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Bachelor of Social Work Program

The undergraduate program in social work prepares students for beginning professional practice in the field of social work and prepares them for graduate school. The required social work courses are taught by faculty of the NCSSS. The baccalaureate program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Admission

Students may enter the undergraduate social work program as first year students and as sophomores. For students wishing to transfer to NCSSS from within Catholic University, students must:

  1. Have at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average (after admission into the social work program, students are required to maintain a 2.7 average in the major);
  2. Have earned at least a C grade in each social work course previously taken;
  3. Have taken the following required courses: (a) a course in public speaking (DR 102, DR 403 or DR 205), (b) an introductory level course in biology (BIOL 103), and (c) a statistics course.

Student Transfer Policy

All students transferring from other accredited social work programs must meet the Liberal Arts requirements and work with the University's transfer credit coordinator to determine which credits can be transferred. After acceptance into the University and careful assessment by NCSSS, students majoring in social work may transfer up to 21 social work credits from a CSWE-accredited undergraduate social work program. These credits may include content from Introductory Social Work, Human Behavior, Social Work Policy, Research Methods, and one three-credit elective. All course syllabi submitted for transfer consideration will be reviewed before a final decision is made by the BSW program chair. All theory and practice coursework, field practicum/internships, and comprehensive seminar coursework must be completed at the National Catholic School of Social Service. Courses to be transferred into Catholic University toward the social work major must have been completed within the past seven years.

Academic Requirements

The National Catholic School of Social Service affirms its right to require its students to meet accepted academic requirements that consist of scholastic and behavioral components. Consistent with Catholic social teaching and social work values, NCSSS respects the worth and value of all persons regardless of age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or national origin, disability status, or diversity of opinion. Students' behavior should reflect the core values of the social work profession: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence (National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, 2021). Please refer to NCSSS Baccalaureate Student Handbook for specific scholastic and behavioral requirements and for information on review committees.

Curriculum

The curriculum is designed to prepare students for (1) direct entry into social work practice, under supervision, in public welfare agencies, general and mental health hospitals, courts and probation departments, family and children's services agencies, neighborhood and community agencies, and other settings; (2) graduate social work education; and (3) participation and leadership in the community to benefit the most disadvantaged.

Students begin learning about social welfare and social work in the introductory courses through reading, research projects, and field observation. They are encouraged to seek opportunities in the community to explore their interests in social work through volunteer and service learning opportunities. During the second semester of the junior year, students spend eight hours each week observing in community social welfare agencies in a supervised field education practicum. During the senior year, all students spend two days each week in community social welfare agencies in a supervised field education practicum. This practicum enables students to test theories and develop beginning skills in the practice of social work.

The course requirements for this major can be found at Social Work - Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.)

The Bachelor’s degree in Social Work (B.S.W.) is grounded in the tradition of the liberal arts curriculum; thus, NCSSS follows the University’s Liberal Arts Curriculum Requirements. Students should consult their advisor for course recommendations. The requirements are as follows:

  1. Philosophy: Three courses. (For a list of courses, consult the Liberal Arts Curriculum Requirements).
  2. Theology and Religious Studies: Three courses. (For a list of courses, consult the Liberal Arts Curriculum Requirements).
  3. Rhetoric and Composition: ENG 101 with a grade of C- or higher.
  4. Explorations in Literature: One course. (For a list of courses, consult the Liberal Arts Curriculum Requirements).
  5. Explorations in Fine Arts: One course. (For a list of courses, consult the Liberal Arts Curriculum Requirements).
  6. Foundations in Social Science. One course. (For a list of courses, consult the Liberal Arts Curriculum Requirements).
  7. Foundations in History or Politics: One course. (For a list of courses, consult the Liberal Arts Curriculum Requirements).
  8. Foundations of Mathematics, Statistics, or Quantitative Reasoning. MATH 114 with a grade of C- or higher.
  9. Foundations in Natural Science: BIOL 103 with a grade of C- or higher.
  10. Intermediate Language Courses: Two courses.

Students majoring in social work are required to take the major and support courses diagrammed in the NCSSS Baccalaureate Student Handbook. Some courses may be substituted or added with the permission of the program chair. However, no credit is given for life or previous work experience, in whole or in part, in lieu of the field practicum or of the courses in the professional foundation specified by the Curriculum Policy Statement of the Council on Social Work Education.

