Social Work
Undergraduate
The baccalaureate program prepares students for beginning social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Through classroom and field education experiences, students learn skills that enable them to intervene effectively with those who struggle with personal and social problems. The B.S.W. provides excellent preparation for graduate work and meets various state, licensing, and employment requirements for social work practice.
Students who complete the B.S.W. program with an overall grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or better may qualify for accelerated "advanced standing" placement in many social work graduate schools around the country, including the program at Western Michigan University where students with considerable professional experience are also eligible.
Students enrolled in the undergraduate social work curriculum are required to complete a major consisting of 32 hours, a guided interdisciplinary minor of 22 to 24 hours, and a research component of 6 hours, totaling 60-62 hours.
The curriculum covers the following areas: ethics and values; diversity; social and economic justice; populations at risk; human behavior in the social environment; and social welfare policy and practice. As part of the program, students also complete a 400-hour internship in a human service agency.