The social work program is designed to prepare students to practice baccalaureate level generalist social work. Social work is unique among majors in the College of Liberal Arts. It represents professional and personal preparation to work in a field that demonstrates caring and concern for others through practice based on knowledge, values, ethics, and skills that define social work. At the completion of the educational experience, students will have achieved the tenets of the social work program's mission, goals, and educational objectives. The Council on Social Work Education provides the educational mission and philosophy to which the program adheres.

Because the Council on Social Work Education accredits Bloomsburg's Social Work program, graduates are eligible for licensing in states that have licensing at the baccalaureate level with the social work profession and potentially qualify for advanced standing status at colleges and universities with Masters in Social Work degrees.

Social work majors have two opportunities to apply academic preparation to practice experiences. The first practice experience occurs early in the curriculum and the second placement as the final capstone experience is a generalist social worker. Students are placed in a variety of different social welfare systems with the goal of exposing them to differing practice settings. They include area agencies on aging, children and youth services programs, day care programs, drug and alcohol programs, hospitals, mental health agencies, adult and juvenile probation programs, women's centers and voluntary organizations such as the Salvation Army and the YMCA.

Educational objectives of the program are organized under the related program goal. These objectives are used as building blocks in a sequence of social work courses designed to prepare the entry-level generalist social worker for practice.

Generalist social work practice involves the problem solving process (problem definition, assessment, interventions, and evaluation of self and practice). The problem solving process is based on a liberal arts foundation that is integrated into the social work professional core and guided by systems and ecological theories, the social work code of ethics, an appreciation of human diversity, and a commitment to social and economic justice. A generalist social worker has the ability to intervene in all sizes of client systems with varied practice roles as determined by the practice situation or practice settings.

Students begin as sociology majors and apply for admission to the social work program, which is capped at 75 students.

The screening, selection, and retention process is designed with the objective of having students and faculty mutually assess the student's readiness and commitment to be a social work major. This process acknowledges the importance of producing graduates that are able to meet the challenges within the profession. In addition, this process supports the commitment of the student to ongoing self-reflection and professional development.

As a social work major, you'll begin with courses in United States government, sociology, psychology and human biology, plus an introduction to social work and social welfare and an introductory practice experience in social work to measure your interest. Social work requires admission to the program based primarily on GPA and progression in the major requires satisfactory grades and demonstration of professional and personal standards on performance, conduct/behavior, emotional self-control and self-understanding, and communication skills.

Your core courses in the major will include human behavior in the social environment, research methods for generalist social work practice, social welfare policy and services, social work field eduction and an integrative social seminar in social work. Professional study also includes social work practice with individuals and families, groups and groups at risk, and organizations and communities.

You'll work with your adviser to elect elective courses and organize other general education requirements to meet your interests and career goals. Among the electives are child welfare, family counseling, behavioral health and generalist social work and social work and issues of aging

Admission of Transfer Students

Students who transfer from other colleges or from other majors at Bloomsburg may be formally accepted into the social work program by following the Screening and Selection Policy and its procedures. The student transcripts will be evaluated by the social work program director. Preserving the integrity of the program's mission, goals, and objective is of primary importance in assessing the student's transcript. Every effort will be made not to duplicate coursework.