The mission of the Nazareth BSW Program is to educate ethical, competent social workers prepared for graduate education and generalist practice. The Nazareth BSW Program provides a supportive, equitable and inclusive learning environment that facilitates learning among a diverse student body and emphasizes social work values as well as knowledge and skill development to improve the effectiveness of social work practice, programs and policies. The Nazareth BSW Program prepares students to engage in strengths-based, culturally responsive, anti-racist, anti-oppressive practice and to advance human rights as well as social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.

Social work faculty members frequently meet with prospective applicants. Such meetings include providing information concerning Nazareth's social work program and a career in social work, performing unofficial transcript evaluations for transfer students to determine what and how many courses would be required for a social work degree, and during course selection, advising students who are interested in pursuing a social work degree but who have not yet been accepted into the major.

Students should adhere to the University directions and guidelines available through Academic Advisement. The student must seek approval for the major from the BSW Program Director. Students seeking internal transfer into the major must possess a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. This process should be completed with the program and Academic Advisement by the end of the spring semester of the sophomore year.

The Bachelor of Science Degree with a Social Work Major

Students who have completed all of the requirements of the University and the Social Work Department receive a bachelor of science degree (B.S.) with a major in social work.  This is the entry-level degree for the social work profession.  A bachelor of science degree with a major in social work and a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) are comparable degrees, if they are from social work programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

A graduate of an accredited baccalaureate program is expected to have the knowledge and skills of a beginning-level generalist professional social work practitioner, i.e., a social worker with professional values and general social work knowledge and skills that can be used with any population in any setting.

The Nazareth University Master of Social Work (MSW) Program offers an expedited admission process to students currently enrolled in the BSW Program as a major at Nazareth University. Current BSW students are recommended for the expedited application process if the following criteria are met: (1) cumulative overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or higher; (2) all field practicum evaluations at the ranking of “satisfactory” or higher; and (3) recommendation of BSW faculty. Students who meet these three criteria are invited to complete the Fast App, an expedited application process through Graduate Admissions at Nazareth University. Students who do not meet the expedited application admission process criteria or are not recommended can still apply to the MSW Program following the regular application process.

Criteria

●      Nazareth University cumulative GPA of 3.00 and higher at the time of application

●      All field evaluation(s) satisfactory

●      Recommendation of Nazareth social work faculty

Application Process

   ●     Eligible students receive an invitation to apply from Admissions based on recommendation and consultation with social work faculty

●      Students complete the expedited application (known as the Fast App)

●      No recommendation letters are needed but three references are listed

●      Guaranteed admission to either full-time or part-time, 36-credit (advanced standing) program

Timeline for Consideration and Opportunity to Attend

The extension of an offer to attend the MSW Program is contingent on continued excellence in undergraduate performance.  The Department retains the right to rescind an offer of admission based on concerns related to adherence to the Standards of the Department as outlined in this handbook.

Continuation in the Undergraduate Social Work Major 

Students are required to earn a grade of C or better in all required social work courses (those courses with a SWK prefix) in order to continue in the major. Students must also receive a grade of satisfactory in the field and maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher in order to continue in the major. In those instances when a student is in academic difficulty, the baccalaureate program faculty follows the policies of Nazareth University and the policies found in this handbook.

An overview of the undergraduate social work major’s curriculum can be found in the Nazareth course catalog, which is updated on an annual basis. Nazareth undergraduate students entering the University as first year students complete the Nazareth Core Curriculum coursework as part of their degree requirements. The Core provides a foundation in the liberal arts and sciences; the undergraduate social work major builds upon this foundation and requires extensive supervised field experience.

Undergraduate social work majors often double major. In addition, undergraduate social work majors may pursue the Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor or Child Life Specialist track.

An e-portfolio is a required component of the undergraduate social work curriculum. Submission of a completed e-portfolio with a passing grade in the spring semester of the senior year fulfills this requirement. Instructions regarding the e-portfolio are discussed during the junior year and implemented in the senior year in SWK 452/462 (Senior Integrative Seminar). Because the e-portfolio assignment requires inclusion of graded assignments, it is the student’s responsibility to retain graded assignments and ensure their inclusion in the e-portfolio.

The Association of Social Work Students (ASWS) is the Social Work Department’s undergraduate student organization and falls under the governance of the Undergraduate Association (UA) of the university. The ASWS follows set bylaws and acts as the liaison between BSW Program faculty and students. Its main goals are to help students integrate their social work knowledge, skills, values, and life experiences with the academic and social aspects of Nazareth University; to respond to the needs of the local community; and to enhance students' professional identity and the presence of undergraduate social work education in Rochester and surrounding areas. The ASWS strives to maintain a professional atmosphere where all social work students are encouraged to interface with classmates, faculty, and the Nazareth University community. The ASWS also provides opportunities for students to work together toward common goals and network with both the campus and local community. Activities include social, educational, informational, fundraising, and community-action-based endeavors. Elections of officers are held during the spring semester.The ASWS meets approximately once a month during the academic year. Notices of meetings and ASWS-sponsored events are distributed via e-mail, social media and/or in-person. Notes/minutes from meetings are made available to social work students and faculty.

In addition to participating in the BSW Program through ASWS, all undergraduate social work majors are asked to formally share feedback with the BSW Program through the senior year student feedback survey administered in SWK 462 (Senior Integrative Seminar II).

The Nazareth BSW Program:

1. Prepares competent, ethical, strengths-based generalist practitioners committed to culturally responsive, anti-racist, anti-oppressive practice with diverse populations and to advancing human rights as well as social, racial, economic and environmental justice.

2. Provides a supportive, equitable and inclusive learning environment that facilitates learning among a diverse student body and emphasizes social work values as well as knowledge and skill development to improve the effectiveness of social work practice, programs and policies.

3. Develops qualified candidates for graduate education and generalist practitioners dedicated to life-long learning.

Graduates of Nazareth University's BSW Program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior

2. Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice 

3. Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice

4. Engage in Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice 

5. Engage in Policy Practice

6. Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities 

7. Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

8. Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

9. Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities