Grand Valley State University

Social Work, B.S.W.

Subject Overview

The social work profession deals with a variety of conditions that limit people's ability to function. Professional social workers try to help individuals and groups overcome these limitations and become well-adjusted, contributing members of society. Although social work is often thought of as synonymous with the welfare system, it is in fact a much broader field that includes such diverse social problems as education for the handicapped, crime prevention, community organization, the problems of older people, counseling of young people, and fundraising.

Program Description

The overarching goals of the School of Social Work are:

1. Providing a generalist social work curriculum in a high quality learning environment that prepares B.S.W. graduates for entry level social work practice that promotes social and economic justice and endeavors to address poverty and other social problems within organizational, individual, and community contexts within, but not limited to, West Michigan and the state of Michigan.

2. Providing an M.S.W. foundation curriculum in a high quality learning environment that prepares students for success in the advanced generalist community social work concentration.

3. Proiding an advanced generalist social work curriculum that prepares M.S.W. graduates for autonomous social work practice that promotes social and economic justice and endeavors to address poverty and other social problems within organizational, individual, and community contexts within, but not limited to, West Michigan and the state of Michigan.

4. Graduates of all programs of the School of Social work exhibit a professional commitment to enhancing social justice, promoting human rights, ensuring the dignity and worth of all individuals, practicing with integrity, upholding one or more of the profession's Code of Ethics, incorporating diversity into their practice, and advancing the profession's reputation and knowledge base.

5. Graduates of all programs of the school have the knowledge, skills and values they need to create and/or identify and acquire new information about professional social work practice as such information becomes available throughout the course of their careers.

6. Graduates of all programs of the school are competent users of technologies and proficient consumers of training opportunities that support their lifelong professional development, and they are committed to remaining professionally and technologically proficient throughout the course of their careers in the social work profession.

The overarching goals of the B.S.W. Program are:

1. Prepare students for entry into the social work profession as generalist practitioners.

2. Prepare students for continued professional development opportunities

Career Opportunities

Social workers are employed by almost every organization with a role in social problems, schools, churches, hospitals, prisons, courts, charities, and drug abuse centers. By far most graduates work for federal, state, and local government agencies. They administer programs dealing with social security, help for the disabled, adoptions, licensing of day care centers, and counseling for the unemployed.

Many social work positions require a master's degree, but many government and private agencies hire graduates with a bachelor's degree.

Degree Requirements

The B.S.W. requires successful completion of 120 semester hours of college credit. The program is built on a foundation of liberal arts and 34 hours of required cognate courses and international courses. In addition, students must take 44 credit hours of coursework in the major, including the areas of human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policy and services, social research, integrated methods in social work practice, and the field practicum in social work.

Students who wish to major in social work must apply for candidacy status at the end of their sophomore year and must have a minimum overall grade point average of 2.5. A minimum overall average of 3.0 in major courses is required for continuation in candidacy status.

Major Requirements
SW 150 Human Needs in Complex Societies (SS/C) (3 credits)
SW 316 Interviewing in Social Work (3 credits)
SW 317 Generalist Practice I (3 credits)
SW 318 Generalist Practice II (3 credits)
SW 319 Social Welfare Policy and Services (3 credits)
SW 340 Human Behavior and the Social Environment I (3 credits)
SW 341 Human Behavior and the Social Environment II (3 credits)
SW 348 Field Practicum Laboratory (2 credits)
SW 430 Social World Research (4 credits)
SW 490 First Senior Level Field Practicum (3 credits)
SW 491 Second Senior Level Field Practicum (3 credits)
SW 492 Field Practicum Social Work Seminar I (1 credit)
SW 493 Field Practicum in Social Work Seminar II (1 credit)
SW 495 SWS Senior Seminar in Social Work (capstone) (3 credits)

For courses, curriculum, other degree related information, and faculty listings, please visit the Grand Valley State University catalog online at www.gvsu.edu/catalog or the school's website at www.gvsu.edu/ssw

For More Information

School of Social Work
Grand Valley State University
391 C DeVos Center
401 Fulton Street West
Grand Rapids, MI 49504-6431
Telephone: (616) 331-6550
Web: www.gvsu.edu/ssw
or
Admissions Office
Grand Valley State University
1 Campus Drive
Allendale, MI 49401-9403
Telephone: (616) 331-2025 or (800) 748-0246
Email: admissions@gvsu.edu
Web: www.gvsu.edu/admissions

Refer to www.gvsu.edu/catalog for the most current catalog information.

Additional Information

Major Requirements
SW 150 Human Needs in Complex Societies (SS/C) (3 credits)
SW 316 Interviewing in Social Work (3 credits)
SW 317 Generalist Practice I (3 credits)
SW 318 Generalist Practice II (3 credits)
SW 319 Social Welfare Policy and Services (3 credits)
SW 340 Human Behavior and the Social Environment I (3 credits)
SW 341 Human Behavior and the Social Environment II (3 credits)
SW 348 Field Practicum Laboratory (2 credits)
SW 430 Social World Research (4 credits)
SW 490 First Senior Level Field Practicum (3 credits)
SW 491 Second Senior Level Field Practicum (3 credits)
SW 492 Field Practicum Social Work Seminar I (1 credit)
SW 493 Field Practicum in Social Work Seminar II (1 credit)
SW 495 SWS Senior Seminar in Social Work (capstone) (3 credits)

Social Work Electives - six credits are required

SW 300 Pluralism in American Society
SW 320 Children and Child Welfare Services
SW 322 Health Care and Social Services
SW 354 Social Work: International Service
SW 380 Special Topics in Social Work
SW 461 Multicultural Issues in Social Work Practice
SW 499 Independent Study in Social Work (1 to 4 credits)
Note: The student may take no more than four credits of SW 499.

