Dual Degree in Social Work & HDFS

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Earn a Dual Degree in Social Work & HDFS

Minot State University's Social Work department and North Dakota State University's Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) department offer a collaborative degree program. Students earn an HDFS degree from NDSU (Family Science option) and a BSW in Social Work from Minot State University at the same time. Students must be accepted into NDSU and enrolled in the HDFS program in order to take MSU Social Work courses at NDSU. The total credit requirement of the dual degree program is 127 and almost all Social Work courses are delivered on the NDSU campus in a face to face format. The program is not offered in an online format but a few select courses may be taken online.


How to Apply

You must be admitted to NDSU with a declared major of Human Development and Family Science (HDFS)

Apply to Minot State

  • Select "Freshmen & Transfer"
  • Select "Sign up" and create your application account
  • Begin the application
  • When asked "What type of student are you?" select "Transfer Student"
  • When asked "Intended Program" select "Social Work"
  • When asked if you are applying to the dual degree program select "Yes"

If you have attended any college or university outside of the North Dakota University System, please request the final official version be sent to:

Minot State University
Enrollment Services
500 University Ave W
Minot, ND 58707


Contact

Kali-Heyen.jpg Kali Heyen, MSW, LMSW
Assistant Professor | Social Work
NDSU Program Location
EML 283
701-231-7174
kali.heyen@minotstateu.edu

FAQs

Information about Dual Degree

You will get two different degrees from two different universities:

  • NDSU: Transcript & Diploma in either the HDFS Family Science Option or Adult Development and Aging Option.
  • MiSU: Transcript & Diploma in Social Work (B.S.W.)

All required Social Work courses are delivered by Minot State University Social Work faculty in either a face-to-face, online, or Web-Based modality. The dual-degree program is NOT online. Students who need an online program will need to pursue a Social Work degree with a different University

The dual degree program is designed to be completed in four years with 123 credit hours for those students who choose this option when they enter college. Students who change majors and have not had the dual degree as their four-year plan may need one or more additional semesters to complete the program. See page nine for the suggested curriculum rotation.

Yes: Students completing the BSW program will be eligible to be licensed to practice Social Work in North Dakota. Licensure requirements can be found on the NDBSWE website.

You may contact the people who are named on the front of this handbook. Once you declare the dual degree as your major, you will be assigned an advisor in HDFS and an advisor in Social Work.

No: The MiSU Social Work degree on the NDSU campus is only offered if a student also completes the NDSU HDFS degree.

No: Students must register for at least one NDSU credit each fall, spring, or summer session that they are enrolled in the program.

Note: Students enrolled in MSU SWK 490: Field Education, are automatically enrolled in one HDFS Field Education credit. This allows NDSU students to have access to NDSU services while completing their internships with MiSU. This process is done automatically, and students do not have to pay for this credit.

During the semesters you are only taking NDSU courses (generally freshman year), you will pay full time NDSU tuition and fees.

Once you start MiSU courses, you will begin paying the per-credit-hour tuition and fee rate at each institution depending on how many credits you are taking at each school.

Per credit tuition and fee information can be found at:

Admission and Registration

You will register for NDSU courses through Campus Connection. Create your HDFS schedule first.

To register for MiSU courses:

  1. Make an appointment with your social work advisor to plan your course schedule.
  2. You will then complete and sign the Collaborative Registration Form which will be sent to MiSU to register you for Social Work courses.
  3. Login to Campus Connection and click on the E-FORMS Icon
    • Click on Registration and Records
    • Click on Collaborative Request
    • Use the dropdown box to find NDSU
    • Click Next
    • Provider Institution Information is Minot State University
    • Click on the appropriate semester
    • The Enroll Action is Add
    • Input the class number
    • Input the amount of credits for the class

You will pay tuition for all four years through the NDSU Business office. NDSU will take care of reimbursing the MiSU portion of your tuition & fees to Minot State.

Yes. Federal financial aid will work as it normally does. However, you should check with NDSU Student Financial Services as to whether particular scholarships and tuition waivers will cover both the MiSU and NDSU tuition and fee charges.

A student must meet the following criteria to be considered for admission to the MiSU Social Work Program: 

  1. Successful completion of SWK 250 and SWK 256
  2. A minimum cumulative NDSU GPA of 2.0
  3. A minimum SWK GPA of 3.0 (SWK 250 & 256 used for GPA calculation)
  4. Successful completion of the following prerequisite courses:
    • ENGL 110 Composition I
    • ENGL 120 Composition II
    • COMM 110 Fundamentals of Communication
    • POLS 115 or 215
    • SOC 110 Introduction to Sociology
    • PSYC 111 Introduction to Psychology
    • PHIL 210 Ethics
  5. Successful completion and documentation (time log) of 25 hours of volunteer experience during the SWK 250 class (credit is NOT granted for previous life, work, or volunteer experience)
  6. Satisfactory evaluation from the SWK 250 volunteer supervisor
  7. Completed self-evaluation from SWK 250 volunteer experience
  8. Demonstration of skills necessary for professional human interaction
  9. Submission of the BCI Background Check. Results are reviewed by the program prior to admission decision.
  10. Completion and submission of the social work application packet

If the applicant is denied admission due to academic or non-academic issues, the applicant may reapply once the issue has been satisfactorily addressed.

For more information regarding admission and continuance in the MiSU Social Work Program please contact the program director Nancy Gordon.

Contact Information:
Nancy Gordon
701-751-1313
nancy.l.gordon@minotstateu.edu

Transfers to NDSU, or HDFS students who have completed many of the Adult Development and Aging or Family Science requirements, may still wish to add the Social Work option. In this instance, the student should bring a transcript to EML 277 and meet with Joel Hektner (HDFS) to create a plan for their progression through the dual degree curriculum.

Curriculum Requirements

The NDSU and MiSU Registrars Offices have the final authority to decide on all general education requirements, waivers, and exceptions. In cases where particular dual degree requirements also serve to meet general education requirements, they are listed on the Suggested Curriculum Rotation. Students are also encouraged to ask advisors about general education classes that might be of particular interest to them.

Students enrolled in the dual degree program MUST take all the courses listed on the suggested curriculum rotation in order to meet the requirements for the dual degree. Transfer students can petition to have different courses approved through the course substitution process (discuss course substitutions with your advisor). The MiSU Social Work Program Director and the APSW Department Chair will make the final decision on all social work and related area requirement exceptions.

The following Social Work Methods Courses must be completed through MiSU: SWK 335, 426, 427, 490, & 491

First, you must graduate from a program that is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The MiSU social work program is accredited by CSWE. Graduates will apply for licensure by going to the North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners’ website at www.ndbswe.com. Once you download an application packet from the NDBSWE website, you will complete and submit the application and fee. The application must be signed in the presence of a Notary Public which you can find at most banks and at the NDSU “One Stop.” As part of the application process, MiSU will verify that all Social Work degree requirements have been met. You may have to submit fingerprints, as well as sign permission for an FBI and Bureau of Criminal Investigation background check, as well as a background check from the North Dakota Department of Human Services. There is a charge for getting your fingerprints taken, and a charge for the BCI/FBI check.

Having something on your background check does not automatically make you ineligible for licensure; but if you have offenses, you will be asked to provide information on the offense, as well as the outcome of your court experience.

Once you have submitted the required information, you will be allowed to register to take the ASWB exam. There is a fee for the exam. After you pass the exam, getting the actual license from the NDBSWE will cost an additional fee. (All fee information can be found atwww.ndbswe.com)