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2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Social Work Major, BSW
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Program Mission
The program is designed to produce sound, beginning generalist social work practitioners at the baccalaureate level who demonstrate the knowledge, values, and skills of the profession by working with diverse populations in the local, national and global communities.
The mission of the Social Work program at Winston-Salem State University is to provide undergraduate instruction that will equip social work graduates with the skills they need to become beginning generalist social work practitioners. The program will provide students with the knowledge and ethical skills needed in direct service positions in order to be able to work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Our graduates will be able to employ integrated strategies in assessing human needs throughout their careers. In addition, graduates will also be able to affirm the dynamics of different groups, taking into consideration their unique racial, economic, ethnic, gender, physical and cognitive characteristics.
Program Purpose
The Social Work Program emphasizes the history of social work and how its history has shaped current social work practice as we know it today. The program provides quality courses that focus on emerging topics in the areas of social welfare policy, research, human behavior, ethics, and social work methods. The program heavily focuses on teaching students the knowledge and application of values/ethics in practice with ALL populations. Students, will be challenged in a dynamic community agency and supervised by a competent field instructor. It is our hope that students, after receiving this sound training, will further their education in graduate or professional programs to engage in higher levels of practice to improve the conditions of oppressed people everywhere.
The goals of the Social Work Program are the following:
- To address the need for competent entry-level, beginning generalist social workers who can work on the micro, mezzo and macro levels of social work practice.
- To address social and economic injustices within the context of the political economic structures currently in society.
- To address issues surrounding social work values, ethics, and skills in professional practice.
- To address the need for students and graduates to become critical thinkers through their professional careers.
- To address the need for students to attend professional and continuing education seminars through their professional careers.
- To address the need for students and graduates to become sensitive to the diverse needs of multi-ethnic populations and at-risk populations.
Upon Completion of the Social Work Program Students Will be Able to Demonstrate the Following Competencies (Council on Social Work Education, 2015):
- Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
- Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
- Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
- Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
- Engage in Policy Practice
- Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Admission Requirements for the Major
The Social Work Department reviews applications on a rolling basis throughout the academic year. Students can ONLY apply for admission while enrolled in the SOW 3363 (Introduction to Social Work) course which is offered during the summer (Summer Session I), fall, and spring. Prior to applying to the Social Work Program, students are expected to have read the NASW Code of Ethics. A copy of the NASW Code of Ethics is available in the NASW website (https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English).
While in this course, the instructor takes students through the step-by-step process for submitting their application and additional required documents. Upon receipt and completion of the application, a minimum of two faculty members reviews and discuss the application.
To apply for admission to the Social Work Program, students must meet the following conditions:
- Successfully complete a minimum of 36 credit hours in general education requirements
- Successfully complete SOW 3363 – Introduction to Social Work, with a grade of “C” or higher (by the end of the semester)
- Submitted the designated application for admissions (embedded in Canvas in the SOW 3363 course)
- Submit a letter of reference
- Official or unofficial transcripts from all prior institutions (if a transfer student)
- _”Letter of Good Standing” from prior social work faculty (if transferring as a major from another accredited BSW program).
- Overall GPA of 2.) or higher from WSSU and/or from all institutions attended.
- A quality personal statement (details of personal statement provided while enrolled in course)
- Up-to-date resume
- Professional disposition checklist provided by Introduction to Social Work Instructor;
Upon completion of the application reviews, a minimum of two social work faculty review the application and a decision is rendered regarding students application. The decisions are stated as followed:
- Granted full acceptance, no provisions
- Conditional acceptance based on admissions criteria
- Delay a decision pending additional information (i.e., transcripts, essay, resume, letters of recommendation) at the request of the Admissions Committee
- Defer a decision until certain admissions criteria have been met (e.g., 2.0 GPA)
- Denied acceptance
Students may be granted conditional admission due to the following:
- Additional information/documentation is required
- Incomplete Application
- Concerns on Disposition Checklist
Students are notified via email of the decision of their acceptance. If students are accepted into the program, they are informed via email and receive a copy of the BSW Student Handbook which details requirements and details of the program. If they receive a conditional, delay or defer decision, further instructions are provided in the email.
*Academic credit for life experience and previous work experience is not given, in whole or in part, in lieu of the field practicum or for courses in the professional foundation areas specified in the EPAS. Social Work credit earned at a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education is reviewed and evaluated by the BSW Program Coordinator for transferability. No social work credit is given for credits earned at a non-accredited school.
BSW Student Handbook
Major Requirements
Students majoring in social work must take a minimum of 40 semester hours of required social work (SOW) courses and 6 semester hours of required related course work. SOC 2301 - Introduction to Sociology , PSY 1301 - Introduction to the Psychological Sciences and an introductory statistics class (GER 2326 - Statistics for Social and Behavior Sciences /SOC 2326 - Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences ) must be completed as part of general education (9 semester hours). Students must obtain a grade of “C” or better in all required SOW courses.
The student and advisor must meet a minimum of twice during the academic year to ensure sequential selection of courses and to avoid delays in the student completing the Social Work program. Any deviation from this curriculum should be done in consultation with the Social Work Program Coordinator.
Academic credit for life experience and previous work experience is not given, in whole or in part, in lieu of the field practicum or for courses in the professional foundation areas specified in the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). Social Work credit earned at a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is reviewed and evaluated by the BSW Program Coordinator for transferability.
Prerequisite General Education Courses for Major
Required Courses
The BSW curriculum prepares its graduates for generalist practice through mastery of the core competencies (as noted above) based on a professional curriculum. Students will take the following courses:
Notes
- Required SOW (social work) courses are offered in sequential order and (at least) once a year.
- Students intending to apply to an advanced standing MSW (Master of Social Work) degree program will need to take a Human Biology or a Human Development course while matriculating in the BSW program for admissions consideration in an advanced MSW (master of Social Work) degree program. Not all programs are the same and thus students should always review the requirements of the graduate program of interest.
Policies
- Students may receive conditional or provisional acceptance if they do not meet the special admissions requirements; this determination is based on the decision of the Admissions Committee.
- Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and a 2.5 GPA within the social work major to be eligible to enroll in SOW 3641 - Field Instruction I (Field/Internship Program)
*The Social Work program is accrdited by the Council on Social Work Education
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