Bachelors of Social Work (BSW) Guide: Application Instructions
Admission to the Social Work Program occurs while students are enrolled in at least one of the
following core courses: SWK 2361, SWK 2362 or SWK 2389. These courses must be completed by the
first-class day of their first Junior semester.
Admission
Applications for the BSW program open on March 1, 2026. You must first apply to East Texas A&M with ApplyTexas and then complete the BSW program application. For more information, please email [email protected].
Admission Requirements
- Completion of the required 42-hour University Core (English Composition; American History;
American and Texas Government; Humanities; Science, including Human Biology; Math; and Intro
to Psychology as the recommended Behavioral Science courses). - “C” or better in MATH 1342; SOC 1306; SWK 2361, SWK 2362 and SWK 2389.
- An overall Grade Point Average of 2.5 or greater.
Students who have not met all admissions criteria but are likely to be able to do so prior to entry into
Field Practicum, may be admitted on a conditional basis, with a readiness plan.
Not everyone is well suited to become a professional social worker; therefore, students are assessed
for their appropriateness to serve people who are vulnerable or oppressed. Those students not
admitted will be advised on whether to take remedial action or to select another program or major.
Junior and Senior level social work classes are restricted to those students who have been fully or
conditionally admitted to the program.
The admissions criteria are designed to help ensure that students who are admitted to the program are
likely to succeed and have the potential to become competent and valued members of the profession
of social work.
Transfer Students
Since admission to the BSW program occurs when students are enrolled in SWK 2361, SWK 2362 or
SWK 2389, students who want to transfer these courses from other schools must complete an
application to the program PRIOR to enrolling in the upper division (300 or 400 level) social work
classes, or within the first 3 days of the semester.
The BSW Admissions Committee will review any applications from transfer students immediately in
order to allow continuation in upper division social work courses. Social work degree plans are
completed at the time of admission to the program (during the latter part of the sophomore year) by
the students and the BSW Director.
For students to enroll in junior-level classes, a “permit” is required. This will allow the BSW Director to
ensure all students enrolled in upper division social work classes are qualified to do so. In addition, it
will allow any transfer students to be assigned to a faculty advisor at that time.
Students submit an online application including a narrative statement of their interest in Social Work,
estimates of grades from current professors, transcripts and reference waiver. Students are also
required to request three references. Application forms are available online. The Admissions
Committee comprised of the instructors for SWK 2361, SWK 2362 and SWK 2389, will review each
application to the major.
Program Requirements
Social work majors are required to complete the following courses:
- University core (42 hours or very close to being finished)
- MATH 1342 (must be this MATH course)
- SOC 1306 (must be this SOC course)
- SWK 2361 (offered during fall and summer)
- SWK 2362 (offered during spring and summer)
- SWK 2389 (offered during spring and summer)
- Since the BSW degree does not require a minor, you must complete 18-21 hours of non-program electives
Your Path to Becoming a Lion
Applying to the undergraduate social work program is a two-step process. First, apply to East Texas A&M University with ApplyTexas and then apply to the School of Social Work.
Submit your application through ApplyTexas.
- Select “Create a new undergraduate admissions application.”
- Select East Texas A&M University as your “target university.”
- Select “Social Work” as your “Major.”
Submit your completed BSW application and references digitally. Please read the instructions carefully before completing the application. For more information, email [email protected]
Contact your previous/current academic institution(s) and request that they mail the transcript to:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
PO Box 3011
Commerce, Texas 75429-3011
For faster delivery, you may check to see if your previous/current academic institution(s) can submit an electronic version of your transcript to the Undergraduate Admissions Office. East Texas A&M accepts SPEEDE, National Clearinghouse and Escript-Safe electronic transcripts.
You do not need to complete the state-legislated Texas Success Initiative (TSI) assessment if you meet one of the following exemption criteria.
- Met minimum college readiness standard on the SAT or ACT
- Obtained the minimum required score(s) on the statewide high school STAAR EOCs Algebra II and English III exams (these are optional for high schools)
- Met a veteran or active military waiver (must meet specific requirements for each category)
- Received exemption based on earning a prior degree
- Received a transfer exemption (declaration by another institution)
- Completed prior college-level coursework
Students are responsible for providing proof of exemption and will be considered assessment required until documentation is provided of state exemption. For more information, please contact the Testing Center at [email protected].
Submit your scores using the East Texas A&M codes 4088 (ACT) and 6188 (SAT) on act.org or collegeboard.org.
East Texas A&M accepts scores on certain College Board Advanced Placement (AP) tests for credit in selected courses.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) program is a rigorous, 2-year, pre-university program. In compliance with SB111, East Texas A&M offers at least 24 hours of credit to all IB diploma candidates with subject exam scores of 4 or higher.
More than 70% of our undergraduate students receive FINANCIAL AID. Find out how you may be eligible for grants, loans and/or the Work Study Program.
To help you pay for your degree, a variety of SCHOLARSHIP opportunities are available at East Texas A&M including institutional scholarships, outside scholarships and state-funded scholarships. All scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis as funds are available, so apply as early as you can!
Detailed Application Instructions
The BSW Application period opens on March 1, 2025 and closes April 18th, 2025 at
11:59 PM. Please read the instructions carefully before completing the application at BSW
The digital program application form has four labeled tabs:
- Application for Admission
- Code of Conduct for Social Work Students
- Reference Waiver
- Checklist
All the sections marked with asterisks (*) within each tab are mandatory. You can move from tab
to tab, by clicking on the corresponding tab at the top of the form or by clicking “NEXT” or
“PREVIOUS” at the end of each page. The “SUBMIT” tool is at the end of the Checklist page.
