If you are inspired by the idea of helping people overcome life’s most difficult challenges, read on.

Centenary University’s Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program will prepare you for a meaningful career in generalist social work or graduate study in this ever-growing field. The purpose of the social work profession is to promote and enhance human and community wellbeing, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of those who are vulnerable, oppressed and living in poverty.

The BSW Program at Centenary has earned national accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Our curriculum provides engaging learning opportunities in the classroom and in the field to help students develop the knowledge, values and skills needed for professional practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.

A Direct Path to Your Career

Social Work is among the faster growing careers in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Social workers are needed in many settings, such as schools, hospitals, mental health clinics, family counseling programs, substance abuse programs, senior centers and the military. Centenary’s Social Work program, one of only a handful of BSW programs in New Jersey, offers several advantages, including:

• A structured two-semester internship for seniors, coordinated by the BSW, under the supervision of an agency-based Field Instructor who holds a master’s degree in social work and certification as a Field Instructor. This internship allows students to practice the skills they learned in the classroom.
• A CSWE-accredited degree, which makes you eligible for status as a Certified Social Worker (CSW) in the state of New Jersey. You may also apply for Advanced Standing in Master of Social Work (MSW) programs throughout the country, and transfer up to 18 credits toward your M.S.W. degree.

In recent years, our graduates have been accepted as Advanced Standing students at a wide range of graduate programs, including Columbia, Fordham, Kean, Kutztown, Marywood, Monmouth, NYU, Rutgers, Temple, Texas State and the University of South Florida.

For More Information

• Help Starts Here
• Be a Social Worker

Small Classes, Experienced Teachers
Because of our small class sizes, our students have the opportunity to work closely with our faculty members, all of whom are experienced social workers who continue to be involved in the community. The BSW Program’s cohort model, which allows BSW students to take many of their classes together, also provides strong peer support throughout the program.

The BSW is a professional degree that provides graduates with the opportunity to begin their job search with some well-established contacts in the social service community, and a significant amount of practical experience.

Course # | Course Title | (Title Credits Completed)

• AFC1001 | Academic Foundations at Centenary I | (4)
  
• CAT III | Arts and Humanities: Fine Arts | (4)
  
• WRI1001/1002 | Composition and Rhetoric I or Composition and Rhetoric II | (4)
  
• SOC1000 | Contemporary Social Issues (CAT VI: Global Citizenship) | (4)
  
• CAT III | Arts and Humanities: Humanities | (4)
  
• MTH1501 | Statistics II (CAT II: Mathematics) | (4)
  
• WRI1002/2012 | Composition and Rhetoric II or Advanced Composition | (4)
  
• SWS1000 | Introduction to Social Work | (4)
  
• CAT III | Arts and Humanities: Literature | (4)
  
• CAT V | Laboratory Science (Biology preferred) | (4)
  
• CAT VI | Democratic Citizenship | (4)
  
• ELECTIVE | Elective | (4)
  
• PSY1000 | Introduction to Psychology | (4)
  
• MTH1500 | Statistics for the Social Sciences | (4)
  
• MTH1505 | SPSS Lab (note: transfer students may take this concurrently with Research) | (1)
  
• SOC2080 | Social Stratification | (4)
  
• ELECTIVE | Elective2 | (4)
  
• SWS3000 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment I | (4)
  
• SWS3001 | Social Welfare Policy and Services I | (4)
  
• SWS3021 | Social Work Practice I | (4)
  
• ELECTIVE | Elective 2 | (4)
  
• SWS3002 | Social Welfare Policy and Services II | (4)
  
• SWS3010 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment II | (4)
  
• SWS3022 | Social Work Practice II | (4)
  
• ELECTIVE | Elective 2 | (4)
  
• SWS4002 | Research Methods in the Social Sciences | (4)
  
• SWS4023 | Social Work Practice III | (4)
  
• SWS4050 | Field Work I | (6)
  
• SWS4051 | Field Seminar I | (2)
  
• SWS4098 | Social Work Senior Seminar | (4)
  
• SWS4060 | Field Work II | (6)
  
• SWS4061 | Field Seminar II | (2)
  
• ELECTIVE | Elective2 | (3)
  
  TOTAL NUMBER OF CREDITS: 128

NOTES:
1. To earn a bachelor degree, all graduates must successfully complete 128 credit hours.
2. Minimum of 32 credits must be taken at Centenary University.
3. All graduates must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above.
4. All graduates must have a minimum of 2.0 GPA in their major(s).
5. Courses that are special topic listed in the title, typically ending with a 99, are repeatable. Courses are counted multiple times and do not replace grades of the previous special topic course.
6. Credits can only be shared between the core and the major or core and minor requirements. Shared credits within the core requirements is not allowed.
7. Students will be guided by the degree audit sheet in effect at the time they declare specific major(s). Category III requirements will be guided by the courses listed in the corresponding academic year catalog (once major(s) is/are declared).
8. Freshman and sophomore students who intend to pursue a Bachelor of Social Work degree at Centenary should declare their major as “Social Work Candidate.” Centenary students may apply to the BSW program during the spring semester of their sophomore year. Transfer students entering their junior year may apply to the BSW program concurrently with their application to the University. A GPA at or above 2.8 is required for admission to the program, although provisional acceptance will be considered for students with a GPA at or above 2.5 who demonstrate strengths in all other areas of evaluation.

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