Counselor Education, College Student Personnel, & Social Work
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Social Work
Welcome to the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program at 春雨直播 Illinois University. The BSW is a specialized undergraduate professional degree that prepares graduates as generalist social workers for professional employment in social service agencies. The program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
The social work profession is for individuals committed to the enhancement of human well-being and the alleviation of poverty and oppression through empowerment. Social workers seek to "make a difference" by helping individuals, groups, and communities restore and enhance their functioning through the development and implementation of social policies and programs to meet human needs, and through advocacy and social action which promotes social and economic justice. Social workers are concerned regarding any social situation that limits an individual's, group's or community's development, hampers effective functioning, or diminishes dignity and self-respect.
Program Mission
The mission of the social work program is to prepare competent generalist social workers who empower individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities, both locally and globally, and serve as advocates for a more socially just society. The program provides a supportive learning environment that fosters a respect for human diversity, a passion for human rights, a commitment to responsible and ethical professional practice, and a dedication to eliminating poverty and enhancing the lives of all people.
Program Goals
The acronym CARES was created to describe the characteristics of a social worker that all students should aspire to be: Competent, Advocates, Responsible, Ethical, and Service-Oriented. Students will build on this caring attitude through course work, professional development, personal growth, community service, and the field practicum to become professional social workers.
- To educate students who are Competent to practice at the generalist BSW level, through a curriculum built on the nine core competencies.
 - To instill in students their duty to be Advocates who challenge injustice and actively promote the dignity and worth of all people.
 - To produce graduates who are Responsible professionals who act with integrity.
 - To prepare graduates who behave in an Ethical manner, continuously conscious of the implications their actions have for their clients, coworkers, and profession.
 - To develop Service-oriented citizens engaged in their community who contribute to finding solutions for local, regional, and global issues.
 
Program Accreditation
The Social Work Program has been continuously accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) since 1996. Accreditation was most recently reaffirmed in 2025 and is granted through 2032.
View Student Outcome Assessments.
BSW Handbook
The BSW Handbook contains a broad range of information about the major. Current and prospective students are encouraged to download and become familiar with information in the handbook.
Practicum
Getting a job after college requires experience. All social work students complete a 450-hour (15 week) practicum in a social service agency where they gain the skills to transition from student to social worker.
Admission to the Social Work Major
The Bachelor of Social Work degree is a professional degree designed to prepare graduates to work in direct practice with clients in a wide variety of social service agencies. The Council on Social Work Education, which accredits social work programs, charges each program with the responsibility of 鈥済atekeeping鈥 for the profession. Initially, all students entering the Social Work program are classified as Pre-Social Work majors. Enrollment in the Pre-Social Work Program does not guarantee acceptance as a candidate for the Bachelor of Social Work degree.
- For more information about applying to the Social Work Major, see the BSW Student Handbook.
 - Update for 2021-2022 Academic Year: The Social Work Major application process will be completed through a 春雨直播 Online "class" page. If you are eligible to apply to the major you will see this on your list of Fall 2021 classes in 春雨直播 Online within the first 4 weeks of the semester.
 
Four-Year Curriculum
The curriculum for the Bachelor of Social Work degree offers liberal arts, as found in the university general education requirements, and the social work curriculum which includes a semester long practicum. This curriculum complies with the Curriculum Policy Statement of the Council on Social Work Education. Please see the University Catalog or BSW Student Handbook for more detailed information about the curriculum. As required by the Council on Social Work Education's Educational Policies and Accreditation Standards, the BSW Program does not grant course credit for life experience or previous work experience.
Social Work Courses
                     SW 100 (3sh) Introduction to Social Work
                     SW 212 (3sh) Human Behavior and the Social Environment I
                     SW 213 (3sh) Human Behavior and the Social Environment II
                     SW 312 (3sh) Social Work Research Methodology
                     SW 313 (3sh) Social Work Research Statistics
                     SW 315 (4sh) Generalist Social Work Practice I
                     SW 316 (3sh) Case 春雨直播
                     SW 325 (3sh) National Social Welfare Policy
                     SW 380 (3sh) Social Justice and Diversity
                     SW 415 (3sh) Generalist Social Work Practice II
                     SW 425 (3sh) Generalist Social Work Practice III
                     SW 440 (1sh) Pre-Practicum
                     SW 480 (13sh) Generalist Social Work Practicum
                     SW 298 (3sh) Individual Studies
                     SW 331 (3sh) Social Work and Addictions
                     SW 332 (3sh) Social Work with Aging
                     SW 334 (3sh) Social Work, Disabilities, and Health
                     SW 335 (3sh) Domestic Violence and Social Work Intervention
                     SW 336 (3sh) Medical Social Work
                     SW 337 (3sh) Social Work in Rural Environments
                     SW 338 (3sh) Social Work and Mental Health
                     SW 340 (3sh) Topics in Social Work
                     SW 341 (3sh) Social Work in Child Welfare I 
                        
SW 342 (3sh) Social Work in Child Welfare II
                     SW 345 (3sh) Investigations in Social Work
                     SW 496 (3-6sh) Senior Honors Thesis in Social Work
                     SW 498 (3sh) Individual Studies
TRADITIONAL 4-YEAR PLAN
1st Semester
SW 1003
                        
SOC 100Y3
                        
BIOL 1004
                        
PHIL 1053
                        
UNIV 1001
                        
                        
                           14
                        
                     
2nd Semester
SCIENCE/MATH3
                        
POLS 1223
                        
ENG 1803
                        
HUM ELECTIVE3
                        
MULTICUL3
                        
                        
                           15
                        
                     
3rd Semester
SW 2123
                        
ENG 2803
                        
PSY 1003
                        
FINE ARTS3
                        
F. LANG or MULTICUL.3
                        
                        
                           15
                        
                     
4th Semester
SW 2133
                        
SCIENCE3
                        
COMM 2413
                        
S.S. ELECT3
                        
Elective2
                        
HWB2
                        
                        
                           16
                        
                     
5th Semester
SW 3123
                        
SW 3253
                        
SW Elective3
                        
Elective3
                        
Elective3
                        
                        
                           15
                        
                     
6th Semester
SW 3133
                        
SW 3154
                        
SW 3163
                        
SW 3803
                        
Elective3
                        
                        
                           16
                        
                     
7th Semester
SW 4153
                        
SW 4253
                        
SW ELECTIVE3
                        
SW 4401
                        
Elective3
                        
Elective3
                        
                        
                           16
                        
                     
8th Semester
SW 48013
                        
                        
                           13
                        
                     
Student Organizations and Student Leadership
Social Work and Pre-Social Work student epresentatives are elected by their peers. Both students represent all social work students. They attend the BSW program meetings and participate in discussions about the program, policies, curriculumn, and events. They provide student perspectives during discussions and share student questions and concerns.
SW Student Representatives: Taylor Larson and Lexi Leal
The NASW Student Liaison serves as our connection to the Illinois Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). The NASW Liaison coordinates our involvement in Social Work Advocacy Day held every spring.
NASW Student Liaison: Vacant

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