College of Arts & Sciences Catalog
Bethel’s Social Work Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education as an undergraduate-level program preparing students for generalist entry-level professional social work practice. Graduates from this program are eligible to be licensed as social workers. While preparation for practice is the program’s primary objective, academically qualified graduates are prepared to pursue graduate-level social work education. (A number of graduate schools offer advanced standing.) The 63-credit major includes a core of Department of Social Work requirements in classroom and field-based courses, and select biological, social, and behavioral science support courses.
A student must apply and be accepted for candidacy to the Social Work Program. Candidacy indicates your intention to apply for full admission to the program the fall of your junior year. To progress in the program, a student must meet the departmental and Bethel University requirements for academic progress.
A. At the time of application for admission, the student must:
B. The social work department will give written notification to the applicant concerning candidacy status.
Application for Full Admission to the Social Work Program
A. To be formally accepted into the Social Work Program, the student must:
B. The full-time faculty assess the application. Written notification of decision will be given to the applicant.
Student applies for admission to Field Program during fall of junior year. Acceptance into Social Work Program and Field Program must be finalized before student begins SOW334. Field courses require student to spend time in off-campus field settings. Student must furnish their own transportation to and from field settings. Student may be required to complete criminal background check, at student cost, as part of agency requirements.
Junior level student may fulfill SOW334 Social Work Field Experience in a social work approved international semester program. Student must work with the Office of International Studies and obtain approval from the field director of the Social Work Program. Student must also meet the Bethel requirements to study abroad and be accepted into a study abroad program.
In order to remain in the program, student must:
Note: Students who request to resume their involvement with the Social Work Program after dropping out of the program or withdrawing from Bethel University for any reason must apply for readmission into the program. Issues that led to the decision to drop out (whether voluntary of involuntary) must be addressed prior to being readmitted to the Social Work Program. Being readmitted to Bethel University does not constitute readmission into the Social Work Program.
Overview of social work mission, core values, history, and fields of practice. Understanding dimensions of diversity, cultures, and structures that may oppress and marginalize people groups. Significant cross-cultural, community-based service learning in which students communicate and collaborate with diverse individuals. Consideration of social work as career choice. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing.
Development of the welfare state in America from colonial period to the present, with a brief examination of European roots and influences. Historical context, reform movements, and resultant legislation, including that which emphasizes the roles of minorities and women. (Carries cross-credit in history.)
Generalist social work theory and practice with organizations and communities. Application of human behavior in the social environment. Research-based knowledge emphasized. Assignments in community settings focus on engagement and assessment; dimensions of diversity; interaction of social systems; and strategies to promote human and civil rights. Must be taken concurrently with SOW330; SOW313. Prerequisites: SOW200Z; major in social work.
Interrelationship of social problems, social welfare policies, and service delivery from historical, economic, political, and program perspectives. Social systems content applied to social policy analysis. Students develop, analyze, advocate, and provide leadership for policy and service delivery that promote economic and social justice through community-based projects. Prerequisites: Major in social work. (Non-majors may take course only with consent of instructor.)
Generalist social work theory and practice with individuals and families. Beginning professional development, communication skills and social change skills emphasized. Video assignment provides application of the helping process: engagement, assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation, and termination. Must be taken concurrently with SOW330; SOW304. Prerequisites: SOW200Z; major in social work.
Using minority/majority as sociological concepts to analyze individual behavior and group relationships, the distribution of power and privilege between minority and majority groups is studied. Issues of ethnicity, race, gender, faith perspectives, physical and mental attributes, and social class are examined. Includes social justice theories and applications. Prerequisites: GES130 or GES145, 146; Contemporary Western Life and Thought (L) course or GES245; World Cultures (U) course.
Introductory field experience where students apply and integrate beginning knowledge, values, skills, and ethics for social work practice with an emphasis on preparing for professional role. Weekly on-campus field seminar supports integration while students work a minimum of 80 hours in a field setting under agency supervision. Must be taken concurrently with SOW304; SOW313. Prerequisites: SOW200Z; major in social work.
