Bachelor's Program > Objectives

To prepare students for generalist social work practice, the program maintains the following objectives in the development of the BSW curriculum:

1. To conduct agency-based generalist practice from the person in environment perspective recognizing that intrapersonal, interpersonal, biological, and social environment factors contribute toward client system functioning.

2. To practice social work at a beginning level that will: enhance the biopsychosocial functioning of individuals, families, groups and communities; restore client and community capacity for effective adaptation; enhance client or community ability to bring about social change; and reduce and prevent social problems and social breakdown.

3. To deliver quality services to the urban poor, minority communities, and populations at risk.

4. To understand the historical, philosophical, value and ethical base informing social welfare and social work and to practice using the NASW Code of Ethics as a guide for social work intervention.

5. To practice without discrimination and with respect, knowledge, and skill related to clients’ age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

6. To implement a problem solving approach to address particular problems or issues of individual, family and group client systems.

7. To promote individual and collective economic and social justice and the elimination of oppression and discrimination.

8. To apply critical thinking skills within the context of professional practice.

9. To demonstrate the use of theoretical frameworks supported by empirical evidence to understand individual and family development and behavior across the life span.

10. To demonstrate knowledge of the influence of historical, moral, political, and social and economic contexts on local, state, and national social welfare policy; apply this knowledge to analyze, formulate, and influence state social policy legislation.

11. To demonstrate knowledge of how social policy impacts service allocation, service delivery, benefits, finance and organizational structure.

12. To demonstrate the ability to evaluate research studies, apply research findings to practice and to use methods to evaluate their own practice.

13. To demonstrate the ability to use communication skills differentially across client populations, colleagues, and communities.

14. To use supervision and consultation appropriate to social work practice.