Social Work and Sociology Mission, Values and Goals
The mission of the Department of Social Work and Sociology is to provide professional social work and social science education to a varied student body for a global society.
Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.)
The B.S.W. program derives its core values as conceptualized and defined by its two guiding professional organizations, the National Association of Social Workers and the Council on Social Work Education.
- Competence
- Dignity and worth of the person
- Human rights
- Importance of human relationships
- Integrity
- Scientific inquiry
- Service
- Social justice
These values provide the foundation for the mission and goals of the B.S.W. program.
The B.S.W. program provides a rigorous curriculum and uses sound teaching practices to promote: 1) the knowledge, values, and skills used in social work that can be applied across settings and varied populations; 2) critical thinking skills; and 3) ethical and competent social work practice consistent with the mission and objectives of the social work profession. To this end, the goals of the B.S.W. program include the following:
- To prepare generalist social work practitioners to behaviorally demonstrate the values of the social work profession through their practice, including service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, competence, human rights, and scientific inquiry;
- To further refine students’ essential critical thinking skills commensurate with generalist practitioners at the bachelor’s level in the contemporary social service environment;
- To prepare bachelor’s level practitioners for generalist practice and licensure in social work or related disciplines;
- To establish a foundation for continued graduate work at the master’s level in social work or related disciplines; and
- To maintain a reciprocal relationship with social work practitioners, groups, and organizations in the community.
Master of Social Work (M.S.W.)
The MSW program derives its core values as conceptualized and defined by its two guiding professional organizations, the National Association of Social Workers and the Council on Social Work Education.
- Competence
- Dignity and worth of the person
- Human rights
- Importance of human relationships
- Integrity
- Scientific inquiry
- Service
- Social justice
These values provide the foundation for the mission and goals of the social work program and our social work curriculum.
The M.S.W. program provides a rigorous curriculum and uses sound teaching practices to promote: 1) the knowledge, values, and skills used in social work that can be applied across settings and varied populations; 2) critical thinking skills; and 3) ethical and competent social work practice consistent with the mission and objectives of the social work profession. To this end, the goals of the M.S.W. program include the following:
- To prepare advanced generalist social work practitioners to behaviorally demonstrate the values of the social work profession through their practice, including service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, competence, human rights, and scientific inquiry;
- To further refine students’ essential critical thinking skills commensurate with advanced practitioners at the master’s level in the contemporary social service environment;
- To prepare master’s level practitioners for advanced practice and licensure in social work or related disciplines;
- To establish a foundation for continued graduate work at the doctoral level in social work or related disciplines; and
- To maintain a reciprocal relationship with social work practitioners, groups, and organizations in the community.
Doctor of Social Work (D.S.W.)
The values of the D.S.W. in Clinical Social Work are:
- Competence
- Dignity and worth of the person
- Human rights
- Importance of human relationships
- Integrity
- Scientific inquiry
- Service
- Social justice
The goals of the D.S.W. in Clinical Social Work are:
- Engage in systematic inquiry that adheres to scholarly conventions;
- Use and evaluate research-informed practice critically and at an advanced level;
- Develop and disseminate practice-relevant knowledge through a variety of channels, such as administration, consultation, scholarly activity, supervision, and teaching;
- Demonstrate leadership in social work practice and education; and
- Develop and maintain substantive expertise in clinical social work.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Sociology
- Curiosity
- Accountability
- Integrity
- Objectivity
- Skepticism
- Transparency
- To critically evaluate and apply explanations of human social behavior and sociological research findings.
- To communicate (verbally and in writing) sociological knowledge to varied audiences.
- To gain mastery of sociological knowledge in social problems, social psychology, research methods, and sociological theory.
- To prepare graduate for employment in the social sciences or for continued graduate study.