Social Work (BSW)

A social work degree program will provide you with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for professional licensure and/or continuation into graduate school.

The social work program at Lindenwood University prepares you for general social work with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities in an ethical and effective way. The social work program will encourage you to promote societal responsibility and social justice.

All Social Work courses are taught using open educational resources, journal articles, videos, movies, podcasts, etc.--all accessible on the internet. After formal admission to the major, students will use iPads for a common learning platform to use in class, in the community, and with clients.

Completing a bachelor of social work (BSW) degree in the social work program at Lindenwood University will give you the skills to successfully practice with diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities in changing social contexts. After completing the BSW, you will also be prepared for graduate study and ready to begin a career in the field of human services.

Do You Want To Make a Difference? Become a Social Worker.

Social work is a profession devoted to helping people function the best way possible in their environment. It can mean that you work directly with clients or work to improve social conditions and promote social change through advocacy.

Social work is focus on people in their environment by:

• Understanding how clients experience a situation and what your clients can do about it
• Working side-by-side with your clients in a strength based approach, or through direct counseling
• Help clients identify their concerns
• Consider effective solutions
• Find reliable resources to resolve the issues and prevent future concerns.

The social work program at Lindenwood University is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education through February of 2029.

Lindenwood University Social Work Faculty

The uniqueness of the Lindenwood University social work program comes in small interactive classes with individual mentoring taught by social workers with considerable practice experience, and they will pass the knowledge gained with that experience along to you.

After graduating from the social work program, you will be prepared for generalist, entry-level social work practice and can qualify for advanced standing in CSWE-accredited MSW programs.

There are a variety of employment opportunities in the profession of Social Work. Graduates have become employed in positions such as child abuse/neglect investigator, school social worker, family support worker, counselor for troubled teens, probation and parole officer, and many more jobs. There are numerous social work fields you can enter.

The BSW program at Lindenwood University requires 120 credit hours. Most of your first two years will be spent completing general education requirements and introductory social work courses. A secondary admissions process is required for you to be accepted into the program. The remaining coursework includes courses in practice with individuals, families, groups, agencies, and communities; human behavior in the social environment; social welfare policy and services; social work research and a field practicum seminar.

As a Lindenwood social work student, your practice skills will be enhanced by active involvement in social work agencies, working directly with people in need, plus a 400-hour field practicum and community service projects through the campus social work student organization, the Social Work Student Alliance.

When you earn a social work degree at Lindenwood University, you are eligible for advanced standing, and course requirement reductions in accredited graduate social work programs, and you may take the licensure examination in locations where available or required. Previous social work students who have been admitted to graduate programs in social work report being prepared for the master of social work (MSW) coursework.

Major Coursework

50 credit hours of coursework from the following options:

• SW 11000 Introduction to Social Work
• SW 11500 Social Service Agency Observation
• SW 20000 Intercultural Communication
• SW 24000 Human Diversity and Social Justice
• SW 32000 Social Welfare Policy and Services I
• SW 32100 Social Welfare Policy and Services II
• SW 37000 Human Behavior in the Social Environment I
• SW 37100 Human Behavior in the Social Environment II
• SW 40500 Service Learning
• SW 41000 Social Work Practice I
• SW 41100 Social Work Practice II
• SW 41200 Social Work Practice III
• SW 42500 Social Work Research Methods I
• SW 42600 Social Work Research Methods II
• SW 45000 Field Practicum and Seminar

Elective Coursework

3 credit hours of SW elective coursework 30000-level or higher.

Additional Required Coursework

6 credit hours of coursework from the following options:

• PSY 10000Principles of Psychology
• SOC 10200 Basic Concepts of Sociology