The Social Work program prepares students for generalist professional practice. Social work is rooted in Christian service principles and guided by the National Association of Social Worker’s professional ethics. Students develop competency in ten areas mandated by the Council on Social Work Accreditation, listed below. Student Learning Outcomes: 1. Students will identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly 2. Students will apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice. 3. Students will apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments. 4. Students will engage diversity and difference in practice. 5. Students will advance human rights and social and economic justice. 6. Students will engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research. 7. Students will apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment. 8. Students will engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being and to deliver effective social work services. 9. Students will respond to contexts that shape practice. 10. Students will engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Vocational Application: Generalist social work practice includes a diverse array of positions in mental health, disabilities, elderly care, medical care, corrections, family and children’s services, case management, human resources, church ministry, community planning, and a variety of other areas. The majority of social work professionals go on to earn their master's degree. Admission to the Program: Students may declare a Social Work major to the Registrar's Office at any time. In addition to a major declaration with the Registrar, accreditation standards require a formal major application and screening process after the following conditions are met: 1. The student has completed SWK 130 Introduction to Social Work, SWK 341 Human Behavior and Social Environment I and any third Social Work course. 2. Social Work requires excellent verbal and written skills, therefore students must complete LAR 111, LAR 112 and CST 100 with a minimum grade of C. 3. The student has completed 45 credit hours of liberal arts requirements with a minimum GPA of 2.0 Social Work major applications should be submitted to the Social Work Program Director by October 31 in the fall semester or March 31 in the spring semester. Transfer students from other schools or students declaring a Social Work major late in their academic career will need to address the application process immediately with their social work academic advisor to avoid delay of Field Instruction or graduation. Field Instruction: All Social Work majors will complete a minimum
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UNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS
social work
of 450 clock hours of supervised field instruction. Application for field instruction must be completed prior to the semester of enrollment. There are no substitutions for the field practicum requirement. Field instructions occur during the students last spring semester. In order to be eligible for field placement, a student must have completed all required course work. A GPA of 2.0 and evidence of personal readiness to begin field (appropriate personal conduct, free from substance abuse, not engaging in behavior harmful to others, self-awareness and the ability to separate personal and professional issues). Students are welcome to seek out-of-state field placements that meet their professional interests. The process for approving a remote agency within the United States for field placement generally requires a lead time of at least six months. All the policies in the USF Field Manual will apply. Students are responsible for arranging and paying for their own room and board. Specific programs may have additional costs and are the responsibility of the student. Students will need to negotiate a process with the Field Instruction Coordinator to participate in the USF Field Seminar using remote technology, or alternately participating in the Field Seminar of CSWE approved Social Work Program near the remote field placement.
Social Work (B.A.) Requirements: In addition to meeting the liberal arts core requirement of the University, students must complete 50 s.h. in social work courses as listed below. All social work courses must be completed with a grade of C- of better. Required courses: ❏ SWK130 Introduction to Social Work ❏ SWK302 Social Diversity or SWK330 Native American/White Relations ❏ SWK341 Human Behavior and the Social Environment I ❏ SWK342 Human Behavior and the Social Environment II ❏ SWK309 Social Policy ❏ SWK310 Organization and Community Practice ❏ SWK362 Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families ❏ SWK363 Social Work Practice with Groups ❏ SWK430 Field Instruction ❏ 3 s.h. of Social Work or upper level relevant electives Supporting course requirements: ❏ PSY201 General Psychology ❏ PSY233 Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences ❏ PSY250 Methods of Research ❏ BIO102 Human Biology