Liberal Arts electives are to be taken during the freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years. These electives should be chosen from the areas of sociology, psychology, anthropology, history, politics, and economics. The student and adviser may determine other electives that are appropriate.

Students should choose a social work elective and Liberal Arts electives that complement their area of interest because social workers holding the baccalaureate degree have a variety of employment opportunities open to them. They work with children in foster and adoptive homes and shelters and day care centers; with teenagers and young adults; with community leaders, groups, and self-help organizations; with the physically disabled as part of a health and rehabilitation team; with families experiencing difficulties; and with the aged in recreational and care centers and in their homes and communities.

Field Education

Undergraduate field education enables students to apply theories learned in the classroom and develop the generalist skills in the practice of social work. Field education provides an opportunity for students to put into practice the knowledge, principles, values, and skills that are essential as the foundation for social work. This learning experience is planned to be a generalist one in order to prepare graduates either to work under supervision in a variety of social work settings or to continue on to graduate social work education.

Each student will have the opportunity for an introductory social work field experience in the second semester of the junior year and a supervised field internship experience in both semesters of the senior year. All field education is taken concurrently with social work field education and social work  practice  courses (SSS 352 in the junior year and SSS 453, SSS 454, SSS 465 and SSS 466 in the senior year.)

The junior year field practicum consists of an eight-hour-per-week supervised observational experience in a social service agency in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area. Discussion about the experience occurs in the first practice course. Students earn four credit hours for the practice course (SSS 352).

In the senior year, the student is assigned a field placement in one of the approved field placement agencies in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area. During the 16 hours per week supervised internship experience, students gain practice experience with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations using a range of intervention modalities. Students are required to complete a minimum of 400 hours over the course of the academic year. While in the field, students are enrolled in SSS 465 and SSS 466, Undergraduate Concurrent Field Education Seminar I and II, which serves as a yearlong Integrative Seminar. Students earn four credit hours each semester for the senior practicum and integrative seminar combined. In addition, they earn three credit hours each semester for the senior year practice courses SSS 453 and SSS 454, which are taken concurrently.

Grades for field education are based on the recommendations of the field instructor with the final grade assigned by the Seminar Instructor. Agencies and students are expected to arrange field learning experiences so they are in harmony with the academic calendar. Students in junior and senior year field placements are required to pay an additional fee for malpractice insurance.

Senior Comprehensive Assessment

The senior comprehensive assessment SSS 498 is required by the University and takes the form of a senior comprehensive paper. By University regulations, students receive pass, fail, or pass with honors on the comprehensive. The comprehensive is designed to allow students to integrate content from their social work courses as well as their liberal arts education. A student who fails to pass the senior comprehensive assessment must repeat the assessment, no earlier than 60 days following the most recent failure, until it is passed. No student may receive an undergraduate degree from the National Catholic School of Social Service until the senior comprehensive assessment is satisfactorily completed.

Advanced Standing

Graduates of social work baccalaureate programs accredited by CSWE may apply for consideration for "advanced standing" status to the M.S.W. program. Individualized education contracts are developed with the applicant, indicating the number of semester hours to be waived (not to exceed thirty semester hours). Additional courses beyond thirty semester hours may be required.

Qualified social work majors may apply for advanced standing within NCSSS and should consult with the Director of Admissions on admission policy during their senior year.

The criteria for advanced standing status at NCSSS include:

  1. A bachelor's degree in social work from a CSWE accredited program (received within five years of enrollment in the MSW Program); course descriptions submitted as part of the admissions packet;
  2. A cumulative average of at least 3.5 in the social work courses of the undergraduate program;
  3. A cumulative average of at least 3.2 in all courses applied toward the bachelor's degree;
  4. A minimum of B in each social work course to be considered for waiving of credit;
  5. A recommendation from the chair of the undergraduate program, explicitly supporting admission directly to the advanced year of the M.S.W. program, as one of the three reference letters;
  6. An undergraduate practicum experience that is comparable to that expected in NCSSS foundation practicum, as evidenced in the final field evaluation. Applicants should submit their first semester field evaluation with their application prior to receipt of their final field evaluation.