BSW – Bachelor of Social Work
Social work is a human service profession that assists the needs of society in several areas, including gerontology, healthcare, mental retardation, child welfare, correctional rehabilitation, mental health, income maintenance, home health, hospice, domestic violence, homelessness and alcoholism/substance abuse. The BSW program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and prepares students as generalist practitioners for entry-level professional practice with individuals, marital couples, families, small groups, organizations, practitioners and entire communities.
Admission Criteria
Applicants to the BSW Program Advanced Standing are selected based upon the following criteria:
- Completion of 60 credit hours of the required pre-social work courses as listed on the curriculum map;
- Completion of or enrollment in SWK 210 — Orientation to Social Work, SWK 230 — Social Welfare History and Ethics; and
- Achievement of an overall and Social Work GPA of 2.5 at the time of admission to the social work program, and a grade of "C" or above in all Social Work Core courses.
Admission Requirements and Procedures
The BSW Program has a selective admission procedure.
- Be unconditionally admitted to MSU through the University's Office of Enrollment Services.
- Declare social work as an area.
- Meet with assigned faculty advisor.
- Apply for admission prior to taking SWK 325 - Social Work Generalist Perspective
- Obtain and complete application and complete the online Interest Profiler. File the application, an unofficial transcript, a copy of current program evaluation, the Interest Profiler results, and personal statement with advisor one week prior to interview with the faculty advisor.
- The program director, in collaboration with program faculty, will determine and announce each semester's schedule for students to apply for admission. The program director will schedule faculty conferences on individual student evaluations as needed as described in paragraph 4.
- The student's advisor will meet with the candidate after reviewing all of the material presented by the student and any recommendations made by other faculty. If all is in order, the faculty member will forward applications to the Admission Committee for selection. If there are any exceptions to the standard criteria, the Admission Committee will make one of four determinations:
- Approved - all admission criteria have been met and the faculty believes the student has demonstrated the values of social work.
- Conditional approval (probation) - one or more of the admission criteria has not been met but the faculty believe that the student can complete the deficiencies within a specified time frame.
- Pending - student does not meet admission criteria but will be reconsidered once all criteria are met.
- Denied - student does not meet admission criteria.
- Students must meet requirements for Kentucky Board of Social Work Licensing.
Program Competencies
The purpose of the Social Work Program competencies are to guide student development as beginning professional social workers in generalist practice, from knowledge acquisition, comprehension and application of knowledge, to analysis, synthesis and evaluation of generalist social work practice.
Students will:
- Identify as a professional social worker and conduct one's self accordingly.
- Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice.
- Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgment.
- Engage diversity and difference in practice.
- Advance human rights and social and economic justice.
- Engage in research informed practice and practice informed research.
- Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment.
- Engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being and to deliver effective social work services.
- Respond to contexts that shape practice.
- Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
Assessment
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Program Requirements
General Education
| SWK 499C | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| | General Education courses | variable |
| Total Credit Hours: | 36 |
Area Requirements
Social Work Area Requirements
| SWK 210 | Orientation to Social Work | 4 |
| SWK 230 | Social Welfare History & Ethics | 3 |
| SWK 320 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment - Conception to Young Adulthood | 3 |
| SWK 321 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment - Middle Adulthood to Death | 3 |
| SWK 324 | Social Work Research Methods | 3 |
| SWK 325 | Social Work Generalist Perspective | 3 |
| SWK 326 | Generalist Practice Lab | 3 |
| SWK 345 | Law and Social Work | 3 |
| SWK 424 | Social Work Micro Practice | 3 |
| SWK 426 | Social Work Mezzo Skills | 3 |
| SWK 430 | Social Policy and Planning | 3 |
| SWK 451 | Quantitative Data Analysis | 3 |
| SWK 497 | Practicum in Social Work | 8 |
| SWK 498 | Social Work Macro Practice | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 48 |
Social Work Electives
Choose six credit hours from the following:
| SWK 300 | Criminogenic Family | 3 |
| SWK 301 | Family Violence: An International Perspective | 3 |
| SWK 306 | Juvenile Delinquency | 3 |
| SWK 315 | Child Welfare Services | 3 |
| SWK 330 | Health Structures and Behavior | 3 |
| SWK 333 | Beginning Helping Skills for Human Service Professionals | 3 |
| SWK 334 | Women and Partner Violence | 3 |
| SWK 335 | Families in Modern Society | 3 |
| SWK 337 | Sociology of Food | 3 |
| SWK 340 | Community Mental Health | 3 |
| SWK 343 | Religion and Sexuality | 3 |
| SWK 358 | Child Abuse and Neglect | 3 |
| SWK 360 | Crisis Intervention | 3 |
| SWK 365 | Grant Development | 3 |
| SWK 380 | Social Work Practice in Health Care | 3 |
| SWK 381 | Race, Class, Gender and Crime | 3 |
| SWK 399 | Special Class | 3 |
| SWK 400 | Special Problems | 1-3 |
| SWK 416 | Working with Offenders | 3 |
| SWK 420 | Social Work Administration & Management | 3 |
| SWK 435 | Group Dynamics | 3 |
| SWK 441 | Issues in Aging | 3 |
| SWK 445 | Death and Dying | 3 |
| SWK 458 | Social Work Interview Methods in Child Maltreatment | 3 |
| SWK 470 | Introduction to Substance Abuse Counseling | 3 |
| SWK 471 | Alcohol, Alcoholism and Chemical Dependency | 3 |
| SWK 472 | Approaches to Chemical Dependency Treatment I | 3 |
| SWK 473 | Approaches to Chemical Dependency Treatment II | 3 |
| SWK 474 | Practicum in Chemical Dependency | 3 |
| CRIM 317 | Police Culture | 3 |
| CRIM 345 | Correctional Institutions | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 6 |
Supplemental Requirements
| SOC 374 | Race and Ethnicity | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 3 |
General Electives
| | General electives | variable |
| Total Credit Hours: | 27 |
Total Credit Hours: 120