Social Work Mission & Requirements

Social Work

The Mission of the Asbury University Social Work Program is to prepare social work graduates who are rooted in the liberal arts, the Christian and Wesleyan perspectives, and social work values and ethics, as preparation for generalist social work practice and as change agents in a variety of diverse populations and settings. The Social Work Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

To provide a quality, generalist social work education, the program’s faculty has established the following goals for beginning generalist practitioners through the curriculum’s knowledge, ethics, and practice with diverse populations.

1. Provide the knowledge, values, skills, and ethics to serve diverse client systems of all sizes and types; integrating knowledge about how individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations grow and change, using a bio-psycho-social-spiritual perspective, and how these systems function together within the global context of their environment.
2. Develop generalist social work practitioners who are both knowledgeable and understanding of diverse client systems including: persons of color and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, women, differently abled, LGBTQ+ populations, and other oppressed populations, whether individuals, families, groups, or communities.
3. Based on the historical context of social welfare rooted in the Judeo-Christian heritage, prepare graduates to work with clients by infusing throughout the curriculum social work values and ethics, as stated in the NASW Code of Ethics, for professional generalist practice.
4. Prepare graduates who think critically about social work knowledge; ethically integrate this knowledge and practice; effectively communicate with clients, colleagues, and supervisors using oral and written skills; and value life-long learning of both personal and professional development throughout their careers.
5. Develop practitioners who will use their generalist knowledge and practice base to work as advocates and change agents within diverse communities and organizations.
6. of change at all levels of service within organizations and with diverse cultural groups, including policy analysis and social change strategies.
7. Within a professional community of academic and professional excellence, prepare graduates for generalist social work practice through supportive and sustaining relationships with fellow students, faculty, and field instructors, which leads to the development of a professional identity.

NOTE: All undergraduate social work students are required to complete a BIOLOGY (TUG: BIO 100 /BIO 101  or BIO 201 /BIO 203 ; APS: BIO 100 /BIO 101 , or equivalent) which also counts as their choice of the various sciences/labs listed under the Asbury University Foundations Requirements.

In addition, it is highly recommended that students take a wide variety of courses in the areas of anthropology, economics, recent American history, political science, psychology, and sociology. The social work major generally requires at least five semesters to complete the course sequence.

Continuance in the Social Work Program requires achieving a minimum grade of C- in all Social Work (SW) courses and maintaining a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above.

Social Work Program Admission Requirements

1. Any student who wishes to enter the Social Work Program will be impartially considered. Students interested in the Social Work Program should declare their major as social work by spring semester of their sophomore year or no later than the start of the fall semester of their junior year. The assigned Social Work faculty advisor will then guide the student through the admission process.
    
2. Application for admission to the Social Work Program: to begin the formal admission process the student completes the application materials found on the undergraduate social work web pages in the Department of Social Work. The application is completed in consultation with the faculty advisor and submitted to the Social Work Program Director’s office. Completion of the following criteria is necessary for admission to the program.

• Minimum GPA of 2.50 overall.
• Completion of the program application form.
• Applicants may be asked to obtain clearance from the Office of Student Development concerning moral, ethical, and social behavior acceptable to University community standards and the community at large.
• Recommendations by three persons familiar with the applicant, one of which must be a non-social work faculty member.
• Interview by at least two social work faculty (to take place virtually for APS online students).

3. Students will be considered to be admitted to the Social Work Program when they have completed the application process and have received a formal letter of acceptance from the Social Work Program Director.
    
4. Continuance in the Social Work Program is not guaranteed. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above and an acceptable level of performance according to community, academic, and professional social work standards. Student performance reviews are held prior to SW/SWA340, graduation, or other times as required. Students are responsible for completing forms and scheduling performance reviews through their individual faculty advisors. Probationary status may be assigned to students who do not meet program criteria. A student who is on probation will not be allowed to do field practicum until the student is off probation.
    
5. Continuance in the Social Work Program includes meeting the following criteria:

a. Maintain academic standing according to the academic progress scale of category two (2) under the academic progress scale listed under the policies section of the Asbury University Academic Catalog.

b. Demonstrate personal and professional qualities consistent with working with people. These qualities which will be assessed upon entry to the program, through references and interview, and prior to the first field practicum will include, but are not limited to:

• value system consistent with the ethical standards of the social work profession
• sensitivity to the needs of people
• self-awareness
• responsibility in class work, contributions to University and community life

c. Achieve a minimum grade of C- in all social work courses and maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above as indicated in the Social Work Program Student Handbook.