Social Work Overview

General Informaiton

Marygrove College offers a Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) degree program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The B.S.W. program is designed to prepare students for ethically-guided, generalist social work practice at the entry level of professional employment and for graduate professional education. Satisfactory completion of our undergraduate curriculum means that you would be eligible for up to one year advance standing in Master of Social Work degree programs. With some post-degree work experience, you can be licensed as a social worker in the state of Michigan and as a B.S.W. practitioner by the National Association of Social Workers. This degree program can be completed in the evening on an extended basis.

Specific Information

Acceptance into the B.S.W. Degree Program

After you are admitted to the College, you will begin a self-assessment, application and screening process toward formal acceptance into the B.S.W. degree program. This process starts with your enrollment in one or more introductory social work courses, which you should elect as soon as you complete all prerequisites to the course(s). In these courses, you will assess your aptitude for and clarify your interest in social work.

You will be ready to submit an application for formal acceptance into the social work program once you have:

• decided that you want to attain the B.S.W. degree
• completed developmental studies requirements by the end of the term.
• achieved a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.3 (C+).
• completed SW 312 with grade of C or better
• demonstrate successful progress in SW 314

Application materials and forms are explained in all introductory social work courses. They can be obtained from the program office. Review of your application will be made by the Social Work Admissions Sub-Committee. You will be notified of the decision after the review by the Admissions Sub-Committee.

A contractual agreement between the student and the social work department must be signed upon admission to the program. Admission to the program is valid for six (6) years. If this time period has expired and you have not successfully progressed toward degree completion, then you must re-apply to the program.

No grade below a C will be accepted in any required core social work course. An overall GPA of 2.3 must be maintained.

Any required core course must be repeated if grade is less than a “C”. Only one core course may be repeated. If more than one core course must be repeated, then you
will not be allowed to continue in the social work program. You must demonstrate ability in human relations and display professional values and attitudes consistent with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. Continuance in the program is contingent upon consistent performance in regard to the above qualifications.

Decisions about admissions, discontinuance and repeating of course work will be handled on an individual basis. If you wish to appeal a decision, you may obtain a copy of the grievance procedure from the director of the program, and in the Student Social Work Handbook.

The program reserves the right to require volunteer experience of students. You must be formally accepted into the program before you can enroll in:
SW 350 Social Work Practice I
SW 450 Social Work Practice II
SW 455 Field Practicum

The Social Work Degree Program

The social work curriculum is based on the premise that as a social worker you need a well-integrated program of liberal arts content, supportive content from the social sciences, as well as specific professional content. The curriculum is, therefore, interdisciplinary in nature. Professional and professionally related requirements consist of approximately 66 hours in the following areas:

• 45 credit hours in social work
• 10 credit hours in psychology
• 11 credit hours in sociology

If you are entering Marygrove as a first year student, then the program of study leading to the B.S.W. degree generally consists of a minimum of four years of full-time study.

If you already have an associate’s degree or are transferring into Marygrove with junior standing, you can generally complete all requirements for the B.S.W. degree in two years of full-time study. It is not mandatory that you attend the College full-time to pursue the B.S.W. degree. Part-time stu-dents are also accepted into the program.
The professional sequence is concentrated in the junior and senior years. You are, therefore, advised to complete general education requirements before your junior year, or as soon as possible.

In accordance with CSWE’s Evaluative Standard 5.2 for baccalaureate social work programs, “Academic credit for life experience and previous work experience must not be given, in whole or in part, in lieu of the field practicum or of courses in the professional foundation areas specified in the Curriculum Policy Statement.”

Field Practicum

An integral part of the B.S.W. program is an educationally planned, professionally guided field practicum in an agency or facility where professional social workers are employed. As a social work intern, you are directly engaged in the delivery of social services to individuals, families, groups, organizations and/or communities.

At Marygrove, your field agency placement is specifically selected for you by the Field Director with your consultation, from the many and diverse agencies in the tri-county area. The field practicum provides you with invaluable experience and preparation for employment in entry-level social work practice. Because the field practicum together with required coursework places high demands on your time and energy in the senior year‚ advance planning is required. The Field Director reserves the right to delay, interrupt and/or terminate the practicum experience.

As we subscribe to and aim to cultivate the values of the social work profession, it is expected that you will respect and promote the dignity, integrity and self-determination of every person in the field, on campus, in the classroom and in related interactions,
as well as conduct yourself according to the NASW Code of Ethics.