School of Health Professions
Bachelor of Social Work
Our social work program uses Christian service, quality research, and hands-on learning to grow you as a competent professional.
Get answers to your questions
Our team is standing by to assist you with additional program details, financial aid options, and admissions questions.
Loading...
Program Overview
Let’s talk about the long term. Upon graduation you’ll have acquired the skills and knowledge and a year of practice experience to immediately enter into generalist professional practice. So, how do you get there? Everything that you learn will be centered around the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) nine competencies. They include: demonstrating professional behavior, advancing human rights, using practice-informed research and research-informed practice, and engaging with a diverse range of people.
What makes us unique? Simple. Our philosophy of education. We believe that Christian service, quality research, and hands-on learning are the best ingredients for your growth as a competent professional. You’ll learn comprehensive methods in providing support and counsel to individuals, families, and groups, communities and organizations in need.
The Concordia University BSW mission is to prepare graduates for baccalaureate level, generalist social work practice and graduate level education. Our program is delivered within the context of Christian faith, in which we hold all people to be created equally in the image of God, while honoring our professional social work values of advocacy, service, justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence.
Graduates will be prepared to work inter-professionally with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels from an anti-oppressive and person-in-environment framework. Our graduates will be strengths-based, ethically-grounded, culturally-responsive, equity-driven, and human rights-centered.
To fulfill this mission, the CUW Social Work program is based on CSWE’s nine competencies:
- Demonstrate Ethical & 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
Areas of Practice
BSW’s are valued by employers. The BSW program educates students for professional Social Work practice and prepares them for entry level positions in all areas of Social Work and social service professions.
Some of the areas of practice include:
- Addictions
- Aging
- Criminal Justice
- Probation services
- Police and government agencies
- Juvenile Justice programs
- Family & Children Services
- Children & youth services
- Child welfare agencies
- Domestic violence programs
- Family services
- Human trafficking services
- Health Care
- Home health agencies
- Hospices
- Public Health
- Inter-Professional Health Education and Services
- Hospitals
- Medical care
- Psychological care
- Emergency Care
- Rehabilitation Services
- Mental Health
- Mental health services
- Developmental Disabilities
- Community Mental Health Services
- Schools
- School Social Work (elementary & secondary)
- Day Care Centers
- Special Education
- Social Welfare
- Community action agencies
- Homeless Shelters and Services
- Residential Treatment Programs
Fieldwork
Fieldwork is all about applying what you learn in the classroom to real life. You will participate in a year-long, professionally-supervised internship experience and complete 400 hours. We encourage you to explore many options for your field experience and remain open to the unknown. Field experience is an integral part of becoming a social worker. It not only allows you to explore the diverse opportunities that are offered in social work practice, but it allows you to discover your strengths, assets and passion. As a CUW student intern, you get to develop and demonstrate your abilities under the supervision of professionals. To heighten this experience, you’ll participate in weekly mentoring seminars with experienced faculty to debrief and analyze specific events. Learn more about field work in our manual and potential fieldwork experience locations.
Complementary Majors/Minors
Social work majors have the option of working creatively with their advisors to design individualized degree options for double majors and/or minors. Some of the options have included:- Public Health
- Criminal Justice
- Education
- Lay Ministry Certification
- Music
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Social Science
- Spanish
FIVE YEAR BSW TO MSW
Students who graduate from CUW with a BSW can apply for advanced standing in our Master in Social Work program. This progam is primarily online allowing you maximum flexibility. Learn more today!
Program Format
To better serve our students, we have two types of BSW program formats and admission processes.
- Our traditional undergraduate program is for a student who is looking for an academic experience on campus and during the day.
- Our online program is created to offer flexibility for working adults who are looking for a non-traditional format to continue their education.
Hear from our faculty:
What to Expect
Your classes will consist of understanding human behavior, policy, ethics, the use of theory in practice, research and how to build relationships with individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations. Guess what? That is exactly what you’ll be further developing through your field experience/internship. This significant requirement helps you prepare for your first professional position by allowing you to apply your knowledge, values and skills in a real-world setting. Our faculty will give you the tools needed for generalist, social work practice within the context of faith and service to others.
Also available are valuable memberships in professional development organizations like Student Social Work Organization (SSWO) and Phi Alpha Honor Society for Social Work.
