LLU social work case management certificate admissions

Department of Social Work and Social Ecology

Certificate in case management

Application form
Reference form
Admissions criteria
Academic prerequisites
Application procedure
Admissions decision making
Notification of acceptance
Change of program or degree
Concurrent admission
Admission classifications

Admissions criteria

Students must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college (official transcripts are evidence of courses completed).
Students must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 or above (on a 4.0 scale). (Special consideration can be given to students with grade point averages as low as 2.5 if the last part of their college work shows significant improvement.)
Students must also show evidence of personal qualifications and motivation to complete the case management certificate program by:

Submission of a completed application including a personal statement, application fee (application fee waived for applicants from county partnership program), submission of all college and/or university transcripts, and submission of three letters of recommendation (including one from an academic source and one from a work supervisor).
Completion of an admissions interview with the department's admissions committee. Evaluation criteria for the interview includes:

Verbal communication skills;
Critical thinking ability;
Values congruent with the social work profession;
Appreciation of human diversity;
Evidence of reflective learning; and

Final decisions are based upon a composite score of all of the above items.

Academic prerequisites

Given that courses taken in the case management certificate program may be eligible for transfer into the MSW program, related prerequisite requirements expected of MSW candidates also apply. Each prerequisite area represents the foundation knowledge necessary to assure that students from diverse academic backgrounds begin the Certificate in case management (CMC) program on a more homogeneous footing.
Table 1 lists these prerequisite areas and the specific courses in the CMC each relates to:

Table 1

Liberal arts prerequisite for
case management certificate

Prerequisite content time/place

Human development Prior to SOWK 511
and SOWK 512

Cross-cultural issues Prior to SOWK 511
and SOWK 512

Concepts in human biology Prior to SOWK 511
and SOWK 512

Note: Prerequisite content can be met through specific courses or a combination of courses. However, only courses completed with a grade of C or better can be applied in meeting the prerequisite requirements. Faculty reviewing this requirement work closely with applicants' to assure that the uniqueness of each applicants undergraduate degree program is understood. Applicants are notified in the acceptance letter from the dean of the Graduate School if any of the prerequisite content requirements have not been met.

Application procedure

Potential case management certificate applicants may receive general admissions information (including Graduate Record Examination testing schedules) from the Graduate School office of admissions. Requests for specific information about the case management certificate should be directed to the Department of Social Work's admissions coordinator. Application packets are free and include a letter of introduction, a basic data form (requesting general information and the applicant's education and employment history), an outline for completion of the personal statement, three reference forms, a program brochure, and financial aid information. Applicants return their completed admissions packet to the Graduate School office of admission. The Graduate School office of admission informs all applicants when their files are complete or if additional information is required. The department's admissions coordinator reviews all completed applicant files and contact the candidates for an admissions interviews. (See application instructions.)

Admissions decision making

Social work education programs are accountable to the profession to prepare individuals for competent, compassionate, and ethical practice. This charge carries with it responsibility for what is known as 'gatekeeping', or the process of selecting, admitting, continuing and graduating individuals who are suitable for participating in, and advancing professional social work practice. In support of this view, the courts consider graduate professional education as a privilege and not a constitutional or property right. Admission into the case management certificate program is based upon an evaluation of an applicant's suitability for professional practice. As such, this screening includes an evaluation of the applicants' academic potential as measured through Graduate School and Department admissions criteria.

Notification of acceptance

The department’s admissions committee forwards a recommendation of regular, provisional, deferred, or denied status to the dean of the Graduate School for confirmation. Reasons for designation are given to applicants who receive other than regular acceptance. All applicants are first notified by the dean's office of their admissions status. Accepted students receive a welcome letter from the department. Accepted students must then acknowledge in writing their intentions to enroll in the program. This final step helps to assure that registration documents are in order when the student begins courses.
No academic credit is given for life experience and/or previous work experience for any part for the case management certificate program.

Change of program or degree

Students should refer to the Graduate School Bulletin for information regarding transfer to a different degree program.

Concurrent admission

Students may not be admitted to a Graduate School program while admitted to another program at this University or elsewhere. Combined-degree programs are exempt from this policy.

Admission classifications

Regular status is given to applicants when all of the following conditions are met:

their scholarship (GPA) meets the stated admissions requirements of the Graduate School

they are deemed suitable for pursuit post baccalaureate education

their admissions documentation is complete.

Provisional status is given to applicants

whose scholarship does not reach the level for regular standing but who shows strong promise for success

is missing some of the prerequisite content

whose admissions documentation has some missing items (e.g., some official transcripts may be missing) at the time of notification of acceptance

To continue eligibility for study, a student admitted on provisional status must achieve a grade point average of 2.7 quarter by quarter, with no course grade less than C (2.0).

Deferred decision is given to applicants

whose scholarship does not reach the standards established for provisional acceptance but for whom post baccalaureate work may be possible with additional evidence of academic preparation, and/or scholastic consistency

who will not complete their undergraduate degree by the requested admission date

who are substantially lacking adequate undergraduate prerequisite preparation

whose admissions documentation is incomplete at the time of notification of the application review.

In these cases where an admissions decision has not been made and is deferred to a later time, the admissions committee of the department provides deferred applicants in writing with a list of the additional requirements that must be met before a decision can be reached (e.g., completion of 12 units of additional graduate level course work with grades of 2.7 or above in each course taken, or submission of additional application materials).
Denied status is given when an applicant receives an admissions score below the minimum required for acceptance into the program as provisional or deferred status and/or the delineation of scholastic improvement options is considered to be substantial and suggest unreasonable hardship for the applicant.

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