International Relations Program - three credits are required

GPY 235 World Regional Geography
HST 210 Empire, Culture and Conflict
HST 331 Modern Latin America
HST 337 The Islamic World
HST 338 Modern Middle East
HST 386 Europe Since World War II
LAS 374 Revolution In the Americas
PLS 211 Introduction to International Relations
PLS 313 International Organization
PLS 327 Politics of Developing Countries
SS 351 Family and Gender In the Developing World
SW 354 Social Work: International Service (one time only)

Recommended free electives - students are not restricted to this list.

ANT 204 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
PA 270 Public and Nonprofit Administration
PA 439 Community Analysis
PHI 102 Ethics
PHI 325 Ethnics in the Profession
PSY 310 Behavior Modification
PSY 315 The Psychology of Sex Differences
PSY 316 The Psychology of Human Intimacy and Sexuality
SOC 379 Love, Sex and Gender
SOC 383 Sociology of Women
SOC 390 Advanced Seminar on Social Issues
SS 381 Death and Dying
WGS 200 Introduction to Gender Studies
WGS 300 Foundations of Feminism
WGS 380 Special Topics in Women's Studies

Curriculum Plan (Sample)*

Fall Semester - Year One

WRT 150 (Basic Skills) (4 credits)
SW 150 (Gen Ed SS & SW Core) (3 credits)
SOC 201 (Gen Ed SS & SW Cognates) (3 credits)
BIO 103 (Gen Ed LS/Lab & SW Cognate) (3 credits)
14 credits total

Winter Semester - Year One

Gen Ed Course (Choose from Art, P&L, or HST) (3 credits)
Gen Ed Course (Choose from Art, P&L, or HST) (3 credits)
Gen Ed (Physical Science Non-Lab) (3 credits)
MTH 110 (Basic Skills) (4 credits)
PSY 101 (Gen Ed SS & SW Cognate) (3 credits)
16 credits total

Fall Semester - Year Two

Gen Ed Course (Choose from Art, P&L, or Hst) (3 credits)
Gen Ed Course (Choose a U.S. Diversity) (3 credits)
Gen Ed Course (Choose a World Perspective) (3 credits)
PSY/SOC 360 (SW Cognate) (3 credits)
PLS 102 (Gen Ed SS & SW Cognate) (3 credits)
15 credits total

Winter Semester - Year Two

ECO 210 or ECO 211 or SOC 385 (SW Cognate) (3 credits)
Gen Ed Theme Course (3 credits)
PSY 303 (SW Cognate) (3 credits)
SOC 280 or SOC 384 (SW Cognate) (3 credits)
SOC 382 or SW 300 (SW Cognate) (3 credits)
15 credits total

Fall Semester - Year Three

SW 317 (SW Core Course) (3 credits)
SW 319 (SW Core Course) (3 credits)
SW 340 (SW Core Course) (3 credits)
SW 348 (Field Practicum - SW Core Course) (2 credits)
International Relations Program course (see list) (3 credits)
General Elective (1 credit)
Attempt the Junior Year Writing Assessment
15 credits total

Winter Semester - Year Three

Gen Ed Theme Course (3 credits)
STA 215 (Gen Ed Math Sci and SW Cognate) (3 credits)
SW 316 (SW Core Course) (3 credits)
SW 318 (SW Core Course) (3 credits)
SW 341 (SW Core Course) (3 credits)
15 credits total

Fall Semester - Year Four

General Elective or WRT 305 if necessary (3 credits)
SW 430 (SW Core Course) (4 credits)
SW 490 (SW Core Course) (3 credits)
SW 492 (SW Core Course) (1 credit)
SW Elective Course (See List) (3 credits)
14 credits total

Winter Semester - Year Four

Gen Ed Theme Course (3 credits)
General Elective (3 credits)
SW 491 (SW Core Course) (3 credits)
SW 493 (SW Core Course) (1 credit)
SW 495 (SW Core Course, Capstone, SWS) (3 credits)
SW Elective Course (See List) (3 credits)
16 credits total

Degree Total 120 credits

*This is a general curriculum plan, it may not be applicable for every student and is not a replacement for meeting with an advisor.

Refer to www.gvsu.edu/catalog for the most current catalog information.

Accreditation
All programs at Grand Valley are accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The bachelor of social work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

B.S.W. Administrative Staff

Gwendolyn J. Adam, Director
Ph.D., University of Houston
M.S.W., University of Houston

Patricia Stow Bolea, B.S.W. Program Director
Ph.D., Michigan State University
M.S.W., Indiana University

David Lehker, Coordinator of B.S.W. Field Education
M.S.W. Grand Valley State University

Oliver Aguilera, BSW Program Administrative Assistant