Social Work Major: Admission to the Program
You may declare a major in social work at any time. You will be officially admitted after you have applied to the Social Work Program and been accepted. The Undergraduate Catalog stipulates that you apply the semester after completion of SOWK 287 Introduction to Social Work and SOWK 288 Social Welfare. To be unconditionally admitted and for continuation in the major, students must demonstrate readiness to enter and continue in the professional and upper level courses and field practicum in the baccalaureate social work program of study by meeting a number of criteria.
Academic achievement: To be considered for unconditional admissions you must have a 2.0 overall average and no single grade lower than a "C (2.0)" in SOWK 287 and 288, and have completed the 20 hours of community service-learning required in SOWK 287.
You will be evaluated on the basis of community service and life experiences, academic performance, communication skills, work related skills, ability to work with others, motivation, value orientation, and career plans. This process alerts the faculty as to how you respond to requests for information, in terms of completeness of information provided, promptness of your response, professional appearance of the application and the personal statement, etc.
In addition to the admission form and personal statement, you will submit a minimum of three reference forms to be completed by individuals other than social work faculty members who are able to assess your work-related skills as well as your interests and ability in working with others. Consider supervisors of volunteer or human service related jobs you may have held. You may not use relatives, other students, or more than one reference per work/agency setting. You will also meet with your faculty adviser to sign the Student Agreement Form documenting that you have read the Social Work Handbook and the NASW Code of Ethics and agree to follow both.
Please give your references stamped envelopes addressed to Department of Social Work, MSC 4303, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807, so that the forms can be returned directly to the department. Your references WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED VALID UNLESS SENT DIRECTLY TO THE DEPARTMENT. Refer to Appendix C for a copy of the admission form, the personal statement guidelines and reference forms. The submission date for Fall is October 15 and March 15 for Spring unless specified differently by the department head.
You need to write the appropriate due date on the reference forms.
Your application will be reviewed by at least two faculty members and presented at a social work faculty meeting for action. An interview may be scheduled with you if deemed appropriate. You will be notified in writing of the decision. Decisions are to admit, to admit conditionally, defer decision or not to admit. If not admitted, or if in disagreement with the conditions set for conditional admittance, you may appeal the decision to the Social Work Department Head. If admitted conditionally, areas of deficiency will be described in writing and you will be reevaluated prior to admission to the upper level practice courses or as designated in your conditional admittance letter at which time a final decision will be made. You may NOT enter upper level practice courses until you have been admitted.
Students who are inactive in the program for two (2) or more semesters must reapply for admission during the semester that they reenter if they are taking SOWK 287, 288, 305, 317, 320 , 335 and/or social work electives. They must reapply prior to reentering if they will be taking SOWK 465, 466, 467, 481, 482 and/or 494.
