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B.S. in Social Work (BSW)

Foster flourishing in vulnerable populations.

Grove City College offers a social work degree that will equip you for competent and compassionate social work in a variety of professional practice settings. By earning a bachelor of social work (BSW) through our CSWE-accredited program, you will have the unique opportunity to earn advanced standing for graduate school. You will also have access to real-world field experience and research opportunities, as well as passionate faculty mentors and a robust curriculum grounded in the conviction that every individual has great value and potential to flourish as an image-bearer of God.

Program Highlights
  • 53 major credit hours of coursework that will build your foundation in this rewarding discipline, prepare you for micro- and macro-level social work, and allow you to enter an accredited Master of Social Work (MSW) program with advanced standing to graduate early, save money, and begin your career sooner. For detailed course descriptions and a comprehensive list of required credits to earn our undergraduate bachelor of arts degree, refer to the College Catalog.
    • Social work core requirements include courses in Foundations of Social Work, Administration in Social Work, Human Behavior in the Social Environment I and II, International Social Development, Generalist Practice, Child Welfare, Social Welfare Policy Analysis, Human Diversity in Social Work Practice, Statistical Methods, and Research Methods.
    • Social work elective options include Social Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and Macroeconomics. 
    • Research projects and grant-writing assignments are also woven into the curriculum to cultivate important skills you will need to take on leadership and development roles in the field.
  • 400-hour field placement to gain practical experience with case management, client care, and behavioral interventions while building confidence to handle sensitive issues like substance abuse and addiction.
    • Placements are typically completed over the course of two semesters during the senior year with a local Pennsylvania social services agency or through a semester abroad with a faith-based partner program in Uganda or Romania.
    • Recent field placements have taken our students to organizations including Light of Life Ministries, City Mission, Children’s Aid Society, George Junior Republic, Holy Family Institute, Bethany Christian Services, Dialysis Clinic, and the Pregnancy Resource Center.
    • Learn more about the field placement by viewing our Field Placement Manual and Student Handbook.
  • Options to double major or minor across departments in complementary disciplines like psychology, pre-law, business, and Spanish.
  • Personal access to highly accomplished faculty mentors with many years of social work experience and a deep passion for guiding students to pursue their calling in social work.
  • Student-led organizations in which you can participate and grow in servant leadership, including the Sociology, Social Work, and Psychology Association.
  • Vocation-enriching humanities core classes woven into your academic schedule that will cultivate greater empathy, critical thinking, writing and other communication skills, and a well-rounded understanding of the world and your place in it.
Career Outcomes
  • If you are like 96% of Grove City College graduates, you will be prepared to enter full-time employment or pursue graduate-level education at some of the top schools nationwide.
    • Our social work graduates pursue careers in a wide range of professional settings — including healthcare facilities, public welfare agencies, disability services, human services, family services, aging services for the elderly, public policy advocacy organizations, immigration resettlement agencies, and faith-based non-profit organizations, as well as international NGOs that support survivors of human trafficking.
    • Our graduates who pursue further education have been admitted to such institutions as the University of Pittsburgh, Case Western Reserve, University of Michigan, Columbia, Boston College, and Roberts Wesleyan, opening doors to an even wider variety of career options.
    • If you choose to pursue an MSW (Master of Social Work), you will benefit from advanced standing to enter a program with half of your advanced degree already earned, graduate in 12-18 months, and obtain licensure — thanks to master’s-level prerequisites integrated into our curriculum.
      • Licensure requirements vary by state. In Pennsylvania, there is an optional licensure exam that may be taken upon earning a BSW, but most students pursuing an MSW take the licensure exam upon obtaining a graduate-level degree.
  • Regardless of your position title or career destination as a social worker, you will possess the solid foundation, real-world experience, and Christ-like ethic of care to effectively handle mental health and social problems and implement positive change in the lives of people of all ages.

Student & Alumni Stories

Grace Anne Shaw '24
B.S. in Social Work

“Of all the things that this program has provided, creating a field placement for a whole year definitely lets us put our skills to use.” — Amy Knecht ’20, BSW in Social Work

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