About This Program

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View a sample schedule for the minor.

The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) prepares students for professional, responsible, ethical, and competent entry-level generalist social work practice in a wide range of settings.  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 are 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.

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% 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 Social Work Minor is designed for students who are interested in enhancing a primary academic area with the lenses of social justice and social welfare within the professional social work content. The social work minor emphasizes social work theories, policies and research in the development of comprehensive solutions to major social problems.

What do social workers do?

Many social workers work to create change in society.

Have you ever felt the need to leave your mark? Social work is an excellent way to make an impact on the world around you. Many social workers seek opportunities to apply their skills to social worker jobs in legislation, positions in the foster care system, serving in an advocacy role, or finding a way to implement their social work skills into the world of philanthropy. Furthermore, social workers serve as advocates for social justice, striving to aid oppressed populations. 

The world is a better place because of social workers. They think about solutions from the perspective of the individuals with whom they work and constantly strive to improve their communities, one person at a time.

Three social work students look at the camera, smiling

The BSW program at Springfield College 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.

 

Studying Social Work at Springfield College