Social Work Department
SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENT
Curriculum Code: 32 / HEGIS Code: 2104.00
BSSW Program Application for 2024-2025 Academic Year
Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes BSSW 2021
Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes BSSW 2023
Field Education Manual MEC Updated Fall 2019
Field Internship Application (2024-2025)
Housed in the Medgar Evers College School of Liberal Arts the Department of Social Work offers a Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW) degree that prepares students for entry-level positions in social work and for graduate school education. The BSSW degree program was established in January 2008. The CUNY Board of Trustees approved departmental status to the BSSW degree program in June 2017. The BSSW degree program has been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Commission on Accreditation since October 2012.
The program builds on a solid liberal arts foundation and provides a challenging generalist curriculum. The program incorporates courses that focus on field education, policies and services, research, social work practice, diversity, populations-at-risk and social and economic justice, and human behavior in the social environment. All courses are aligned with the standards for social work education as defined by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Commission on Accreditation (CSWE, 2015). In addition to eleven foundation courses, the BSSW offers three areas of special interest: 1.) Child Welfare; 2.) Substance Abuse, and 3.) Gerontology.
Consistent with the College’s Mission and Goals, the BSSW degree has been designed to prepare its graduates for entry into the social work profession as well as further development in graduate study. The overarching goal of the baccalaureate degree program is to graduate students who will demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge, ethical values, and skills of the profession, be grounded in the profession’s history, purposes and philosophy, social work practice, and research in an ethical manner, helping to alleviate social and economic injustice as engaged, socially responsible citizens in a rapidly changing world.
The BSSW program utilizes the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors (BPD) definition of generalist social work practice which is as follows:
Generalist social work practitioners work with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations in a variety of social work and host settings. Generalist practitioners view clients and client systems from a strengths perspective in order to recognize, support, and build upon the innate capabilities of all human beings. They use a professional problem-solving process to engage, assess, broker services, advocate, counsel, educate, and organize with and on behalf of client and client systems. In addition, generalist practitioners engage in community and organizational development. Finally, generalist practitioners evaluate service outcomes in order to continually improve the provision and quality of services most appropriate to client needs. Generalist social work practice is guided by the NASW Code of Ethics and is committed to improving the well-being of individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations and furthering the goals of social justice.
(Discussed and advanced by the Baccalaureate Program Directors Social Work Continuum Committee and approved by the Board of Directors, 2006.)
The Bachelor of Science in Social Work Program is designed to:
• Prepare students for beginning generalist social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
• Prepare students for social work practice with diverse populations and cultures.
• Prepare students in the use of social work research to inform and evaluate practice.
• Prepare students for development of a professional identity in concert with social work ethics.
• Prepare students to promote social and economic justice for disenfranchised groups through social change and advocacy.
PROGRAM MISSION AND PHILOSOPHY
Program Mission
The mission of the Social Work Program is to prepare students at the baccalaureate level for entry into social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities, to work with diverse populations as well as for continued study at the graduate level.
Program Philosophy
“We believe that we can work together to create such an environment of learning that our social work students become conscious of their identities, roles, and responsibilities in society and are inspired to become change agents, seeking to facilitate the empowerment of others as they grapple with oppression and injustice.”
Program Goals
Goal I: To prepare students for beginning generalist social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
Goal II: To prepare students for social work practice with diverse populations and cultures
Goal III: To prepare students in the use of social work research to inform and evaluate practice
Goal IV: To prepare students for development of a professional identity in concert with social work ethics
Goal V: To prepare students to promote social and economic justice for disenfranchised groups through social change and advocacy
CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION TO THE BSSW PROGRAM
The criteria for admission into the Bachelor of Science in Social Work program are as follows:
- Completion of all of The City University of New York (CUNY) requirements including placement examinations which include: CUNY CAT (College Achievement Test) Reading and Writing, and exit from all Developmental Skills courses.
- Admission to Medgar Evers College.
- Completion of College Core (Medgar Evers College) courses or enrollment in the final Core course(s) at time of admission to the Social Work Program.
- A student may submit an application for admission to the program upon completion of 42 credits, including Part A College Core and Part B Lower level of the BSSW courses. However, students will not be formally admitted until the 55 credits. Transfer students must have completed College First for admission into the program.
- Cumulative GPA 2.5 at time of application to the Program.
- A written essay attached to the BSSW Program Application for the 2024-2025 Academic Year
- Current copy of degree audit and all transcripts from other colleges, if applicable.
- Individual or group interview as requested by the social work faculty.
- In order to remain in good standing in the Program, students must obtain a grade of C or better in all social work courses- taken prior to and after admission to the degree program.
- No Credit for Life Experience [College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)] or Credit for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) will be considered.
- Freshman students interested in graduating with a BSSW degree are strongly urged to first enroll in the AA, Liberal Arts degree taking the concentration in Social Welfare. Students have the option of completing the AA, Liberal Arts degree and then directly enrolling in the BSSW degree program. Alternatively, students in the AA program who, upon successful completion of the BSSW admissions criteria, may opt for an internal transfer to the BSSW program. Students’ interested in the program are invited to meet with a social work department faculty member, preferably before or during the application process.
Transfer policies for students interested in the BSSW program are the same as for all Medgar Evers College and CUNY students
- A minimum college GPA of 2.0 from a CUNY college or a GPA of 2.25 from a non-CUNY college; please note that a GPA of 2.5 is required to be considered for admission into the BSSW program.
- Official transcripts to be submitted in a sealed envelope from all colleges attended.
