Admission to the Kent School of Social Work and Family Science

Persons interested in admission to the Kent School should contact the BSW Program. We encourage potential applicants to consult the BSW page on the Kent School website. If you wish to discuss the application process, you may contact the BSW Program.

Kent School seeks mature students with a demonstrated ability to work with people, emotional stability, good interpersonal skills, and the ability to perform well academically. To ensure that entering students meet these standards, the faculty has established the following guidelines.

Once students are accepted by University of Louisville’s Admission Office and declare a major as Social Work, they are admitted to the University as lower division students. However, admission to lower division does not guarantee admission to the upper division Social Work Program.

Criteria for Admission to the Lower Division Social Work Program

Admission in Good Standing

To be admitted to the lower division, beginning freshmen must meet the following requirements:

High School Students – automatic admission with ACT/SAT scores:

• Graduation from an accredited high school, have a GED or equivalent by petition (for example, home school educations)
• Composite ACT score of not less than 20 or SAT not less than 1030

High School Students – minimum requirements without  ACT/SAT scores:

• Grade Point Average of 2.5 or higher
• Comprehensive review of high school transcript, including grades and courses particularly college preparatory courses

Transfer Students

Transfer applicants with 24 hours or more must have a college grade point average of 2.5 or higher to be admitted in good standing. Transfer students without these may apply for conditional admissions.

Change of Major (Intra-University Transfer) Students

Students who have completed at least one semester in another school of the university with a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 may apply for an intra-university transfer (change major) to the Lower Division Bachelor of Social Work Program. They must complete an online Change Major form that can be found on Ulink.   Students admitted through this process must be advised before registering for courses in their first semester in the lower division curriculum.

Conditional Admission

Students who meet University minimum academic standards may be conditionally admitted (see Undergraduate Catalog, Admission to the University of Louisville).

Criteria for Admission to the Upper Division Social Work Program

Prior to application for admission to the Social Work Program, students must have:

• Earned 45 semester hours of college credit;
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a four-point scale.

After completion of 45 hours of college credit, students may be considered for admission to the Social Work Program.  Admission to the upper division Social Work Program is conducted without discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, age, creed, ethnic or national origin, disability, or sexual orientation.  

Current UofL Students

Requires internal application from Kent School. Must meet application requirements and deadlines for acceptance to Upper Division as posted: Bachelor of Social Work Admissions — Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work and Family Science (louisville.edu). Late applications will be accepted on a case-by-case basis, please contact the BSW Department for approval to apply late (BSWKent@louisville.edu).  

Transfer Students

• Complete the application process for admissions to the University of Louisville prior to applying for Upper Division. Make certain that you indicate Social Work as your major on the application. Once students are accepted by University of Louisville’s Admission Office, they are admitted to the University as lower division Social Work students. However, admission to lower division does not guarantee admission to the upper division Social Work Program.

Transfer admissions website: louisville.edu/admissions/apply/transfer.  

How do I know if my coursework will transfer?  Click here for information on transfer coursework.

Qualified transfer students new to UofL may be accepted to the upper-division after the posted deadline on a case-by-case basis, please contact the BSW Department for approval to apply late: BSWKent@louisville.edu