Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Program (BSW) Online

Unlike traditional Social Work programs, ours is built specifically with the working, adult student in mind. While it prepares and educates baccalaureate-level students about generalist social work practice, the program strives to create leaders and change agents in the profession. To develop proficient, ethical practitioners who embrace diversity, recognize a professional social work identity, and retain a commitment to service to the professional community and vulnerable groups. We emphasize a responsive, student-centered approach in our teaching, advising, and student engagement to inspire and foster the development of critical thinkers and lifelong learners with the flexibility needed to engage our student population.

All major requirements must be completed with a grade of 'B' or higher. This major requires a minimum of 46 credits. See the full requirements for our Social Work major in our Official Catalog.

• SWK 101 Change Agents3 credits
• SWK 110 Superhero Within3 credits
• SWK 2XX Evolution of Change3 credits
• SWK 2XX Evolution of Transformers3 credits
• SWK 115 Learning and Understanding You3 credits
• SWK 3XX What's Under Your Cape3 credits
• SWK 3XX Agents of Shields3 credits
• SWK 4XX The Great Transformers3 credits
• SWK 3XX Evolving Into Experience I2 credits
• SWK 3XX The Leader Experience II2 credits
• SWK 4XX Change Agent Experience III2 credits
• SWK 4XX I Am Experience IV2 credits
• SWK 3XX Evolving Into Seminar I2 credits
• SWK 3XX The Leader Seminar II2 credits
• SWK 4XX Change Agent Seminar III2 credits
• SWK 4XX I Am Seminar IV2 credits
• SWK 4XX Executive Leadership in Practice Capstone3 credits
• PSY 410 Research Methods3 credits
• Total46 credits

Admission to the Social Work program is selective. Candidates for the program must meet the following requirements:

• Be accepted to the College as a degree-seeking student.
• Have completed the following coursework with a grade of C or better:
  • English Composition 1 (ENG 101 or equivalent).
  • English Composition 2 (ENG 102 or equivalent).
  • Statistics (MAT 105 or equivalent) or Statistics for Behavioral Sci/Psychology (PSY 216 or equivalent).
• Have completed the following coursework with a grade of B or better:
  • Change Agents (SWK 101 or equivalent).
  • Superhero Within (SWK 110 or equivalent).

Candidates for the Social Work program must submit electronically:

• An application for the BSW program.
• An essay that speaks to how the candidate’s background/experience prepares them to be successful in the BSW program.
• A professional resume.

Candidates will also be required to complete a virtual interview with the Program Director or their designee – typically 15-30 minutes in length.

Candidates will be apprised in writing of the admissions decision.

Successful candidates will be admitted to the Social Work program for Fall Term 1 (August) and Spring Term 1 (January)

At Charter Oak, our Social Work Program features an innovative and fresh model for students, especially working, adult students. Our model is new to social work education and allows flexibility in how students complete practicum education. Students can balance their coursework, practicum experiences, and work/personal life responsibilities through this model. Practicum is completed over 15 weeks in the fall or spring semesters. Our Director of Practicum Education works with students individually to select and support day, evening, or weekend experiences to ensure access to successful field work.

Practicum Experience can be completed during the school year in two ways.

• Two practicum experiences over two years or
• Four practicum experiences over two years.
• Students will complete 100 hours per semester in a practicum agency, 7 hours per week
  • Two (2) - 3 hour shifts (Ex: Tuesday and Thursday) or
  • Three (3) - 2 hour shifts (Ex: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)
  • 1 hour of required supervision (Monday or Friday); Supervision can take place in person or online. (Zoom, etc.)

Practicum Experience courses are taken concurrently with Social Work Seminar Courses. (Ex: Evolving Into Experience I is taken with Evolving Into Seminar I). Social Work Seminar courses allow students to share their social work practicum experiences, integrate their learning with Practice, and critically think about the leader and change agent they will be with their client populations.

Criteria for Practicum Education

• Have completed the following coursework with a grade of C or better: English Composition 1 (ENG 101 or equivalent); English Composition 2 (ENG 102 or equivalent); Statistics (MAT 105 or equivalent) or Statistics for Behavioral Sci/Psychology (PSY 216 or equivalent)
• Have completed the following coursework with a grade of B or better: Change Agents (SWK 101 or equivalent), Superhero WIthin (SWK 110 or equivalent)
• SWK 2XX-Evolution of Change and SWK 2XX-Evolution of Transformers must be completed.

• Develop social work professionals with the knowledge, skills, values, and responsibility necessary for ethical Practice at the baccalaureate level.
• Give students the teaching, practicum experiences, and opportunities to build mastery in the values, knowledge, and skills embodied in the core strengths necessary for efficient, sensitive, credible, and ethical social work practice.
• Foster an inclusive community that encourages students to grow intellectually, ethically, emotionally, and physically.
• Support local social service agencies by providing new social workers and services, including training, continuing education, research, and evaluation.
• Provide learning experiences that cultivate analytical, critical thinking and communication skills.

Upon completion of Charter Oak State College’s BSW Program, graduates will be able to:

• Demonstrate proficiency in making ethical decisions by applying the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics standards, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision-making, ethical conduct of research, and additional codes of ethics within the profession as appropriate to the context.
• Demonstrate proficiency in understanding diversity and difference in anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work practice at the individual, family, group, organizational, community, research, and policy levels.
• Will learn about and make sound judgments regarding advancing human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice through ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive strategies that address inherent biases for use in quantitative and qualitative research methods to advance the purposes of social work.
• Will learn about and make sound judgments regarding social justice, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive lenses to assess how social welfare policies affect the delivery of and access to social services.
• Will demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
• Will demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
• Will demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
• Will be able to apply knowledge of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and evaluate Practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

The Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) accreditation and the COSC Social Work faculty will measure student learning outcomes.

There are many, varied career pathways available to social workers, including those in fields like mental health and addiction, healthcare, child welfare, aging, criminal justice, school social work, housing and homelessness, military social work, human trafficking, and community organization. Social workers are present whenever people are in need: