Academics

About the Social Work program

The Social Work Program at Mississippi State University (Starkville campus) is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Social work is both a challenging and rewarding profession with the primary goal of helping people help themselves. The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree is recognized by the profession of social work as the first practice degree. The BSW graduate is prepared to work as a generalist social work practitioner in a variety of practice settings. These include, but are not limited to the following: child welfare service agencies, family services, medical hospitals, mental health clinics, public health clinics, home health agencies, nursing homes, industries, juvenile and family court, shelters for battered women and children, neighborhood and community services.

The social work program incorporates a liberal arts perspective into the social work curriculum. This liberal arts perspective enhances the person-environment focus of generalist social work practice. Although students may declare social work as a major upon admission to the University, there is a formal admission process into the social work program. The criteria for admission into the program includes:

  1. Cumulative GPA of 2.0 and completion of specific general and liberal arts electives
  2. Completion of the following social work courses with a minimum grade of "C":
    • SW 2303 Social Welfare Policy I
    • SW 3013 Human Behavior in the Social Environment I
    • SW 3003 Populations at Risk
  3. Completion of SW 2213 Intro to Social Work (including 30 hrs of service learning) with a minimum grade of "B";
  4. Completion of "Application for Admission";
  5. Students must complete an application with three reference letters and complete personal interview with Social Work Admissions Committee prior to enrolling in further social work courses.

Additional courses, as noted in the application for admission form, must be completed prior to petition for admission to the major.

Before enrolling in any social work classes, it is the responsibility of the student to consult with their social work advisor regarding any prerequisites for social work classes. The criteria for remaining in the program includes:

  1. Maintain an overall GPA of 2.O, with a 2.5 GPA for all social work courses.
  2. Must earn a minimum of a "C" in each social work course.
  3. Continue to demonstrate an aptitude for a social work career.
  4. Adhere to all academic expectations of the university and the social work program.
  5. Adhere to the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics.

Social Work Program Objectives

Program objectives are consistent with the Educational Policy and Foundation Program Objectives 3.0 of the Council on Social Work Education Handbook of Accreditation Standards and Procedures (p. 33).

  1. Apply critical thinking skills within the context of professional social work practice.
  2. Understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards and principles, and practice accordingly.
  3. Practice without discrimination and with respect, knowledge, and skills related to clients' age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.
  4. Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and apply strategies of advocacy and social change that advance social and economic justice.
  5. Understand and interpret the history of the social work profession and its contemporary structures and issues.
  6. Apply the knowledge and skills of generalist social work practice with systems of all sizes.
  7. Use theoretical frameworks supported by empirical evidence to understand individual development and behavior across the life span and the interactions among individuals and between individuals and families, groups, organizations, and communities.
  8. Analyze, formulate, and influence social policies.
  9. Evaluate research studies, apply research findings to practice, and evaluate their own practice interventions.
  10. Use communication skills differentially across client populations, colleagues, and communities.
  11. Use supervision and consultation appropriate to social work practice.
  12. Function within the structure of organization and service delivery systems and seek necessary organizational change.

Definition of Generalist Practice

The MSU social work program recognizes that generalist social work practice must be grounded in the following professional values: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. Generalist social work education at MSU incorporates the primary content areas regarding fields of practice: values and ethics, diversity, populations at risk and social and economic justice, human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policy and services, social work practice, research, and field education. Generalist social work practitioners at the undergraduate level may assume a wide range of professional roles but typically work under supervision. They apply critical thinking skills and evaluate their service outcomes. With these issues in mind, MSU embraces the following definition of generalist social work practice:

Generalist social work practitioners apply an eclectic knowledge base and a range of skills, grounded in a strengths perspective and using a planned change process with a focus on empowerment, to target systems of any size in a variety of settings.

Service Learning

As a part of the admission procedure to the social work program, each student participates in 20 hours of service learning through SW 2313: Introduction to Social Work. This activity provides students an understanding of human service organizations and service delivery systems and encourages the social work value of service. A licensed social worker supervises the experience. Service learning takes place in a variety of agencies in the surrounding communities. Students complete a series of written assignments associated with the service learning experience.

Field