Get started towards helping and healing your community with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSW) degree from Lincoln Memorial University! At LMU, we will provide you with the necessary academic preparation and practical experience to get started working immediately as a generalist social worker or to enter graduate school following your time in our program.
While there are plenty of social work programs across Tennessee, LMU is the only institution that offers you a foundational, supportive education and learning environment to guide you to a BSW degree while also assisting you in finding job opportunities as a bachelor's-level social worker. To ensure that you and your peers are able to make the most of our program, we like to keep our class sizes small (14 students on average). Our program is even nationally accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
As an LMU student, you'll also have opportunity to get real, hands-on experience conducting important research to meet our community's needs. Past students in the social work program have received research awards from the Appalachian College Association for original research projects in the areas of:
- retirement planning for teachers
- accessibility of health care for children
- service availability for senior citizens
- cost impact of medications on senior citizens
- children's hunger relief in East Tennessee
- service for children "aging out" of foster care
However you want to serve your community and make a difference in people's lives, you'll get the tools you need at LMU!
Admission Requirements
Review the following to ensure that you are eligible for entry to the social work degree program here at LMU! To qualify, you must:
- Apply and be admitted to Lincoln Memorial University.
- Declare your major in Social Work and meet with your advisor to develop your curriculum plan. Any transfer credits you possess from other Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited programs may be accepted as substitutions for LMU social work program courses, but we do NOT accept life or work experience as a substitution.
- Apply for admission and be accepted into the LMU social work program at the end of the first semester of your junior year.
- Apply for admission to the LMU Social Work Program Field Experience at the end of the second semester of your junior year. To be admitted, your admission materials for Field Experience must be completed. This includes completing all of the Lincoln Liberal Arts Core (or equivalent); all social work degree core curriculum with final grades of at least a "C"; and a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0.
To be admitted into the social work program at Lincoln Memorial University, you must apply through the LMU portal. Your application must be complete to be considered for entry. If you want to explore our educational opportunities regarding cost and tuition, we've got you covered!
Need help with your application process? Get application assistance.
Program Outcomes
All of our field supervisors possess baccalaureate or master's degrees in social work and many years of experience. Our past graduates have typically found job placements within six months of graduation and LMU social work program graduates are even eligible for licensure in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and other surrounding states!
Our program has developed placements in community agencies across southeastern Kentucky, southwestern Virginia and eastern Tennessee. After you've completed our program, there are a wide variety of jobs available to you in our local region and beyond! Some of these placements are available in:
- Home health and hospice
- Nursing homes
- Hospitals
- Schools
- Community action and service centers
- Adoption services
- Foster care
- Child protective services
- Juvenile justice
- Senior centers
- Group homes
- Veteran's services
If you'd prefer to pursue further education in the social work field before beginning your career, LMU provides a strong foundation for further study. As a graduate of a CSWE accredited baccalaureate social work program, you will be eligible for admission into accelerated master's programs at regional universities.
Honors and Organizations
As you work towards your social work degree, your academic accomplishments may be recognized through membership in the Eta Nu Chapter of Phi Alpha, the national honor society for social work. The Outstanding Social Work Student is recognized during the Awards Day ceremony each spring. The Social Work faculty choose the recipient based on:
- performance in and out of the classroom
- participation and leadership in various roles in and out of the university
- potential as a social worker as reflected and demonstrated through attitude, performance, leadership, cooperation, flexibility, initiative and self confidence.
Our SHARE Club is a recognized student organization that provides opportunities for socially concerned students to reach out to their community through volunteered services.
Contact Us
Want to learn more about the social work program at LMU? Reach out to us at any time and we would be happy to help!
Dr. Ann-Marie Buchanan
Professor of Social Work & Chair for Social Work
Phone: 423.869.7158
Email: Ann-Marie.Buchanan@LMUnet.edu