Bachelor of Social Work

Work With Clients From Your Very First Social Work Course!

Learn to take action while showing compassion

With a proven curriculum that includes 400 hours of field internship experience, the Marian University Bachelor of Social Work program equips graduates to immediately pursue careers as certified social workers or, if desired, an advanced degree.

Experiencing direct client contact in your very first social work course, you’ll be exposed to a variety of topics, including human behavior theory, research, policy analysis, social work practice, and ethics and values.

Those in the program are prepared for the state and national certification examinations and graduate equipped to embark on lives defined by empowering individuals, families, groups, and communities anywhere.

New: Bridge Courses as a Step in Path to Social Work

Current professionals who have a four-year degree in PsychologySociologyCriminal Justice or Human Services and want to enhance their professional expertise in the field of social work, can do so with the unique bridge courses offered at Marian University of Wisconsin. To learn more about the program, click here.

Become a Social Worker Through Hands on Internships!

Internships to Prepare You for the Real World

The Marian University Bachelor of Social Work program is respected because of the relationships we’ve developed with leading organizations, resulting in 92% of our graduates finding immediate employment as social workers or entering graduate school.

Students will facilitate skill building groups with children placed in foster care and meet with clients served by the local nursing homes and mental health centers. Not to mention, our faculty are individuals still practicing in the field and are able to expose students to their perspectives related to all levels of practice.

Students have interned at agencies such as Winnebago County Department of Human Services, Waupun Correctional Institute, Agnesian Hospice Home of Hope, and Fond du Lac High School. Graduates have found successful careers in child and youth services, corrections, mental health agencies and hospitals.

“The social work program taught me to strive to my utmost potential when working with diverse populations. Everyday, I will forever value the experiences I obtained within my classes as well as my internship. The knowledge I gained is irreplaceable and has made me into the person I am today.”

Erica Wiese – 2020 Marian University Graduate

“Marian University’s Social Work Program granted me a multitude of opportunities that I will be forever grateful for. The more involved I became at Marian, the more confident I became in my ability to be a good social worker. Marian provided me the opportunity to grow through SSWA, internship opportunities, and volunteering. The professors truly cared about me and my future.”

Katelyn Schueffner – 2019 Marian University Graduate

Bachelor of Social Work Curriculum

The Marian University Bachelor of Social Work program is about empowerment. We empower students through a curriculum designed to prepare them to empower individuals, families, groups and communities everywhere. In your community, throughout your state and across our country, there are countless families and individuals who need the kind of help and support that can only come from a caring and skilled social worker. And for decades now, the Marian University Bachelor of Social Work program has been educating and training social workers who truly understand those needs and know how to go about finding solutions.

If you have completed a two-year degree in Human Services, AODA, contact the program director to learn about the opportunity to complete your Bachelor’s degree in two years.

CSWE Competency Based Student Outcomes

Marian University’s Social Work Program is a CSWE accredited program.

General Education Courses

As a bachelor’s level student, you are required to take about 30 credits of general education courses as part of the 120 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.  General education courses are required regardless of your major.

All students take 10.5 to 17 credits in these areas:

  • Mathematical Reasoning
  • Argumentative and Research Writing
  • Introduction to Christian Theology
  • Interpersonal Communication
  • Introduction to Ethical Reasoning
  • First Year Studies

Core Courses

Social work majors will take courses covering topics such as:

  • Social work policy and advocacy
  • Human behavior and social environment
  • Statistics for research
  • Ethics and professional behavior
  • Sociology

Learning Outcomes

The Marian University Social Work program is dedicated to educating students for ethical, competent, culturally responsive, and innovative generalist social work practice that addresses the well-being of the most vulnerable in society. Our educational experiences, research, and community outreach promote social and economic justice, program and policy change, and evidence-based strategies for the challenges facing diverse client systems of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

The Marian University Social Work program’s standards are derived from the CSWE Competencies for Social Work Practice and the National Association of Social Worker’s Code of Ethics.

Marian Social Work Graduate will Demonstrate these CSWE Core Competencies
• Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior
• Engage diversity and difference in practice
• Advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice
• Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice
• Engage in policy practice
• Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
• Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
• Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
• Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

The mission of the social work profession is rooted in a set of core values. These core values, embraced by social workers throughout the profession’s history, are the foundation of social work’s unique purpose and perspective:

  • Service
  • Social justice
  • Dignity and worth of the person
  • Importance of human relationships
  • Integrity
  • Competence

Everyday Marian University Bachelor of Social Work program graduates are making a real difference in the world. As a graduate of the program you’ll be prepared to work in a wide range of settings, including health care, mental health agencies, rehabilitation centers, child and youth services, correctional facilities, agencies for the elderly and colleges and universities.

The Marian University Bachelor of Social Work program received initial accreditation from the Council on Social Work (CSWE) in 1987 and has received continuing reaffirmation since that time.

Marian University Baccalaureate Social Work Program Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes Last Completed on 07/27/21