Social Work, B.S.W.
The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program provides students the knowledge and skills to succeed in the social work field. The BSW program will prepare students for generalist social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. The BSW program emphasizes social justice for underserved and/or vulnerable populations. Students who obtain the BSW degree may apply for a Certification in Social Work with the State of New Jersey. Students may also continue to graduate school for a Master of Social Work as advanced standing students.
There is a separate admission process for the BSW major at NJCU once admitted to NJCU general admissions. Students are encouraged to contact the BSW Program Director to apply to the BSW Program. The application process requires review of the following: 1) grade point average of 2.5; 2) resume; and 3) essay explaining the applicant’s motivations to major in social work and acknowledgement of the rigorous internship requirement.
Program Curriculum
The BSW curricula is accredited and guided by the educational standards set forth by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and is designed to promote learning from specific competency areas to achievement of holistic competency. Students will begin their coursework guided by the General Education program. Students will have pre-requisite coursework in sociology. By sophomore or junior years, students will take the Foundations of Social Work class is designed to anchor students in social work and facilitate professional development. The BSW curricula can be taken as a part-time or full-time student. Students initially complete 300-level sequence of social work courses that are organized to provide foundation professional practice, theory, policy, research, and assessment knowledge, values, and encourage critical thinking and self-reflection to prepare for 400-level coursework where students will participate in a rigorous internship and have supportive practice and seminar courses. Core curricula and the BSW program requirements will not exceed 120 credits. The BSW program requirements total 48 credits. The core curricula and BSW curricula will be described below.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | 39 | |
| SWK 302 | Diversity, Engagement, Inclusion, & Social Justice | 3 |
| SWK 304 | Policy & Advocacy: National, Global, & Technological Context (Policy & Advocacy) | 3 |
| SWK 306 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment: Individuals & Families | 3 |
| SWK 307 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment II – Groups, Organizations, & Communities | 3 |
| SWK 311 | Social Work Foundation & Ethics Social Work Foundation & Ethics | 3 |
| SOCI 360 | Sociological Research Methods | 3 |
| SOCI 344 | Social Change | 3 |
| SWK 406 | Seminar and Skills Labs I | 2 |
| SWK 407 | Capstone Seminar & Skills Lab II | 2 |
| SWK 410 | Generalist Social Work Practice I: Engagement, Assessment, & Planning Across Levels of Practice | 3 |
| SWK 411 | Generalist Social Work Practice II: Intervention & Evaluation Across Levels of Practice | 3 |
| SWK 416 | Social Work Field Practicum Part I | 4 |
| SWK 417 | Social Work Field Practicum II | 4 |
| Electives (Select 9 credits from the following:) | 9 | |
| SOCI 201 | Women and Family in Different Cultures | 3 |
| SOCI 221 | Human Services in Aging | 3 |
| SOCI 225 | Class, Status and Power | 3 |
| SOCI 230 | Cities of Industry: Sociological Perspectives | 3 |
| SOCI 232 | Sociology of the Aging | 3 |
| SOCI 237 | Refugees and Forced Migration | 3 |
| SOCI 243 | Death and Dying | 3 |
| SOCI 245 | Sociology of Religion | 3 |
| SOCI 246 | Sociology of Education | 3 |
| SOCI 253 | Visual Sociology | 3 |
| SOCI 254 | Urban Sociology | 3 |
| SOCI 255 | Juvenile Delinquency | 3 |
| SOCI 262 | Health, Illness & Society | 3 |
| SOCI 265 | Racial & Cultural Minorities | 3 |
| SOCI 268 | Urban Anthropology | 3 |
| SOCI 309 | Riots, Rebellions, Revolutions: Civil Conflict and Violence | 3 |
| SOCI 310 | Basic Interviewing Skills | 3 |
| SOCI 314 | Treatment Plans in Substance Abuse | 3 |
| SOCI 330 | Sociology of Sports | 3 |
| SOCI 335 | Case Management of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Clients | 3 |
| SOCI 336 | Professional and Ethical Responsibilities in Substance Abuse Treatment | 3 |
| SOCI 341 | Law and Social Values | 3 |
| SOCI 346 | Social Structure and Personality | 3 |
| SOCI 351 | Sociology of Law | 3 |
| WGST 226 | LGBTQ Social Change | 3 |
| WGST 322 | Reproductive Justice | 3 |
| Total | 48 | |
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Social work capstones and field practicum courses must be taken concurrently pursuant to the Council on Social Work Education. You must take SWK 406 and SWK 416 (fall), and SWK 407 and SWK 417 (spring) together.
