School of Social Work

Jennifer Crowell Thompson (Chair), Douglas Crews, Carmen Reese Foster, Julie W. Hunt, Sabrina W. Sullenberger

Mission

The mission of the Belmont University School of Social Work is to empower students to make meaningful change in the world through commitment to anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice, integrity, and the pursuit of social justice. Guided by the example of Jesus and our professional social work values, we collaborate with students, interprofessional colleagues and community members to create a more just and compassionate world.

M.S.W

Belmont University’s Master of Social Work program (MSW) is a graduate-level program designed to prepare students to work in a variety of social work settings, serving diverse populations and addressing a range of social issues. Graduates of an advanced generalist MSW program are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to practice in an array of contexts, including mental health agencies, health care, schools, and community organizations, where they can address the complex needs of individuals, families, and communities. The Belmont MSW offers a unique focus on trauma informed care and leadership in advocacy practice. The program combines coursework and hands on experience in the field to provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively engage in advanced professional practice, lead teams and organizations in the provision of trauma informed services and engage in efforts designed to effect social change.

Accreditation

The Belmont University MSW Program has achieved candidacy for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA). Candidacy status indicates that it has made progress toward meeting standards of program quality evaluated through a peer review accreditation process. A program that has attained candidacy status has demonstrated a commitment to meeting the accreditation standards but has not yet demonstrated full compliance. Students that are admitted to candidate programs in the fall (or later) of the academic year in which the program is granted candidacy status will be retroactively recognized as graduates from a CSWE-BOA accredited program as long as the program attains initial accreditation. Candidacy is typically a 3-year process and attaining candidacy does not guarantee that a program will eventually attain initial accreditation. Candidacy applies to all program options, which include locations and delivery methods. Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program. Review our program’s candidacy status in CSWE’s Directory of Accredited Programs. For more information about social work accreditation, contact CSWE’s Department of Social Work Accreditation.

M.S.W. Admissions

Prospective students can be admitted to the Belmont MSW via two pathways: Standard/traditional admittance, or transfer admittance. There is no GRE required.

The application for admission is comprised four areas: Evidence of an applicant’s educational experience, experience in the human services (i.e., professional, interns, and/or volunteer), the applicant’s written statement, their recommendations and official college/university transcripts. Details about each are provided below and on the program’s website.

Educational Experience

Only applicants with an earned baccalaureate degree from a college or university accredited by a recognized regional accrediting organization are considered for admission. Prospective students are required to submit transcripts from all undergraduate credit bearing institutions attended.
A minimum overall GPA average of a B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) is suggested for traditional admission. Prospective students with a grade point average of less than 3.0 may be admitted to the degree program; however, they may be required to interview with a faculty member from the School of Social Work.
An undergraduate record that reflects a liberal arts perspective. There is no official prerequisite coursework required for admission to the MSW program, but it is suggested that students have successfully completed approximately 18 credit hours of courses such as psychology, sociology, statistics, biology, anthropology, economics, history, political science, government, and/or languages. Prospective students whose undergraduate experience does not include a liberal arts background may be admitted, however, they may be required to interview with a faculty member from the School of Social Work.

Experience in Human Services

Experience related to human services is strongly suggested. This experience can be paid/professional, volunteer or internship based.
This experience should reflect intellectual and or personal qualities likely to lead to success in social work practice, as well as a commitment to engage in practice reflective of the mission of social work. This includes anti-racist social work roles, and associated efforts related to the pursuit of social, environmental, and economic justice.
Applicants are asked to submit a professional resumé or curriculum vitae.

Written Statement

In crafting their written statement, prospective students will submit responses to four prompts that call for them to speak to their understanding of Social Work values, their desire for an advanced degree, how their unique experience contributes to their perspective toward social justice, and lastly how they have developed awareness related to social injustices.

Recommendations

Recommendations should be submitted through SocialWorkCAS. Applicants will list their references within their application. More information on how to submit recommendations can be found here.

Official Transcripts

Applicants will be required to submit transcripts from every college/university they have previously attended. Transcripts should be submitted directly to SocialWorkCAS. More information on how to submit transcripts can be found here.

Recommendations should also be submitted through SocialWorkCAS. Applicants will list their references within their application. More information on how to submit recommendations can be found here.

Transfer Credit

Applicants requesting a transfer of credits must meet specific criteria and provide additional documentation. Institutional policy holds graduate applicants can request the transfer of up to 15 graduate credit hours, while advanced standing transfer applicants can request up to 9 credits. Such applicants must have completed their previous coursework at a Council on Social Work Education accredited MSW program within the last seven years. The coursework must be equivalent to Belmont MSW coursework, and grades earned must be no lower than a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or a B). In addition to the application materials noted above, transfer applicants must submit a transfer request application, a letter of good standing from the administration of the previous program(s), and a syllabus from each course they are requesting credit from. Course equivalency decisions are made via comparison of the courses’ learning outcomes/objectives, readings, assignments, and credit hours. All transfer course equivalency decisions are made at the discretion of the MSW admissions committee and are approved by the Chair for the School of Social Work.

M.S.W Mission Statement

The Master’s of Social Work program at Belmont University is dedicated to nurturing empathetic, proficient, and culturally sensitive social work professionals who embody the essence of the social work profession. Guided by a person-in-environment framework, a global perspective, and our faith-based context, the Belmont MSW program empowers students as servant leaders in upholding the core values and purpose of social work while promoting human and community well-being.

Our mission is anchored in the belief that every individual and community deserve the opportunity to flourish. In alignment with the purpose of social work, which is actualized through a quest for social, racial, economic, and environmental justice, we are committed to creating conditions that facilitate the realization of human rights and the elimination of poverty. Through our dedication to respect for human diversity and knowledge based on scientific inquiry, we strive to support students in enhancing life for all people, locally and globally.

At the heart of our program lie the foundational values of social work: service, respect for the dignity and worth of every individual, the promotion of social justice through advocacy and scientific inquiry, the importance of human relationships, competence and integrity in professional practice, human rights, and the enhancement of well-being for all. We believe in the inherent strengths and resilience of individuals and communities. At our core we empower our students to use a range of prevention and intervention strategies to effect meaningful change at all levels of society.

Recognizing the diverse needs and experiences of the populations we serve, we prepare social work practitioners who are responsive to cultural, socioeconomic, and systemic factors that influence individual and collective well-being, eager and equipped to promote individual dignity and community well-being, and to make the world a better place. Our advanced generalist specialization embraces innovation and evidence-based practice, specifically related to professional leadership and the provision of trauma informed care.

Our program extends and enhances students’ development of the requisite knowledge, values, skills, cognitive and affective processes required of professional practice. This focus honors the rich history and tradition of the social work profession while fostering forward-thinking approaches to address contemporary challenges, consistent with our university driven transformational mindset.