Program Mission
The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program prepares generalist practitioners to enhance human well-being and eliminate social injustices through advocacy, cultural humility, global citizenship, scholarship, and service. The BSW program intends 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.
Program Vision
To cultivate a competency-based, diverse, student-centered, technologically advanced learning environment that empowers generalist practitioners to advance human well-being through competent, culturally sensitive, anti-discriminatory, and anti-racist social work practice.
Program Values
- Advocacy – Championing the rights of others through social, economic, environmental, and political forms of direct intervention and human empowerment.
- Global Citizenship – Possessing an enhanced awareness of one’s local and global environments while recognizing the collective responsibility to act and participate in developing a just and sustainable society.
- Diversity – Embracing individual and uniqueness and fostering a culture of inclusion that promotes collective learning, dignity, respect, and the advancement of human rights and social justice.
- Research – Engaging in producing scholarly work to acquire new or improved appreciation, insight, knowledge, and understanding within social work.
- Service – Serving and empowering individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities through exemplary servant leadership, public service, and quality programming for the betterment of society
Program Goals
- Provide a culturally responsive professional education that prepares generalist practitioners to empower diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Prepare students to apply ethics, evidence‑based knowledge, theory, and professional best practices across varied social work settings.
- Equip practitioners to engage in professional practice focused on human well‑being, poverty alleviation, and advancing social, economic, and environmental justice.
Council on Social Work Education Competencies
The nine core competencies outlined in the Council on Social Work Education Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) guide BSW curriculum design and expected student outcomes. These competencies align with the mission and goals of the BSW program and support students’ development as generalist practitioners.
BSW students develop competency through coursework and field education in the following areas:
- Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior
- Engage diversity and difference in practice
- Advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice
- Engage in practice‑informed research and research‑informed practice
- Engage in policy practice
- Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
- Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
- Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
- Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
