Transform Lives and Communities: Earn Your Bachelor of Social Work Degree
Degree: B.A.
Learn to be a competent, effective social work professional through Millersville University's accredited B.A. in Social Work degree, the premier program in central Pennsylvania.
We teach you to embrace core social work values, enhance human and community well-being, and promote social and economic justice through generalist social work practice.
At Millersville, you are afforded a learning environment that prepares you to work in an increasingly diverse society and to meet contemporary social, cultural, economic, political and global challenges.
When you graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, you will possess the knowledge, skills and values necessary to promote social justice and change in any social work practice area, including children and families, mental health, individuals with disabilities, substance abuse, disaster relief, partner violence, poverty and more.
Our BSW degree is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), 333 John Carlyle Street, Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314 - Telephone (703) 683-8080. Accreditation ensures the highest quality education in social work and allows you to apply for state licensure and advanced standing in accredited Master’s of Social Work graduate programs.
Why Earn a BSW Degree
Social workers help people to help themselves.
Social workers enhance and restore social functioning of individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities and society as a whole.
Through direct service, counseling, education, advocacy, policy work, leadership and more, social workers transform lives by challenging injustice and changing the world.
“[The faculty] are really here to help and support you and to give you those new experiences like going to a different country and presenting.”
- Madalyn Gordon | 23
What Will You Learn in the Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work Program?
You will complete 16 social work courses in our Bachelor of Social Work degree program, including two social work electives and four additional required courses. Courses for this major include:
- Modern Social Welfare
- Social Welfare Policy
- Social Work Practice I and II
- Social Work Writing
- Human Behavior
- Social Work Research
- Social Work Statistics
In addition to BSW degree coursework, you will broaden your perspective through field placements, study abroad trips, internships, training and much more. You will participate in a minimum of three field experiences prior to graduation, with over 500 hours of field experience that gets you career-ready.
You can also study internationally through field placements or internships in Cape Town, South Africa; London, England; or Dublin, Ireland, as well as a broad array of internships in social service agencies across south central Pennsylvania.
Other learning opportunities include:
- Civic engagement, scholarship, field practice, service learning and volunteerism locally, nationally and globally
- Continue education through ongoing training opportunities offered by the Learning Institute: Global Well-Being and Social Change
- Legislative Education and Advocacy Day where students can lobby at the State capitol
Departmental honors thesis and faculty-student research
-
What Can You Do With a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work?
We fully prepare you to work as a licensed social worker. Our students are career ready. In fact, 95% of graduates are employed within 6 months of graduation.
Social work is an in-demand career. Positions for social workers are expected to grow 7% through 2032, which is higher than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also estimates that social workers make $55,350 per year.
Our social work degree graduates work as:
- Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists
- Marriage and family therapists
- Mental health and substance abuse social workers
- Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors
- Healthcare social workers
- Social and human service assistants
- Child, family and school social workers
- Clergy
Since our BSW degree program is accredited, you could also go on to apply for advanced standing in accredited Master’s of Social Work graduate programs.
-
Exceptional Experiences: Bachelor of Social Work Degree
There are several experiences that make our BSW degree program unique including:
Clubs and ActivitiesThe Alliance for Social Change is an active organization on campus and within the community. Its mission is to connect the educational community to the broader community with needed services. Students have coordinated food and clothing drives, cooked meals for individuals residing in local shelters, hosted a cookie decorating event for area children, and organized collections of items needed for domestic and international communities following a natural disaster. Clubs and organizations include:
- The Social Work Organization
- The Psychology Club
- The Sociology Club
Millersville is located just minutes away from Lancaster City, a hub for arts and culture filled with theaters, galleries and restaurants. We are home to an abundance of outdoor recreation spaces, including trails for walking, hiking or biking and water sports on the Susquehanna River. There is no shortage of spots to swim, cave and hang out near the Ville.
On campus, you will find that our classroom environment lends itself to a variety of teaching formats and styles, including lecture, practice simulations and audiovisual presentations. We also offer a Social Advocacy living-learning community where you will be surrounded by other students who are passionate about advocacy, knowledge of rights, effective communication, leadership, networking and the ability to work in diverse environments.
Faculty and Staff Support
In our small classes, you will learn from faculty who have an array of diverse professional and practical experiences and who are recognized as leaders in the field.
Accessible, approachable and knowledgeable, our faculty are well-rounded scholars, educators, practitioners, leaders, humanitarians and researchers.
Outside of the classroom, academic and career advising is available through our University College.
3+1 Program
If you qualify, you can complete your BSW degree in three years and obtain your MSW in one year postgraduation.
-
Related Programs at Millersville University
Not sure if social work is right for you? Consider these other majors at Millersville.