The University of Tennessee College of Social Work (UTCSW) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with community colleges across the state allowing community college graduates with a degree in social work who meet certain requirements to receive guaranteed admission or priority admission to the UTCSW beginning with the fall 2025 application cycle.

Guaranteed Admission is designed to provide a guaranteed admission pathway for community college graduates who want to continue their education and get a Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW) degree in the Online BSSW Program. Students not qualifying for guaranteed admission may qualify for priority admission. Priority admission is another transfer admission pathway, whereby community college students, who meet qualifications, would be considered prior to those students seeking admission through the regular admission process.

“As the land grant university in Tennessee, UTK has a unique mission to educate and train the citizens of the state,” said Dr. Robert Mindrup, Director of BSSW Programs and Clinical Associate Professor. “There is a sizeable demand for social workers who are uniquely trained to address some of the grand challenges of our time, including mental health and wellbeing, addiction, sustainability, and more. Social workers are the largest providers of mental health services across the country and in Tennessee, and we are nowhere close to meeting the demand. Through this partnership, we hope to move the proverbial needle by increasing the number of social workers who are indeed making a difference in our communities.”

The UTCSW is the first college at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to take on such a large-scale program, and in doing so, is leading the way for other colleges at the university to follow suit. “Of the 13 community colleges across the state, the UTCSW has a pathways agreement with 11,” Mindrup explained. “This is a remarkable number of community college students who might not have considered continuing their education or might have been hesitant to apply due to the competition. Not only does this help these students continue with their education, but it also strengthens our relationships with the community colleges. It’s a winning proposition from all sides.”  

For more information, contact Recruiting Coordinator Macy Pevy at macyetter@utk.edu.