Bachelor of Social Work, B.S.W.

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Make a Meaningful Impact

To prepare you for a successful career in social work, the program includes practical experience through supervised field placements. These placements allow you to apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings, enhancing your skills and gaining valuable experience working with clients and communities. The BSW program is designed to educate you within a generalist approach, equipping you with the skills to work across diverse settings with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), our program adheres to high standards of academic and professional excellence, preparing you for employment and advanced studies in graduate social work education.

Upon graduate from the BSW program you will be prepared to:

• Engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, and communities.
• Model ethical and professional behavior in social work practice.
• Apply a practice framework that embraces diversity and difference while advancing human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.
• Critique practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
• Analyze policy practice.

Innovative Delivery Structure

Our BSW program offers an engaging and dynamic online learning experience by blending real-time interaction with flexible, self-paced study. This innovative structure empowers students to thrive by combining live virtual instruction with on-demand coursework, ensuring both collaborative learning and personalized convenience.

• Synchronous Courses: Dive into interactive virtual classes where you’ll connect with expert instructors and peers in real time—perfect for hands-on learning and skill-building. In the world of social work, it helps to learn directly from others - and our program is designed to give you that opportunity.
• Asynchronous Courses: Enjoy the freedom to tackle some coursework on your own schedule, making it easier to balance your education with life’s demands.
• Field Placement: Gain valuable experience by completing hands-on field placement hours, bridging the gap between learning and professional practice. Immerse yourself in a 400-hour internship during the final two semesters of your undergraduate program, where you will apply your skills in real-world settings.

The BSW program equips students with the skills needed for entry-level generalist practice. The curriculum integrates liberal arts and social work foundations, covering human behavior in the social environment, social work practice, policy, and assessment/research. You will develop responsive practice skills, a strong professional identity, and the ability to work effectively with diverse, vulnerable, and oppressed populations. The program fosters sensitivity, knowledge, and understanding of human needs and rights, social welfare issues, and approaches to resolving social problems.

During the final two semesters of your final year in the BSW program, you are required to complete a 400-hour field placement. This opportunity to apply theory to practice can be completed within social, human, and health care agencies, programs, and organizations. There is potential for employer-based placements. Learn more about the BSW Field Experience.

The BSW program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, making graduates eligible to seek licensure as social workers in West Virginia and other states, depending on individual state laws.

In this information session, BSW Online Coordinator and Clinical Instructor Challice LaRose shares details about the program and the application process.

February 1 is the priority application deadline. Applications submitted by February 1 will be eligible for scholarships provided through the School of Social Work. June 1 is the final application deadline. Applications submitted between February 1 and June 1 will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Application Process:

• Complete the WVU Online Application and pay application fee
• Complete the  BSW Online Professional Level application and include the following;
• Your completed Human Service Verification Form
• Your completed Personal Statement and Self-Assessment Document
• A positive letter of recommendation from a human service supervisor or college-level academic instructor/professor

• Request official transcripts from all institutions attended (other than WVU) to be sent to:
• WVU Office of Admissions
P.O. Box 6009
Morgantown, WV 26505-6009
Or, via email:  WVUadmissions@mail.wvu.edu

Additional Notes: Transfer students will be required to meet WVU's General Education Foundations (GEF) requirements (the University waives the GEF requirements for those with a previous bachelor's degree, Associate of Arts degree, Associate of Applied Science degree, or Associate of Science degree, but the student is still required to complete social work general education requirements). Advisors will work with students to identify courses already appearing on the transcript that meet GEF requirements and develop a plan to fulfill any remaining requirements.

Professional-level social work courses taken at other institutions do not automatically transfer to WVU and meet the program’s requirements. To gain approval for these courses students must have earned a B or higher in the course(s) and must submit course syllabi and other appropriate course materials to Dr. Megan Gandy the B.S.W. program director. Courses that are not approved count as electives. The lower-division social work courses taught on 2+2 campuses have received approval via the formal agreement with the program.

The last consecutive 30 enrolled credits must be taken at WVU in order to meet residency requirements for graduation.

Completing a BSW degree opens up a wide range of immediate employment opportunities in various fields. As a graduate, you can pursue careers in child advocacy, gerontology, public relations, human resources, public health and wellness promotion, community organizing, justice systems, and services to veterans. This degree equips you with the skills and knowledge needed to make a meaningful impact in these areas, providing a solid foundation for a rewarding career in social work.