SOCIAL WORK MAJOR
See Social Work Program Office for Advisor Information
Anspach 034
(989) 774-2690
A major in Social Work on the Bachelor of Social Work Degree (BSW) is now being offered.
About Social Work: Social Work is a helping profession offering services to all people who need assistance in their lives because of social, emotional, financial or other life problems. Social workers offer services to troubled youth, the elderly, families experiencing crisis, people with medical needs requiring supportive services, those who require a social worker to advocate for them with large organizations (i.e. welfare agencies, social security, Veteran’s Affairs), children who have been physically or emotionally abused or neglected, and a host of related services to all populations at risk. Social workers engage in research and policy analysis and advocate individually and as a profession for effective social welfare policy. Social Workers provide services to ethnically diverse populations and function from a code of ethics provided by the National Association of Social Workers. Social workers are a part of the mental health team that often includes psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors and trained medical personnel. Social workers are also part of the rehabilitation team in skilled nursing units and nursing homes, along with speech pathology, occupational therapy and physical therapy. Salaries in social work for BSW graduates are comparable to those received by teachers. Job security and stability is excellent.
About the Social Work Major:
The major in Social Work consists of 50 hours of course work. Students intending
to apply to the social work program should make an appointment with the social
work program director and sign a social work major intent form during the term
they take SWK 100, or in the following term. After signing a major intent,
students are assigned a faculty advisor, who can advise them on meeting the 50
hours of volunteer or paid social work experience required for application for
admission. Additional requirements for admission to the BSW Program are included in this web page and apply
to all students seeking admission to the BSW Program in academic year 2002-2003
and beyond.
The major in social work consists of the following required courses:
Required Courses (50 hours)
*The student will enroll in these two courses consecutively within two years of completing the course prerequisites.
Electives: (Optional)
Admissions Requirements, Retention, and Termination Standards
Admissions Requirements
1. Students majoring in Social Work must follow the Social Work degree plan leading to a BSW degree as described in the current Bulletin.
2. A minor in Social Work is not available.
3. Students intending to apply to the social work program should make an appointment for advisement as early in their academic career as possible to assure they understand the requirements for admission.
4. Application for admission to the program is typically completed in the spring semester of the traditional sophomore year. Students should consult their advisor about when to apply.
5. The social work major is signed following admission. If needed, students may satisfy CMU requirements prior to admission by signing a major intent with their advisor.
Procedures for Signing a Major and Admission to Social Work Program
1. Completion of 50 semester credit hours with an overall grade point average of 2.5 or better with CMU and/or prior institutions by the time the admission decision is finalized (see dates below).
2. Completion of 15 semester credit hours of University Program Requirements by the end of the term in which the admissions application is received.
3. Completion of Competency Requirements in mathematics and in oral English by the end of the term in which the admissions application is received.
4. Completion of the Freshman Composition component of the Written English Competency Requirement by the end of the term in which the admissions application is received. Students are strongly encouraged also to complete the Advanced Composition Requirement of the Written English Competency Requirement.
5. Completion of SWK 100 and SWK 250 with a grade of 3.0 ("B") or better in each course by the end of the term in which the admissions application is received.
6. Completion of at least 6 hours of the 15 hours of required sociology (SOC) courses on the social work major with a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 ("C+") or better, by the end of the term in which the admissions application is received.
7. Documentation of 100 hours of PRE-APPROVED volunteer or paid work experience of a helping nature and submission of a satisfactory Supervisor Reference Form, completed and signed by the student's supervisor. (The pre-approval and reference forms may be obtained from the social work program office.) At least fifty (50) hours must be completed by the end of the semester of the admissions application and documented with a Supervisor Reference Form. If the 100 hours are not completed by that date, submission or a second satisfactory Supervisor Reference Form for the remaining 100 hours is required prior to enrolling in SWK 321.
8. Submission of two signed Academic Reference Forms, completed by faculty or others who are familiar with student's academic work and potential as a social worker. (This form may be obtained from the social work program office.)
9. Submission of an official transcript from CMU and all prior post-secondary educational institutions.
10. Submission of a BSW Program Application to Admission to the Major. A Personal Interest Statement is required as part of the Application, and should address the questions outlined in the Application. (This form may be obtained from the social work program office.
Faculty interviews may be part of the admissions process. Admissions decision will be made by the Admissions and Academic Progress Review Committee which reserves the right to admit students who may be deficient in one area above. Applicants will be notified of decisions in writing. Additional information about the admissions process is available from the Social Work Program Office in Anspach 142.
Note: Completion of all steps of the admissions process does not assure that the student will be admitted to the BSW Program. If an applicant is denied admission, the applicant is encouraged to meet with the Director of the Social Work Program to determine why the applicant was denied admission and to determine what might be done to strengthen the student's application for future submission. Admitted students should consult the Student Handbook for the Termination Policy, which contains standards for continued academic performance following admission.
Central Michigan University’s bachelor of social work degree program has been granted initial accreditation through February 2008 from the Council on Social Work Education. The Council of Social Work Education is a nation-wide nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and maintaining social work education. This national accreditation is retroactive to all students who graduated with a B.S.W. degree from the program since the fall of 2001, but it does not apply to students who received a Sociology major with a social work concentration.
Questions occasionally arise regarding the consequences of graduating from a non-accredited social work program. The issues to consider are:
Employment: Most potential employers require, at the baccalaureate level, completion of a major in social work, sociology, psychology, or related field. Graduation from an accredited social work program is usually not specified but a BSW degree is often a plus in achieving employment.
In Michigan, Community Mental Health and agencies receiving funding from Medicare require state certification for employment. State certification standards can be met by either (1) graduating from an accredited social work program, or (2) completing a social work program that includes 15 semester hours of social work courses and an internship of no less than 350 contact hours. CMU's Social Work Program exceeds both requirements. The internship at CMU offers 400 hours of supervised generalist practice. As of 2002, summer internship opportunities are available.
Graduate School Admission: Graduate schools of social work do not require an undergraduate degree or major in social work. Many MSW (Master of Social Work) programs offer an abbreviated MSW program to students with undergraduate degrees from accredited programs (called "advanced standing"), allowing certain requirements to be waived. Some schools in the United States reduce the length of the MSW Degree by an academic year for those students who graduate from accredited BSW program and meet grade and other requirements. Requirements vary by institution and direct inquiry should be made to graduate programs for detailed information. Several recent graduates of our program have received advanced standing at Michigan universities offering the MSW Degree. Many MSW Program accept the BSW Degree from a program, such as ours, still in pre-accreditation status.
Accreditation: Once initial accreditation has been achieved, those students who began the program as social work majors while the program was still in candidacy and have met all of the criteria and requirements for graduation, will be identified as having an accredited degree.
Faculty in the Social Work Program:
G. Frederick Allen, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology and Social Work
Susan Grettenberger, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Social Work & Social Work Program Director
Jean Toner, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Social Work & Social Work Field Director
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work
Anspach Hall 142 (SASW)
Anspach Hall 034 (SWK Program)
Central Michigan University
Mt. Pleasant, Michigan 48859
(989) 774-3160 SASW Department Office
(989) 774-2690 Social Work Program Office
Fax: (989) 774-1844 or (989) 774-2140 ((SWK Program)
CMU (an AA/EO institution) encourages diversity and resolves to provide
equal opportunity regardless of race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, or other
irrelevant criteria.
The information on this page is maintained by Rod
Kirk.
Other questions should be directed to: webmeister@chsbs.cmich.edu
Document Revision Date: July 12, 2005