Students may apply for admission to the Social Work Program during their sophomore year, after completing approximately 30 semester credits of liberal education and completion of or enrollment in three pre-admission courses.  Social Work students must earn a 2.0 overall GPA, a combined 2.5 GPA in Social Work Pre-Admission courses, and C or better in all SOWK-prefix courses to be admitted.

Prospective students will apply for admission to either the hybrid track or the on-campus track for the social work major. Both tracks offer the same curriculum and require the same knowledge and skill development.

Social Work, BSW – Two Tracks

• • Social Work, BSW (On-Campus) is largely classroom-based while also integrating online and community-based components to enhance student understanding and application of practice theories and concepts.  The on-campus BSW program is more flexible and offers students the opportunity to enroll in core social work classes at their own pace.  Students meet in the classroom with their peers and professors for most coursework.

• • Social Work, BSW (Hybrid) is a mostly online track with a once a month on-campus component to apply practice theories and concepts.  SWIM students take 2-3 classes each semester (usually two).  They travel to campus one Saturday each month for face-to-face dialogue and to learn practice skills.  All other coursework is completed online.  SWIM students take courses as a cohort, meaning the course schedule is pre-determined and all cohort members take the same classes each semester.  Bemidji State’s SWIM program has been recognized as the nation’s eighth-best online social work degree in the U.S.!  To top it off, we charge the same tuition for in-state, out-of-state, and international students!

Admission to the BSW Program

STEP 1:  APPLY OR TRANSFER TO BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY (BSU)

Apply or transfer to BSU.  You can access information about this process here.

• Select “Bemidji State” as your school
• Select “Earn Bachelor’s (four-year) degree” under Area Six (Major)
• Select “Part Time Student”
• Select “Online” as your preferred delivery method
• Select “Social Work” as your major/academic program
• Select “Bachelor of Science” as your desired degree/award

STEP 2:  LIBERAL EDUCATION

Complete approximately 30 semester credits of liberal education, including social work supporting foundation and pre-admission course work.  Some liberal education courses can also count toward your social work degree.  See this page for details.

Social Work Supporting Foundation Courses:

• BIOL 1110 Human Biology (4 credits)
• POL 1200 Introduction to American Politics (3 credits)
• PSY 1100 Introductory Psychology (4 credits)
• PSY 2217 Abnormal Psychology (4 credits)
• SOWK 2110 Intercultural Communication (3 credits)

Select 1 of the following courses:

• CRJS 3201 Research Methods and Statistics for Criminal Justice (3 credits)
• PSY 3401 Basic Statistics for Research (4 credits)
• SOC 3001 Social Statistics (3 credits)

STEP 3: SOCIAL WORK PRE-ADMISSION COURSES

Enroll in these three courses prior to or during the semester of application. (Students apply for the Social Work Program upon completion of approximately 30 semester credits)

1. SOWK 2120: Intro to Social Welfare (3 credits)
2. SOWK 2140: Field Experience (3 credits)
3. Select 1 of the following diversity electives:

• • • COMM 3150 Gender Communication (3 credits)
    • ENVR 3600 Environmental Justice and Sustainability (3 credits)
    • GWS 3850 Sex, Gender and Power: Theories and Practice (3 credits)
    • HST 2700 The History of World Religions (3 credits)
    • INST 1107 Introduction to Turtle Island (3 credits)
    • INST 4900 Social Justice (3 credits)
    • SOC 2230 Race and Ethnic Relations (3 credits)
    • SOC 3270 Intersectionality (3 credits)
    • SOC 3320 Social Class and Inequality (3 credits)

STEP 4: SEMESTER OF APPLICATION

Collect documentation needed for the application and become informed about the process.

• Read the BSW Admissions Policies and Procedures
• Read the BSW Program Student Handbook
• Read the NASW Code of Ethics
• Print most recent Degree Audit Report (DAR) from Bemidji State University
  • Open your DAR, select “Print”
  • Print as .PDF
  • Save to your computer as DAR FIRST NAME LAST NAME
• Talk to one potential references (academic or professional/volunteer) and request recommendations
• Attend a Social Work Application Help Session (optional but recommended)

STEP 5:  APPLICATION

Complete the Social Work Program application materials.  You will need your MyBSU login credentials to complete this application.  If you do not have MyBSU login credentials, please contact the Social Work Department Chair, Dr. Rebecca Hoffman.

• BSW Program Application
• BSW Admissions Application Personal Essay
• Namid Reynolds Case Study Essay & Ecomap
• PDF copy of student’s Degree Audit Report (DARS)

STEP 6:  REFERENCES

• E-mail the Bemidji State University Social Work Program Reference Form to your references, asking them to complete it and return it directly to the BSU Social Work Department by the application deadline.
• Please note, students may request a reference from more than one person to ensure one recommendation is received by the application deadline.
• Your reference will email the reference form directly to the BSU Social Work Program.

STEP 7: APPLICANT REVIEW

Social Work faculty will review all program applications using the BSW Admissions Application Rubric.  Applicants will be notified by BSU e-mail of their admission status within approximately two weeks of application.