The overriding goal of the Bachelor of Social Work program at Grand Valley State University is to prepare students for the beginning level of social work practice.  Specific goals are compatible with, and flow from, the mission, philosophy, and objectives of Grand Valley State University and the School of Social Work.  They are as follows:

1. To  prepare students for entry into the social work profession as generalist social work practitioners.
2. To further students understanding of the common human needs of all individuals and the common needs of families and the communities in which individuals live and work.
3. To provide students with content about social work practice with client systems of various sizes and types.
4. To prepare to practice in diverse contexts with diverse populations.
5. To provide students with knowledge about and skill for working in the varied social contexts of social work practice, including increasing students' understanding of the changing nature of social contexts and the dynamics of such changes.
6. To provide students with ongoing and multiple exposures to information about the values and ethics that guide professional social workers in their practice, with the expectation that students incorporate and use these ethics and values to guide their own practice behaviors.
7. To develop students' awareness of and commitment to fulfilling the responsibility to achieve continued professional growth and development after completion of the B.S.W. degree.