Social Work
“Faith, Service, & Possibility”
Social work is a profession, as well as a vocation. Social work can challenge you and help you gain the skills and knowledge to make a difference for others. Its goal is to improve the overall functioning and well-being of all people. Yet, social workers have special concerns for the poor, the marginalized, and the vulnerable. Social work is both an art and science. It builds on the knowledge base and skills of social work, the social sciences, as well as the liberal arts. Social work majors have an opportunity to gain “hands-on” experience through internships (field placements) in a wide variety of settings, such as criminal justice systems, child and family services, mental health settings, or hospitals. Likewise, social work is a profession of possibilities, both in terms of career paths and in the ways that clients can be helped.
The CUW Social Work Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Out of the ten schools in the Concordia University system, CUW is one of two that have an accredited social work program. CSWE accreditation is necessary for social work graduates to take the exam for Social Work Certification and/or Licensing in order to use the title of Social Worker and/or to practice as a professional social worker. This status permits BSW graduates to gain Advance Standing in social work graduate programs. Typically BSW graduates are able to earn a Master degree in Social Work (MSW) in only three semesters of graduate study.
- Average number of students: 35
- Average upper level class size: 10 – 15
- Number of years to complete program: 4
- Approximate number of graduates per year: 10 – 15
Freshman and sophomores can declare a social work major upon entering CUW. Second semester sophomores apply for Upper Division Status in order to take professional social work foundation courses and for senior year field placement. To apply, students need to complete an application, a written narrative, need to have completed SW 100 and SW 205, and achieved a 2.75 GPA in all social work classes and a 2.3 overall GPA.
For complete application procedures please go to the Social Work Program section in the CUW Academic Catalog 2009 – 2010, page 76.
Transfer Students may also be accepted into Upper Division Status, if they have completed the above requirements. These students will need to review their transfer core curriculum credits with the admissions counselor and Registrar’s Office. Any transfer credits related to the social work major and social science minor must be reviewed by the Director of the Social Work Program.
While all Social Work Majors graduate with a Minor in Social Sciences, the social work student has options of complementing their major with other majors, such as Criminal Justice, or a earning a Lay Ministry Certification.
LAY MINISTRY CERTIFICATION
A social work major, who is a member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, may also earn a Lay Ministry Certificate in addition to a Bachelor Degree in Social Work (BSW). Students can obtain an application for this minor from the Lay Ministry Office. Social work majors who decide to additionally pursue the Lay Ministry minor can apply the courses required for the Lay Ministry minor to the 18 elective credits needed for the social work major and will only need an additional 3 credits to complete the Lay Ministry Minor. The Lay Ministry Internship can be obtained through the Social Work Field Placement, which is required during the student’s senior year. Upon graduation in addition to their Social Work Degree (BSW), students receive a Lay Ministry Certification and are eligible to work within the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
Students complete a minimum of 432 hours of field placement during their senior year. Students can choose among a variety of social service agency settings; either urban (Milwaukee County) or suburban settings in the Greater Milwaukee area (Ozaukee, Washington, Sheboygan, or Waukesha counties). Students select placements that meet their individual interests. Field placement choices can range from placements in the criminal justice area to child welfare, schools, health care, rehab and long-term care for older adults, community organizing, or other social work settings.
All Social Work majors receive academic and career advising from full-time social work faculty. An advisor works with each student enrolled to guide you through completion of all required and elective courses in the Social Work Curriculum.
View a sample social work curriculum. 
SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM CURRICULUM
I. THE CORE CURRICULUM - 48 crs.
Students in this program must take BIO 146, Anatomy and Physiology, for non-biology majors. (Other lab sciences covering human biology may be accepted.)
II. THE SOCIAL WORK MAJOR - 45crs.
| SW 100 | Introduction to Social Work | 3 crs. |
| SW 205 | Introduction to Social Welfare | 3 crs. |
| SW 306 | Social Welfare Policy and Programs | 3 crs. |
| SW 310 | Research Methods 1 | 3 crs. |
| SW 346 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment 1 | 3 crs. |
| SW 347 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment 2 | 3 crs. |
| SW 410 | Research Methods 2 | 3 crs. |
| SW 490 | Senior Integrated Seminar | 3 crs. |
| SW 327 | Field Education 1 | 5 crs. |
| SW 328 | Field Seminar 1 | 1 crs. |
| SW 427 | Field Education 2 | 5 crs. |
| SW 428 | Field Seminar 2 | 1 crs. |
| SW 326 | Skills and Methods of Social Work Practice 1 | 3 crs. |
| SW 426 | Skills and Methods of Social Work Practice 2 | 3 crs. |
| SW 436 | Skills and Methods of Social Work Practice 3 | 3 crs. |
III. SOCIAL SCIENCE MINOR - 18 crs.
All classes below are required (27 credits). However, 3 classes (9 credits) count towards the Core.
