Bachelor of Science - Social Work

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Social Work Degree
The Bachelor of Science major in Social Work prepares students for generalist practice with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations.  The program engages students in a real-world approach and close mentoring relationships that foster professional development. It provides grounding in social work knowledge, values, and competency skills, with an emphasis on evidence-based practice.  The major concentration requires knowledge about human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policy and services, multicultural social work, human diversity, social and economic justice, social work ethical standards, strengths-based practice, and research. The field practicum exposes students to clinical processes, generalist methods, and interventions used in a variety of public and private sector, community-based organizations.

Curriculum
The curriculum models the national Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (2008) published by the Council on Social Work Education. For students interested in pursuing graduate study, the curriculum satisfies the educational requirements for admission to full-time or part-time master's degree programs in social work. 

Professional practice settings include: social services, child welfare, heath, youth and education, medical, mental health, addictions, long-term care, corrections, and juvenile justice .

Benefits of Earning a Social Work Degree from UI&U

• Students have the opportunity to transfer credits from accredited colleges and universities to accelerate their degree completion.
• Experience a flexible, convenient course delivery format that matches scheduling needs.
• Attain on-the-job training experience through completion of social work field education.
• Daily access to faculty advisors who guide each student's academic progress.
• Students are provided the opportunity to build connections with licensed, experienced social work faculty and practitioners in the field.
• Apply leadership skills for professional generalist social work practice and advocacy.
• Explore career options in a variety of professional practice settings--child welfare, community health, human services, youth and education, government, hospital, mental health, addictions, aging and long-term care, and criminal justice.

Mission & Goals of Social Work Major
The Union Institute & University degree in social work empowers students to apply professional knowledge, skills, ethics, and values for generalist social work practice with an emphasis on social justice and social change.

A social work education emphasizes core competencies related to human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policy and services, multicultural social work, human diversity, social and economic justice, social work ethical standards, strengths-based practice, and research.  Major goals are:

1. To prepare students for professional generalist social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and institutions.
2. To prepare students who emulate the social work profession's identity through practice behaviors and commitment to service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, integrity, competence, human rights, and scientific inquiry.
3. To prepare ethically-grounded students who apply critical thinking, cultural competence standards, and respect for human diversity to advocate for social, economic and health justice, equality, human and community well-being.
4. To prepare students who demonstrate knowledge of research-informed practice, including evidence-based prevention, intervention, policy action, and strengths-based methods for individual, family, social, and global change.
5. To prepare students who achieve personal and professional empowerment leading to a lifetime of leadership and service in the social work profession.
6. To prepare students for advancement to graduate education, licensure, or related certification for specialized practice.

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science program, students will be able to:

• Express and interpret ideas clearly, using a variety of written, oral and/or visual forms.
• Use different modes of disciplinary and interdisciplinary inquiry to explore ideas and issues from multiple perspectives.
• Express ethical and social implications in their social, professional, artistic and/or scholarly practice.
• Articulate a perspective on power in the world and their own place in the global community.

Upon completion of the major in Social Work, students will be able to:

• Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly.
• Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice.
• Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments.
• Engage diversity and difference in practice.
• Advance human rights and social and economic justice.
• Engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research.
• Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment.
• Engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being and to deliver effective social work services.
• Respond to contexts that shape practice.
• Engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Professional Advising
Professional advising is provided by licensed social work program faculty. Social Work faculty advisors employ a developmental advising approach to guiding, mentoring, coaching, and counseling students from the beginning of their academic program through graduation.

Accreditation
Union Institute & University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association. The bachelor of science major in social work models the educational policies and academic standards published by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

CSWE Commission on Accreditation (COA) granted 'candidacy' to Union Institute & University's bachelor of science major in social work program at its October 2011 meeting.

Candidacy Policy
Only students admitted during or after the 2011-2012 academic year (in which the program was granted 'candidacy' by the CSWE) will be recognized as having graduated from a
CSWE-accredited program. Students admitted prior to the academic year in which the program was granted candidacy would not be recognized as having graduated from a CSWE-accredited social work education program.

For further information on accreditation, contact the CSWE Office of Social Work Accreditation at the Council on Social Work Education, Suite 200, 1701 Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, (703) 683-8080. You may also visit CSWE's Commission on Accreditation to learn more about the accreditation process.

Social Work Licensure
Students must apply to their respective state counselor, social worker and marriage and family therapist board for “pre-approval” to sit for the bachelor examination. In Ohio, the UI&U Bachelor of Science degree in the social work major fulfills the educational requirements for the “pre-approval” application. To qualify for licensure, students must pass the Association of Social Worker Boards (ASWB) “Bachelor” Examination. Association of Social Work Boards.

For information about social work certification and licensing:

Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board
http://www.cswmft.ohio.gov/swlicen.stm

Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/491/index.html

Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board
http://www.in.gov/pla/social.htm

Kentucky Board of Social Work
http://finance.ky.gov/ourcabinet/caboff/OAS/op/socwkbd/swbdappfor.htm

North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board (NCSWCLB)
http://70.61.113.172/certification.asp

Michigan Board of Social Work
http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-27417_27529_27554-70397--,00.html

Texas Board of Social Worker Examiners
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/SocialWork/sw_checklist.doc

Work Life Policy
The bachelor of science major in social work at Union Institute & University does not grant social work course credit for life experience or previous work experience.  Only transfer credits obtained through study at a CSWE-accredited undergraduate program may apply to the social work major requirements.