Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W)
Meredith College offers a Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W). The B.S.W. is the only baccalaureate degree that prepares graduates for entry into professional social work practice and into M.S.W. programs at the advanced standing level. The social work program provides studies in social policy, human behavior and social work practice with individuals, groups, organizations and communities.

Upon completion of the social work program, graduates will be well grounded in the liberal arts and the history, purpose and philosophy of the social work profession. Graduates will have the ability to think both locally and globally as they celebrate diversity and work to ensure conditions of social and economic justice for all persons.

Graduates of the social work program will demonstrate the ability to

• Apply critical thinking skills within the context of professional social work practice;
• Practice without discrimination and with respect, knowledge and skills;
• Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and apply strategies of advocacy and social change that advance social and economic justice;
• Understand and interpret the history of the social work profession and its contemporary structures and issues; and
• Analyze, formulate and influence social policies.

Degree Requirements:
Fifty-nine hours are required to complete a major in social work. Students must enroll in three social work practice courses, a social work field placement and a social work field placement seminar. Field experience offers students a chance to work in a social agency four days a week for a semester, while attending class one day a week to support learning in the field.

Link to Women's Studies major
A major in social work is easily combined with a major or minor in women's studies. A major or minor in women's studies supports the professional interest in social work. This would enrich the curriculum for an individual who may pursue a career in community agencies such as substance abuse programs and battered women's shelters.