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

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.

BSW Program Goals

  • To provide a culturally sensitive, professional social work education that prepares generalist practitioners to engage in the empowerment of diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
  • To prepare generalist practitioners to apply ethics, evidence-based knowledge, theory, and professional best practices in diverse communities and social work settings.
  • To prepare generalist practitioners to identify and engage in professional social work practice focused on human well-being, alleviating poverty, and social injustices.

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 

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.

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 does not grant social work course credit for life experience or previous work experience.  

To learn more, explore our program pages, linked on the left side of this page, or contact Dr. Christopher Robinson, LSW, and BSW Program Director at [email protected] or 412-675-9093.