Step 1: Apply to Mizzou
| Type of student | Application instructions |
|---|---|
| First-time college student | Apply to MU and choose Social Work – Pre-Social Work as your major. |
| Transfer students | Complete the MU Undergraduate Admissions Application and note “Pre-Social Work” as your intended major. If you transfer to MU with junior standing, please be aware that four semesters may be required to complete all BSW program requirements for graduation. |
| Current Mizzou students | Declare or change your major. Email chsadvising@misssouri.edu with questions |
Pre-social work majors are not guaranteed acceptance into the professional BSW program. You must submit an application for admission to the Professional BSW Program when you are eligible.
“Social work is significant in creating change and helping individuals, families, and communities cope and seek solutions to various problems. Mizzou’s respected professional social work program is a great option for students looking to advocate for social and economic justice in an essential and ever-growing field.” —Chloe Brewer
Step 2: Check eligibility for the professional BSW program
Applications are due in the spring semester. Students must complete or be enrolled to complete all prerequisite courses to apply to the program.
Applications are competitive, and declaring or transferring into the social work major does not guarantee admission to the professional BSW program.
Academic eligibility requirements
- Have a 2.5 GPA or higher on all college work attempted
- Have second-semester sophomore status (42+ hours completed)
- Complete the following prerequisite courses and earn a grade in the “C” range or higher:
- English 1000
- Communication 1200
- College Algebra or Quantitative Reasoning
- Philosophy
- Biology 1010
- Financial Literacy
- American History/Government
- Sociology 1000
- Psychology 1000
- Social Work 1115
Step 3: Apply to the professional BSW program
Required application materials
Choose three people who can speak to your academic abilities and your abilities to work with people. We require at least one college-level academic reference (professor, instructor) and at least one person who has supervised you working with people (work supervisor, volunteer supervisor, etc.). References may not come from relatives or friends.
Social Work is a profession concerned with individual growth and social change; it is important to the Admission Committee, in assessing your application, to have written comments on several issues. Since your personal statement will be used to assess your readiness for undergraduate social work education, care should be taken in its preparation. Your personal statement should fully inform us about your view of yourself as a quality candidate for professional education.
In view of the importance of this section, please answer the following questions. Please type and double space; your answers to each question should be at least one page in length or more.
- Describe 2-3 academic or social experiences, events or discoveries that prompted your decision to pursue social work as a career and explain what impact they had on you. What misconceptions or stigma do you believe people hold about social work as a career? How would you challenge the misconception(s)?
- Please discuss 2-3 of your personal and academic strengths that will be most beneficial to you as you pursue a career in social work.
- What do you know about the field of social work that might be challenging for you specifically? How might this impact or influence your career path or goals?
- What social issue(s) are of particular interest to you? What people or groups are impacted by the issue you identified? In what way have you attempted to be involved in addressing or alleviating this social issue?
Current MU students should submit an unofficial transcript (available to print from myZou as the “Student Academic Profile”).
Non-MU students should upload an unofficial transcript from each college or university attended. Screenshots/PDFs of prior coursework will be accepted. Official transcripts do not need to be sent to the School of Social Work.
Deadlines
In-person students
Applications open in December and are due March 1.
Online students
Applications are due at 4 p.m. on June 1.
If the deadlines fall on a weekend or an MU holiday, the deadline is the following business day.
Contact us
For questions about the status of your application to the professional BSW program, please contact us at ssw@missouri.edu or 573-884-8795.