DEPARTMENTAL INFORMATIONWhat
is Social Work?
Is Social Work right for you? Curriculum Course Description Applying to the Major Transfer Students Field Internship Math, Writing, and Social Work Honors Program and Double Majors International Study |
 What
makes an
Augsburg BSW different?
Only the BSW degree gives the graduate eligibility to apply for licensing as a social worker in the state of Minnesota. Anyone practicing social work in settings other than state, county, or local government must be licensed. Thus, a psychology or sociology degree is not sufficient for a career as a practitioner in social work. While there is overlap between the focus of psychology on the "person" and the sociology on the "environment of human society," only social work programs offer extensive supervised practicums in social service agencies. Thus, only the BSW program prepares students to practice. How is a BSW degree different from a two-year human services degree? The BSW degree is a licensed degree recognized by the State of Minnesota for social work. Only graduates of an accredited social work program can practice social work. How long is the program? Four years for full-time students with two years of general education courses (four of seven BSW program supporting courses included) and two years for the BSW major. How do I find out of my transfer courses are accepted?
You need a minimum 2.2 grade point average. I would like to graduate with Department Honors. How do I start? The guidelines and policies for graduating with Social Work Department Honors can be found here. Is the Augsburg BSW Program accredited? Yes, the Augsburg BSW Program has been accredited continuously since 1980. How do I apply? Click here to get answers to all of your application questions. How do I know if I need a BSW or MSW for the type of social work I want to do? Contact the Minnesota Board of Social Work or the Minnesota Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). They can tell you what degree level you would need as well as licensure level. What can I do with a BSW degree? Here are just a few areas:
We don't have accurate data on this, but anectdotally we know that if the practicum agency has a vacancy, the agency often prefers to hire the social work intern whom they've already invested a lot of time and resources in preparing and whose skills and contributions they already know. Many of our field agencies have hired our graduates, some of whom now serve as our field instructors. What is the job placement percentage for graduates with social work degrees? The State of Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes employment and wage statistics by job category and overall growth in social work/human services looks good. What else can I do to help my employment chances? Social workers who are fluent in Spanish, Hmong, other Asian and African languages, have specialized experience, and/or have international experience are well positioned versus graduates without global experience. And as in any entry into the workforce, the more experience you have, the better you look to future employers. Do I need to be licensed? It depends on what you would like to do. Another trip to the Board of Social Work Page will answer this question: Minnesota Board of Social Work Home Page - Information for Licenses and Applicants. Does this BSW program prepare me for the exam? Over 95 percent of Augsburg BSW Program graduates pass the exam. |
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BSW Program Augsburg College 2211 Riverside Avenue Minneapolis Minnesota USA 1.800.330.1000 |
