Frequently Asked Questions

What make an Augsburg BSW different?

Well,

• small class sizes
• caring people
• one-to-one contact with faculty
• small school in the big city
• diversity
• practicum sites
• it's a COMMUNITY!

How is a BSW degree different from other degrees such as psychology or sociology?

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 social work on the "person-in-environment" and the focus of psychology on the "person" and that of 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.

Does the BSW allow me to practice school social work?

The Board of Social Work and the Board of Education have several criteria for school social work practice. Follow this link for more information:
Minnesota Board of Social Work Home Page-FAQs:School Social Work Licensure

How long is the program?

Four years for full-time students with 2 years of general education courses and 2 years for the BSW Major.

How do I find out if my transfer courses are accepted?

• Check with your counselor at your current school or
• Call the Augsburg Enrollment Services Center at Augsburg 612-330-1046 or
• Follow this link to the Transfer Student Page
• Several Community Colleges are listed at this link for social work transfer course equivalents

What does my GPA need to be for admission to the program?

You need a 2.0 grade point minimum average.

How many courses can I take Pass/No Pass (Pass/Fail) in the program?

The Augsburg BSW Pass/NoPass policy can be found here.

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 was accredited in 1980, 1986, 1995 and 2001 (up for review in 2007).

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 an 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:

• Adoption services
• Child and adult day care centers
• Children, youth, aging and family services
• Community action agencies
• Criminal justice agencies
• Domestic violence programs
• Homeless shelters
• Hospices
• Hospitals
• Legal service agencies
• Services to people with diabilities
• Mental health services
• Nursing homes
• Non-governmental organizations
• Residential treatment programs
• Schools (elementary & secondary)
• Substance abuse programs

---

How often do internships/practicums turn into permanent jobs?

We don't have accurate data on this, but anecdotally 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 know serve as our field instructors.

What is the job placement percentage for graduates with a social work degree?

The State of Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes employment and wage statistics by job category and the 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, 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 Licensees and Applicants

Does this BSW prepare me for the exam?

Over 80 percent of Augsburg BSW Program graduates pass the exam.

---