Social Work Department

Social Work is primarily the application of theory and knowledge in working with individuals, families, small groups, organizations, and communities to enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and creating favorable societal conditions.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work prepares students for careers in areas such as gerontology, child welfare, juvenile delinquency, school social work, administration, community development, policy, counseling, and case management, among others. Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. Social work is an exciting, rewarding, and growing profession that is in high demand, as students are equipped with the knowledge, values, and skills with which to work with a variety of issues. With contemporary social issues such as child abuse, homelessness, racism, discrimination, AIDS, poverty, aging, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, violence against women, and juvenile delinquency, there has never been a more important need for social workers. The Social Work curriculum, including two practical experiences in real-world settings, equips students with the knowledge, skills, and values to work with all people in a variety of social work and human services professions. Students explore human growth and development, research, counseling, ethics, and problem-solving and develop skills to serve individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities, racial and gender-related minorities, and the aging. Asbury University graduates of the Social Work program are demonstrating their unconditional love for everyone by serving in their local communities and living among the “marginalized” in society throughout the world.

Students earning a B.A. in Social Work from Asbury’s Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited program have an opportunity to receive advanced standing into one year Master of Social Work programs at many CSWE accredited universities. For more information on the BSW program, email Sarah Bellew.

Why Do We Care About People?

The social work program at Asbury University prepares graduates to minister to the hurting in secular agencies and in Christian ministries. In fact it is impossible to separate “the secular and the sacred.” All places Christian social workers are employed become sacred places as we minister because of Christ. When He stood and read from the scrolls in the temple at the beginning of His earthly ministry, Christ said, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives.” This means that we do not labor in any place simply through human means. We expect Him to strengthen us and to cause us to be far more observant of the causes of pain and suffering and to be more compassionate towards our clients. We are not “do-gooders” who are out to “rescue” mankind. We are people filled with empathy and respect for the dignity of our clients.

How Can We Prove Our Respect For the Dignity of All Persons?

Asbury University graduates, including social workers and sociologists, are demonstrating their unconditional love for everyone by living among the “marginalized” in society throughout the world. Chris lived and worked alongside Mother Teresa in caring for the dying in India. Now he and Phileena direct an agency working “with the poorest of the poor” in inner cities in India, Nepal, Romania, Peru, and Brazil. Silas and Kim live among the poor in Katmandu, Nepal. They share a house with a poor family with whom they have become intimate friends. Kim has a degree in social work from Asbury University. Amy and Dave live in South Africa, where they have made friends with homeless children. They have befriended many children addicted to glue sniffing and living a life of crime. Amy is a graduate in social work from Asbury University. Amy gave up a very fruitful ministry in Child Protective Services for a life among the poor and desperate. Put simply, our graduates are proving their love and commitment to all humanity by living among the poor, racial minorities, disabled, etc., in American cities and throughout the world. We have a high view of all humanity and are available to live among and minister to all people wherever they may be.

How Do We Equip Our Students?

To accomplish this big task, we have classes, including practical work, that equip students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to work with all people. Examine the sociology and social work courses, and you will see that we teach students knowledge of human growth and development, research, counseling, ethics, problem-solving, clients of all sizes to include individuals, families, small groups, organizations and communities, racial minorities, gays and lesbians, urban and rural culture, aging, child welfare, income maintenance, marriage, family life education, social welfare policy, administration, crime and corrections, intercultural relations, social theory, and social and medical issues in social work and sociology. We require all social work students to work with clients two semesters under the supervision of professionals. We take students to inner city Chicago and to Yucatan, Mexico that they might experience cultures vastly different from their own.

Do We Have Quality Faculty?

Each faculty member has one or more earned degrees from prestigious graduate schools in social work. Peruse the faculty page of this website, and you will gain an appreciation of their academic credentials. They have more than 102 years professional experience in social work. They have lived in five countries for more than one year and have traveled in more than sixty countries. But they are fresh and vital in their interests and are currently conducting original exciting research.

Accreditation

Asbury University Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation.

Accreditation of a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of program quality evaluated through a peer review process.  An accredited program has sufficient resources to meet its mission and goals and the Commission on Accreditation has verified that it demonstrates compliance with all sections of the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards.

Accreditation applies to all program sites and program delivery methods of an accredited program.  Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the progran.

For more information about social work accreditation, you may contact http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation/Information.aspx

Bachelor of Social Work Program Evaluation Results

View the current accreditation evaluation results below:

4.0.3: The program uses Form AS 4(B) and/or Form AS 4(M) to report its most recent assessment outcomes for each program option to constituents and the public on its website and routinely updates (minimally every 2 years) its findings.

Asbury University Baccalaureate Social Work Program
Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes

Last Completed on May 5, 2018