Return to: 2140 School of Social Work
For a student to be considered for B.S.W. status, the student must:
- Be in good standing at Georgia State University with a minimum institutional GPA of 2.5.
- File a formal application in the school for B.S.W. status.
- Have grades of C or higher in ENGL 1101 and ENGL 1102 .
- Have successfully completed Areas A through F.
- Have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 or better in the lower-division courses counted for completion of Areas A-F and a minimum grade of C or higher in SW 2000 - Introduction to Social Work , if completed.
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 outlined in this catalog and in the school’s Student Handbook. Among those academic regulations is the requirement that a minimum Area GPA of 2.0 is required for completion of Area G.
Entry into the B.S.W. program is a selective process on a space availability basis. A student who meets only the minimum GPA or other criteria is not necessarily guaranteed acceptance. Qualified students who are denied entry at one point in time will be placed on a competitive waiting list in the order of their denial to await possible access to the program at a subsequent time.
Students can choose between 2 options when applying for the BSW program (both options currently require students to live in Georgia while completing the program to facilitate field placements).
1) Atlanta campus option - offers a combination of in-person, hybrid and online courses to choose from, at various times of day and evening. Course selection depends on scheduling and available seats, so you may end up with courses in any of these formats. This option may require attending some courses on the downtown Atlanta campus.
2) Online option - all of your BSW courses would be fully online, and you would complete a field placement in your local community in Georgia. Courses may be synchronous (requiring real-time, online sessions) or asynchronous (no required real-time, online sessions).
Courses are filled on a first-come, first-serve registration basis, based on the program option you choose.
Program Financial Information
Students are required to submit their field application by February 1st of their Junior Year. There is a $203 fee for the field education software platform (Tevera Registration/Application) and required liability insurance ($13). However, students will have access to this platform during their undergraduate and graduate studies regardless of institution. Additionally, students who have criminal records will be subject to a $50 background check. Students must pay all tuition and fees required by the University.
Program Academic Regulations
Students in the School of Social Work are required to participate in academic advisement. Each entering B.S.W. student is assigned to a professional staff member in the University Advisement Center or in the college’s Office of Academic Assistance who serves as the student’s academic advisor. B.S.W. students should meet with that assigned academic advisor prior to registering for any courses, and those advisement appointments are available during any semester. GSU policy on undergraduate student advisement dictates that “At the Atlanta campus, any student who has earned less than 90 hours and has freshmen, sophomore or junior status, will be advised by the University Advisement Center” (GSU Undergraduate Catalog, section 1310.30). However, once a student achieves BSW status, the student is academically advised by the Director of the BSW Program in addition to their academic advisor in the AYS Office of Academic Assistance. The student is expected to meet with the assigned academic advisor at least once each academic semester 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. B.S.W. advisement appointments are scheduled only during the fall and spring semesters, so students are expected to plan accordingly.
Course sequencing in the B.S.W. program begins only in the fall semester, and a student is admitted to B.S.W. status in accordance with that schedule. Exploratory Social Work and B.S.W. students are expected to follow the written course advisement plan developed in the advisement process, both in terms of course selections and in the sequencing of those courses. Deviations from the advisement plan without the written authorization of the assigned academic advisor or the B.S.W. program director may result in the school’s blocking future registrations that do not conform to the advisement plan or may result in an extension of their course of study. In addition to the review and possible withdrawal of a student from the program, as described in “Review of Academic and Professional Practice Demands,” a student who misses or fails a course but is permitted by the school to continue in the program must work closely with the assigned academic advisor and the B.S.W. program director to determine the most appropriate point at which to continue degree-related course work. If a student in B.S.W. status is inactive for two academic semesters, the student will be returned to Exploratory Social Work status and must file a new, competitive application to reenter the B.S.W. status.
Field Education
Field education is an integral component of the B.S.W. curriculum and involves the placement of social work students in educationally supervised agency settings. The primary purpose of field education is to enable students to integrate social work theory and practice through the direct application of social work knowledge, values, and skills. Field education provides opportunities to test and refine classroom learning in professional social work settings. B.S.W. students must have a minimum of 400 supervised hours of field education over a period of two consecutive semesters. Students are required to attend an online synchronous field integrative seminar as part of their field education. The purpose of the integrative seminar is to provide field education students a forum for the synthesizing of classroom learning with their field-based internship.
Students may apply for field education only after lower-division and prescribed social work courses and other requirements have been satisfactorily completed, as explained in the school’s Student Handbook. Students enroll in field education for the fall-spring semesters. Field education applications must be turned in to the Director of Field Education by February 1st for the following fall semester placement.
Grant - Child Welfare
As funds are available, the School of Social Work, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Human Services, has scholarships available under the Title IV E, Child Welfare Scholars Program. The scholarship includes tuition and fees and a stipend. Please note that the Title IV E Grant is only for in-state students, out of state students are not eligible for this grant. Recipients must take specific child welfare electives and must complete a field placement in a public child welfare setting. Upon graduation, recipients must commit to work for the Division of Family and Children Services on a year-for-year basis.
School of Social Work Policies and Procedures
Georgia State University is an equal educational opportunity institution. Faculty, staff, and students are admitted, employed, and treated without regard to race, sex, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability. Georgia State University complies with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, Sections 503/504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act, as well as other applicable federal and state laws.
Students should refer to the current Undergraduate Catalog to ensure compliance with university policies and procedures.
Codes of Ethics
All students admitted into the B.S.W. program are expected to read, understand, and follow the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. This code provides a set of values, principles, and standards to guide conduct and decision making when interacting with clients and colleagues and for when critical issues arise. A copy of the Code of Ethics can be found at the NASW website (www.naswdc.org)
Review of Academic and Professional Standards - The Policy
Students admitted into the School of Social Work will be held by the academic standards set by the University and the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. Students will be held to the professional standards set by the school and the National Association of Social Workers. Students should familiarize themselves with these requirements as found in the undergraduate and graduate catalogs for the university and the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.
A. Academic Competence
Undergraduate students are required to maintain a minimum Area GPA of 2.0 or better for completion of Area G. Grades of C- may be used in Area G to satisfy graduation requirements if the Area GPA is 2.0 or higher. However, some courses have prerequisites that require a grade of C or higher. Also, students must be in overall good academic standing with the University (an institutional GPA of 2.0). In cases where a student has a grade of D or F in an Area G course, the student must meet with their academic advisor to determine next steps. Consequences may include, but are not limited to, the student: (1) being placed on scholastic warning; (2) taking a reduced course load; (3) retaking a course(s); and/or (4) being terminated from the B.S.W program (which would necessitate an academic review prior to termination). If the student is allowed to continue in the program, the student must retake the course. Due to course sequencing, gradution date may be postponed in this situation. Students who earn a D or F in retaking a core social work course may be terminated from the B.S.W program. Undergraduates must also complete a minimum of 400 hours of field placement.
B. Professional Competence
Georgia State University’s School of Social Work has the goal of educating competent social work practitioners. If a student fails to meet the standards set by the National Association of Social Workers and/or the School of Social Work, corrective action may be taken. Corrective action is intended to provide students and faculty with the opportunity to openly discuss problems and issues identified, and to seek a solution to correct the situation or problem presented. Dismissal from the program is an option and may supersede any discussion of corrective action. Professional incompetence signifies that a student is not adequately or appropriately performing at his or her program level.
Failure to comply with the policies and procedures of Georgia State University and/or the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies and/or the School of Social Work may result in a student’s dismissal from the program.
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