Field experience where students apply and integrate beginning knowledge, values, skills, and ethics for social work practice with an emphasis on diversity and policy practice. Weekly on-campus field seminar supports integration while students work a minimum of 80 hours in field setting under agency supervision. Prerequisites: SOW304; SOW313; SOW330; major in social work; admission to the Social Work Program; admission to the Social Work Field Program.
Social research methods, including an emphasis on becoming proficient and critical consumers of research-based data, for the purposes of knowledge advancement, informed practice, and program and practice effectiveness evaluation. Prerequisites: Mathematics (M) course; introductory course in the social and behavioral sciences.
Generalist social work theory and practice with systems of all sizes. Emphasis on groups including task and treatment, group dynamics, leadership and development of group work model. Case studies promote application of critical thinking; cultural competency skills; and research-informed practice. Must be taken concurrently with SOW432. Prerequisites: SOW200Z; SOW304; SOW313; SOW330; SOW331; admission to the Social Work Program.
Field practicum in a practice setting where students perform the role of a professional social worker under supervision of a qualified field instructor. Weekly on-campus filed seminar supports integration of theory with social work practice. Students work a minimum of 135 hours in field. Structured learning plan provides application of social work knowledge, values and skills. Must be taken concurrently with SOW405. Prerequisite: Admission to the Social Work Program; admission to the Social Work Field Program.
A continuation of SOW432. Time involvement must total a minimum of 135 hours in the field. Satisfactory progress must be made toward competence in professional social work practice. Prerequisite: SOW432.
A continuation of SOW433. Time involvement must total a minimum of 135 hours in the field. Satisfactory progress in SOW432/433/434 indicates completion of students readiness to perform the role of a generalist social work practitioner. Must be taken concurrently with SOW433; SOW499. Prerequisite: SOW432.
Integration of generalist social work knowledge, values, and skills through ethics-based case studies; professional portfolio; and practice/program evaluation assignment applied to field practicum setting. Critical thinking, leadership, and scholarship emphasized. Must be taken concurrently with SOW433/434. Prerequisites: SOW405; SOW432.
In this section, semester credit hours will be shown after the course number and description.
| SOW200Z* | Introduction to Helping Relationships and Services | 4 |
| SOW250 | Social Welfare in America | 3 |
| SOW304 | Social Work Practice I | 3 |
| SOW305 | Social Policy Change Strategies | 4 |
| SOW313 | Social Work Practice II | 3 |
| SOW330 |
Social Work Field Experience I |
2 |
| SOW331 | Social Work Field Experience II |
2 |
| SOW351 | Methods of Applied Social Research and Statistics | 4 |
| SOW327G* |
Social Relations: Issues of Power and Privilege in the U.S |
3 |
| SOW405 | Social Work Practice III | 4 |
| SOW432 | Social Work Field Instruction I | 3 |
| SOW433 | Social Work Field Instruction II | 3 |
| SOW434 | Social Work Field Instruction III | 3 |
| SOW499 | Senior Integrative Seminar | 3 |
| BIO103D* | Human Biology | 4 |
| ECO200 | Economics of Public Policy Analysis | 3 |
| POS100 | American Politics and Government | 3 |
| PSY100 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSY203 | Lifespan Development | 3 |
| SOC101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| Total | 63 | |
| General Education | 51-52 | |
| Electives | 7-8** | |
| TOTAL | 122 |
* A student may also choose to use this course to meet a General Education requirement.
** Because of possible double counting between General Education and the major, more than 7 elective credits may be available.
Students planning on graduate school should choose MAT131M or PSY230M to satisfy the mathematics (M) course requirement.
| SOW200Z* | Introduction to Helping Relationships and Services | 4 |
| SOW250 | Social Welfare in America | 3 |
| SOW305 | Social Policy Change Strategies | 4 |
| SOW351 | Methods of Applied Social Research and Statistics | 4 |
| Choose from: | 3 | |
| ECO200 | Economics of Public Policy Analysis | |
| POS100 | American Politics and Government | |
| Elective from | introductory course in the social and behavioral sciences | 3 |
| TOTAL | 21 |