major in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Transfer course credit from other CSWE-accredited social work programs will be considered for acceptance toward the BSW  from SIUE, though different programs have different course sequencing. No course credit will be awarded for work or life experience. Coursework completed at regionally accredited institutions will be evaluated upon admission to the University. Results of transfer credit evaluations are available to students through CougarNet. For more information about transferring to SIUE, please visit the transfer website.

Retention

To be retained in the BSW Program, students must:

• Have a GPA of at least 2.5 and have completed the equivalent (30 hours) of at least two full-time semesters at any college or university
• Demonstrate written proficiency in English by completing English composition I and II with a grade of C or better
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and effectively by completing an applied communication studies course in interpersonal communication with a grade of C or better
• Submit a personal statement synthesizes information that addresses the following prompts: 
  1. Describe your understanding of the social work profession and the profession's values (see NASW Code of Ethics https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English)
  2. Describe a social problem or social justice issue that inspires you to want to major in social work
  3. Describe how you would address the social problem or social justice issue by implementing the values of the social work profession.
• Read, sign and agree to abide by:
  • The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics
  • The SIUE Student Code of Conduct
  • The SIUE Department of Social Work Academic and Ethical Standards of Behavior Policy
  • The SIUE Department of Social Work Student Handbook
• Completion of SOCW 202 or another introduction to social work course (note that an outside Introduction to Social Work can qualify a student for admission to the program, but all students must complete SOCW 202 in order to graduate with a BSW degree from SIUE.)
• A signed statement indicating that the applicant understands that they must complete a 400-hour practicum experience and may be expected to engage in other service-learning or community engaged learning requirements throughout the BSW Program. These activities will require students to have reliable transportation, alternative caregivers, flexible work schedules, and be open to exploring diverse settings of social work practice.
• Attendance to an SIUE BSW Program Orientation session

Only students who have been retained in the program will be enrolled in the first major semester courses (SOCW 202, SOCW 211, SOCW 390, and SOCW 302) in the fall term.

It is important that students become familiar with sequencing and required courses for this major as well as the required supporting courses offered, which are listed in the undergraduate catalog and the BSW handbook.