- An official high school transcript or TASC (or GED) must be provided if the applicant has less than 24 college credits.
- Provide $70 application fee.
- Submit proof of residency to qualify for in-state tuition.
Transfer credit is granted from regionally accredited institutions, and for Advanced Placement courses. The Admissions Office, in consultation with the Department Chair and/or Academic Advisement Center, reviews students’ transcripts, courses, and programs to determine transfer credit. Students who transfer into the College after having earned a City University Associate’s in Arts degree or an Associate’s in Science are deemed to have automatically fulfilled the lower division liberal arts and science distribution requirements for a baccalaureate degree are only required to complete the course in a discipline required by a senior college’s baccalaureate distribution requirements that were not part of the student’s associate degree programs. Students who meet a common core or college option requirement in the Pathways Curriculum at one CUNY school can transfer these courses and the credits needed for their majors.
BSSW students who have attended a college or another post-secondary institution and wish to apply those credits to their Medgar Ever College degree are subject to the Medgar Evers College Transfer Credit Policy and Procedures which requires students to file an “Application for Advanced Standing (Transfer) Admission”. Transfer applications are also available at the Medgar Evers College Office of Admissions or at The City University of New York Office of Admission Services website. www.cuny.edu/undergraduate.
Transfer From Another Social Work Program
Students who wish to be admitted to the social work program who were previously accepted at a CSWE accredited program must show evidence via a reference letter from the social work program director that the student left the program in good academic standing. The student must grant permission to Medgar Evers College faculty to discuss her/they/his academic status with the program director at that institution(s).
Transferring Social Work Credits
The social work faculty adviser will review the official college transcript to determine if the student has met the requirements for satisfactory completion of the social work courses for which transfer credit(s) is (are) requested. In addition, specific standards must be met: 1) the courses must have been taken at a CSWE accredited social work program; 2) if deemed necessary, the student may be asked to take an exam in order to receive credit for the social work courses requested.
Please Note: The BSSW program does not grant social work Credit for Life Experience (CLEP) or Credit for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL).
Recommended Sequence of Social Work Courses
MEC Transfer students 4 semesters at a glance
Requirements for Admission to Field Work
Retention and Progression Policies
Medgar Evers College Policy on Student Conduct and Judicial Affairs
“The responsibility to secure and respect general conditions conducive to the freedom to learn is shared by all members of the academic community.”
BSSW students attending the College are required to obey the laws of the City, State, and Nation. Social Work students are expected to comply with the National Association of Social Work (NASW) Code of Ethics.
(For a complete overview of Medgar Evers College Policy in Regard to Student Conduct, please refer to the College Catalog section “Student’s Rights and Responsibilities.”)
Student Conduct and Judicial Affairs
The mission of the Student Conduct and Judicial Affairs office is to ensure that members of the College community have access to a learning environment that is conducive to the highest standards of teaching and learning. We exist to protect the rights, health, and safety of all members of the Medgar Evers College community. We work to create a climate that encourages personal responsibility, lifelong learning and reflective thinking.
Our approach is one that encourages students to be knowledgeable about their rights and responsibilities while promoting thoughtful decision-making, problem-solving, and collaboration amongst peers. Any violations of the rules governing student behavior will be referred to the Dean of Student Affairs. Serious violations of said rules will require a hearing before the Faculty-Student Disciplinary Committee (FSDC).
Academic Integrity Policy (pdf)
CUNY Policy on Student Disciplinary Procedures
CUNY Policy on Alcohol & Drug (pdf)
CUNY Policy on Acceptable Use of Computer Resources (pdf)
CUNY Policy on Sexual Harassment (pdf)
CUNY Policy on Tobacco
CUNY Policy on Technology Privacy
Identification Cards (pdf)
Henderson Rules (pdf)
Weapons on Campus (pdf)
Students with Special Needs
Federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of a disability. Under the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the College will provide reasonable accommodations to persons with documented disabilities. Therefore, if a student is in need of or has any questions regarding accommodations or services, the student can contact Mr. Anthony Phifer, Director, Office of Accessibility and Accommodation Services. E-mail: aphifer@mec.cuny.edu or visit the Office in Rm. B1011 or call (718) 270-5027 to arrange necessary accommodation(s). Any information provided to the office is confidential and will not be released without the student’s permission.
Program Accreditation Status
Accreditation Status
Medgar Evers College BSSW Program has been accredited since October 2012.
Information regarding program accreditation status may be obtained from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE): Address: 1701 Duke Street, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314. Office: 703.683.8080 – F: 703.683.8099 – Email: info@cswe.org. Website: www.cswe.org.
CSWE Educational Policy Statement and Accreditation Standards
Developed by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Commission on Educational Policy and the CSWE Commission on Accreditation; Educational Policy approved by the CSWE Board of Directors on March 20, 2015; Accreditation Standards approved by the CSWE Commission on Accreditation on June 11, 2015. Copyright © 2015 Council on Social Work Education.
Accreditation is a system for recognizing educational institutions and professional programs affiliated with those institutions as having a level of performance, integrity, and quality that entitles them to the confidence of the educational community and the public they serve.
The Commission on Accreditation (COA) of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Authority to accredit baccalaureate and master’s degree programs in social work education in the United States and its territories. The COA is responsible for formulating, promulgating, and implementing the accreditation standards for baccalaureate and master’s degree programs in social work, for ensuring the standards define competent preparation, and for confirming that accredited social work programs meet the standards. To this end, CSWE’s COA administers a multistep accreditation process that involves program self-studies and benchmarks, site visits, and COA reviews.
