Social Work, B.S.
[Social Work–2104]
Social Work is one of the helping professions that is responsible for and responsive to assisting individuals, groups, families, organizations, and/or communities to enhance their capacity for social functioning, through the development of a thorough understanding of generalist practice. Graduate Social Work Education builds on that understanding through the development of advanced practice skills.
The four-year program offers a broad base of liberal arts education and professional study which leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work (B.S.). The program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the national accrediting body for social work education.
The program provides for observational and volunteer experiences starting at the freshman level, a 40-80-hour junior year practicum, and a 400-hour field practicum in the spring of the senior year, or the summer following the senior year. These experiences include, but are not limited to, working in hospitals, children’s welfare institutions, facilities for the aged, community agencies, church-related agencies, and services for the disabled.
Our three-year curriculum plan is not only convenient but also feasible. Students will need to maintain a course load of 17 to 18 credits each semester during the first two years as well as complete several summer courses. However, they will reduce their BSW Program by one full semester--a substantial financial savings which is attractive to students and their families.
The mission of the Bachelor of Science Social Work program at Roberts Wesleyan College is to prepare students for generalist social work practice and for graduate education. With a commitment to professional social work values and ethics, the program provides a practice-oriented education that develops students who can engage in diversity-sensitized social work. Integrating a Christian worldview, students will serve those in need with compassion and skill.
The social work program affirms the stance of the parent institution, operating without student discrimination regarding race, age, color, sex, handicap, creed or national and ethnic origin, and welcomes students from any socio-economic status.
SPECIFICS OF THE SOCIAL WORK B.S. DEGREE
Minimum Total Hours: 124
Total Liberal Arts Hours Required: 60
General Education Requirements: Per General Education list (see General Education Division). Exceptions: only one fine arts course is required (ART 101, MUS 104, OR FNA 102); PSY 101 required for the behavioral science requirement; the history, economics, or social sciences elective is not required since it is met through the major; lab science must be BIO 103; mathematics proficiency is met through the major requirements.
Minimum Requirements: Overall and major GPA of 2.25; no grade less than C- in the major.
Admission Requirements: See institutional policies pertaining to admission. Students who plan to major in Social Work should indicate this plan immediately upon entering as freshmen or after transferring from another institution.
Transfer Requirements: See institutional transfer policies.
Application to the Major: Special application form to be secured from the Division of Social Work and submitted in the second semester of the sophomore year, upon achieving a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.25 and upon completing the first social work course (SWK 103) with at least a grade of C-. Formal admission to the major for transfer students may be delayed if they have not completed this course or a similar social work course. An applicant to the Social Work program will interview with the Social Work Admissions Committee, which will make a recommendation to the Division regarding admission to the program.
Major Requirements: 60-61 hours as follows:
- SWK 103, 205, 206, 208, 301, 302, 308, 310, 311, 312, 350, 404, 405, 407, 410, and 450;
- SOC 101;
- MTH 200;
- Recommended but not required: SWK 204, 409, and 490.