Bachelor of Arts in Social Work
Portland State University’s (PSU) School of Social Work is excited to offer a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Social Work (B.A.S.W.) beginning Fall 2008. A cohort of 40 students were accepted into the first class. The BSW Program was granted “candidacy status” by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) on October 12, 2008, as the first step toward full accreditation. It is anticipated that the first class who will be graduating in June, 2010, will be grandfathered in when we are accredited. Our Program is the only public institution of higher education in Oregon with this degree.
The BSW Program will prepare graduates to become professional generalist entry-level social workers to work in a wide variety of community based, family- centered human services organizations in both the public and private sectors. Graduates will be able to work in a variety of settings and areas including but not limited to the following: mental health, homeless shelters, child welfare, health care, schools, substance abuse and abuse, corrections, juvenile justice, aging, immigration, family violence, etc. Social work has been defined as one of the best suited careers for the future to meet the needs of our complex society and ever changing economic circumstance. Students will learn knowledge, values, and skills to become a professional generalist entry-level social worker for the 21st century
Our Mission Statement
The BSW Social Work Program emphasizes commitment to social justice, equity, and the eradication of poverty. The curriculum prepares professional entry-level generalist social workers to provide competent, value/ethics based, and effective services to people from a wide range of backgrounds. As generalist social workers, students are educated to recognize and utilize strengths in individuals, families, and communities. The Program provides educational opportunities for professional social workers to learn and practice collaborating with groups, organizations, and communities to achieve the mission of social and economic justice, empowerment, and self determination of people and groups in the communities they serve. This mission builds on the tradition and history of Portland State University as an urban public institution within the School of Social Work.
Program Goals
- To provide a statewide program with the goal of preparing generalist social workers who are informed and effective leaders in challenging injustice and promoting social and economic change
- To prepare social workers to practice with at-risk individuals and families through strengthening the capacities of family and community systems.
- To prepare social workers to assume the role of change agent regarding issues, policies, and community needs that affect individuals and their families and to contribute to the knowledge of the profession.
- To prepare generalist social workers able to work with a diversity of populations, integrating empirically informed practice and consumer voice within an established ethical framework.
- To provide a foundation for advanced graduate study in social work and prepare social workers to be life long learners.
