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H. Wayne Johnson served on the faculty of the School
of Social Work and was the BA Coordinator for 38 years,
until his retirement in 1999. The H. Wayne Johnson BA Program
in Social Work is named in honor of his commitment to and
leadership in undergraduate education at The University
of Iowa. Professor Johnson and his wife Donna have established
a scholarship for undergraduate social work students (see
H. Wayne and Donna
J. Johnson Scholarship) |
The Bachelor of Arts program prepares students for beginning
professional social work practice as generalists. The goals of
the program are to prepare students for employment in public and
private social services in home and community based settings such
as public welfare, child welfare, health, mental health, elderly
services, and corrections; to prepare students for informed community
participation in social welfare issues; and to provide a base
for graduate study in social work or allied professions. The program
is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. A complete
description of the program is available from the University Catalog.
To download BA
program requirements
The School of Social Work seeks to maintain a heterogenous
student body by enrolling students who represent diverse backgrounds
and cultural perspectives. A limited number of students are admitted
to the major. The application deadline is March 1. Admission to
the undergraduate program in social work requires:
- completion of 042:022 Introduction to Social Work with a
grade of C or higher (should be taken by sophomore year);
- a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.50; (exceptions
may be made for persons who do not meet the grade-point average
requirement if they are strong candidates on the basis of other
criteria); and
- completion of application forms and statement.
Meeting these requirements does not guarantee admission. Admission
often is limited by available instructional resources and opportunties
for field placement.
Applicants to the BA Social Work program for 2008 must have met
the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) requirements and
be admitted to CLAS. Students are admitted to the CLAS on the
basis of three criteria: completion of a set of high school unit
requirements; high school class rank or college transfer grade-point
average; and ACT/SAT results or a combination of high school/college
records and standardized test scores. These requirements are further
explained on the web: http://www.uiowa.edu/admissions/undergrad/index.html
and in the current University of Iowa General Catalog: registrar.uiowa.edu/registrar/catalog//CollegeofLiberalArtsandSciences/SocialWork.html
Applicants to the School of Social Work must meet additional criteria
detailed below. Not all students who meet the criteria are admitted
when the applicant pool is large and there are class size restrictions.
Applicants to the School of Social Work must meet additional criteria
detailed below. Not all students who meet the criteria are admitted
when the applicant pool is large and there are class size restrictions.
I. School of Social Work Criteria for Selective
Admission for BA Social Work
- Academic
qualifications
- A cumulative
GPA of 2.50 (on a 4.0 scale) at the time of admission. Applicants
who do not meet the minimum GPA but demonstrate strengths/potential
in other areas may be granted consideration for admission
on an individual basis.
- A grade of
C or above in 042:022-Introduction to Social Work or comparable
course taken in another college and approved by the School
of Social Work.
- Completion
of an application form, and a comprehensive statement addressing
the following:
- Your reasons
for wishing to enter or continue in the field of Social
Work. Discuss any factors which have helped you toward that
decision, and any experiences you have had which you believe
will be helpful to you as a student in Social Work. Include:
1) employment, 2) education, 3) special interests, 4) family
influences, 5) volunteer service, and 6) other.
- Discuss your
understanding of professional social work values (the NASW
Code of Ethics available in 042:022, at http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp
or in the Social Work admissions office) and if/how they
are congruent with your own values.
- Comment on your
strengths and areas in which you wish to grow academically
and professionally. Include an assessment of your communication
skills (verbal, listening, and writing) in this discussion.
- Indicate your
career interests and your present ideas about job possibilities
and the satisfaction and challenges you expect to find in
a Social Work career.
- The accuracy
and quality of writing in this statement will be evaluated
as evidence of the Candidate’s potential for professional
written communication.
- C. Materials
must be submitted by the application deadline of March 1 for
the following academic year.
