Social workers make the world a better place. They work with low-income families, children, recovering addicts and the elderly to provide them with housing, food, employment, health care—and most importantly — hope for the future.
The mission of the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program in the School of Social Work is to provide students with a liberal arts and social work education that is focused on culturally competent practice. The BSW Program will prepare graduates for graduate school or to enter the job market as competent entry-level generalist practitioners with a foundational understanding of culturally competent practice with individuals, families, small groups, organizations, and communities. Our mission aligns with the profession’s primary mission of enhancing human well-being and addressing the basic human needs of all people, particularly those vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty, by producing graduates who demonstrate generalist practice skills through a unique culturally competent lens.
Some of our program's points of pride.
Every person has certain basic needs that need to be met in order to live a healthy and happy life. According to psychologist Abraham Maslow, the most important needs are:
As a major in JCSU’s nationally accredited social work program, you’ll learn how to help people meet these needs. Your classes will focus on the behavioral reactions when these needs are not met and the psychological reasons behind them.
As a major in our social work program, your education won’t stay in the classroom.
All social work majors participate in internships that allow them to put what they’ve learned to good use. Whether they work with young children, low-income families, the elderly or survivors of domestic abuse, these internships set our majors on a path toward a rewarding career of service.
The Department of Social Work also offers our majors a resource library that features:
Our students often use the library as a skills lab to tape case presentations, simulations and case staffing for their class assignments.
JCSU is a private liberal arts university. What this means to you is that your education will broadly cover all areas of study. The diversity of your classes will help you look at “the big picture” in any career you choose.
Having a college education will give you the tools to succeed in life. Having a liberal arts education will give you the opportunity to take your success further.
Our social work program has been specifically tailored to meet the demands of today’s workplace.
Caring and compassionate social workers are needed now more than ever. At JCSU, you’ll learn the skills necessary to help those who need it most.
We know that to be an effective social worker, you have to know the people you’ll be serving. And although you can learn a lot from your classes, your best teacher will be experience.
Your JCSU professors have connections to a variety of service agencies throughout the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. Based on your interests, they’ll help place you in an organization where you can learn firsthand the daily responsibilities of a social worker.
If your future plans involve graduate school, approximately 60% of all social work majors continue to graduate school to obtain a Master of Social Work degree, the experience you have in the field will stand out on your application.
Our students are active members of the community. Their research findings can help us better our neighborhoods and provide the citizens of Charlotte with a better quality of life.
Our students have researched important topics that include:
The Social Work Club will help you get to know your professors and classmates and take advantage of opportunities for fun, fellowship and service. Our club holds several community service projects a year, some of which include:
• A community service project with a local battered women’s shelter
• A clothing drive for Goodwill
• A mentoring program with older adults in the community
• An alumni mixer
• Department of Social Work socials
Phi Alpha Honor Society, the national social work honor society, is another organization where our students can exchange ideas with other social work majors.
As a member of the honor society, you’ll be able to participate in meaningful service projects in the Charlotte community. In the past, our students have helped mentor children in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools.
Your path to a successful career begins the minute you step on campus.
Our program has enabled JCSU graduates to make an impact in the lives of community members across North Carolina, as well as the country. They’ve found work as social workers in organizations such as:
Our graduates have been accepted by some of the top social work graduate programs in the nation, including:
You’ll have the chance to make a difference in people’s lives working at a variety of organizations:
Review the BSW Program Assessment Data Collected during the Academic Year 2022-2023.