Social Work

Degree Programs

General Studies

The General Studies requirements for Chadron State College are available on a separate page for easy reference.

The CSC Social Work program has been accredited by the Council on Social Work Accreditation since 1998. Students who graduate from Chadron State College in Social Work are prepared for social work practice in a multicultural context within the region, as well as nationally & globally. The challenges of & capacities for addressing human diversity are integrated throughout the social work curriculum. The social work curriculum is also designed to encourage the development of knowledge & skills in collaboration, collegiality, & networking. Graduates of CSC Social Work program are prepared to provide professional leadership within the region.

Mission

The Bachelor in Arts in Social Work at Chadron State College provides an undergraduate experience that fosters student development of knowledge, skills, & values in order to function as generalist Social Workers who enhance the capacities & quality of life for individuals, families, groups, organizations, & communities within the region of west Nebraska, southwest South Dakota, southeast Wyoming, & northeast Colorado.

In order to carry out the social work program mission of Chadron State College, the Social Work faculty strives for excellence in teaching, scholarship, & service. Social Work faculty teach foundation curriculum with a sensitivity to student needs & with an awareness of the knowledge, skills, & values appropriate to a beginning social work professional at a baccalaureate level. To maintain student learning, Social Work faculty use innovative technology, experiential & active learning approaches, & outcome-based learning that individualize curriculum & instruction to the needs of individual learners.

Social Work faculty continually evaluate courses through student process evaluations, course evaluations of teaching & objective attainment, peer reviews of teaching, assessment of written assignments, & tests of student learning. Social Work faculty seek to integrate scholarship with student learning through presentations at regional & national conferences, special projects, & community consultation. Social Work faculty provide service to the College, community, & professional associations by serving on local & regional boards & committees & participating in projects with local human service systems.

Objectives

To carry out the mission of the Social Work Program & Chadron State College, the Social Work Program seeks to prepare Social Work Professionals who will upon completion of the Program be able to:

  1. Critically assess & intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations & communities using multidimensional theories & strategies that enhance the social functioning & interactions of individuals, families, groups, organizations, & communities by involving them in accomplishing goals, developing resources, & preventing & alleviating distress.
  2. Utilize the skills & knowledge to successfully practice within the context of diverse cultures, reflected by, but not limited to age, gender, mission/orientation, sexual preference, racial or ethnic background, disability, marital status, religious orientations, & life style.
  3. Utilize knowledge of the forms & mechanisms of oppression/social injustice, integrate a value-base that fosters commitment to advocacy, & develop the political & social skills necessary to alleviate oppression/social injustice.
  4. Critically analyze social welfare policies & implement social welfare policies, services, & programs through political & organizational processes that meet basic human needs & support the development of human capacities.
  5. Work collaboratively within rural human service agencies & human service delivery systems with supervisors & professional colleagues & develop personal/professional/political support systems.
  6. Utilize the knowledge & skills of research, evaluate professional practice using qualitative & quantitative research methods, use & solicit collegial feedback, & apply existing knowledge to advance Social Work practice.
  7. Practice Social Work with an ethical orientation compatible with the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers & to assess & act professionally & intentionally in situations with ethical dilemmas.
  8. Develop an identity as a professional Social Worker & practice Social Work with the highest regard for the strengths/capacities, integrity & value of all beings whether as individuals or in families, groups, organizations & communities.
  9. Enter a graduate program in Social Work with advanced standing.

The Social Work Program consists of pre-professional studies in the freshman & sophomore years & the professional major which is usually completed during the student’s junior & senior years of study. Except for some transfer students, incoming students who want to major in Social Work are given the status of a Pre-Professional Social Work major. The Pre-Professional Social Work major is determined by the student indicating Social Work as an area of interest when first enrolling in college. Identifying an interest in Social Work permits the School of Education, Human Performance, Counseling, Psychology & Social Work to assign the student to a Social Work faculty advisor. Prerequisite courses to the Professional Social Work Program include the General Studies courses required of all CSC students, BIOL 121/121L; ECON 130; PSYC 131, 238; SW 231, 251, 252, 271; PS 231; & SOC 231.

Students considering Social Work should consult the Social Work faculty early in their academic career to insure that the necessary prerequisite coursework is completed prior to admission to the professional Social Work program.

Admission to the Professional Program

The admissions policy of the Chadron State College Professional Social Work Program is to accept all qualified students within the limits of its resources, facilities, & mission. Qualified students are admitted without regard to age, race, marital status, gender, religion, national origin, or disability. Educational policies, scholarship & loan programs, & other programs & activities, are administered without discrimination. Chadron State College offers a B.A. degree with a comprehensive major in Social Work which is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Graduating students are prepared to practice as beginning Social Work professionals.

Generally, students make application to the Professional Social Work Program during the 2nd semester of the sophomore year or first semester of the junior year. Students who change majors or transfer to Chadron State College make application during the first semester on campus or when they have either completed or enrolled in all pre-requisite Social Work courses. Applications to the Professional Social Work Program are available from the Department of Counseling, Psychology, & Social Work.

