The Social Work program offers a professional degree grounded in a strong liberal arts foundation, designed to prepare students for generalist social work practice. Through a combination of academic coursework and supervised field practicums, students develop the knowledge, values, and skills essential for effective work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Core areas of the curriculum include social work values and ethics, human behavior in the social environment, diversity and culturally responsive practice, social, economic, and environmental justice, social policy, and research methods. The Social Work program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program integrates Franciscan and social work values into a professional identity serving those in need, advocating for social justice and human rights, and providing leadership to communities. The BSW Program prepares students for employment as a generalist social worker, the pursuit of graduate studies in social work, and the advancement of the profession through scholarly endeavors.
Knowledge Building
Students master generalist social work knowledge in the following areas:
- social work values and ethics
- culturally sensitive practice with diverse groups
- advocacy for human rights and social justice
- social policy and services
- social research and evidenced-informed practice
- human behavior and social environment theories
- generalist intervention methods: planned change process
Professional Skill Building Courses
One pre-practice and three practice courses teach students how to engage, assess, plan, intervene and evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
Generalist social workers fulfill many roles including advocate, broker, linker, case manager, community organizer, counselor, family home based worker, group facilitator, and program developer. Generalist social workers work in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, abuse prevention programs, community mental health, hospital, hospice, public health, child welfare, probation, law enforcement, schools, vocational rehabilitation, immigration and refugee programs, youth and family services, community food banks, and public policy.
Field Practicum Experience
One foundations of practicum (50 hours) and two field practicum placements (480 hours) are required. Field practicum tasks are supervised learning experiences whereby students apply academic learning required for generalist social work practice in a social service agency. Oversight of the field placements is provided by the BSW Program Field Director. In-agency supervision is provided by an approved Field Instructor, who has a BSW (Bachelor of Social Work) or MSW (Master of Social Work) degree, at least two years of work experience, and supervision experience with generalist social workers.
Council on Social Work Education Accreditation
The Bachelor of Social Work Program (BSW Program) is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The accreditation enhances our graduates’ employment opportunities, in most states leads to licensure, and allows them to seek advanced standing in most graduate social work programs. The BSW Program was reaffirmed as an accredited program in June 2020 and is scheduled for review during the 2026-2027 academic year.
Program Mission
Prepares students to emerge as generalist social work leaders dedicated to serving diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Grounded in Franciscan values, our program integrates theoretical framework alongside anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspectives to prepare graduates for competent practice, advocate for human rights and challenge social injustice.
Program Goals
Upon completion of the BSW Program, students will be able to:
1. Engage in generalist social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and other professionals within a multicultural, global society
2. Practice according to the purpose, values, and ethical standards that guide the social work profession and in accordance with Franciscan values
3. Practice from a culturally competent perspective that respects diverse cultures, advocates for the alleviation of poverty, oppression, and injustices related to human rights, and promotes the enhancement of human life
4. Apply knowledge of biological, psychological, social, spiritual, and cultural functioning to increase an understanding of person and environment construct
5. Develop a scholarly, professional social work identity and practice accordingly
Student Learning Outcomes
The BSW Program provides an outcome-based education in generalist social work practice. In other words, the educational environment teaches students what they must know (knowledge), who they are (values), and what they can do (skills). Upon completion of the BSW Program, students will have mastered the following competencies and practice behaviors.
Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
a. make ethical decisions by applying the standards of the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision making, ethical conduct of research, and additional codes of ethics within the profession as appropriate to the context.
b. demonstrate professional behavior; appearance; and oral, written, and electronic communication.
c. use technology ethically and appropriately to facilitate practice outcomes; and
d. use supervision and consultation to guide professional judgment and behavior.
Competency 2: Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice
a. advocate for human rights at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community system levels; and
b. engage in practices that advance human rights to promote social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.
Competency 3: Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice
a. demonstrate anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work practice at the individual, family, group, organizational, community, research, and policy levels; and
b. demonstrate cultural humility by applying critical reflection, self-awareness, and self-regulation to manage the influence of bias, power, privilege, and values in working with clients and constituencies, acknowledging them as experts of their own lived experiences.
Competency 4: Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
a. apply research findings to inform and improve practice, policy, and programs; and
b. identify ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive strategies that address inherent biases for use in quantitative and qualitative research methods to advance the purposes of social work.
Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice
a. use social justice, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive lenses to assess how social welfare policies affect the delivery of and access to social services; and
b. apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.
Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
a. apply knowledge of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as inter-professional conceptual frameworks, to engage with clients and constituencies; and
b. use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to engage in culturally responsive practice with clients and constituencies.
Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
a. apply theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as other culturally responsive and inter-professional conceptual frameworks, when assessing clients and constituencies; and
b. demonstrate respect for client self-determination during the assessment process by collaborating with clients and constituencies in developing a mutually agreed-upon plan.
Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
a. apply theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as other culturally responsive and inter-professional conceptual frameworks, when assessing clients and constituencies; and
b. demonstrate respect for client self-determination during the assessment process by collaborating with clients and constituencies in developing a mutually agreed-upon plan.
Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
a. select and use culturally responsive methods for evaluation of outcomes; and
b. critically analyze outcomes and apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
Licensure
The BSW degree leads to opportunities to obtain a professional social work license. The type of license and requirements to secure a license varies from state to state. Information about licensure is available through the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) office in the state of your interest. The online resource called The Social Work Guide provides information about each state’s social work licensing.
Degree Requirements
The Bachelor of Science in Social Work degree requires 120 credit hours:
· 51 credit hours of social work courses
· 33-36 credit hours of general education courses
· 33-36 credit hours in elective courses