Bachelor of Social Work The NMSU School of Social Work

Alumnus Honored

Leonel Briseño
Graduate of the School of Social Work, recognized as 2005 Distinguished Alumnus of the College of Health & Social Services

Coursework

Consistent with the overall mission of New Mexico State University--to benefit society through service, education and research--the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program provides academic and field work education to prepare undergraduate students for beginning level social work practice with an emphasis on the cultural diversity of the Southwest. Graduates of the program find employment in a diverse range of settings that include child welfare, corrections, services to the elderly, and health care.

The curriculum has been designed according to the requirements of the Council on Social Work Education. The educational model upon which the program is built is that of generalist practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. Practice is unified by a common core of social work values, knowledge and methods. This core is based on a liberal arts education and draws heavily from the social sciences. Students entering the BSW program will have completed most or all of their university general educational requirements and electives.

Full-time and Part-time Programs

Full-time and part-time programs are available. For those of you interested in either the full-time or the part-time program, it is important that you contact the School of Social Work Student Services Coordinator by e-mail or by telephone at 505-646-3529 for an advising appointment.

The core social work courses for the full-time BSW program (check with your advisor regarding other required coursework):

The core social work courses for the part-time BSW program (check with your advisor regarding other required coursework):

Content Areas

The curriculum covers five content areas: Social Work Practice, Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Social Work Policy, Social Work Research and the Field Experience. The content comprises the practice approach at the BSW level--generalist practice.

The purpose of the BSW program is to provide the basic foundation that distinguishes social work from other helping professions. Social work focuses on the problem solving process with multiple levels of client systems, individuals, families, groups and communities. Generalist practice has been described as:

. . . One way of viewing practice is a perspective focusing on the interface between systems with equal emphasis on the goals of social justice, humanizing systems and improving the wellbeing of people, . . . The initial level of generalist practice consists of five elements: . . . Incorporation of the generic foundation. . . and use of a multi-level problem solving methodology. . . a multiple theoretical orientation. . . a knowledge, value and skill base that is transferable between and among diverse contexts, locations and problems. . . an open assessment unconstricted by any particular theoretical approach. . . utilizing various practice roles (Schatz, Jenkins & Sheafor, 1990).

Given this definition, social policy focuses on issues around social justice and humanizing systems, the human behavior courses focus on the basic knowledge and differing world views regarding how people operate in their environments, the research sequence centers on basic knowledge needed for both self-critical practice evaluation and accountability to sanctioning institutions. Both practice and field content focus on knowledge, values and skills essential for improving the well-being of people.

Social Work Values in the Generalist Curriculum

• Social workers are committed to the dignity, worth and value of all human beings, regardless of social class, race, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, or age.

• People with problems, regardless of the nature of those problems, are not to be judged, condemned or demeaned.

• People have the right to autonomy and self-determination, that is, the right to determine courses of action that will affect their lives.

• The individual and/or family strengths are assessed and applied with professional social work interventions.