B.S.W. Program
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Hello! We’re glad you are interested in majoring in social
work. This website is designed to give you information
about the social work major at Radford University. If you
still have questions after reading this information, feel
free to call Alice King-Ingham, BSW Program Coordinator at
(540) 831-7673 or our main number at (540) 831-7689.
Radford University’s BSW program is in its 27th year of
operation. The program is accredited by the Council on
Social Work Education and is reviewed and monitored by the
Professional Advisory Council of 50-plus trained
professional social workers. The School of Social Work is
one of three academic schools in the Waldron College of
Health and Human Services. Waldron College is located in
Waldron Hall, a brand new building housing an
interdisciplinary clinic that provides internship
opportunities for social work students. Waldron Hall is
equipped with state of the art technology including laptop
computer terminals, and V-Tel classrooms. The School of
Social Work’s main campus is in Radford, and Radford also
has a premajor BSW program in Roanoke at Virginia Western
Community College.
Course work focuses on developing knowledge and skills
related to nine practice areas:
1. Human Behavior in the Social Environment
2. Social Welfare Policies and Services
3. Research
4. Social Work Practice
5. Field Instruction
6. Social Work Values and Issues
7. Social and Economic Justice
8. Populations-at-Risk
9. Diversity
The curriculum includes courses in human behavior and the
social environment, research, social welfare policies and
services, direct practice (individual, family and group
work, among others), and field instruction (agency
internships). In addition, students may take elective
courses in child welfare, gerontology, and crisis
intervention.
Social work is a comprehensive helping profession. It is a
dynamic, changing, and challenging profession that allows
practitioners to work in a wide variety of human services
settings. Social work majors must be well grounded in the
liberal arts and must understand major theories about the
human condition, theories drawn largely from sociology,
psychology, biology, and philosophy.
A wide variety of job opportunities are available to a
social work major with a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
Social workers are professionals who are trained to help
people cope with a wide variety of human problems such as
poverty, illness, unemployment, substance abuse and family
or personal problems. They may do counseling and therapy or
referrals for their clients or work in program planning,
community organizing and policy development.
Social work majors may secure positions as program
directors and coordinators, directors of services,
supervisors or community organizers. Many social workers
find employment in the areas of mental health, substance
abuse, health care, court services, family planning, child
welfare, school systems, social services, mental
retardation, elderly services or family services/mediation.
Radford University’s baccalaureate social work degree is
accepted as the entry-level educational credential for
beginning social work practice. Because of a highly
structured curriculum, an emphasis on building counseling
and problem-solving skills and the involvement of students
in two internships (630 total hours in duration), human
service agencies look very favorably upon the school’s
graduates. Competition for social work jobs is intense, but
Radford’s social work graduates are highly successful due
to the relevant course requirements and experience provided
by their internships. In addition, Radford graduates are
eligible to apply for advanced standing in graduate social
work programs, including the Radford MSW program.
The demand for graduates of social work programs is high
and its long-term future is bright. In fact, social work
has been cited as one of the professions "on the move" for
the next century. Between 95 and 100% of students
graduating with a baccalaureate degree from the college of
Health and Human Services have found employment or gone on
to graduate school within three months of graduation.
Note: SOWK 289 is the pre-professional field practicum for prospective BSW majors. Current BSW majors must take SOWK 489 (see Field Study for BSW).
BSW STUDENT HANDBOOK
BSW APPLICATION PACKET
BSW SAMPLE PLAN OF STUDY
BSW CALENDAR 2009