Application to the BSSW Program

ADMISSION CRITERIA 

Application semester

You will apply for the major during the semester before you are ready begin the upper-division, required 400+-level SOWK courses: SOWK 441, 443, 446, 450, 455, SOWK 410 and SOWK 435, and at least one (or more) SOWK 400+ elective.

Required GPAs

Effective Fall 2022: To be accepted to the BSSW program, you must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher and a Social Work GPA of 2.8 or higher.

• You will need to report your current official GPA, not the GPA you think you will have at the end of the semester.
• Where to find your GPAs:
  • Cumulative GPA includes ALL transfer grades AND Minnesota State Mankato grades and is located before the listing of all courses completed/registered for on DARS.
  • Social Work Major GPA is located in the Major Course Completed section of the DARS. Grades not yet showing on the Social Work Major curriculum section of DARS should be computed also. See information below on link to form to recalculate SOWK GPA.

Completed course credits

You will need to have earned 75 credits by the end of the semester in which you submit your application. (If you’re applying for admission to the fall semester, you’ll report the total number of credits earned by the end of summer session, but complete your application in the spring semester.)

Required coursework

You need to have completed all required general education and social work required courses by the end of the semester in which you submit your application. (If you’re applying for admission to the fall semester, all required coursework should be completed by the end of the summer session, but complete your application in the spring semester.)

Potential for or demonstrated evidence of commitment to professional and competent generalist social work practice:

As a professional major and an accredited program, the BSSW Program has a responsibility to clients, agencies, communities, and the profession to ensure that our graduates engage in ethical and competent social work practice. Thus, you will need to demonstrate a commitment to the goals and values of the social work profession and an awareness of the contributions you will make to the profession. This is evaluated through the written essay and references you will submit with your application.

 

 

APPLICATION PROCESS

Schedule Appointments

• BSSW Program Advisor – REQUIRED. Discuss your readiness to apply, and learn more about the application process. To schedule an appointment, email your advisor or use MavConnect.
• Allied Health Advising Center (Wissink Hall 360) - REQUIRED. Ensure you’ve completed all general education requirements. To schedule an appointment please use MavConnect, or email ahnadvising@mnsu.edu, or call 507-389-5194. When scheduling the appointment, tell them you are planning to apply to admission to the BSSW Program.
• Career Development Center – RECOMMENDED. Take a copy of your resume or the template found in the application packet.
• Writing Support Center – RECOMMENDED. Take a draft of your essays questions and prompts with you. 

Complete the Application

You will apply to the BSSW major online using a software program called SONIA. You may be familiar with this software as the department is already using SONIA in SOWK 316 and SOWK 450/455, and for the Child Welfare Scholar program. If you have questions about the application process, please connect with your Social Work Advisor, Debra Gohagan, or Laura Benesch. 

Accessing the application form in SONIA

• If you meet the criteria above by the end of the semester you plan to apply, and you are taking SOWK 310W and/or SOWK 316 in the fall semester, you will receive an email from the BSSW Field Director at the beginning of the fall semester with instructions on how to access your individualized student SONIA account.  
• If you are ready to apply to the major but have already completed SOWK 310W/316, please contact Laura Benesch laura.benesch@mnsu.edu to be enrolled in the App to the Major group in SONIA.
• If you believe you are ready to apply but have not received an email with log-in credentials to SONIA, please contact Debra Gohagan d.gohagan@mnsu.edu. Please check your junk mail, clutter, and spam folders first. 

Completing the Application to the Major in SONIA

The BSSW Application to the Major is found in the Forms tab at the top of the SONIA homepage. 

Complete the application form  

Instructions for completing the application form can be found in the Application to Major form in SONIA. Find more detailed instructions and examples in the Application to Major packet and SONIA Application Instructions.

The application in SONIA consists of six sections:

1. Applicant Information
   • Demographic information such as legal name, address, and date of birth.
2. Credit Check, Course Plan, Resume, and Reference
   • Course Plan, DARS, Advising Office approval, a resume, and information for a professional reference.
3. Academic and Professional Behaviors Statement
   • Important policy information related the commitment to the social work profession and to the academic journey to obtain a degree.
4. BSSW Essays
   • Three essays written in APA format including the grading rubric for each essay:
     • Social Work Knowledge and Application
     • Values, Knowledge, and Application of the NASW
     • Decision to Become a Social Worker
5. A checklist to ensure all materials are included in the application.
   • Confirm you have everything you need to complete and submit the application.
6. Signatures

The Application to the Major Rubric

The BSSW Program faculty use a scoring rubric to review your application, and you will be able to see the scoring criteria throughout the application form in Sonia. Make sure you review each rubric section carefully. You will not be able to see our scores but will be able to read the required criteria for each area. 

You will be asked to upload several documents to SONIA

1. Degree Audit Report (referred to as your DARS) – Attend your required meeting with the College of Allied Health and Nursing’s Advising staff. After meeting and reviewing your DARS with you, they will send you a short form with their signature, which you will also upload to SONIA.
   
   To upload a copy of your DARs into SONIA, you must first sign into University’s E-Services, run a copy of your current DARS (will be titled BSSW0077) and save it to your desktop as a file. General instructions 
2. Course Plan – Complete the course plan template provided in SONIA. The Application to Major packet has an example of how to complete the course plan. You may also use the form in that packet to complete the course plan on your computer, then copy/paste it into SONIA. 
3. Resume – If you have completed or are enrolled in SOWK 316, you will have a resume ready to upload. The Career Development Center can assist you with your resume as well. 
4. Reference Request Form – Fill in the name and contact information for a professional reference; a BSSW Program Graduate Assistant will send our standard reference form to them. Once the graduate assistant receives the completed form back from your reference, they will upload the form to your application for you. If there are any problems or concerns during this process, you will be notified.
5. Essays - You will need to write and upload 3 essays. You will find the instructions and prompts for each essay on the application form in SONIA.

APPLICATION TO MAJOR INFORMATION PACKET

SONIA APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Application Review and Decision

BSSW faculty will review and score your application. This takes about 3-4 weeks, depending on the number of applications and other professional or academic calendar commitments. Faculty will discuss all applications at a BSSW Program meeting, typically mid-October in fall semester and mid-March in spring semester.

You will receive an email notifying you of your admission status within approximately 48 hours of the program meeting. Formal letters with details specific to your admission status are emailed within 1-2 weeks.

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