Social Work, B.A.

Program Chair: Shirley Huisman, Ph.D.

Available in the Day and Evening Colleges.

Columbia College’s baccalaureate Social Work program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and prepares graduates for entry level Social Work employment as well as for graduate level Social Work education. Our mission is to educate undergraduate students from a social science perspective in both problem solving skills and Social Work values, in order to prepare them for generalist Social Work practice work with diverse populations in an increasingly complex and interconnected world, emphasizing social and economic justice for populations at risk. The program encourages Social Work career development through affiliation with professional organizations, pursuit of graduate education and involvement in continuing education.

Mission:  To provide students with the knowledge, skills and values of the profession that will prepare graduates for professional practice, guided by the principles and behaviors of anti-racism, anti-oppression, diversity, equity and inclusion to promote human and community wellbeing, social justice, for direct practice as well as the preparation for advanced social work education.  

Objectives:  

A. To provide the frameworks of understanding regarding human experiences through our knowledge base which is built on scientific inquiry and theoretical underpinnings of person in environment, the role of privilege, oppression, and the intersectionalities found in the vast variety of human experiences.  

B. To provide the knowledge and skill base to work towards promoting human and community rights and well-being at all levels of human experience, including elimination of entrenched human problems such as poverty and systemic racism.  

C. To instill the ethics and values of the profession, including service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, the respect and value of human diversity, the importance of human relationships, integrity, competence, and human rights.”

The nine program competencies are those recognized by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the national accrediting body for Social Work programs. 

1. Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior    
2. Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice  
3. Advance Human Rights and Social and Economic and Environmental Justice  
4. Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice   
5. Engage in Policy Practice  
6. Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities  
7. Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities  
8. Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities   
9. Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities  

Students interested in a Social Work major at Columbia College need to be aware of the following:

• Acceptance to Columbia College does not constitute admission to upper level Social Work courses, or the program. Student must make formal written application to the Social Work program prior to fall of their junior year and attend program orientation. The program considers academic performance as well as personal qualifications in the evaluation of a student’s readiness for continued training and education towards a BSW degree. Students must complete an interview with program faculty in the spring of their junior year to evaluate readiness for field.
• Personal qualifications evaluated for the purpose of admission to the program include intelligence, interpersonal communication skills, self-awareness, initiative, social concern, appreciation for human diversity, dependability, humanitarian interests in helping people and in improving human services and college level reading and writing skills. The behaviors associated with these essential qualifications are considered to be primary indicators of readiness for continued academic preparation for Social Work practice.
• Prior to formal program application/admission, impediments in any or a combination of these areas may result in students being denied admission and advised towards another course of study. The program is not responsible for providing remediation of these difficulties prior to program admission. A student may be denied admission for either academic or personal qualification reasons.
• Program admission does not constitute program completion. Students who evidence difficulties in any or a combination of the above areas or in the Social Work major’s six professional dispositions (professional demeanor and responsibility, commitment to diversity, communication, collaboration, self-reflection, and ethics) after program admission will be counseled and advised with the goal of correcting the problem. If adequate progress is not made, students can be denied continuation in the program and advised towards another course of study after program admission. Students assume responsibility for any additional time this may involve for completion of an undergraduate degree in another area. A student may be denied continuation in the Social Work program for either academic or personal qualification reasons.
• The Social Work curriculum is sequenced, thereby requiring that students complete courses in order, under the advisement of Social Work faculty. The program works with each student individually to devise a plan whereby all prerequisites and general education courses are completed in order to move forward with program courses in as timely of a manner as possible. Should a student decide not to follow their advised schedule, their progress towards graduation may be prolonged and delayed. The program is not responsible for a student’s decision to disregard advisement.
• All 300- and 400- level Social Work major courses must be completed at Columbia College. Transfer credit for 200-level major courses will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
• A grade of C+ or better is required in the following courses for this program: PSY 300  , SOWK 201  , SOWK 255  , SOWK 268  , SOWK 301  , SOWK 302  , SOWK 349  , SOWK 350  , SOWK 355  , SOWK 450  , SOWK 477  , SOWK 478  , SOWK 480  .
• A grade of C or better is required in the following courses for this program: BIO 105   or BIO 130  , POSC 101  , PSY 102  , SOC 151