Programs Goals

To prepare students for entry level social work practice with individuals, families and other groups, organizations, and communities.

To prepare students to practice within the core values and ethical principles that defines the social work profession.

To foster and strengthen the commitment of students to work toward alleviating poverty, income inequality, discrimination, oppression, and other forms of socioeconomic injustice.

To prepare students to practice social work with an understanding of and respect for the value of human diversity.

To provide students with extensive field instruction in several practice settings.

To provide students with skills in written and oral communication and structured opportunities to practice those skills.

To provide students with knowledge of information technologies and enriched experiences in applying them to solve problems in professional practice.

To provide students with enriched content on research methods and practice evaluation, the ability to assess the validity of research findings, and experiences in using research skills in problemsolving contexts.

To provide students with theoretical frameworks for understanding, assessing, and changing the behavior of individuals, families and other groups, and organizations.

To provide students with the ability to analyze and influence social policies and social work services in diverse political contexts.

To prepare students to further their professional growth and development in graduate study or in other types of continuing education.

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, the student will be able to:

Apply critical thinking skills within the context of professional social work practice.

Understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards and principles, and practice accordingly.

Practice without discrimination and with respect, knowledge, and skills related to clients’ age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.

Understand the forms and mechanisms of cultural oppression, racial and ethnic discrimination, and economic exploitation.

Apply strategies of advocacy and social change that advance social and economic justice.

Understand and interpret the history of the social work profession and its contemporary structures and issues.

Apply the knowledge and skills of generalist social work practice with client systems of all sizes, i.e. individuals, groups (including families), organizations (including communities), and the society.

Use theoretical frameworks supported by empirical evidence to understand individual development and behavior across the life span and the interactions among individuals and between individuals and families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Analyze, formulate, and influence local and national social policies.

Evaluate research studies, published in traditional and Internet sources, and apply those research findings to practice, and evaluate their own practice interventions.

Use oral and written communication skills differentially across client populations, colleagues, and communities.

Function within the structure of organizations and service delivery systems, using appropriate supervision and consultation, and deliberately and ethically work to change the organizations and systems in which they practice. Demonstrate an understanding of and skill in using information technologies in social work practice to create, organize, analyze, interpret, communicate, and store/retrieve practice related information.