BSW Application
BSW Program Eligiblilty
Fall 2027 Cohort Application Deadlines:
Current Students - March 31, 2027
Transfer Students - July 30, 2027
Admission to the BSW program happens once every academic year in the fall.
For upcoming Fall semesters, applicants are encouraged to complete the application as soon as they are eligible. Be aware that while we accept applications year-round, there are certain times of the year when processing applications may be delayed.
Applications for the BSW program for the following year open at the end of the fall semester. For more information please reach out to bsw@southern.edu.
Current Students - March 31, 2027
Transfer Students - July 30, 2027
Admission to the BSW program happens once every academic year in the fall.
For upcoming Fall semesters, applicants are encouraged to complete the application as soon as they are eligible. Be aware that while we accept applications year-round, there are certain times of the year when processing applications may be delayed.
Applications for the BSW program for the following year open at the end of the fall semester. For more information please reach out to bsw@southern.edu.
Application Review Process
Minimum requirements for admission to the program
- Acceptance to Southern Adventist University.
- Student must be eligible for upper division courses.
- Completion of the application form, submission of three recommendations and a personal
statement.
- The three references should include a social work faculty member, a non-social work professor (preferred) or work-related supervisor, and a personal (non-familial) reference. You will need the full name, title, place of employment, phone number, and email address for each reference.
- Having an overall (cumulative) grade point average of 2.50 or higher.
- Having completed (with a grade of C or higher):
- SOCW 211: Introduction to Social Work
- SOCW 212: Social Welfare as an Institution
- SOCW 213: Interviewing Skills
- BIOL 103: Principles of Biology
- PSYC 122: General Psychology
- SOCI 125: Introduction to Sociology
- Participation in social work sponsored activities (convocations, vespers, community service activities).
- Having demonstrated ethical behavior as outlined by the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics. Further references may be required regarding character, attitude, and coping ability in case of a question in this area.
- Completion of a successful interview with the BSW Leadership Team (if necessary).
Exceptions may be made for persons who do not meet introductory course and cognate requirements if they are strong candidates on the basis of other criteria.
Students whose native language is not English must achieve at least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Personal Statement Guidelines
Answer the following questions to help us understand more about you and why the profession of social work is important to you. Your paper should be written professionally and should demonstrate your writing skills.
- How did you become interested in the field of Social Work? What specific experience or person(s) influenced you the most in your decision to major in social work.
- Please share any volunteer or community service experiences you have been involved in. What values, skills, and lessons did you gain from these experiences, and how might they support your future work in the field of Social Work?
- Discuss how your life experiences, personality, values, and beliefs support your decision to major in social work. Discuss your strengths and weaknesses.
- Social workers need to be able to relate to other people, communicate effectively (both orally and in writing), and demonstrate responsibility in their professional activities. How do you judge your abilities relative to these characteristics?
- It is important for social workers to demonstrate empathy, acceptance, and tolerance towards diverse populations. What types of people do you feel most comfortable working with and why? What types of people do you feel least comfortable working with and why?
- Discuss your views and beliefs on the following issues: immigration, homosexuality, and capital punishment. How will your views and beliefs impact your ability to function as a professional social worker?
BSW Application FAQS
Where can I find the application? Is it hard copy or online?
The BSW application process is fully online. Students can conveniently submit application
materials, review requirements, and complete the process electronically. Apply here.
My overall GPA is a 2.40 but I have completed all of the required courses. Can I still apply now?
If your overall GPA is below a 2.50, then it may be best to apply to the program once
you have completed the winter semester and have raised your GPA above a 2.50.
If you do not want to wait until July to apply, you can apply once semester grades are posted in May. When you do apply (if it is outside of the January/July application cycles), please email Ms. Katelynn Webster (katelynnwebster@southern.edu), Social Work Office Manager, to notify her that your application has been submitted.
If you do not want to wait until July to apply, you can apply once semester grades are posted in May. When you do apply (if it is outside of the January/July application cycles), please email Ms. Katelynn Webster (katelynnwebster@southern.edu), Social Work Office Manager, to notify her that your application has been submitted.
My overall GPA is above the 2.50 minimum but I still need to complete one or more courses required for admission into the BSW program. Should I still apply now?
This depends on how many required courses you lack and your overall GPA. The higher
the GPA, the more likely that you can still apply for conditional acceptance into
the program, which means that you must meet certain conditions before full acceptance
is granted.
Please know that since SOCW 212 Social Welfare as an Institution is only offered in the Winter semester, all BSW applicants will have this course as “pending completion” when they apply during the January cycle. If this is your only course missing, then we take this into account due to when it is offered.
If you are missing other courses besides SOCW 212 Social Welfare as an Institution, you may still be eligible to apply if your GPA is high enough. For more information, please contact the BSW Program Director, Prof. Lunelle Bertresse (lunelleb@southern.edu), to receive personalized feedback on whether or not you should apply now or wait until you have completed those courses this semester.
Please know that since SOCW 212 Social Welfare as an Institution is only offered in the Winter semester, all BSW applicants will have this course as “pending completion” when they apply during the January cycle. If this is your only course missing, then we take this into account due to when it is offered.
If you are missing other courses besides SOCW 212 Social Welfare as an Institution, you may still be eligible to apply if your GPA is high enough. For more information, please contact the BSW Program Director, Prof. Lunelle Bertresse (lunelleb@southern.edu), to receive personalized feedback on whether or not you should apply now or wait until you have completed those courses this semester.
My GPA is really low and closer to the 2.0 mark. What do you advise for me to do?
To receive full acceptance, your GPA must be a 2.50 or above. If your overall GPA
is lower, then you are encouraged to wait to apply until your GPA is near a 2.50.
In the meantime, work hard at improving your GPA. Every grade counts!