Admission Criteria

Admission to the Chadron State College Professional Social Work Program is based on the following criteria:

  1. Sophomore standing.
  2. Cumulative grade point average of 2.00 & a 2.75 G.P.A. in pre-requisite Social Work courses.
  3. Completion of an Application for Major form. The form is available from the departmental office assistant.
  4. Completion of an Application to the Professional Social Work Program by deadlines published during Fall & Spring semesters. An Application to the Professional Social Work Program includes: the Application form, three letters of reference, & written responses to questions identified on the Application form. Submission of Application materials to Social Work Program Director.
  5. Completion of or enrollment in all SW pre-Professional courses: BIOL 121/121L; ECON 130; PS 231; PSYC 131, 238; SW 231, 251, 252, 271; & SOC 231.
  6. Documentation of 40 hours of volunteer experience in a social service setting. Documentation materials included with Application to Professional Social Work.
  7. Completed interview with a designated Social Work faculty member. Student will be notified of interview following receipt of completed Application to Social Work Professional Program.
  8. Signed Acknowledgement of student’s willingness to abide by the NASW Code of Ethics. Statement included with Application to Social Work Professional Program.

The Chadron State College Social Work Program does not grant academic credit for life experience for any social work course requirement.

After discussion with his/her advisor, a student who does not meet the admission’s requirements to the Social Work Program may petition the Social Work Admissions Committee for special consideration.

Students who apply to enter the Field Program once accepted into the Professional Social Work Program may be required to give permission to have a criminal background check conducted by a state Bureau of Criminal Investigation or the Federal Bureau of Investigation, depending upon potential placement agency requirements. If a background check is required, students will be responsible for all incurred costs.

A student with a major felony conviction(s) involving the use of weapons or abuse of vulnerable individuals may not be able to complete SW 464 Social Work Field Practicum, depending upon the Program’s ability to find a field placement site. If a student completes the Social Work Professional Program he/she may not be able to secure a license to practice Professional Social Work, depending upon a given state’s social work licensing board’s standards or depending upon a given agency’s hiring standards. Students with questions about prior convictions must schedule a meeting with the Social Work Program Director to discuss circumstances & options available.

Applications for admission to the Professional Social Work Program are reviewed by the Social Work Admissions Committee. Action on the admission requests is based upon the recommendations of the Social Work Admissions Committee. The Social Work Admissions Committee may recommend: admission, conditional admission, or deny admission. Students are notified of the decision of the Admissions Committee by an official letter from the Director of the Social Work Program. Students who are not accepted may appeal the decision by initiating the appeal process as outlined in the Social Work Program Student Handbook.

Transfer Students

Students transferring into CSC may upon completion of pre-requisite Social Work courses or upon enrollment in prerequisite Social Work courses, apply for admission to the Professional Social Work Program.

Student Applications for Admission to the Professional Social Work Program must be submitted & a student notified of the Social Work Admissions Committee decision of acceptance into the Professional Social Work Program before a student can officially enroll in Professional Social Work courses through Chadron State College. In situations where students are applying to the Professional Social Work Program while finishing pre-requisite courses, students may pre-enroll in Professional Social Work courses on a conditional basis with over-rides provided by the Director of the Social Work Program.

Students wanting to transfer credits from another institution must submit an official transcript to Chadron State College for evaluation. Unless an articulation agreement related to Social Work courses exists between Chadron State College & the institution, students must submit syllabi from prior Social Work courses to the Director of the Social Work Program. For Social Work Program courses, the final decision concerning content & acceptability of transferred courses rests with the Director of the Social Work Program.

Termination Policy

A student may be terminated from the Social Work Program due to failure to meet generally accepted standards of professional conduct as identified in the National Association of Social Work Code of Ethics & as identified in the Chadron State College Code of Student Conduct. Examples of nonprofessional conduct include, but are not limited to, consistent failure to demonstrate effective interpersonal skills necessary for forming professional helping relationships, inability to demonstrate nonjudgmental attitude, & inability to allow client self-determination.

Students who are dismissed from the Social Work Program may appeal the decision by initiating the appeal process as outline in the Social Work Program Student Handbook.

The Degree of Bachelor of Arts with a Comprehensive Major in Social Work

A student must complete the following program in addition to the General Studies requirements. Students pursuing this comprehensive major must complete BIOL 121/121L, ECON 130, & PS 231 to fulfill General Studies requirement for Life Science, Global & Social Awareness, & Government.

Number Course Title Hours
PSYC 131 General Psychology 3
PSYC 238 Basic Statistics for Behavioral Sci 3
SOC 231 Introduction to Sociology 3
SW 231 Professional Social Work 3
SW 251 Human Behavior in the Soc Environ I 3
SW 252 Human Behavior in the Soc Environ II 3
SW 271 Social Welfare Hist & Serv Delivery Sys 3
SW 330 Diversity in the Rural Environment 4
SW 343 & 343L Research Methods & Lab 4
SW 431 Generalist Methods Lab 1
SW 432 Methods I: Individuals & Families 3
SW 433 Methods II: Therapeutic & Task Groups 3
SW 434 Policy Analysis & Advocacy 3
SW 435 Methods III: Org & Communities 3
SW 458 Methods: Integrative Seminar 2
SW 459 Pre-Field & Orientation 1
SW 464 Social Work Field Practicum 10
Total hours 55

Depending upon student’s future practice interests, Social Work students are encouraged to consider one or more of the following Social Work electives in course planning: SW 331, 332, 338, 339, 340, 430, 436.

Periodically, Social Work faculty offer special topics courses in Social Work during the academic year & during summer sessions under SW 230 or 430, Topics in Social Work.

Students who plan to practice Social Work in the Nebraska Panhandle service area are encouraged to take Spanish and Lakota culture & language courses.

Students interested in the following fields of Social Work practice, may want to consider ONE OR MORE of the following recommended electives:

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