Social Work (BSW)

Social work is an action-oriented, value-based profession that assists people who experience challenges living in our fast-paced, rapidly changing society. At the University, students learn professional practice that emphasizes compassion and empathy for humans in need, dedication to the improvement of society, and commitment to equality and justice. Social workers work with a wide variety of people and systems, especially those vulnerable to oppression and discrimination. The social work profession facilitates client empowerment through connection and advocacy. The BSW program builds on the foundation provided by a liberal arts education and reinforced by social justice within our catholic intellectual tradition.

Students learn about strengths and needs people have, and how these needs are reinforced by our political, economic, social and cultural systems. As well, students gain knowledge in how to apply an anti-racist and anti-oppressive lens to bring about change beneficial to the needs of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. An ethical social worker promotes economic, racial, social, and environmental justice.

During the final year, students spend a total of 400 hours in community agencies as they complete a practicum over two semesters. These practica are designed to provide you with a supervised opportunity to apply the knowledge, values, and skills you have learned to social work practice. This practicum is facilitated by Practicum Education Department within the School of Social Work.

The mission of the BSW Program is to prepare holistic social workers, grounded in liberal arts and social justice traditions to enrich lives, facilitate empowerment, and advocate a just society as generalist professionals. Through an anti-oppressive lens, the BSW program cultivates empathy and the desire to change society at multiple levels by equipping students with knowledge, skills, and values indicative of ethical social work practice. It prepares students to embrace the ideals of the intrinsic dignity and equality of all people, and to advance social, racial, economic, and environmental justice within a diverse, global context.  

Accreditation

The BSW program at St. Ambrose University is accredited through the Council on Social Work Education. Upon graduation, students will have the training and experience to enter directly into generalist social work practice and will also be eligible for BA level licensing in states that require it. Since students will have graduated from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program, they also may be eligible for "advanced standing" in many MSW programs. Advanced standing usually reduces the length of time to complete the MSW.

Admission Criteria

All students must be officially accepted and admitted to the University before applying to the BSW program.

To be eligible for admission to the Bachelor of Social Work program, students must complete the following prerequisites:

1. Complete at least 45 credits (current students will be in second semester of sophomore year when completing application; transfer students will vary) with a minimum 2.5 overall GPA including any SAU and transfer credits;
2. Complete application form found https://sau.edu/academic-programs/bachelors/social-sciences/bsw/
3. Complete the following prerequisite courses with a C or higher (no C-)¹, or for transfer students, the SAU equivalent.
   1. ​SWK-201 Introduction to Social Work or Intro to Human Services
   2. Choose one of the following:
      1. PSYC-105 Introduction to Psychology 
      2. SOC-101 Introduction to Sociology 
      3. JDG-201 Cross-cultural Introduction to Women and Gender Studies
   3. PSCI-101 American Government
   4. Choose one of the following:
      1. ​STAT-145 Introductory Statistics 
      2. PSYC-145 Introductory Statistics
      3. SOC-390 Stats & Data Analysis in Social Science Sciences or CRJU-390 Stats & Data Analysis in Social Science Sciences
4. Personal Statement: Address the following components in no more than 1,000 words. You must complete the required prompt and then choose one of the following two prompts in order for you application to be considered complete.​​
   1. Required prompt: Describe why you are choosing social work as your chosen career path. Reflect on your own experiences and identities and discuss your reasons for choosing social work. This could include a volunteer or service-learning experience you have had and how it impacted you.
   2. Choose one of the following prompts:
      • Describe what justice means to you. Reflect on your own experiences and discuss the ways you think about justice.
      • How do your strengths and areas for growth align with the NASW Code of Ethics, particularly regarding the ethical principles of justice, respect for individual dignity, and promoting self-determination? 
5. Provide the name and email address of a person who can serve as a professional reference. Examples include a supervisor, college instructor, staff member or high school or college coach. A survey will be sent to the person you choose as your reference.
6. Transcripts sent from all institutions attended (if applicable)

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Exceptions will be considered.

Track One Early Decision Student Applicants

To be eligible for consideration in Track One early decision in the BSW Program, students must meet the following requirements:

1. Completed Application form found at https://admit.sau.edu/register/bswtrack1
2. Accepted student status (Submission of all relevant transcripts)
3. Earned High School GPA of 3.0 unweighted
4. Personal statement (2 pages or less double space) addressing the following prompts:​
   1. Please describe your career goals
   2. Please discuss why you are interested in social work

Program Assessment

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) provides nine competencies in the Educational Policy and Standards (EPAS) which guides social work education in the US. More information may be found here https://www.cswe.org/accreditation/policies-process/2022epas/.  These competencies identify the knowledge, values, skills, cognitive and affective processes, and behaviors associated with competence at the generalist level of practice. These EPAS include:

• Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
• Competency 2: Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic and Environmental Justice
• Competency 3: Engage in Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice
• Competency 4: Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
• Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice
• Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
• Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
• Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
• Competency 9: Evaluate  Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Across the curriculum, students will be assessed using the EPAS competencies above in embedded assignments in each class as well as in their culminating practicum experience their final year of the BSW program.

Passing Grades and Repeating Courses

To be eligible for progression to successive courses in the social work major, a student must pass all social work courses with a C or higher. An earned grade of C- or lower could require the student to re-take the course. The consequence of a C- or lower is that the student will have to wait a year for that course to be offered again. If this earned grade in that course continues, a course of action will be determined by remediation processes.

Degree Requirements for a Bachelor of Social Work

BSW students are required to complete the core curriculum courses as identified in this catalog along with the 35 credits required in the BSW degree.

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Earned C or higher