The Winston-Salem State University Department of Social Work is nationally accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and offers the Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) degree (a professional degree). The BSW, an entry level degree, affords graduates a variety of career options as students learn skills that can be transferred to a variety of settings.
The Winston-Salem State University Department of Social Work is nationally recognized as a program of EXCELLENCE. The majority of Winston-Salem State University social work majors that apply to MSW programs enter graduate school with “advanced standing” status. Advanced standing affords students the opportunity to complete the MSW degree in one year (versus two years).
In 2019, 92% of students that applied to MSW programs were granted admission (North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Indiana State University, North Carolina Central University, Tulane University, University of North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University Joint MSW Program, Fayetteville State University and Appalachian State University). Of the 92% accepted, 80% were accepted with advanced standing status and will complete the MSW degree in 11 months.
Students majoring in social work learn about human behavior and development, research and evaluation, social policy, cultural diversity, problem-solving methods, community development and resources, advocacy, ethics, law, professional values, and interprofessional collaboration.
Programs of Study
Students’ advocacy efforts and promotion of social justice initiatives brought about change in several areas across the campus. Social work student advocacy efforts have addressed use of technology to answer social problems, sanitation concerns, the need for increased support and services to students with parenting roles, Title IX, environmental barriers and accessibility, healthy food options on campus, and the list goes on. WSSU social work students are committed to advocacy and social justice and have a skill set that brings about change in the communities where they live.
The UNC Board of Governors approved the Bachelor of Social Work program to begin in 2004; however, the program was not fully initiated until fall 2007. The program entered candidacy in 2008 and received initial accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education in June 2012, affirmed for 4 years. The program was fully reaffirmed by the Council on Social Work Education in June of 2018.
The Social Work Program grew out of the Sociology/Social Welfare Program, which had been part of the university degree programs for more than 30 years. According to Chapter 90B of the Social Worker Certification and Licensure Act, individuals in North Carolina must have a professional degree in social work to secure positions in social work/as a social worker (unless hired under the North Carolina State Social Work Personnel Series). The Social Work Program was created to meet the demands of students who desire a professional, accredited social work education.
In July 2018, the social work program transitioned to the School of Health Sciences and became the Department of Social Work. With over 100 students in the major, the department continues to prioritize student engagement and relationships as a part of its student-focused approach to education.
The program is designed to produce sound, beginning generalist social work practitioners at the baccalaureate level who demonstrate the knowledge, values, and skills of the profession by working with diverse populations in the local, national and global communities.
The mission of the Social Work program at Winston-Salem State University is to provide undergraduate instruction that will equip social work graduates with the skills they need to become beginning generalist social work practitioners. The program will provide students with the knowledge and ethical skills needed in direct service positions in order to be able to work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Our graduates will be able to employ integrated strategies in assessing human needs throughout their careers. In addition, graduates will also be able to affirm the dynamics of different groups, taking into consideration their unique racial, economic, ethnic, gender, physical and cognitive characteristics.
The Social Work Program emphasizes the history of social work and how its history has shaped current social work practice as we know it today. The program provides quality courses that focus on emerging topics in the areas of social welfare policy, research, human behavior, ethics, and social work methods. The program heavily focuses on teaching students the knowledge and application of values/ethics in practice with ALL populations. Students, will be challenged in a dynamic community agency and supervised by a competent field instructor. It is our hope that students, after receiving this sound training, will further their education in graduate or professional programs to engage in higher levels of practice to improve the conditions of oppressed people everywhere.
The goals of the Social Work Program are the following:
- To address the need for competent entry-level, beginning generalist social workers who can work on the micro, mezzo and macro levels of ;social work practice.
- To address social ;and economic injustices within the context of the political economic structures currently in society.
- To address issues surrounding social work values, ethics, and skills in professional practice.
- To address the need for students and graduates to become critical thinkers through their professional careers.
- To address the need for students to attend professional and continuing education seminars through their professional careers.
- To address the need for students and graduates to become sensitive to the diverse needs of multi-ethnic populations and at-risk populations.
Upon Completion of the Social Work Program Students Will be Able to Demonstrate the Following Competencies (Council on Social Work Education, 2015):
- Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
- Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
- Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
- Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
- Engage in Policy Practice
- Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Social Work Student Organizations
Social Work Club
The purpose of the club is to involve social work students in service and issues of mutual concern. On a regular basis, meetings are held with an exciting program planned. Membership fees are minimal and students are strongly encouraged to participate in the various activities of the organization. Students may obtain an application from any officer of the club or advisor Douglas Bates - batesds@wssu.edu.
The purpose of Phi Alpha Honor National Honor Society is to provide a closer bond among students of social work and promote humanitarian goals and ideals. Phi Alpha fosters high standards of education for social workers and invites into membership those who have attained excellence in scholarship and achievement in social work. For more information about membership, contact any officer or club advisor Douglas Bates - batesds@wssu.edu.
Winston-Salem State University’s Bachelors of Social Work (B. S. W.) meets the educational requirements for professional social work certification/licensure (at the bachelor's level) in all states and is accredited by The Council on Social Work Education. Please use the link below for more specific information related to state requirements for social work practice certification/licensure at the bachelor's level.
