Admission Requirements
Prospective students must be a declared major at EIU in either Human Services or Sociology. The Social Work program at EIU will not accept transfer students until the program has been accredited. Admission to the program is competitive and based on space/availability and quality of the applicant pool. Minimum requirements for admission:
- Cumulative GPA of 2.5 at time of applications
- Prerequisite coursework (HSL 1800, HSL 2820, SOC 1838G, PSY 1879G) completed with a grade of C or better. Prerequisite courses with an earned grade of D, F, or W may not be repeated more than once to receive a passing grade of C or higher. The highest grade earned in a repeated course will be used for GPA calculation.
Applications for admission to the Bachelor of Social Work major are accepted January 15 - March 1 of the sophomore year for admission in the fall of the junior year. Application does not guarantee admission. For full consideration, applications must be received by March 1st. Prerequisite coursework can be taken during the spring semester in which students apply for admission. Students will be notified of their acceptance into the Social Work major during the spring semester.
An application will be considered complete for review and consideration when all of the following are met:
- Admission to the university
- Declared major in Human Services or Sociology
- Completed social work application
- Earned C or better in all prerequisite courses
- Minimum GPA requirement is met
- Essay submission
- Reference submission
Admission to the program is competitive, and will be based on, but not limited to, courses taken, cumulative GPA, essay, and references. The social work program reserves the right to limit the size of the entering class. Admission is determined by a faculty committee. Applicants will be notified after March 1st of their admission decision. Qualified students not accepted will be placed on a waiting list. Students may only re-apply once for admission. Re-applicants will be newly ranked relative to the cohort of prospective students. As per accreditation requirements, students admitted to the social work program must pass a background check.
Progression Requirements
Applicants notified of admission must formally accept in writing by March 10th. Students admitted to the major must complete a background check by August 1st, prior to the fall semester of their junior year. To continue in the program, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 and earn a C in all required social work classes. Students should note that changes to their major or delayed coursework may extend time to program completion.
