Department of Social Work
The Department of Social Work is nationally accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and offers the Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) degree. Social work is a challenging and enriching profession that is committed to the advancement of social and economic justice and human wellbeing.
The B.S.W. degree equips students to begin professional social work practice in public and private social service agencies at the local, state, and federal levels which provide a variety of services to diverse populations. The B.S.W. graduate qualifies for immediate application to become a licensed professional social worker. Graduates are eligible to apply for advanced standing when seeking admission to graduate schools of social work. Potential areas of employment include family and children’s services, mental health, juvenile court programs, school-based social work, aging programs, healthcare/hospice settings, case management services, rehabilitation services, legal services, corrections, group work, social planning and administration, social research, community development and organization, as well as other emerging opportunities in social work.
The department offers coursework primarily in the classroom with some courses available online. Opportunities for hands-on experience in community service learning settings are provided throughout the curriculum. A supervised field internship in a professional local, state or regional social services agency is required. The official Social Work Student Handbook contains the departmental academic guidelines to acquire the B.S.W. degree. No minor is required for this program. Required General Education courses in Areas I-V should be completed prior to enrolling in Social Services, Programs, and Policies (SW 305) and/or Human Behavior and Social Environment I : Infancy to Young Adulthood (SW 315). All social work courses must be satisfactorily completed (must earn a C or higher) in the appropriate sequence before advancing to the next sequence of required major courses. An exit exam is required for graduation. More information on the B.S.W. Program is available at http://www.una.edu/socialwork.