Description of Field Practicum
The Field Practicum experience is the signature pedagogy of social work education and is guided by the educational standards of the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE). The BSW field practicum helps prepare students for generalist practice employment positions (e.g., case management), with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Students will gain various engagement, assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation skills through the field practicum experience.
SWK 416 and SWK 417 are sequential courses that provide students credit for engaging in their field practicum. Students are required to complete 450 hours in one practicum setting (i.e., 225 hours each semester, fall and spring) in the final year of the program. This averages to be about 15 hours per week across the 15-week semester. Students will reserve two days per week to complete the field practicum. Students receive supervision and report to their site supervisor at the internship location and have the support of their field liaison from the University. Time sheets, process recordings, and the field evaluation document student progress and are used to determined finals grades.
The Director of Field Education is responsible for all student field placements and any decision to remove or change a student placement. Students are placed in one field practicum setting to ensure that there is a full year to implement knowledge, skills, values, critical thinking, and reflection in practice. The field setting is a critical experience for determining student growth in the program. Additional details related to the field practicum can be found in the NJCU BSW Field Education Manual.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Social Work program, students will be able to:
- Describe and critically evaluate the major theoretical approaches of the discipline.
- Describe and critically evaluate the main paradigms guiding social work inquiry.
- Demonstrate quantitative literacy skills and understanding of empirical research.
- Demonstrate writing skills through a comprehensive research project or critique of a social work research article.
In addition to the learning outcomes above, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) identifies the following competencies and behaviors for social work students:
1. Engage in ethical and professional practice
a. Make ethical decisions by applying the standards of the NASW Code of Ethics, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision-making, ethical conduct of research, and additional codes of ethics as appropriate to context.
b. Use reflection and self-regulation to manage personal values and maintain professionalism in practice situations.
c. Demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior; appearance; and oral, written, and electronic communication.
d. Use technology ethically and appropriately to facilitate practice outcomes.
e. Use supervision and consultation to guide professional judgment and behavior.
2. Engage in diversity and difference in practice
a. Apply and communicate understanding of the importance of diversity and difference in shaping life experiences in practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
b. Present themselves as learners and engage clients and constituencies as experts of their own experiences.
c. Apply self-awareness and self-regulation.
3. Advance human rights, social, and economic justice
a. Apply their understanding of social, economic, and environmental justice to advocate for human rights at the individual and system levels; and
b. Engage in practices that advance social, economic, and environmental justice.
4. Engage in practice informed research and research informed practice
a. Use practice experience and theory to inform scientific inquiry and research.
b. Apply critical thinking to engage in analysis of quantitative and qualitative research methods and research findings.
c. Use and translate research evidence to inform and improve practice, policy, and service delivery.
5. Engage in policy practice.
a. Identify social policy at the local, state, and federal level that impacts well-being, service delivery, and access to social services.
b. Assess how social welfare and economic policies impact the delivery of and access to social services.
c. Apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.
6. Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
a. Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks to engage with clients and constituencies.
b. Use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to effectively engage diverse clients and constituencies.
7. Assess with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
a. Collect and organize data, and apply critical thinking to interpret information from clients and constituencies.
b. Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment,
person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the analysis of assessment data from clients and constituencies.
c. Develop mutually agreed-on intervention goals and objectives based on the critical assessment of strengths, needs, and challenges within clients and constituencies.
d. Select appropriate intervention strategies based on the assessment, research knowledge, and values and preferences of clients and constituencies.
8. Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
a. Critically choose and implement interventions to achieve practice goals and enhance capacities of clients and constituencies.
b. Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in interventions with clients and constituencies.
c. Use inter-professional collaboration as appropriate to achieve beneficial practice outcomes.
d. Negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on behalf of diverse clients and constituencies.
e. Facilitate effective transitions and endings that advance mutually agreed-on goals.
9. Evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
a. Select and use appropriate methods for evaluation of outcomes.
b. Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the evaluation of outcomes.
c. Critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate intervention and program processes and outcomes.
d. Apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.