BSW - Social Work
The mission of the Social Work program is to prepare social work students for generalist entry-level practice and provide opportunities for students to become world changers who have a desire to integrate personal faith and learning to maximize one's ability to be of service to one's fellow human beings.
The BSW at Indiana Wesleyan University prepares students to achieve the following goals:
- To prepare culturally competent students for entry‐level social work practice with a variety of client systems.
- To prepare students for graduate level education.
- To provide opportunities for the integration of Christian principles within the context of professional social work values and ethics.
Upon completion of the Social Work program at Indiana Wesleyan University, students will be able to demonstrate the following core competencies within the framework of the generalist model of social work practice:
- Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior
- Engage in diversity and difference in practice
- Advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice
- Engage in practice‐informed research and research‐informed practice
- Engage in policy practice
- Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
- Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
- Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
- Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
In addition, the program integrates the IWU Institutional Learning Outcomes.
The IWU Social Work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Students wishing to continue graduate education may be eligible for advanced standing at many graduate schools of Social Work. Graduates of the Social Work program are eligible to become full members of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and North American Association of Christians in Social Work (NACSW).
Throughout the curriculum, theory and practice are integrated through a variety of educational experiences. Students become active within their community in a variety of capacities as they complete major course assignments. When all major course work is complete students enter the field education component of the program. A minimum of 400 hours in the field are required, averaging 17 hours per week over a 24 week period. According to CSWE, the field placement is the signature pedagogy of Social Work education.
