Springfield College Bachelor’s in Social Work Program Welcomes First Cohort in Fall 2021

The Springfield College Bachelor’s in Social Work (BSW) program will welcome its first cohort of students starting in the fall of 2021. The BSW program will prepare students for professional, responsible, ethical, and competent entry-level generalist social work practice in a wide range of settings. 

BSW graduates will possess the skills, knowledge, values, and cognitive and affective processes to effectively work at the direct practice level. The program also challenges students to engage and intervene with larger community and political issues that contribute to human suffering among individuals, communities, and global societies.

“Students will be joining a noble profession that provides services to the most vulnerable in our society, including abused and neglected children, domestic violence survivors, cancer patients, elders, those facing the stigma of mental illness, and those impacted by racism, poverty, violence, trauma, and joblessness,” said Springfield College Department of Social Work Chair Anthony C. Hill.

In addition, students will be challenged to understand themselves as change agents in society, committed to social, economic, and environmental justice, and equipped to defend the dignity and worth of all human beings.

“Our society is in need of peace, hope, healing, and compassionate individuals who will increase the quality of living and make a positive difference in the life of others,” added Hill. “The students enrolled will be on the quest to have awareness and learn the theories, skills, and helpful interventions in working to alleviate and eradicate the suffering, pain, trauma, poverty and oppression of so many individuals in our world.”

For students who seek to make a difference in the lives of others, there is no better time to earn their bachelor's degree in social work. With the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting overall employment of social workers to grow 13-percent between 2019 and 2029, students who earn a degree in social work from Springfield College will be prepared to enter the workforce. Additionally, students who earn an undergraduate degree in social work from an accredited program qualify for advanced standing into a Master of Social Work (MSW) program, allowing them to complete their master's in one year. The BSW program at Springfield College is currently seeking accreditation candidacy through the Council on Social Work Education, with a targeted accreditation date of June 2024.

Since 1989, the Springfield College social work master’s program has been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, the official accrediting body for social work programs in the United States. Graduates are eligible for professional social work licensure in all 50 states. 

The home of the social work program, the Brennan Center, is a state-of-the-art teaching and conference facility. It includes technologically enhanced classrooms, a computer lab, a tiered auditorium, faculty offices, and a large, light-filled atrium, which is the site of school events and also serves as a student lounge. Easily accessible, it is located 1.45 miles from the main campus and has on-site parking.

Springfield College is an independent, nonprofit, coeducational institution founded in 1885. Approximately 4,100 students, including 2,500 full-time undergraduate students, study at its main campus in Springfield, Mass., and at its regional campuses across the country. Springfield College inspires students through the guiding principles of its Humanics philosophy – educating in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service to others.