Declaring the Major

Students may declare Social Work as a major as incoming freshman or thereafter during their career at Xavier as long as they are in good academic standing in the university (GPA 2.0 or higher).

• The first step is to meet with the chair of the department. During that meeting, the orientation to the major will be accomplished.
• After that, the official change of major through the registrar's office will be initiated by the department administrative assistant.
• Students will then be assigned a faculty advisor within the social work department and are required to meet with their faculty advisor for academic and professional advising each semester to ensure completion of the required curriculum. The plan decided upon by the advisor and the student will be recorded by the advisor on the Record of Advising sheet kept in the student's file.
• All students declaring social work as a major enter the major at provisional status.
• In the junior year, social work majors must have achieved a December 2.5 GPA to be eligible for the Field Placement Petition process in order to enter field placement in fall of the senior year.

  • Social work majors should begin their junior year with a minimum 2.5 GPA in the major as determined by the registrar (for a minimum of three SOCW courses taken at Xavier University).

  • Those who have achieved a minimum August 2.5 GPA will be granted full acceptance into the major during fall semester of the junior year.

  • Those who either have not achieved a minimum August 2.5 GPA or who have not yet completed three SOCW courses at Xavier University will be placed on a provisional status as a major and have one semester, the fall semester of junior year, to meet this December GPA requirement.

Admissions

Acceptance into the university is necessary for acceptance as a social work major. Evidence of a student's potential for success in college studies is judged by the high school grade point average, rank in class, aptitude test scores, and the comments offered on recommendations. Of these, the high school record (or for transfer students, the previous college record) remains the most important factor.

Academic and Professional Advising

Through academic advising and dialogue with social work faculty and staff, the student is provided with the opportunity to assess her or his abilities and capacity for a career in social work. Each student's performance is evaluated at the end of each semester to establish that the student is meeting the minimum standards for continuing the pursuit of a social work degree. Students are advised to select elective courses or other educationally related experiences that will provide depth and breadth to their educational experience. Academic credit is not given for life experiences, however. The department chair is responsible for evaluating if all program requirements have been met for graduation and works closely with the Registrar's office to assess University and program degree requirements.

Registration for Classes

Although it is the student's responsibility to fulfill all requirements for degree attainment, social work majors are required to have a faculty advising meeting each semester with their assigned faculty advisor to plan for the next semester. A hold will be put on registration until students have met with their advisor. The function of the meeting is to check that academic requirements are being met regarding the social work major, the core curriculum, and matters pertinent to professional planning. The student and advisor use an advising checklist form and the degree evaluation report online to monitor academic progress towards completion of the B.S.W.

Change of Major and Transfer Students

Transfer students from other programs within the University and from other academic institutions need to meet with the Chairperson. The student is then assigned to a faculty advisor. The Xavier University Registrar evaluates all non-social work course work which students wish to transfer from another university. All transfer credits which would meet social work program requirements are reviewed by the Chairperson for the determination of equivalency to Xavier courses. The first consideration in reviewing transfer credits is to be sure that all course content has been met and that duplication either does not occur or is minimal.

Adult and Professional Education at Xavier (APEX) Program

Non-traditional students (students 24 years of age or older) who have attended other regionally accredited institutions of higher education or just getting started must complete an application for admission through the Adult and Professional Education (APEX) Office.

The office can provide free transfer credit evaluations for university requirements. Once students are admitted to the university, the registrar's office evaluates student transcripts and all non-social work course work for transfer credit. The office provides academic advising to students age 24 and older through day, evening and weekend appointments.

Students transferring to Xavier University who want to declare social work as their major then meet with the department chair to review the social work program and possible transfer credits related to social work curriculum requirements. Course descriptions and syllabi provided by the student from previously taken social work courses at other accredited institutions are reviewed by the chair to determine equivalency. Academic credit it not granted for life experiences or previous work/employment/volunteer experience.