Social Work

Address: 2400 Jamrich Hall
Phone: 906-227-1105
Web Address: https://nmu.edu/socialwork/
Department Email: socialwork@nmu.edu

Social Work at NMU

The Social Work Department offers major a program in social work as well as a minor program in social services.

The mission of the social work program is to prepare students for entry into beginning social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Students completing the social work program are uniquely prepared for generalist practice in the region of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and have developed a generalist practice base to continue their professional development through graduate study.

The BSW program has seven primary goals: (1) every BSW graduate shall be prepared for beginning generalist practice. All BSW students will be versed in content about practice with client systems of various sizes and types; (2) students shall be prepared to practice with diverse populations; (3) the program shall provide content about the contexts of social work practice, the changing nature of these contexts, the behavior of organizations and the dynamics of change; (4) the values and ethics that guide professional social work practice shall be infused throughout the curriculum and made evident in the operation of the social work program; (5) students shall be educated with an awareness of their responsibility to continue their professional growth and development; (6) the program shall provide educational opportunities that reflect regional needs related to substance abuse and gerontology; and (7) the program shall promote an understanding of and application to a knowledge base in social welfare for students in other human service fields.

Northern’s bachelor of social work program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

Student Organization

• Student Social Work/Sociology Organization

Department Facilities and Resources

Department faculty have expertise in a range of areas within specialized fields. A full complement of library resources and audiovisual materials is available to students. The department also has microcomputer hardware and software enabling faculty and students to conduct complex applied research projects involving sophisticated data analysis and statistical procedures.

Social work program faculty members are fully qualified professionals with both practice and teaching experience. A wide range of community social work agencies cooperate with the program by serving as field instruction settings.

Department/Program Policies

Social Work Transfer Credit

Transfer credit for practice method and field placement courses at the 300 level and above will be granted only for course work completed at other Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited schools. As stipulated by the Council on Social Work Education, NMU’s program does not grant social work course credit for life experience or previous work experience.

The BSW Curriculum

The social work curriculum culminates in a BSW degree with an inherent Human Behavior Cluster minor. Many courses in the human behavior cluster minor may double count as general education requirements. There are two divisions within the social work curriculum, the pre-admission curriculum and the upper level curriculum.

The pre-admission curriculum is made up of two social work courses (SW 100 , SW 230 ) and at least five of seven courses within the Human Behavior Cluster Minor that must be completed prior to being admitted to the upper level curriculum.

Students must apply for admission to the upper level curriculum and meet minimum GPA requirements (see below) to enroll in upper level curriculum courses. The BSW upper level curriculum is made up of the following courses:

• Offered Winter semester of the junior year
  • SW 370  Practice Methods I: Practice with Individuals, Families, and Groups
  • SW 372  Practice Methods II: Organization and Community Practice
• Offered Fall Semester of the senior year
  • SW 472  Anti-Oppressive Social Work Practice
  • SW 473   Senior Seminar I
  • SW 480  Senior Field Placement I
• Offered Winter Semester of the senior year
  • SW 440  Social Work Policy Analysis
  • SW 474  Senior Seminar II
  • SW 481  Senior Field Placement II

Students may enroll in other 300- and 400-level courses such as SW 308 , SW 331 , SW 341 , and 400-level special topics/populations electives at any time provided they have met the appropriate pre-requisites. However, the first practice methods courses in the advanced division (SW 370  and SW 372 ) are only offered in the winter semester prior to a student’s senior year. These must be completed before students can enroll in field placement and field placement seminar. (In other words, course sequencing is important.)

BSW Program Admission

Student applications for the upper level curriculum are due annually on October 1. The application for admission includes the following requirements and students are admitted according to the following criteria:

• GPA at or above 2.50 in the two social work pre-admission courses (SW 100 , SW 230 ). Both must be completed by end of the fall semester in which they apply.
• GPA at or above 2.50 in at least five of the seven courses within the Human Behavior Cluster minor, which must be completed by the end of the fall semester in which they apply. All courses in the Human Behavior Cluster minor will be considered in calculating a student’s GPA.
• A personal statement. The statement will be used to evaluate:
  • understanding of generalist social work practice
  • commitment to the profession
  • readiness for practice methods courses and field placement
  • evidence of skills and attributes necessary for social work practice
  • employment and volunteer experience in the human services (preferred but not required for admission)

Retention Policy

Students in the Bachelor of Social Work degree program must meet a set of criteria for continuous retention in the program. Students must maintain a cumulative 2.50 grade point average in all course work applicable to the social work curricula, defined as all courses in the major, required minor(s) and other required courses. Students must also earn a minimum grade of “C” in all upper level curriculum courses. After the completion of these courses, students then enter the senior social work sequence, where courses are scheduled into a one-day block, allowing ample time to complete the necessary field practicum requirements.

Field Instruction

While completing the practice methods courses during the winter semester, students will also be required to submit their application for field placement (March 1). Necessary forms may be downloaded from the Social Work website. They may also be obtained from the social work field coordinator. Students must complete a minimum of 400 clock hours of field instruction in their senior year (SW 480  in the fall and SW 481  in the winter). Schedules should be planned to allow for approximately 16 hours per week at the field site each semester. Students are expected to complete two consecutive semesters of senior field placement and will be admitted to placement in the fall term only.

Program Completion

Students must complete all course work comprising the social work curriculum as defined above with a minimum 2.50 grade point average, show evidence of compliance with the NASW Code of Ethics, demonstrate mastery of the core social work competencies outlined in the Council of Social Work Education’s Educational Policies and Accreditation Standards, be recommended by the BSW faculty and meet all other requirements established by the university for graduation.

Programs

• Social Work Major

• Human Behavior Cluster Minor
• Social Service Minor
• Substance Use Minor

Courses

• SW 100 - Exploring Social Work [PERS]
• SW 208 - Methods of Social Research I
• SW 230 - Human Behavior in the Social Environment I [INTT]
• SW 272 - Basic Crisis Intervention Skills [EFFC]
• SW 283 - Tribal-Centered Victim Services
• SW 308 - Methods of Social Research II [SCII]
• SW 331 - Human Behavior in the Social Environment II
• SW 341 - Social Welfare Policy [PERS]
• SW 345 - Comparing Global Approaches to Social Protection and Social Development
• SW 370 - Generalist Practice Methods I
• SW 371 - Apprenticeship
• SW 372 - Generalist Practice Methods II
• SW 401 - Child Welfare
• SW 405 - Aging Public Policies and Programs
• SW 411 - Social Work in the Health Fields
• SW 413 - Social Work with Families
• SW 415 - Prevention of Substance Use Disorders
• SW 417 - Social Work in Mental Health
• SW 419 - Evaluation and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders
• SW 423 - Death, Dying, and Grieving
• SW 440 - Social Work Policy Analysis
• SW 472 - Anti-Oppressive Social Work Practice
• SW 473 - Integrative Seminar I
• SW 474 - Integrative Seminar II
• SW 480 - Senior Field Placement I
• SW 481 - Senior Field Placement II
• SW 483 - Teaching and Research Assistant
• SW 495 - Special Topics in Social Work
• SW 498 - Directed Study in Social Work