II. Who Can Apply
Applicants for the Social Work major may include Social Work
Interest majors, students transferring from other majors such
as sociology or psychology, or students transferring from other
institutions. All applicants must complete the BA Social Work
application (described above) which is reviewed by members of
the admissions panel. Applicants who are not accepted on their
first attempt, may apply the following year. There is a maximum
of two attempts to apply to the BA program.
Pre-Social Work Majors
Students interested
in applying to the School of Social Work may declare 42P (Social
Work Interest) through the University's Academic Programs Office
at any point during the first 3 years in her or his academic program
but usually when sufficient time remains to complete the program
within the normal four?year schedule. Students who have earned
more than 72 hours are not permitted to declare 42P. The pre-major
declaration qualifies them to be advised by Social Work faculty
(once they have at least sophomore standing) and to participate
in the Student Association and other activities of the School,
but they are not permitted to register for required social work
major courses. (Freshman students are advised by The Academic
Counseling Center. The BA Coordinator and/or Program Administrator
confer with these advisors upon request and meet annually with
the advising staff to provide updates on social work requirements.)
The student will remain a Social Work Interest major until formal
admission to the BA Social Work major or until they exceed 72
hours when they must declare another major to register for classes.
Students are expected to enroll in 042:022 Intro to Social
Work and apply to the major in their sophomore year. Juniors
are permitted to apply and if they do so, it is with the expectation
that at least one additional semester of coursework will be necessary
to complete all of the requirements of the major, due, in part,
to the sequencing of social work courses.
Transfer students
Transfer students should follow the admissions process
delineated above, noting the March 1 deadline
for application. If the transfer student has taken the introductory
social work course at another institution, the student shall obtain
a letter of reference from a social work instructor at the previous
institution. The letter should be sent to Admissions Secretary:
Susan Dirks, UI School of Social Work, 308 North Hall, Iowa City
IA 52242 prior to the March 1 deadline.
Upon admission to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, transfer
students’ transcripts are evaluated by Undergraduate Admissions
and the Registrars’ Office and the student is informed of
their remaining general educational requirements by the University's
Office of Admissions Degree Evaluation form. Transfer students
who have taken an equivalent introductory social work course elsewhere
may apply to be reviewed for admission during the annual review
period. Previously earned credit which may apply to the major
are evaluated by the Undergraduate Coordinator on a case-by-case
basis for applicability to the Social Work major. Generally, courses
earned more than 10 years ago will not be accepted. Transfer students
are expected to present a transcript and syllabi of courses for
which they are requesting social work course requirement equivalency
or waiver. The BA Coordinator or Coordinator of Admissions meets
individually with each student to determine if equivalent course
content has been covered. A plan is developed, based upon this
review and filed for the student and student’s advisor’s
information. In the case of social work courses, only courses
earned in a CSWE accredited program are considered equivalent,
except for the Intro to Social Work course. If sufficient similar
course content has been covered, an individual study may be designed
or waiver granted but the hours must be taken in social work.
III. Admission Decisions
The applicant will be notified prior to the early registration
period in the spring of his/her acceptance or non-acceptance.
Decisions regarding applicants who have not yet completed the
introductory social work course but are enrolled in the spring,
or who do not meet the minimum GPA, may be delayed until the spring
semester’s grades have been submitted. Effort is made to
assure representation of persons underrepresented in social work
practice and from a diversity of social, cultural, and economic
groups. Diversity includes, but is not limited to, gender, ethnicity,
age, religion, sexual orientation, ability, and socioeconomic
class.
IV. Records
All admission materials will be retained until the student graduates,
at which time they will be destroyed. All materials submitted
by a non-accepted student will be retained for one year.
V. Review Procedures
The admission criteria,
policies, and procedures are reviewed annually by the Admissions
Coordinator. Major changes in policies or procedures are reviewed
by the Admissions Committee and reported to the Faculty of the
Whole. Questions regarding the Undergraduate Admissions Policy
should be directed to the Admissions Coordinator, Kate Kemp, 319-335-1254,
or email: kate-kemp@uiowa.edu.
Please refer to the BA
Program Handbook
for more details
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