Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) in Social Work

Catalog Year 2024-2027

Based on VCCS Curriculum for SOCIAL WORK

Transfer Guidance

Transfer Admission Requirements

• Students who meet the requirements for guaranteed admission to JMU are eligible to declare the Social Work major.

• Students must complete an approved transferable associate degree from their Virginia community college with a minimum GPA of 3.0 for guaranteed admission to JMU. Students who do not qualify for guaranteed admission are encouraged to apply to JMU through the regular admission process. For additional details about requirements for guaranteed admission, please see the JMU letter of intent for your community college: www.jmu.edu/admissions/apply/transfer-gaa.shtml.

• Transfer students who have completed this associate degree pathway and transfer to JMU with junior standing can apply to be fully admitted to the Social Work Program during their second semester at JMU.

• Have you discovered an interest in social work later in your VCCS studies and don't have time to finish all the courses listed above? That's ok! Try to complete HMS 100, MTH 155, plus one or more of the PSY 200, PSY 230, PLS 135, SOC 200, and/or SOC 211.

Important Links & Dates

• University Transfer Center: www.jmu.edu/transfer

• Register Intent to Transfer: Students can notify JMU of their interest in transferring through College Connect at www.TransferVirginia.org. Transfer applicants from a VCCS institution intending to apply through the Guaranteed Admission Agreement (GAA) must submit a Letter of Intent prior to applying. Requirements and forms are available at: www.jmu.edu/admissions/apply/transfer-GAA.shtml

• Admission Application: By March 1 for Fall or October 15 for Spring at www.jmu.edu/admissions/apply/apply-online.shtml

• Financial Aid: www.jmu.edu/financialaid

• FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid: Deadline is March 1. Learn more at studentaid.gov.

What Should I Consider When Selecting Courses?

• Create a schedule for all required courses, pay attention to prerequisites and when courses are offered, complete your first math and English courses in your first year. For help, see Transfer Steps and Resource Center at www.TransferVirginia.org.

• Connect with an advisor at your community college and make an appointment with a JMU Next Transfer Advisor in your first year.

Is This Degree Right For Me?

• Unlike majors such as psychology or sociology, the BSW major is a professional program, more like nursing or education. This requires that students demonstrate personal responsibility, integrity, and maturity in their professional behaviors. This includes attending class regularly and on time, showing respect for other students and faculty, as well as actively participating in activities both during class and outside of class. The major uses many forms of experiential learning as part of classroom assignments such as service-learning, agency volunteer work, advocacy days, and student conferences.

• Social work is a values-based profession. Therefore, we suggest that prospective students visit the website of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) to read the Code of Ethics. It is important for students to determine that their personal values are well-aligned with those of the social work profession.

What Is The Impact On My Degree Of Work I Have Already Completed?

• Associate Transfer Degree Completion: An approved transferable associate degree from a Virginia Community College will waive general education requirements at JMU. The list of approved transferable associate degrees can be found at www.jmu.edu/transfer/vccs-transfer/asdegrees.shtml.

• Dual Enrollment – Completion of Associate Degree in HS: Students who complete a transferable associate degree from a Virginia Community College through Dual Enrollment (DE) will not be eligible for guaranteed admission but will receive the general education waiver at JMU. DE associate degree earners who want to make progress toward their intended major should follow the curriculum in this guide.

• Credit for Prior Learning: Credit for prior learning may be awarded differently at JMU than at your previous institution. JMU accepts and reviews AP, IB CIE, and CLEP examinations for all students with eligible scores. JMU will complete an independent review of the test score to apply credit to your JMU student record. Other credit for prior learning is awarded on a per case basis for the ADP and RN-BSN programs in consultation with the department of expertise. Credit for learning acquired in military service is awarded by the registrar's office using the ACE guide credit recommendation for study/experience listed on the military transcript and in consultation with the department of expertise.

• Catalog Year: Catalog year determined by first semester of attendance at JMU.

