About the Program

Overview

Our 70 credit degree in social work provides:

• A program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education
• Curriculum focused on social justice and anti-oppressive practice with competency-based learning outcomes
• Social work knowledge, values, and skills built upon the National Association of Social Workers’ Code of Ethics
• Accessible faculty who are active scholars, practitioners, and leaders in the social work field
• Cohort-based program with small class size. You will move through the curriculum as a learning community, supporting and fostering academic, professional, and personal growth
• Practices courses with hands-on training in SU’s clinical performance lab and in the community
• A nine-month, 450 hour field practicum in a community agency with supervision by experienced social worker
• Access to Career Fairs, employment preparation, and networking opportunities with our alumni
• Eligibility for continued education in an Advanced Standing Master of Social Work Program (learn more about the SU program here.)

Mission

Our mission is to prepare undergraduate students to become competent and effective entry-level, generalist social work professionals who value and respect diversity, anchor economic and social justice and human rights as central to their practice, and seek to use their knowledge based on scientific inquiry and skills to improve and community human well-being.

Values

Our program values are adopted from the eight core values of the social work profession delineated in the CSWE Educational Policy 1.0:

• service
• social justice
• the dignity and worth of the person
• the importance of human relationships
• integrity
• competence
• human rights
• scientific inquiry

Goals

• For competent and effective entry-level generalist social work practice with varying client systems (i.e., individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities)
• To practice competently with diverse populations.
• To effectively promote and advocate for economic and social justice and human rights.
• To apply the values, ethics, and standards of the social work profession into generalist practice.
• For service and leadership to improve human and community well-being in evolving contexts.

Learning Outcomes

Competency-based Education and Practice Behaviors

The Bachelor of Social Work Program prepares students to become competent and effective generalist social workers. We have adopted the following nine competencies (as of June 2015) in line with the Council for Social Work Education - Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (CSWE EPAS) as our own learning outcomes. These standards are common to all undergraduate and graduate social work programs. Graduates of Seattle University’s BSW program:

1. Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior.
2. Engage diversity and difference in practice.
3. Advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.
4. Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
5. Engage in policy practice.
6. Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
7. Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
8. Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
9. Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

• Learn About Our Social Justice Commitment and Practice