Bachelor of Social Work
BSW Program Information
See BSW Handbook below for even more information.
The Southern Adventist University social work program offers students a Bachelor of
Social Work degree (a major in social work) as professional preparation for social
work employment. On the undergraduate level, social work prepares students for beginning
professional social work practice. Based on a broad liberal arts foundation, the social
work major is a combination of academic and experiential courses leading to a bachelor
of social work degree.
Reach out to us with your general inquiries or questions about the BSW program.
Students are involved in field opportunities as early as their sophomore year. For more information regarding field opportunities, click here. There are many out-of-class educational experiences, such as the European Study Tour, New York Study Tour, and the Social Work Issues and Policies trip to Washington, D.C. Students involved in these experiences may be eligible to receive course credit. For more information regarding study tour opportunities, click here.
Both the BSW and MSW programs in Southern's School of Social Work are fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
Admission into the Social Work Program
Admission into the BSW program consists of three steps:
- Apply to Southern Adventist University.
- Meet with your adviser for guidance on the courses to register for.
- Complete the requirement for admission to full social work status after the second year of studies.
Admission to Southern Adventist University does not automatically enroll the student in the social work program. During the second semester of the sophomore year, the student must fill out a formal application to the social work program. Once you have been accepted by Southern Adventist University, you may access the BSW program application by clicking here.
Minimum requirements for admission to the program and upper-division courses
- Acceptance to Southern Adventist University.
- Completion of application form plus submission of three references and an autobiographical statement.
- Submission of a current Program Evaluation (degree audit).
- Having an overall grade point average of 2.50 or higher.
-
Having completed (with a grade of C or higher) SOCW 211: Introduction to Social Work, SOCW 212: Social Welfare as an Institution, and SOCW 213: Interviewing Skills. Having completed cognate courses BIOL 103: Principles of Biology, PSYC 122: General Psychology, and SOCI 125: Introduction to Sociology. Exceptions may be made for persons who do not meet introductory course and cognate requirements if they are strong candidates on the basis of other criteria.
- Participation in social-work-sponsored activities (convocations, vespers, community service activities).
- Have demonstrated mental and moral fitness and ethical behavior as outlined by the National Association of Social Workers. Further references may be required regarding character, attitude, and coping ability.
- Students whose native language is not English must achieve at least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
- Completion of a successful interview with the BSW Admission Committee (if deemed necessary by the Team).
Transfer Students
Students wishing to transfer to the Southern Adventist University social work program from another college or university must follow the same application procedure as other students. Transfer social work majors will have their transcripts evaluated by their assigned adviser in the social work program as well as by the director of Records and Advisement. Credit will be granted for courses that are comparable to Southern Adventist University courses and for which the student has earned a "C" grade or higher.
Program Assessment
Southern Adventist University’s BSW program utilizes multiple measures to assess student competency in generalist social work practice. The form linked below reports the last several years of assessment outcome data for BSW graduates.