Social Work (SOWK)
The Social Work Program at The University of Findlay is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
The primary mission of the social work program is to prepare students for entry-level, generalist social work practice. The educational experience is centered within a strong liberal arts framework. Designed for sequential learning, the social work curriculum is based on the Curriculum Policy Statement of the Council on Social Work Education, and emphasizes the requisite knowledge base, skills, ethics, and values of the social work profession. The first two years of study are devoted to the general education requirements set by the University, coupled with introductory social work and social science courses. The junior and senior years are generally devoted to specific skill/knowledge development and professionally supervised field placement experiences.
All students intending to major in social work must make formal application to the program, normally during the first semester of the junior year. Social work faculty review each application separately. The final decision of acceptance or rejection is based on a combination of academic excellence and professional potential. To be formally admitted to the program, a student must provide professional and personal references, have at least a 2.5 overall grade point average, have at least a 2.75 grade point average in all social science courses (with no grade below a “C”), and demonstrate a commitment to the values and ethics of the social work profession. Students who have not been formally admitted to the program may not enroll in either professional practice or the second field instruction class.
In order to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in social work from The University of Findlay, the student must maintain a 2.5 overall GPA and also have a 2.75 GPA in all major courses (with no grade below a “C”).
In addition to classroom work, field instruction supervised by professional social workers in a variety of social welfare agencies in the community provides “hands-on” learning experience for students. Field instruction begins with SOWK 310; a one-semester course usually completed during the second or third year and is followed by SOWK 410, a block placement completed during the final semester of the senior year. Upon graduation, each student will have completed almost 540 hours of supervised placements. The social work program is currently contracted with multiple human service agencies in a five-county area surrounding the University.
The Social Work Program welcomes transfer students. Academic credit is granted to those students based on an analysis of course work taken and whether or not the transferring credit was granted by a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Under no circumstances will academic credit for life experience and previous work experience be given any student, in whole or in part, in lieu of the field practicum or of courses in the professional foundation areas specified in the Curriculum Policy Statement of the Council on Social Work Education.
The social work major wishing to complete requirements for a double major must consult with both his or her academic adviser and a faculty adviser in the second discipline. However, the social work major is regarded as primary.
The University of Findlay Social Work Program conducts all aspects of its program without regard to race, color, gender, age, religion, disability, political orientation, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or national origin.