School of Social Work

Return to: Academic Programs General Information

Undergraduate

Dr. Diane M. Hodge, Director
Dr. Sarah Rakes, BSW Program Coordinator

www.radford.edu/content/wchs/home/social-work/academic-programs/bsw.html

The School of Social Work offers the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and the Masters Degree in Social Work (MSW). Both programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The undergraduate program prepares students for beginning generalist social work practice while the graduate program offers a concentration in clinical social work practice. For further information consult the Radford University Graduate Catalog.

The Interdisciplinary Minor in Health and Aging allows students to obtain specialized knowledge about adult development and aging as they live and work with the rapidly aging population of the 21st Century.

Undergraduate Program in Social Work (BSW)

The Social Work Program is a comprehensive professional program that prepares students for beginning generalist social work practice. Students majoring in Social Work graduate with a Bachelor of Social Work degree.  Upper division social work courses are offered at two campuses: full-time and part-time at Radford and part-time at the Roanoke Higher Education Center. Students should consult with an academic advisor in the Highlander Success Center or their Social Work advisor to determine their individual plan of study, including the best campus at which to complete their degree.

This program is designated as A (Cultural or Behavioral Analysis) Area and fulfills the learning goal: To examine the context and interactions of culture(s) and/or behavior(s). Students will fulfill the learning outcomes in this area: describe behaviors, beliefs, cultures, social institutions, and/or environments and analyze the interactions of behaviors, beliefs, cultures, social institutions, and/or environments.

This program has been approved to cover the L (Applied Learning) Area and fulfills the learning goal: To explore professional practice through the application of knowledge, skills, and critical reflection. Students will fulfill the learning outcomes in this area: apply acquired knowledge and skills to develop professional identity or professional practice and critically reflect on their learning, abilities, experiences, or role within professional contexts.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet academic and non-academic standards for successful admission, progression through and graduation from the BSW program. In order to assist students in developing the knowledge base and social work practice skills necessary to be successful generalist social work practitioners, the School of Social Work has developed technical standards and a process to become a social work major.

The Policies for Admission and Progression in the Social Work Major are in the BSW manual. The BSW degree consists of three components: Core Curriculum requirements, pre-professional core courses (pre-Social Work majors), and a professional core (Social Work majors). A 400-hour internship in the senior year is also required.

Admission is competitive and granted on a space- available basis.

A student who has separated from Radford University is subject to a new plan of study when re-entering the program. Students must apply to the major. The BSW committee will review the student records to determine which courses still need to be completed and which, if any, courses need to be repeated.

Admissions Criteria

Applications are accepted once per semester, due by close of business on the first Friday in October and the first Friday in March. Applicants must meet the following criteria for admission into the Social Work major from pre-Social Work:

• Have a minimum overall GPA of 2.7; however, the actual GPA required for admission may be significantly higher as admission is competitive. Transfer students are advised that after 24 credit hours are earned at Radford University, the Radford University GPA is used for admission.  Transfer students who have earned less than 24 credit hours at Radford University are advised that the combined GPA for all coursework is considered.
• Have passed with a “C” or better (a C- is a failing grade) each of the following courses: SOWK 101, SOWK 220, BIOL 104, PSYC 121, SOCY 110, and ENGL 111;
• Meets professional standards as described in the “Waldron College of Health and Human Services Standards of Professional Practice Education.”
• Completes required application and submits it on time; and
• Provides all required documents.
• As part of the admissions process, interviews may be conducted by the School of Social Work Undergraduate Committee.

Life Experience/Previous Work Experience

The School of Social Work follows the Council on Social Work Education’s guideline that no academic credit be given for life experience or previous work experience.

Upper Level Academic Policies

In order to be eligible for field (SOWK 489 ) and the capstone course (SOWK 490 ), students must:

• Continue to meet professional standards as described in the “Waldron College of Health and Human Services Standards of Professional Practice Education.” A student who does not meet the professional standards at any time during enrollment in the major will meet with their advisor and the BSW Coordinator to develop a remediation plan;
• Have passed all required social work courses with a C or better. If a student receives a C- or below in any course, a student may retake the course one time. If the student does not pass the course with a C or higher on the second try, the student will be dismissed from the program;
• Achieve an overall 2.7 GPA or better;
• Achieve a 2.8 GPA or better for social work courses;
• Have their own transportation to and from practicum agencies; and
• Have completed all coursework.

To graduate a student must:

• Achieve a GPA of 2.7 overall and 2.8 in social work courses; and
• Achieve a grade of “pass” in SOWK 489 and a C or better in SOWK 490.

Graduate

Diane Hodge, Director
Philip Mongan, Graduate Program Coordinator
Graduate Faculty
 

Master of Social Work Degree

This degree is structured to meet the needs of full-time students and those who wish to study on a part-time basis. The goal of the degree program is to prepare advanced, autonomous social work practitioners with expertise in clinical social work practice. The Radford campus offers full and part-time programs and the Roanoke campus offers a part-time option. An Advanced Standing Program is available to students who meet grade point and other standards and who are graduates of CSWE-accredited B.S.W. programs. The MSW program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. This is a year-round program, including summers. The Standard program can be completed in two years (full-time) or in three or four years (part-time). The Advanced Standing program can be completed in one year and one semester (full-time) or two years (part-time). The School offers an on-line option for courses.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet the following criteria for admission to the master’s degree in Social Work Program at Radford University:

1. (a) Hold a bachelor’s degree from an institution accredited by a recognized regional accrediting agency in the United States (degrees from institutions outside the United States will be evaluated on an equivalency basis); and
   (b) Indicate that such bachelor’s degree provided an adequate liberal arts background. Liberal arts coursework must include the following: the humanities (9 hours); human biology content (3 hours); and the social sciences (15 hours); It is expected that an applicant’s academic background will indicate broad-based exposure to liberal studies. Coursework in introductory statistics is recommended;
2. Have at least a 2.75 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) for all undergraduate coursework and a 3.0 for the last 60 hours of upper division coursework. Advanced Standing applicants must have a GPA of at least 2.75 overall and 3.0 for all undergraduate social work coursework;
3. Demonstrate motivation and potential for a career in social work, including suitability for the profession;
4. Demonstrate interest and ability to participate in the field of human services, preferably through previous professional, volunteer, or field placement experience.

Conditional Admission may be granted with the requirement that the student make up any deficiencies with a grade point average of 3.0 or better within the first semester of enrollment.

The application deadlines for Advanced Standing and for the Standard program are posted to the School of Social Work web-site under Application materials.

The School of Social Work follows the Council on Social Work Education’s guideline that no academic credit is given for life experience or previous work experience.

Programs

*Programs may have different REAL designations based on the concentration(s) selected. Click on the major for more details.

• Social Work, B.S.W. (A, L)

To graduate with a minor, a student must have a 2.0 or higher GPA in all courses required for the minor, and should be officially registered for the minor at least one semester prior to graduation. Courses used to fulfill major or minor requirements cannot be used to fulfill concentrations or option requirements within Interdisciplinary Studies.

• Interdisciplinary Minor in Health and Aging (E, A)
• Social Justice Minor (E, A)

A degree represents the academic level of a program and the general category into which it falls. For example: Master of Arts, Master of Science, etc. At Radford University, the term “Arts” in a graduate degree generally implies a language and thesis requirement. The minimum number of semester hours for a Radford University graduate degree is 30.

• Social Work, M.S.W.

Return to: Academic Programs General Information