Applications to the Social Work Program are accepted three times a year with deadlines of August 15th, October 1st, and March 1st. Students must submit an admission portfolio and have an interview with the Social Work faculty. The ideal time to apply to the Program is when the applicant is enrolled in either SW 226 or SW 227 and has completed the other one. For students who begin their academic career at Central, this should be in the fourth semester.
Your Stage I Admission Portfolio
At time of application to the Social Work Program, the student portfolio is expected to demonstrate and articulate your readiness and motivation to enter the Social Work Program. Applicants are carefully evaluated not only academically, but also for their potential professional competence in the field. An acceptable student portfolio demonstrates and articulates readiness and motivation to pursue professional social work education.
The student portfolio is a place to organize and store material relevant to your development as a social work major during your time at Central. At each submission point you will be required to respond to a series of questions using a narrative format. It is important that your portfolio documents are organized and presented well. Your portfolio must be submitted in a large three-ring binder with your name clearly displayed on the front cover and on the binder spine. The first page should be a Table of Contents. The following items are to be included in the binder in individual, labeled sections.
Portfolio Requirements:
- Table of Contents
- Application to the Social Work Program
- Signed Pre-Social Work Major Statement of Understanding
- A Personal Narrative addressing the following items; Academic Transcripts (including official transcripts from other colleges and universities previously attended; unofficial copy of Central transcript is fine)
- How did you become interested in social work? Discuss what being a professional social worker means to you. Include social issues and/or academic, volunteer, or paid work experiences that have influenced your choice of social work as a profession.
- How have significant life experiences and/or relationships that contributed to your personal development, values and belief systems?
- How does diversity characterize and shape human experience and the formation of identity of others, including your own?
- Please comment on your readiness for undertaking social work education.
Address how you believe you will face the demands of coursework and volunteering (field education) experience.
For more guidelines for preparing the Personal Narrative click here
- Artifacts which show participation in campus and community volunteer events or activities. Some examples are flyers, pamphlets, letters or evaluations.
- Course syllabi from SW 100 (if applicable), SW 225, SW 226 and SW 227.
- All graded course assignments from SW 100 (if applicable), SW 225, SW 226 and SW 227. NOTE: Transfer students should include related course assignments and evaluations from other institutions and/or copies of E-Portfolio material.
- 70-Hour Volunteer Experience Evaluations from SW 226 and SW 227. NOTE: Transfer students should include evaluations from other institutions (if applicable).
- Transfer Students Only must include a Transfer Student Field Experience and Service Learning Form
- Documentation of professional learning experiences such as workshops, training, or conferences attended.
- Resume
- National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics (this can be purchased at the Central bookstore or from the NASW website).
- NASW Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice (this can be purchased at the Central bookstore or from the NASW website).
- Department of Social Work Student Advising Guide
- Two letters of reference from people who can attest to the applicant's motivation and readiness to pursue professional social work education. NOTE: Transfer students must have the Transfer Student Reference Form completed by their previous colleges' program director/coordinator.