Social Work, B.S.W. - Major Code 9815 (9816/9817)

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Mission Statement

The mission of Northeastern State University’s (NSU) Department of Social Work is to academically prepare competent and effective professionals; particularly first generation college students who desire to enter generalist social work practice. Along with our academic program’s accessibility, our curriculum is designed to integrate and apply the knowledge, skills, and values of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) competencies and behavioral indicators with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. These key foundations prepare our graduates to practice social work in a wide range of agencies and allied settings with diverse client systems and people. Our academic program has a unique focus in its integration of addressing social work practice with Native American populations, and the option to specialize in child welfare leadership.

SOCIAL WORK GOALS

In keeping with our mission, the goals of the social work program are:

To educate diverse social workers for beginning generalist social work practice.
To provide an accessible social work academic program.
To prepare social workers to practice with diverse populations and systems, including Native American populations.
To develop social work leaders in child welfare social delivery systems.

Curriculum Policy Statement and Curriculum Design

The NSU Bachelor of Social Work Program curriculum is based upon the accreditation standards set forth by our accrediting professional body, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). These standards, along with their accompanying behavioral indicators, are integrated throughout our core and elective course offerings; conclude with all components being demonstrated in the student field education experience: the program’s signature pedagogy.

Program Outcome Evaluation

Program outcomes are assessed on a bi-annual basis per a formally designed assessment plan. The plan is comprised of student course evaluations addressing the competency standards and behavioral indicators, faculty committee evaluations, qualitative/quantitative exit interviews of graduating seniors, and the Baccalaureate Education Assessment Project (BEAP).

General Education Requirements

A minimum of 49 hours of academic work in general education is required during the freshman and sophomore years. For students transferring with the Associate of Arts degree or Associate of Science degree from a public institution in Oklahoma, all general education requirements will be satisfied with respect to degree requirements. However, some majors may require other specific general education courses as program prerequisites or program requirements. Students should consult advisors and the program’s plan of study for further information. Students are required to complete general education requirements by the time they have completed 90 semester hours of college work. See General Education Requirements for more information.

Social Work Core 46 hours

Select General SOWK or Child Welfare Specialization

General Social Work (9816) 11 hours

SOWK Electives (3000/4000 level) - 6 hours
Advanced Electives (3000/4000 level) - 5 hours
(Select from American Indian Studies, Psychology, Social Science, and/or Social Work)

Child Welfare Specialization (9817) 11 hours

Complete 9 hours from the following:
SOWK 4513 - Child Maltreatment
SOWK 4523 - Child Welfare
SOWK 4533 - Youth Offenders
SOWK 4633 - Family and Child Welfare Services #
Note: May include 3 hours of 3000/4000 level electives in Social Work, Psychology, Social Sciences or American Indian Studies with approval by a Child Welfare Specialization faculty advisor.
Complete 2 hours from the following:
SOWK 4751 - Workshop - Select from the following titles:
Native American Leadership
Leadership & Supervision
Indian Child Welfare

Total 57 hours

Admission to Social Work

A student qualifies to be a social work major when the following requirements are completed:

General Education Language Arts - 9 hours
General Social Science - 9 hours
2.5 Graduation/Retention GPA
University requirements for English Proficiency
Completion of application packet
Approval by the social work faculty
Obtain an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) Criminal History background check – this must also include the Sex Offender check and Violent Offender check (No more than 3 months old). Go to: www.ok.gov/osbi/Criminal_History/

Completion of the following courses:
MATH 1473 - Applied Mathematics #
or MATH 1513 - College Algebra #
BIOL 1114 - General Biological Science #
PSYC 1113 - Introduction to Psychology #
SOWK 2013 - Introduction to Social Work # (minimum “C” grade)
SOC 1113 - Introduction to Sociology #
SOC 3323 - Social Statistics #

Note

Admission to the Social Work Program is a prerequisite for enrollment in SOWK 3953, Practice I and SOWK 4873, Human Behavior in the Social Environment II, and other courses restricted to Social Work majors.

Admission to Practicum

88 semester hours
2.5 Graduation/Retention GPA
2.5 GPA in all Social Work courses
Proof of Field Practicum Liability Insurance
Approval of the Social Work Faculty
Obtain an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) Criminal History background check – this must also include the Sex Offender check and Violent Offender check (No more than 3 months old). Go to: www.ok.gov/osbi/Criminal_History/

Graduation Requirements

2.5 Graduation/Retention GPA
2.5 GPA in all Social Work courses
A total of 124 credit hours must be completed for a BSW degree. This includes a minimum of 40 hours general education and 57 hours in the major. A maximum of 3 credit hours of independent studies and 6 credit hours of 1-hour workshops will count toward the 57 hour Social Work major. The remaining hours to complete the 124 credit hours for graduation may be taken as free electives campus-wide.
At least 29 hours of advanced (3000/4000) courses are required on a Social Work major; 29 hours of this major must be earned at NSU.
At least 40 semester credit hours are required in the Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Policies of the College of Liberal Arts

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY:	English proficiency is a graduation requirement. Components I and II of English proficiency should be met with grades of “C” or better prior to the completion of 60 credit hours.
UPPER DIVISION CREDIT:	Total hours must include at least 40 hours of credit in courses number 3000 and above.
LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES:	At least 80 semester credit hours are required in the Liberal Arts and Sciences for BA/BAED/BFA/BME degrees and 55 semester credit hours of Liberal Arts and Sciences for BS/BSED degrees and 40 semester credit hours of Liberal Arts and Sciences for specialty degrees (BGS, BSW). Liberal Arts and Science courses are designated by a “#” after the course title.