Social Work (BSW)

Through active, reflective, and research-based learning, the program’s coursework empowers and encourages students to connect theory and practice, and best prepares them for a dynamic and fulfilling career.

In addition to the required general education courses informed by our innovative core, BSW students must complete the following courses in pursuit of their Bachelor’s degree:

• Introduction to Social Justice
• Introduction to American Government
• Introduction to Social Work
• Human Behavior and the Social Environment
• Social Welfare Policy in the United States
• Ethics for Helping Professions (applied)
• Principles of Case Management
• Social Science Research Methods
• Cultural Communications
• Field Education Pre-Seminar
• Field Placement I & Seminar
• Field Placement II & Seminar

Field Placements

Experiential learning is a vital component of the social work curriculum at Chestnut Hill College. With support from the Center, students are mentored by a field placement director to identify and apply for a placement and work on-site, completing tasks consistent with that position. Additional professional preparation support is provided through a professional seminar that students are required to take.

Students are also required to take any 3 of the following electives:

• Trauma & Resilience
• Culture of Health
• Sociology of Health & Medicine
• International Social Work
• Theory & Practice of Counseling
• Psychology of Health, Stress, & Coping
• Social Gerontology
• Child Welfare
• Women in Global Society
• Forensic Social Work
• Substance Abuse Treatment, Support, & Advocacy
• Death & Dying

Students are also recommended to take the related courses: Introduction to Sociology and Introduction to Psychology.

Sample Course Plan

The below is a suggested academic plan only; it is not meant to address each student’s individual requirements or interests. Students will develop a personalized plan with a faculty advisor; however, it is the student’s responsibility to be aware of, register for, and successfully complete all of the requirements for graduation in the major. The minimum number of academic credits required for graduation is 120.

Year One (Fall and Spring): 30 Credits

Year Two (Fall and Spring): 30 Credits

Year Three (Fall and Spring): 30 Credits

Year Four (Fall and Spring): 30 Credits

List of Major Electives:

• Trauma Studies
• Social Gerontology
• Psychology of Health, Stress, & Coping
• Child Welfare
• Sociology of Health & Medicine
• Women in Global Society
• International Social Work
• Forensic Social Work
• Substance Abuse Treatment Support & Advocacy

Chestnut Hill College is currently in pre-candidacy for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA).

Pre-candidacy status indicates that it submitted an application to be reviewed for candidacy and received approval of its Benchmark 1 from CSWE Accreditation Staff to move forward for a candidacy review within 1-year. A program that has attained pre-candidacy status has not yet been reviewed by the BOA nor verified to be compliant with the accreditation standards.

Students that are admitted to pre-candidate programs in the fall (or later) of the academic year in which the program is granted candidacy status will be retroactively recognized as graduates from a CSWE-BOA accredited program as long as the program attains initial accreditation. Candidacy is typically a 3-year process and attaining pre-candidacy does not guarantee that a program will eventually attain candidacy and initial accreditation.

Pre-candidacy applies to all program options, which include locations and delivery methods.
Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the
competence of students graduating from the program.

Review our program’s pre-candidacy status in CSWE’s Directory of Accredited Programs.

For more information, please contact EASJ@chc.edu.

The combined BS in Social Work/MS in Human Services Management provides an excellent opportunity for qualified social work majors in the School of Undergraduate Studies to complete a masters degree in Human Services Management in the School of Graduate Studies. Students majoring in Social Work are eligible to apply to the program once they have achieved Senior status. Transfer students must take a minimum of 15 credits at Chestnut Hill College and earn a Career 3.20 GPA in these courses before making application to the program. Each student will be expected to meet the admissions requirements of the School of Graduate Studies and be provisionally accepted into the program before registering for any graduate courses. Formal acceptance will be granted upon receipt of a transcript verifying successful completion of the undergraduate degree program. For more information, please contact Lauren Barrow (barrowl@chc.edu).

A Direct Pathway to a Master’s in Social Work

Graduating from a CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program qualifies you to apply for Advanced Standing in many Master of Social Work (MSW) programs. Advanced Standing allows eligible graduates to enter directly into the advanced year, complete the degree in a shorter timeframe—often one year full-time—and reduce tuition costs. Your accredited BSW confirms you have met national competency standards through rigorous coursework and supervised field education, positioning you for streamlined graduate study and professional advancement.