Some students will also take summer courses solely to improve their GPA so that they can then be eligible to apply to the program at the end of July (for that fall cohort). Records can also inform you of how many credits of “A” grades you would need to improve your GPA to the desired level. This also helps in planning and assessing how feasible it is to improve your GPA, even with summer coursework.
As always, please feel free to contact your adviser and the BSW Program Director, Prof. Lunelle Bertresse (lunelleb@southern.edu), to receive personalized feedback on your current academic situation.
Some students will also take summer courses solely to improve their GPA so that they can then be eligible to apply to the program at the end of July (for that fall cohort). Records can also inform you of how many credits of “A” grades you would need to improve your GPA to the desired level. This also helps in planning and assessing how feasible it is to improve your GPA, even with summer coursework.
As always, please feel free to contact your adviser and the BSW Program Director, Prof. Lunelle Bertresse (lunelleb@southern.edu), to receive personalized feedback on your current academic situation.
I have an overall GPA of 2.50 or above and have completed the required BSW application pre-requisite courses but have only earned 30 hours of college credit and am still considered a Freshman/Sophomore. Should I apply?
In order to enroll in upper-division courses, Southern requires a minimum of 40 college
credits. If you have only earned 30 credits, then it would be best for you to complete
another year of general education courses and then apply to the program when you have
earned more than 40 college credits. Please consult with your advisor as you create
your academic plan.
I have completed some of the courses required for application to the program at a previous institution but I have not yet had those credits transferred to Southern. Do I need to have them transferred to Southern before I can apply?
The sooner you can transfer in those credits, the better, especially as it impacts
your BSW application. This situation is handled on more of a case-by-case basis since
other variables (overall GPA, number of courses missing, etc.) will affect the outcome.
Please feel free to contact the BSW Program Director, Prof. Lunelle Bertresse (lunelleb@southern.edu), regarding this circumstance.
Please feel free to contact the BSW Program Director, Prof. Lunelle Bertresse (lunelleb@southern.edu), regarding this circumstance.
The application requires three recommendations. Whom should I ask?
One of your recommendations should be completed by a social work professor. The second
may be another professor and the third can be a personal reference.
None of your recommendations should be completed by someone who is related to you. Often times, students will have a social work professor, other professor and then a work supervisor, pastor, or residence hall dean complete the personal recommendation form.
None of your recommendations should be completed by someone who is related to you. Often times, students will have a social work professor, other professor and then a work supervisor, pastor, or residence hall dean complete the personal recommendation form.
For my recommendations, do I need to mail them a form?
No. On our online application, you will provide the full name and email address along
with how they are connected to you for each of your references. From there, your references
will be contacted and provided the respective recommendation form to complete.
It is strongly suggested that you first seek permission from those you are using as references and then alert them that they will receive an emailed recommendation form for your BSW application. This will help them check their email and watch their “spam” folder so that your application is not delayed due to cyber-delays.
It is strongly suggested that you first seek permission from those you are using as references and then alert them that they will receive an emailed recommendation form for your BSW application. This will help them check their email and watch their “spam” folder so that your application is not delayed due to cyber-delays.
Besides providing the information for my recommendations, what else is required for me to include on the application?
On the application you will provide your contact information, academic information,
recommendation information and then you will also write and submit a personal statement.
There are specific questions you should answer in your personal statement, which are
outlined in the online application. Your personal statement should be professionally
written and submitted as a PDF or Microsoft Word (or comparable) document.
I submitted my application. Now what?
Your application is not ready for processing until every piece is submitted, which
includes your three recommendation forms. If those have not been submitted, we encourage
you to follow up with your refernces so that they can be completed. Once those three
recommendation forms are submitted, then your application will be processed and reviewed
by our faculty who will finalize a decision.
You can expect this to take three to four weeks and you will be notified via email on the outcome of your application. To check on the status of your BSW application or for any other application challenges, please contact Ms. Katelynn Webster (katelynnwebster@southern.edu), Social Work Office Manager.
You can expect this to take three to four weeks and you will be notified via email on the outcome of your application. To check on the status of your BSW application or for any other application challenges, please contact Ms. Katelynn Webster (katelynnwebster@southern.edu), Social Work Office Manager.
How competitive is the application process? Are only a select number of students accepted in to the program each year?
Our application process is merit based. As long as you satisfy the requirements for
the application process and all references are positive, then you are eligible to
be accepted into the program. We do not have a maximum enrollment cap for BSW applicants.
If I am unable to apply to begin the program in the Fall, can I apply to start the program for the Winter semester?
Since we only accept one cohort each year for that upcoming Fall, students may not
apply and enter the program during the Winter semester. Applicants who are not eligible
to apply to the program for the upcoming Fall cohort must wait to apply to the program
during the next year’s application cycle.
Oh no! I completely missed the application deadline. Is it too late to apply for this upcoming Fall cohort?
Good news! It may not be too late to apply. You are welcome to apply anytime, though
we encourage you to apply sooner than later. The last major application deadline is
at the end of July. This permits applications to be processed and outcomes to be sent
prior to the start of the Fall semester.
If you submit an application outside of the January/July application cycles, please contact Ms. Katelynn Webster (katelynnwebster@southern.edu), Social Work Office Manager, to notify her that your application was submitted.
If you submit an application outside of the January/July application cycles, please contact Ms. Katelynn Webster (katelynnwebster@southern.edu), Social Work Office Manager, to notify her that your application was submitted.
Have other questions that were not asked here? Please feel free to contact us.
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To check the status of your application, contact Ms. Katelynn Webster, Social Work Office Manager, ator call 423.236.2775.
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For programmatic and application eligibility questions contact Prof. Lunelle Bertresse, BSW Program Director, at lunelleb@southern.edu