Offers a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree and a collaborative Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) degree with the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). The curriculum in our Bachelor of Social Work program prepares generalist social work practitioners and uses the ecological perspective as the theoretical foundation of generalist practice. Generalist social work entails training for services involving individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations and communities. Regardless of the area (child and family welfare, corrections, health/mental health, aging, etc.) or level of practice (i.e., micro, mezzo or macro), social workers seek to promote social and economic justice and to improve the functioning of the varied populations they serve. Social work practitioners support individual self‐determination and respect the dignity and worth of all people regardless of their age, disability, color, race, ethnicity, family structure, gender, sexual orientation, culture, national origin, religious preference, socioeconomic
status, etc. Social work practitioners advocate for those who have experienced various social problems that cut across cultural groups. Examples include:
• Poverty
• Crime and victimization
• Oppression
• Discrimination
• Mental illness
• Substance abuse
• Chronic physical illness
• Physical, emotional or sexual abuse
• Neglect
Given the breadth of their profession, social work practitioners also work with those who may not have experienced such social problems. Regardless of the population served, social workers recognize their legal and ethical responsibilities to clients and provide competent social work services. It is to this end that our program strives to educate a future
generation of social work practitioners.
