Program Overview

Social Work (BSW) Program

The Bachelor in Social Work degree is a four-year program offering generalist training in a variety of social service settings in diverse communities. Graduates of this program are well-positioned for roles in social services, including child welfare, community mental health, drug/alcohol rehabilitation, and developmental disabilities.

Program Overview

The Social Work (BSW) program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in social work principles, practices, and policies. The program aims to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to engage in effective social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Curriculum

The curriculum for the Social Work (BSW) program includes the following required courses:

• SOWK 200: Introduction to Social Work
• SOWK 301: Practice Skills with Individuals and Families
• SOWK 303: Group Work Practice in Social Work: Micro/Mezzo/Macro
• SOWK 305: Life Span Development, Human Behavior, Trauma, & Theory
• SOWK 307: Social Work Policy and Community Intervention
• SOWK 308: Integrated Micro, Mezzo, and Macro Practice 1
• SOWK 330: Internship I and Simulated Experience
• SOWK 340: Internship II and Simulated Experience
• SOWK 350: Preparation for Practice
• SOWK 362: Integrative Seminar
• SOWK 370: Power, Oppression, Privilege, and Social Justice
• SOWK 380: Assessment of Client Concerns in Context
• SOWK 390: Research and Evaluation in Social Work Practice
• Social Science Courses (15 hours)
  • PSYC 101: General Psychology
  • SOCL 101: Society in a Global Age
  • 9 credits of Social Science electives

Suggested Sequence of Courses

The suggested sequence of courses for the Social Work (BSW) program is as follows:

Year 1

• Fall: SOCL 101: Society in a Global Age (3 hours)
• Spring: PSYC 101: General Psychology (3 hours), SOWK 200: Introduction to Social Work (3 hours)

Year 2

• Fall: Social Science Elective (3 hours)
• Spring: Social Science Elective (3 hours), SOWK 370: Power, Oppression, Privilege, and Social Justice (3 hours)

Year 3

• Fall: Social Science Elective (3 hours), SOWK 307: Social Work Policy and Community Intervention (3 hours)
• Spring: SOWK 305: Life Span Development, Human Behavior, Trauma, & Theory (3 hours), SOWK 350: Preparation for Practice (3 hours)

Year 4

• Fall: SOWK 301: Practice Skills with Individuals and Families (3 hours), SOWK 330: Internship I and Simulated Experience (3.5 hours), SOWK 362: Integrative Seminar (1 hour), SOWK 380: Assessment of Client Concerns in Context (3 hours)
• Spring: SOWK 303: Group Work Practice in Social Work: Micro/Mezzo/Macro (3 hours), SOWK 308: Integrated Micro, Mezzo, and Macro Practice (3 hours), SOWK 340: Internship II and Simulated Experience (3.5 hours), SOWK 390: Research and Evaluation in Social Work Practice (3 hours)

Additional Undergraduate Graduation Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the University Core, at least one Engaged Learning course, and UNIV 101. SCPS students are not required to take UNIV 101. Nursing students in the Accelerated BSN program are not required to take core or UNIV 101.

BSW Program Generalist Learning Outcomes

The BSW program is designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to engage in effective social work practice. The program's learning outcomes are organized around the following competencies:

Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior

Social workers understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, as well as relevant policies, laws, and regulations that may affect practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Competency 2: Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice

Social workers understand that every person, regardless of position in society, has fundamental human rights. Social workers are knowledgeable about the global intersecting and ongoing injustices throughout history that result in oppression and racism.

Competency 3: Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice

Social workers understand how racism and oppression shape human experiences and how these two constructs influence practice at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community levels and in policy and research.

Competency 4: Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice

Social workers use ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive approaches in conducting research and building knowledge. Social workers use research to inform their practice decision-making and articulate how their practice experience informs research and evaluation decisions.

Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice

Social workers identify social policy at the local, state, federal, and global level that affects well-being, human rights and justice, service delivery, and access to social services. Social workers recognize the historical, social, racial, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy.

Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that engagement is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with and on behalf of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that assessment is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in culturally responsive assessment with clients and constituencies.

Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that intervention is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice. Social workers understand theories of human behavior, person-in-environment, and other interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in selecting culturally responsive interventions with clients and constituencies.

Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that evaluation is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with and on behalf of diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers evaluate processes and outcomes to increase practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness.