Social Work Degrees at SUNO
Southern University at New Orleans appears in our ranking of the 36 Most Affordable Accredited MSW Programs in the South East.
Since 1974, the College of Arts & Sciences has provided an accredited Bachelor of Social Work for Southern University at New Orleans undergrads dedicated to improving the human condition and protecting people's basic right to dignity. Directed by Prof. Gladys Barrett-Merrick, the HBCU's 120-credit degree emphasizes transformation methods to eradicate oppression in Black communities. Courses like Families in Stress, Working with Children, Institutional Racism, and Mobilizing Against AIDS have an 18:1 learner-faculty ratio in the Millie M. Charles Building. Two 225-hour fieldwork placements, such as the Kinship Center, Milestones Mental Health, Ochsner Health System, Responsibility House, Center for Autism, Camp Restore, and Canon Hospice, are mandatory. Majors might also transfer from the Addictive Behaviors Counseling A.A., join Xi Phi, serve abroad in Tanzania, engage in the Honoré Center, enter the TRIO Program, minor in Gender & Class Studies, and volunteer with Rebuilding Together.
Chaired by Dr. Rebecca A. Chaisson, the Master of Social Work was launched by Southern University at New Orleans in 1985 for post-grads seeking to spark policy changes that right injustices and progress "Toward a New World." The 63-credit, racially-mixed program strives for Black empowerment with three specializations: Administration Planning & Organizing, Health & Mental Health Service, or Youth & Families Service. Qualified Advanced Standing students skip the CSWE-accredited foundation year for just 37 credits total. Some 16-week courses like Family Violence, Perspectives on Poverty, Psychopharmacology, and The Older Woman mix online with campus components. The Full-Time and Part-Time tracks integrate 10 to 20 practicum hours weekly from Baton Rouge General to Covenant House New Orleans. Students could join Men in Social Work, attend NASW-LA workshops, pair the M.A. in Urban Education, venture to Suzhou, serve with Common Ground Relief, and become Consuelo W. Gosnell Scholars too.
About Southern University at New Orleans
Southern University at New Orleans was chartered by the Louisiana Legislature's Act 28 on September 4, 1956, as a branch of the Agricultural & Mechanical College. The next Fall, an inaugural class of 158 African Americans enrolled in 10 courses at the one-building campus in Pontchartrain Park. Four years later, the first Bachelor of Science was awarded and evening study programs began. Though one of the first HBCUs opened after Brown v. Board, it welcomed all ethnicities by 1964. Ten years later, its administration was officially transferred to the Southern University System. In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina flooded the 17-acre Inner Harbor campus near Camp Leroy Johnson, causing a lengthy rebuild. Today, Southern University at New Orleans serves 2,420 Knights, including Social Work majors, as a public TMCF member endowed for $3.0 million.
The U.S. News & World Report ranked Southern the 55th best historically Black college and 174th top social work program. On Niche, SUNO has America's 628th most conservative students and 855th safest campus. College Factual named SUNO the 200th most popular social work school and 775th best value. The Department of Education highlighted the lowest Louisiana tuition at SUNO. Forbes crowned New Orleans the 136th best city for careers with the 129th biggest growth. In Washington Monthly, SUNO has the 87th best master's graduation rate and 172nd most service participation. PayScale recorded a $60,000 mid-career median salary for Southern University at New Orleans alums. WalletHub placed SUNO 586th for campus experience and 593rd for career outcomes. TFE Times also declared Southern the country's 203rd top MSW provider.
Southern University at New Orleans Accreditation Details
In June 2017, Southern University at New Orleans received a sanction warning from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) that several benchmarks for Level III accreditation were missed under Chancellor Ray L. Benton. Located 471 miles northeast in Decatur, this 11-state Gulf Coast accreditor is authorized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and still extends Federal Title-IV eligibility to SUNO's 18 baccalaureate and five master's degrees for now. Southern's BSW and MSW majors specifically passed an accreditation review by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) in February 2012.
Southern University at New Orleans Application Requirements
Admission to Southern University at New Orleans is labeled "non-competitive" by Peterson's since 78 percent of the 801 Fall 2016 applicants were successful. Pre-social work majors must have completed the equivalent of the 17-unit Louisiana Board of Regents core curriculum. Only one developmental course is allowed. Students age 18+ who've taken the GED or HiSET exam also qualify. First-year Knights need a cumulative 2.0 GPA, 19 ACT Math, and 18 ACT Reading score or higher. BSW enrollment begins the junior year after 60 credits with a minimum 2.3 GPA. Three credits of Psychology or Sociology along with prerequisites are mandated. Transfers are granted up to 64 junior college and 93 university credits graded at least "C." The Master of Social Work necessitates a four-year bachelor's with nine liberal arts credits and 2.5 averages. An on-campus written exercise is required to judge graduate-level English skills.
Southern University at New Orleans enforces undergrad deadlines of July 1st for Fall and Spring 1st for Spring admission. The College of Graduate Studies only considers MSW cohorts until March 31st annually. Log into the SUNO Self-Service portal powered by Ellucian to submit the online application. If downloading the PDF copy, print legibly before mailing to 6400 Press Drive in New Orleans, LA 70126. Please contact (504) 286-5235 or [email protected] for further assistance. Social work applications are usually incomplete without these:
- Cashier check or money order for $25 fee
- One official transcript from each institution
- SAT, ACT, or TOEFL scores from agency
- Measles-mumps-rubella vaccine records
- Three confidential recommendation letters
- Typed personal narrative of 1,000+ words
- Résumé of paid and volunteer experiences
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2018-19, Southern University at New Orleans is charging full-time BSW majors from Louisiana $3,539 per semester. Non-resident undergrads are paying $4,450 each term. Added expenses include the $80 field instruction fee, $50 lab fee, and $1,263 student services fee. Living at the Orleans Parish campus' dorms costs $2,265 to $4,310. The Knight's Dining plan is priced at $1,280. Annual bachelor's attendance equals around $20,539 in-state and $29,440 out-of-state. The Master of Social Work presently bills Louisianans $6,024 and non-residents $12,965 each year full-time with $1,934 for fees.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Office of Student Financial Aid gets 78 percent of full-time SUNO Knights average assistance of $11,357 for $17.6 million total. Available funds include the Adrian Rubin Scholarship, B. Davis Scholarship, Dr. Arthur Kezian Scholarship, Fabriele Disability Awareness Scholarship, Honoré Center Scholarship, Karin Riley Porter Good Works Scholarship, Parenting Scholarship, and Dr. Edward Johnson Healthy Living Scholarship. Filing FAFSA applications coded 002026 by the April 15th priority deadline can unlock the Federal Pell or Supplemental Opportunity Grant. College Factual records average yearly debt of $5,332 from Federal Perkins, Direct, and Plus loans. The Federal Work-Study program requires 2.0 GPAs from freshman to senior year, but graduate assistantships aren't offered. Louisiana residents can also pursue the Go Grant, Leveraging Education Assistance Partnership, and Taylor Opportunity Program.
Learn more about Southern University at New Orleans at the School of Social Work website.