Department of Social Work

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Department Purpose:

Social Work is the main profession that provides services to individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations within our nation’s social welfare system. Among all of the human service professions, Social Work, more than any other, addresses client’s concerns from a holistic, psychosocial, economic, and environmental framework. According to the National Association of Social Workers, “the primary mission of the Social Work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty.”

The Shaw University Social Work major places emphasis on addressing social and economic justice issues. The Social Work major equips students with Social Work values, knowledge, skills, abilities, and supervised practice to enter the profession as competent beginning professionals to attend, graduate school. The demand for Social Workers at the baccalaureate level has remained consistently high, particularly in the areas of mental health, child welfare, health, corrections, and geriatrics.

Social Work majors cannot earn a second major within the usual four-year academic program because of the number of hours required for the major. However, individuals with a bachelor’s degree in another discipline may earn a Bachelor of Social Work degree by completing all of the course requirements.

Students may minor in Social Work by completing 18 semester hours within the Social Work major core curriculum. Students may only minor in Social Work at locations where it is offered as a major.

Students may earn credit by examination for only the following courses in the Social Work major core, upon approval of the academic adviser and the appropriate Department Chair: BUS 260  and PSY 304 .

Students must earn a final grade of C or better in all departmental core (CRJ 200, PSY 201, SOW 210, SOC 211, and SOW 342) and Social Work major core courses in order to pass the course and receive credit toward the Bachelor of Social Work degree.

The Shaw University Social Work Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, and the Bachelor of Social Work program is accredited through 2020.

Programs

• Social Work, BSW

Courses

• SOW 210 Introduction To Social Work (3)
• SOW 235 American Social Welfare Policy (3)
• SOW 301 Human Behavior and The Social Environment I (3)
• SOW 302 Human Behavior and The Social Environment II (3)
• SOW 303 Human Diversity (3)
• SOW 305 Communication and Writing for Social Workers (3)
• SOW 342 Introduction to Social Work Research Methods (3)
• SOW 371 Introduction to Generalist Practice (3)
• SOW 373 Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families (3)
• SOW 375 Social Work Practice with Groups (3)
• SOW 377 Social Work Practice with Organizations and Communities (3)
• SOW 379 Child Welfare (3)
• SOW 465 Advanced Social Work Research Methods (3)
• SOW 472 Field Practice I (5)
• SOW 473 Field Practice Seminar I (1)
• SOW 474 Field Practice II (5)
• SOW 475 Field Practice Seminar II (1)
• SOW 491 Family Counseling (3)
• SOW 493 Seminar in Social Work (3)
• SOW 495 Substance Abuse: Issues and Treatment (3)

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