Is This College Right For Me?

• JMU is a mid to large size institution that behaves more like a smaller institution. Faculty and staff hold students as the top priority. JMU has a 96% satisfaction rate. 88% of classes have fewer than 50 students. JMU is the #1 most recommended public university in the US by the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education; JMU is the #1 Best College for Employment in Virginia according to U.S. Department of Education statistics compiled by Zippia. JMU has the highest post-graduation job levels of all Virginia colleges. Learn more about our college at www.jmu.edu and www.TransferVirginia.org.

Did You Know That…

• There is no limit to the number of credits you can transfer to JMU, but at least 50% of the credits required for graduation in your major must be taken at a 4-year college or university, and at least 25% must be taken at JMU. (Most JMU majors require 120 credits, so 60 must come from a 4-year and 30 must be taken at JMU.)

• Completing your Associate transfer degree post-high school satisfies all lower division general education requirements and increases the chance of completing your bachelor's degree.

• Exceeding 3 years or 90 credits at your community college means you may have exhausted your financial aid at that college and have limited your future financial aid at JMU.

• Students who may be eligible for Virginia's Two-Year College Transfer Grant should transfer in the fall or spring immediately following the completion of their associate degree. Learn more about the state transfer grant here: https://www.schev.edu/financial-aid/financial-aid/federal-state-financia...

What Can I Do With This Degree?

• The BSW program prepares graduates for generalist social work practice. Graduates are committed to addressing a broad range of social challenges, enhancing individual, family, group, organization and community well-being, and advocating for empowerment of diverse and vulnerable populations in a variety of systems including but not limited to child welfare, schools, social services, and mental and behavioral health. Explore possible careers, salaries, and job outlook at www.TransferVirginia.org.

Program Successes & Highlights

• BSW graduates from JMU regularly receive Advanced Standing admission to premier MSW programs such as Rutgers University, the University of Maryland, the University of South Carolina, and Virginia Commonwealth University. An MSW offers graduates a greater range of employment opportunities including administrative and supervisory roles and provides the pathway to becoming a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW)/therapist.

• Our graduates regularly report being extremely well-prepared for their graduate education. Some students choose to gain valuable experience prior to going to graduate school by working in human services or have been accepted into programs such as City Year, the Lutheran Service Corps, Teach for America, and the Peace Corps.

What Are My Chances For Getting Accepted?

• Generally, two-thirds of transfer applicants are admitted to JMU. Competitive applicants will have mostly As & Bs and have completed at least one class in each of our four core areas (English, mathematics, lab science, and social science).

• JMU defines a transfer student as a student that has graduated from high school (or holds a GED equivalency) AND has taken courses in college after high school graduation.

• Learn more about applying at https://www.jmu.edu/transfer/ or www.TransferVirginia.org.

Do More With Your Degree!

• Because the BSW curriculum is very demanding, there are few opportunities to take classes outside the major; however, there is an option to take courses in the minors housed in the Social Work department — Family Studies and Nonprofit Studies — as courses for these minors are often co-listed as social work elective courses.

• Students who graduate with their BSW degree are eligible to apply for Advanced Standing MSW programs around the nation. This means that instead of the usual two-year Master's program, BSWs can complete their MSW program in one calendar year.

Other Than Classes, Are There Other Program Requirements?

• As mentioned in the table, all Social Work majors must complete a 50-hour pre-Field experience under the supervision of a degreed social worker before entering the semester when they take SOWK 465, 466, 467, 493, and IPE 415.

• Through their coursework, students are provided with the foundational knowledge and skills needed to complete a 472-hour field experience during their final semester at JMU. This involves being placed in a social, health, or human services agency for four days per week, usually Monday through Thursday, 8am to 5pm, or whatever the hours of the agency are. Students are supervised by an agency-based degreed social worker and a faculty liaison from the department. Many students have been employed by those agencies upon graduation.