Bachelor
of Science in Social Work
Course Requirements • Program
Delivery • Admissions • Locations
College
of Arts and Sciences,
I.G.
Greer Hall, Appalachian State University
Off-Campus
Degree-Completion Program in Social Work
The
Bachelor of Science degree in social work prepares students
for the entry level of professional practice in a variety
of public and private social service agencies, organizations
and programs designed to enrich the quality of life and
to improve the social functioning of individuals, families,
groups and communities served. Study includes the social,
economic, and political processes involved in the development
and change of social service institutions, the dynamics
of human behavior and the interventive methods and their
applications to a wide variety of situations and clients.
The social work program is accredited by the Council
on Social Work Education.
Through
the Office of Extension and Distance Education the Department
of Sociology and Social Work presents off-campus undergraduate
programs in social work which provide the upper-division
(junior and senior years) course work for the BSW degree
at community college sites in northwestern NC. Lower-division
courses for the program are acquired at community colleges (or other accredited post-secondary institutions).
Career
Opportunities
Graduates
with accredited BSW degrees have several advantages in
North Carolina: They seek certification under North Carolina's
Social Work Certification Law; and they may be admitted
with advanced standing to graduate schools of social work.
Students will be prepared as generalists to work in nursing
homes, hospitals, group homes, health departments, projects
on aging, correctional agencies, departments of social
services, mental health centers, drug and alcohol programs,
schools, housing programs, shelters and other public and
private social programs.
Freshman
and Sophomore Courses to be Completed at a Community College
(or other accredited institution)
Individuals planning to enter this program are strongly encouraged to complete the NC Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) core, AA degree, or AS degree through a NC community college prior to enrollment in this program. If completion of the CAA core is not likely possible by the start of this program, please contact the Office of Extension and Distance Education.
In addition to completing the CAA core or AA or AS degree, students pursuing the social work major will need to ensure the following courses are accomplished outside the program Appalachian delivers to the site. (NC community college course numbers which will fulfill the requirements are shown in the second column of the chart.)
| American Government |
P S 1100 (POL 120) |
| ++Cultural Anthropology |
ANT 1215 (ANT 220) |
| General Psychology |
PSY 1200 (PSY 150) |
| Introduction to Sociology |
SOC 1000 (SOC 210) |
| ++Philosophy (either Introduction to Logic or Introduction to Ethics) |
PHL 1100 (PHI 230) or
PHL 2000 (PHI 240) |
Social Deviance or
Abnormal Psychology |
SOC 2020 (SOC 242) or
PSY 2401 (PSY 281) |
| Social Problems |
SOC 1100 (SOC 220) |
++Course
is sometimes not in the community college course inventory
and may be offered as a part of the Appalachian off-campus
program. |
Concurrent enrollment (i.e. taking
courses through Appalachian and the community college
during the same term) is allowed so long as one does not exceed the maximum course load, but it is important
that students meet any pre-requisites at appropriate
times. |
Courses taught by Appalachian in the
Off-Campus Social Work Program
| SW 2010 |
Professional Social Work |
| SW 2020 |
American Social Welfare System |
| SW 2630 |
Human Behavior & Social Environment |
| SW 3000 |
Basic Skills for Social Professions |
| SW 3330 |
Social Welfare Policies |
| SW 3850 |
Social Work Research Methods |
| SW 3860 |
Evaluating Social Work Practice |
| SW 3615 |
Foundations of Social Work Practice |
| SW 4000 |
Social Work Practice I |
| SW 4110 |
Social Work Practice II |
| SW 4650 |
Social Work Field Instruction |
| SW 4690 |
Senior Seminar |
| Social Work electives will be
added according to the interests of the cohort. |
| Students must earn at least
a 2.0 "C" grade in each required social work
course. A total of 122 total semester hours must be completed
for graduation. |
Program Delivery
Off-campus BSW programs are cohort-based, a concept of providing a schedule of courses to an identified group of students who, together, start and complete their program of study at a particular location. Cohorts begin at varying times and the prospective student must select a particular cohort to attend prior to that cohort's beginning date (i.e., students may enter a cohort only at selected beginning times and at specific sites). Appalachian faculty teach the cohort courses and the mode of delivery is most often face-to-face, with occasional online course work as appropriate. The courses in each cohort will be offered only
once, so a student must be prepared to take the courses
as they are made available. In the final term of the program a student must have a field experience. The field experience is a full-time endeavor requiring 32 hours per week (for the term) in an approved social work agency/area.
Appalachian delivers both part-time and full-time cohorts at selected sites. The distinctions in program delivery between the part-time and the full-time cohorts are:
Part-time program delivery: Generally, two courses
will be provided each term (including summers). Each face-to-face
course will be conducted either during the evenings
(e.g., 6:00-9:00 pm one evening a week for 15 weeks)
or on weekends (e.g, Friday evenings and/or Saturday
mornings). During the final term of the program a student will be in a full-time classification with field experience and senior seminar. Cohort length is approximately 3 years.
Full-time program delivery (currently proposed only in Burke County): As the title implies, at least 12 semester hours will be delivered to a full-time cohort each term, with courses conducted primarily during the daytime hours. Program length is 2 years, with courses typically provided during the fall and spring semesters only.
Admissions Information
(Please
contact the Office of Extension and Distance Education
about applying for new programs.)
Individuals seeking to enter the part-time BSW program must present at least 30 semester hours of transferable work prior to entering the program. For entry to the full-time program, at least 45 semester hours of transferable credit must be presented prior to enrollment. Transfer students are accepted based upon successful completion of college transferable credits. A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (as calculated by Appalachian) on all transferable coursework taken within the three previous years is required to be admitted. All grades earned in transferable courses within the last three years, including repeated courses, are used in calculating the grade point average. (College course work taken in excess of three years ago will be considered for transfer, but the grades in this coursework are not used in determining the cumulative gpa for admission purposes.)
Students less than 24 years of age who have not completed the high school Minimum Course Requirements (MCR) must earn an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree or complete 6 semester hours in each of the following college level areas: English, math, science, and social sciences. Two units of a second language will be required of applicants who are high school graduates of 2004 and beyond.
The application for admission along with official copies of transcripts (i.e, a transcript from each college attended as well as a high school transcript) must be submitted to the Office of Extension and Distance Education. There is a $50 application fee. (At this time, a student applying for an off-campus program should not submit the application for admission via Appalachian's online form.) For off-campus programs which fill early, applicants will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis according to the date the application and all supporting documents are received.
Off-Campus Locations
of Program
Burke County
Fall 2009-- a FULL-TIME social work degree-completion program is proposed on the campus of Western Piedmont Community College
Cleveland County
Fall 2007-- a social work degree-completion cohort began on the campus of Cleveland Community College
Wilkes County
Summer 2007 -- a social work degree-completion cohort began on the campus of Wilkes Community College
Catawba County
Fall 2006 -- a social work degree-completion cohort began at the Hickory
Metro Higher Ed Center (located on the East Campus of Catawba
Valley Community College)
To make a request of the Office of Extension
and Distance Education
Click Here
