Contact
Karen Kirkhart, Undergraduate Program Director
244 White Hall
315-443-5550
Faculty
Keith A. Alford, Maria Brown, Paul Caldwell, Kenneth N. Corvo, Kendra DeLoach, Alejandro Garcia, Jennifer Genovese, Ryan Heath, Eric Kingson, Karen E. Kirkhart, Tracey Musarra Marchese, Deborah J. Monahan, Nancy R. Mudrick, Stephanie Pilkay, Carrie Jefferson Smith, Yvonne Smith, Matthew Spitzmueller, Xiafei Wang
Description
The undergraduate professional social work program offers a 120 credit bachelor of science degree. The goals of this program, in order of priority, are as follows:
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To prepare undergraduate students for competent and effective generalist professional practice by developing the requisite social work knowledge, values, and skills, and
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To prepare undergraduate students for continuing professional education and/or graduate education.
The social work program is based on the concept of ecological systems, which maintains that the fundamental focus of social work practice is on the transactions of people and their environments, and on the constant state of reciprocity in which each shapes the other. Social work intervention aims to promote the progressive forces and minimize the regressive forces in those transactions. The curriculum incorporates instruction in five professional foundation areas: social welfare policy and services, human behavior in the social environment, research, social work practice, and field practicum. Instruction in these areas builds upon a carefully chosen and strong behavioral sciences, and the natural sciences taken within the College of Arts and Sciences.
The program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
Intra-University Transfer
Students who meet the following criteria will be considered (on a space available basis) for intra- university transfer and/or declaration of major in social work:
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Students with a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher, who are in good standing at the university and who have expressed an interest in pursuing the social work profession will be considered for transfer to the major.
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Students must have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours at Syracuse University.
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Students must have a minimum of four (4) semesters of study remaining at the university in order to complete the social work degree within a four year time frame.
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Students must meet with the Baccalaureate Social Work (BSSW) Program Director to discuss their interest in the major and to develop a plan for degree completion.
Study Abroad
SU-Abroad sponsors study opportunities in England, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Spain, Chile, Australia, and Hong Kong. with careful planning, students can satisfy other degree requirements while developing sensitivity to cultural differences through these programs.
For social work students, the general plan for study abroad involves taking some core courses normally taken during Junior year during the sophomore year (for those students planning to travel abroad during Junior year).
The time abroad is usually used for humanities courses (e.g. English, history, fine arts, or other site-specific opportunities) or electives. To ensure graduating on schedule, it is essential for students to carefully plan for the entire four-year experience so that everything will fit as needed.
Note
Experience Credit - Students may earn elective academic credit for volunteer or paid work experience in social service agencies that occurs while they are enrolled in the baccalaureate social work program.
Learning contracts must be made for that experience before engaging in the experience and usually involve an agreement between the student, a supervising agency staff member, and an appropriate faculty member. Registration forms for Experience Credit are available in the program director’s office. Experience credit cannot take the place of a student’s senior field practicum. Academic credit is not awarded for life or work experience achieved prior to matriculation in the program. For more information, contact the Social Work Undergraduate Program Director.
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