Skip to main content
Penn State Greater Allegheny
Hotline Apply Visit
  • Academics
    • The 2+2 Plan: Start Here, Finish Anywhere
    • Degree Programs at Greater Allegheny
    • Undergraduate Research Opportunities
    • Academic Engagements
    • Student Support
  • Admissions & Financial Aid
    • Visit Us
    • Information for First-Year Students
    • Information for Transfer Students
    • Information for International Students
    • Accepted Students
    • Tuition and Financial Aid
    • Veterans
  • Athletics
  • Information For
    • Future Students
    • Current Students
    • Alumni and Friends
    • Faculty & Staff
Full site navigation menu

This dialog contains the full navigation menu for this site.

Penn State Greater Allegheny
Enter the terms you wish to search for.
Search type:
Hotline Apply Visit
  • Academics
  • Admissions
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
  • Athletics
  • Career Services
  • Student Life
  • About Us

Find Information For:

  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Alumni and Friends
  • Faculty & Staff

Helpful Links

  • Campus Calendar
  • Campus Map
  • Information Technology Services
  • University Police
  • Sign Up for PSU Alerts
  • Give to Penn State Greater Allegheny

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • linkedin
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • instagram
  1. Home
  2. Academics
  3. Degree Programs
Images of students and Social Work faculty at a Social Work networking event at Penn State Greater Allegheny

Social Work (BSW)

The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program is offered exclusively at
Penn State Greater Allegheny. 

Overview

The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program at Penn State Greater Allegheny prepares graduates to work effectively with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and diverse community populations. Grounded in diversity, ethical practice, field education, technology, and theory, BSW graduates will perform as professional, generalist social work practitioners in various entry-level settings. The BSW degree is perfect for students interested in working in the private and public sectors to provide social services for diverse people and communities. Students will learn to critically engage in social problems by understanding the cultural, economic, environmental, and historical conditions individuals and groups face. Upon earning the BSW, students will be prepared to promote individual, family, and community well-being as a result of classroom and clinical experiences in community-based organizations, health care, government, and schools. 

This Major Prepares You For:

The BSW degree prepares generalist practitioners to enhance human well-being and eliminate social injustices through advocacy, cultural humility, global citizenship, scholarship, and service. The BSW program aims to address social problems and systems that affect diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities through collaborative partnerships, ethical practice, scientific inquiry, social empowerment, and theoretical application.

Such generalist practice settings at the BSW level include: 

  • Case management
  • Activism
  • Advocacy
  • Hospice and palliative care
  • Residential and transitional care
  • Child welfare
  • Criminal justice
  • Adoption and foster care
  • Substance abuse and intervention
  • School social work
  • Domestic violence
  • Research 
  • Public policy
  • Restorative justice 
  • LGBTQ+ 
  • International social work 
  • Health care
  • Individuals with disabilities 
  • Philanthropy 
  • Workforce development
  • Community organizing

As a BSW student at Penn State Greater Allegheny, you can:

  • Prepare for professional licensure in social work at the bachelor's level
  • Receive a high-quality social work education at a world-renowned university with over 700,000 living alumni
  • Collaborate with faculty on research projects and journal articles for publication
  • Engage in student organizations to refine your leadership and organizing skills
  • Learn more about diverse populations and cultures from around the world
  • Participate in a variety of diverse community service, internship, and service-learning opportunities
  • Access one of the largest university library systems in the nation
  • Prepare for graduate education in social work and other related fields
  • Receive hands-on technical support in and outside of the classroom
  • Receive individualized academic advising and mentoring from experienced, licensed social work faculty who work in the field 

Coming Soon....

Chemical Dependency Prevention and Counseling certificate/certification program offered through the DLC in partnership with Penn State Abington.

Our goal is to launch this partnership in the 2023 Fall Semester. Upon completing the certificate with a BSW degree and two years of full-time work experience, Greater Allegheny graduates will be eligible to sit for the state certification exam to work as a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) in Pennsylvania.

The BSW program is currently seeking accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education.

The Pennsylvania State University is currently in Pre-Candidacy for Accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation. Pre-Candidacy for a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation indicates that it has submitted an application to be reviewed for Candidacy and had its Benchmark I approved in draft form to move forward with Candidacy review within one year.  A program that has attained Pre-Candidacy has not yet been reviewed by the Commission on Accreditation or been verified to be in compliance with the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards.

Students who enter programs in Pre-Candidacy that attain Candidacy in the academic year in which they begin their program of study will be retroactively recognized as having graduated from a CSWE-accredited program once the program attains Initial Accreditation.  The Candidacy Process is typically a three-year process and there is no guarantee that a program in Pre-Candidacy will eventually attain Candidacy or Initial Accreditation. Candidacy by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation applies to all locations and delivery methods of an accredited program.  Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program.

For more information about social work accreditation, you may contact Accreditation.

A message from Dr. Christopher Robinson about prominent historical social work leader Dr. Dorothy Irene Height

Dr. Christopher Robinson, BSW Program Director and Assistant Professor of Social Work at Greater Allegheny share the successes and achievements of one of Mon Valley's own prominent figures in Social Work - Dr. Dorothy Irene Height.


The official course requirements for this degree can be viewed in the online Undergraduate Bulletin under the suggested academic plan.

Request information about Social Work BSW

Loading Request Form...

Social Work (BSW)

  • Mission and Values of Social Work
  • Social Work Related Certificates
  • BSW Program Competencies
  • Practice Settings
  • Meet the Social Work Faculty
Visit Us
Schedule a visit
Request Admissions Info
Request Info Here
Apply to Penn State
Apply to Penn State
Map of the campuses of Penn State throughout Pennsylvania highlighting the location of Penn State Greater Allegheny

Penn State Greater Allegheny

Located on 52-acres, Penn State Greater Allegheny is a residential campus offering 2 year and 4 year degree programs, including the Bachelor in Social Work program, starting in Summer 2022.  Students benefit from small class sizes, numerous on-campus job opportunities, and a Digital Fluency Project which places an iPad in the hands of each student.  
  • facebook
  • linkedin
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • instagram
Apply Visit
  • This is Penn State
    • Our Impact Keeps Growing
    • Signature Programs & Initiatives
    • Mission and Values
    • Campus History
    • Chancellor's Welcome
  • Academics
    • The 2+2 Plan: Start Here, Finish Anywhere
    • Degree Programs at Greater Allegheny
    • Undergraduate Research Opportunities
    • Academic Engagements
    • Student Support
  • Admissions
    • Visit Us
    • Information for First-Year Students
    • Information for Transfer Students
    • Accepted Students
    • Tuition and Student Aid
    • Information for International Students
    • Veterans
  • Athletics
  • Campus Resources
    • University Police
    • Information Technology Services
    • Campus Calendar
    • Campus Map
    • Virtual Tour
    • COVID-19 Information
  • Student Resources
    • CANVAS
    • Microsoft Office 365
    • LionPATH
    • Penn State Bookstore
    • Starfish
  • Contact Us
    • Campus Directory
    • Faculty Directory
    • Staff Directory
Penn State University
4000 University Drive, McKeesport, PA 15132 412-675-9000

Footer Legal Menu

  • Privacy
  • Non-discrimination
  • Equal Opportunity
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
  • The Pennsylvania State University © 2023
  • We Are Penn State