Please review all 7 pages of this document before you start to complete the application.
I. Campus Schedule
The schedule is set for students to take 2 face-to-face courses and 2 online courses for a total of four per semester. Courses are offered in Commerce Tuesdays from 9 am – 12 pm
and from 1 pm – 4 pm
II. Student Status
- Please indicate if you are a current ETAMU student or plan to transfer to ETAMU from another institution. If you are not currently enrolled in any institution, please select the ‘No, I plan to transfer' option since you will need to transfer the credits from your previous institution. If you are a ETAMU student, please indicate your ETAMU CWID.
- Indicate if you are currently a Sophomore, Junior, or Senior
- Please indicate if you already have an associate degree
- Indicate if you will have an associate degree completed by the end of this Summer section.
- Send the transcripts of the associate degree to
[email protected] upon completion.
III. Personal Information
Complete all the items. All fields are mandatory.
IV. Emergency Contact Information
Please mention the name and contact information of your emergency contact.
V. Demographic Information
This information is requested so that we can accurately report student demographic information to the Council on Social Work Education, and to help us with program planning. Your completion of this section, while not mandatory, will be greatly appreciated. You have the option to select ‘prefer not to respond' for each of these items.
VI. Educational Background
Indicate all institutions beyond high school that you have attended in the table provided in the application. Include these institutions in reverse chronological order, with the most recent listed first.
VII. Work Experiences
Indicate all employers that you have worked with in the table provided in the application.
List the employers in reverse chronological order, with the most recent listed first.
VIII. Volunteering Experiences
Indicate all volunteering experiences you have had in the table provided in the application. List them in reverse chronological order, with the most recent listed first.
IX. Ability To Help Others
Social Work is a helping profession that requires a client-centered approach. Therefore, social workers must be willing to identify and address any challenges that may hinder their ability to professionally serve clients.
We would like to know if you understand that certain circumstances might affect the provision of services to the populations we serve. For example, populations you feel uncomfortable working with, establishing boundaries, etc. If you respond yes, be specific and explain it briefly (Max. 50 words) in the space provided.
Your response to this question will not influence your acceptance to the program. This information is requested to support and provide you with the tools necessary to succeed in this field.
X. Legal Information
Please respond to the items in this section.
If you respond yes to any of these questions, be specific and explain it briefly (Max. 50 words) in the space provided.
Your response to this question will not influence your acceptance to the program. This information is requested because it could impact your Field Practicum placement options. This will help us plan your internship path accordingly.
XI. Undergraduate Core and Prerequisite Courses
- GPA: Indicate your current GPA in the space provided. Note: An overall Grade Point Average of 2.5 or greater is expected.
- Core courses: Applicants should have completed 42 credit hours of core courses. These are included in the table on the application form. Use your transcripts or degree works (ETAMU students specific) to complete this section.
- ✔ for courses passed (Grades A, B, C, D)
- Write ‘R' for courses currently enrolled
- Write ‘S' for courses you will enroll in this summer
- In the section for elective courses, indicate the course number and name and the
- credit hours obtained per course
Pre-requisite courses
- ✔ for courses passed (Grades A, B, C, D)
- Write ‘R' for courses currently enrolled
- Write ‘S' for courses you will enroll in this summer
To be accepted to the program you must have passed with a grade of ‘C' or better the following
prerequisite courses:
- MATH 1342
- SOC 1306
- SWK 2361
- SWK 2362
- SWK 2389
If you have not taken SWK 2361, SWK 2362, and SWK 2389 before the start of the fall
semester, you will not be accepted to the program. These courses will be offered during the
summer session for those interested and applying for Fall 2024. Make sure to register for the
courses needed for the summer session.
XII. Narrative
Please include a typed narrative of approximately 500 words in length in the space
provided below. We recommend writing the narrative in a word document to facilitate the
word count and copy-paste it below to avoid discrepancies. Please ensure to proofread
for spelling and grammatical errors before you copy-paste the narrative.
The narrative should address the following:
- Reasons you chose to pursue a career in social work
- The field of social work practice you are interested in at this time
- Personal characteristics and strengths that will contribute to success in
social work - Personality aspects, knowledge, and/or skills that require improvement
prior to beginning a professional social work career
XIII. Transcript
Attach current transcript, unofficial transcript, or advising report. (Current ETAMU
students can attach their unofficial advising report from Degree Works).
XIV. Certification
Please sign the certification with your name, signature, and date.
XV. Code of Conduct
Please read and sign the Code of Conduct with your name and signature.
XVI. Reference waiver
Please complete and sign the reference waiver. It is mandatory that you submit the
Reference Waiver to ensure your application is complete.
OTHER DOCUMENTS REQUIRED AS PART OF YOUR APPLICATION
Three References
Request TWO references from your college professors and ONE character reference (employer, supervisor, organization leaders, or other faculty members). References from family or friends will NOT be accepted.
Please send the Reference Form to your references.
- Note: We recommend you find more than three (3) references to ensure the admission process
- is not delayed.
- Your References will submit the reference form as indicated in the instruction. The School of
- Social Work will automatically receive the references upon submission. In case of any missing
- references, students will be informed in a timely manner to give them appropriate time to follow
- up or identify other References.
- The Reference forms are due no later than Friday, April 18th, 2025. Ensure you follow up
- with your potential references to ensure the timely submission of their reference forms.
Before you SUBMIT (located at the end of the Checklist tab)
ensure you have completed the following in the checklist:
- Completed all parts of this application and signed the certification
- Included the narrative in Section XII
- Attached current transcript, unofficial transcript, or advising report in section XIII
- Completed and signed the Reference Waiver within this application
- Signed the Code of Conduct within this application