| PSY 101 | Gen. Psychology | 3 crs. |
| SOC 101 | Intro to Sociology | 3 crs. |
| ECON 222 ECON 200 |
Macro-economics Principles of Economics |
3 crs. |
| POL 101 POL 201 POL 285 |
Political Science | 3 crs. |
| COMM 105 | Spoken Word | 3 crs. |
| COMM 201 PSY 201 |
Interpersonal Communication | 3 crs. |
| PSY 230 | Life Span Development | 3 crs. |
| SOC 300 | Group Dynamics | 3 crs. |
| SW 375 | Understanding Death & Dying | 3 crs. |
IV. ELECTIVES (Suggested, other courses can be selected) - 15 crs.
| BIO 256 | Environmental Science | 4 crs. |
| BIO 348 | Human Genetics and Society | 3 crs. |
| BUS 231 | Principals of Management | 3 crs. |
| BUS 336 | Human Resources Management | 3 crs. |
| ECON 231 | Micro-economics | 3 crs. |
| FIN 200 | Personal Finance | 3 crs. |
| HHP 260 | Personal, Family & Community Health | 3 crs. |
| JPP 102 | Intro to Law Enforcement | 3 crs. |
| JPP 104 | Intro to Courts | 3 crs. |
| JPP 110 | Juvenile Theory | 3 crs. |
| JPP 206 | Intro to Corrections | 3 crs. |
| PSY 310 | Theories of Personality | 3 crs. |
| PSY 315 | Social Psychology | 3 crs. |
| PSY 331 | Criminal Psychology | 3 crs. |
| PSY 425 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 crs. |
| SOC 203 | Contemporary Social Problems | 3 crs. |
| SOC 255 | Urban Society | 3 crs. |
| SOC 256 JPP 103 |
Criminology | 3 crs. |
| SOC 312 | Marriage and Family | 3 crs. |
| SOC 343 | Women’s Health | 3 crs. |
| SOC 365 | Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior | 3 crs. |
| SOC 392 | Aging and the Social Environment | 3 crs. |
| PSY 221 | Child Development | 3 crs. |
| PSY 222 | Adolescent Development | 3 crs. |
| PSY 354 | Gender and Communication | 3 crs. |
| PSY 360 | Psychology and Religion | 3 crs. |
V. LAY MINISTRY MINOR - 24 crs.
STUDENT SOCIAL WORK ORGANIZATION (SSWO)
The Social Work Program has an active student organization, where students plan professional, service, and social activities. Students have opportunity for leadership experience and outreach to social service agencies.
The Social Work major prepares students to work with people in every stage of life, from infants to end of life. BSW graduates are prepared to help clients overcome life’s most difficult challenges and troubles of everyday living. These challenges might include: mental or physical illness, poverty, stress, domestic abuse, addiction, and child development or abuse, among many. BSW graduates reach out to every part of the community, from hospice care, to adoption, to community agencies. It may also include some places that you might not expect such as schools, senior centers, the military, public social agencies, hospitals, prisons, juvenile corrections, mental health clinics, and corporate business.
The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts continued growth in social work careers. By the year 2016 it is expected there will be 727,000 employed social workers. Wages for social workers currently range from a low of $24,480 to a high of $68,500 and will vary with experience, location, type of work, and level of position.
View the USDL’s Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook 2008 – 2009 - Social Work
PDF version of the Occupational Outlook
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/NONDISCRIMINATION
The Social Work Program at Concordia University Wisconsin does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, age, creed, ethnic or national origin, physical disability, or political or sexual orientation in the areas of student admission to the program, as well as hiring or promotion for faculty.
For more information or to talk with a faculty advisor contact:
Social Work Office: 262-243-4436
Dr. Janice Staral, Program Director
“…and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8