The Department of Social Work's undergraduate program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and must meet rigorous academic standards to retain this accreditation. Social work majors pursue a program that encompasses the professional social work competencies of professional identity, critical thinking, knowledge of diversity and human rights, social, environmental and economic justice, social welfare policy and services, social work practice with all client system sizes, human behavior in the social environment, research, and ethics.
According to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), "The social work profession provides ethical, practical, and compassionate leadership to help people confront and resolve personal and social challenges" through their work with individuals, families, small groups, organizations, and communities. All social work majors complete a field internship under the direction of a qualified supervisor.
The Department of Social Work's undergraduate program offers both a major and a minor in social work. It is a specialized degree that prepares graduates for generalist social work practice with a solid foundation in the liberal arts and in the knowledge, skills, and value base of social work. Through the mastery of core competencies, social work graduates apply their education working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. In addition, the program prepares qualified students to pursue graduate education in schools of social work and related fields.
To connect the theoretical and conceptual content of the classroom with the practice world, students must complete 40 hours of volunteer service in an approved agency/program setting by the end of the semester prior to applying to the field. Twenty of the forty hours must be in the same agency/program. The remaining hours may be across multiple sites/programs. This experience may be paid or volunteer and must be pre-approved by the student's faculty adviser. The service hours must be completed post high school and by the end of the semester prior to field application. In addition, students complete a 450-hour internship over two semesters during the senior year. This is the senior capstone experience. The field placement in the final year of the baccalaureate program is arranged between the student and the field education coordinator. Evaluation of this senior field placement is one tool that measures student achievement of program competencies. Students are required to pay a liability insurance fee for their off-campus field education experience. In compliance with CSWE accreditation standards, the B.S. in social work program does not grant social work course credit for life or work experience.
Social work majors earn a B.S. degree in social work. Graduates are eligible for practice in a variety of social work settings throughout the United States. In addition, qualified graduates are eligible to apply for advanced standing in M.S.W. programs that offer advanced standing. Depending upon the program, this can mean earning the M.S.W. in one calendar year versus two academic years.
