1. Small Class size.
At WWU, our social work classes usually average around 10-15 students per class. The smaller classroom size provides the students with a more interactive, rich environment that allows for class discussion, field trips, guest speakers, role plays and interactive learning.
2. Professors know your name.
An added benefit of smaller class sizes is the professional relationship that the student and professor can build. Our professors get to know our social work students. You are not just a name and student number, when a professor calls on you; they call on you by name. This relationship benefits the students by fostering mentoring relationships that can assist in career planning, decision making and overall success in college.
3. Hands on service learning.
The WWU social work program believes in “hands on learning” and we work hard to include real world opportunities for students in our classes. In each core foundation social work course, students will receive the opportunity to go into the community to practice their skills with clients, agencies and communities. BSW students will take many field trips to various agencies, job shadow several social workers; develop plans for intervention with individuals, groups, organizations and communities.
4. Two semester field internship.
A truly valuable opportunity for students begins the fall of their senior year and ends in May before graduation. Senior social work students gain amazing practice experience during the two semester field internship. The process begins during the end of the junior year when students work directly with the field director to find an agency that best fits the students learning goals and needs. The student will interview with the agency to secure a contracted agreement to begin field in the fall of the senior year. As students complete their senior year of coursework, they will be simultaneously be competing 500 hours of supervised field experience. A senior field seminar class meets weekly to help assimilate the knowledge and skills students are learning with the social work theory they have learned in the classroom. Past students have had the opportunity to complete their field placement in agencies focusing on populations such as: adoption, child abuse and neglect, residential care, medical social work, criminal justice, domestic violence, community action, poverty, substance abuse, and mental health.
5. Social work club.
Our students have an active, student driven social work club. Projects that our social work club have completed include, fundraising for a local shelter, adopt-a –family for Christmas, writing letters of appreciation to local social workers and their agencies, mentoring youth in residential facilities, hosting holiday parties for youth in foster care, food drives and clothing drives.
6. Phi Alpha Social Work National Honor Society.
Strong academic success is highly valued at WWU. Students who are accepted into our professional social work program with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher are recognized and rewarded for their academic achievement through their induction into Phi Alpha Social Work National Honor Society. Students are presented with a beautiful medallion to wear at graduation at an induction ceremony with our professional advisory board members.
7. Dedicated Professors.
Our professors have over 30 years combined teaching experience and 26 years combined direct social work practice experience. Professors use this experience and knowledge to provide the most up-to-date information explaining social problems, interventions and research to students. Our professors have excellent teaching philosophies, class evaluations and attend professional development conferences to ensure we teach using the best proven practices.
8. Community Agency Relationships
Our professors not only have excellent classroom skills and relationships with students, they are incredibly respected and involved in the community. Each professor is actively involved with community advocacy through membership on agency advisory boards, professional boards of directors, the United Way, community fundraising, and networking. WWU department of social work is highly valued among community agencies and is seen as a partner in providing needed services for some agencies. Our students benefit from these relationships through field trips to agencies, guest speakers from agency staff and directors, volunteer opportunities and partnership projects.
9. Professional advisory board
One of the strengths of WWU department of social work is the active professional advisory board. This board consists of approximately 15 members who are either professional social workers or professionals who work with social workers. Currently, we have members representing Missouri Department of Mental Health, University of Missouri Medical Hospital, NAACP, Juvenile Justice, Missouri Children’s Division, Missouri Division of Youth Services, Rosa Parks Center, Missouri School for the Deaf, University of Missouri Black Culture Center, Boys and Girls Club of America, Missouri Girls Town, and Family Practice Law. This advisory board comes together 3 times each year to review the WWU department of social work activities, class work, community outreach, recruitment and to review current social trends and services. Students have the opportunity to be involved with this advisory board by attending meetings, presenting information to them during WWU assessment day, and will present their final field internship project to the board in April. At WWU department of social work, we believe the connections that students make with this board will assist them not only as developing professionals, but in building their networking system and often in preparation for job searches.
10. Accredited by CSWE
Our Bachelors Degree in Social Work program is fully accredited through The Council on Social Work Education. The accreditation process is a lengthy and rigorous examination of all of the social work curriculum, the faculty expertise, the community relationships and the student evaluation of the program. WWU department of Social Work has been accredited since 1988. This accreditation is important to students because as a graduate of an accredited BSW program, students are eligible to earn your masters degree in social work (MSW) in one year at a University that offers “advance standing” credit for a BSW.
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