School of Social Work

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Jennifer Crowell Thompson (Chair), Douglas Crews, Carmen Reese Foster, Julie W. Hunt, Sabrina W. Sullenberger

Mission

The mission of the Belmont University School of Social Work is to empower and equip students to live out their calling to serve others and to embody the core values of the social work profession: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence.   Within the context of the liberal arts and modeled after the life and work of Jesus, we prepare students to engage in work at the margins of society and to transform the world in which they live.

Purpose:

The philosophy of the School of Social Work is to prepare social work professionals who practice under the guidance of the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics and who are able to integrate the Educational Policy and Accreditation areas of social work into their practice. The goals of the Master of Social Work (MSW) program are:

Goals:

1. To prepare students for professional social work practice who demonstrate competence and effectiveness as advanced generalist practitioners and who are committed to life-long learning.
2. To prepare practitioners who are guided by the knowledge, skills, values, and ethics of the social work profession.
3. To prepare practitioners to engage as critical and strategic thinkers with respect to issues of oppression, marginalization, and other vulnerabilities.
4. To graduate practitioners who promote social and economic justice in communities both local and global.

There are many career opportunities in social work. The following is a partial listing of areas of professional practice. For a more complete listing, please contact the Chair or visit the school’s webpage:

The curriculum is organized around nine essential areas which include Advancing Social, Racial and Environmental Justice; Engaging Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Practice; Human Behavior and Social Environment; Social Welfare Policy and Services; Social Work Practice’ Social Work Research; and Practicum Instruction.

Admission

Applicants to the Master of Social Work (MSW) program must submit to and/or complete the following:

1. A completed Belmont graduate application, selecting the Master of Social Work as the program of study.
2. All undergraduate and graduate post-secondary transcripts
3. A narrative statement describing career goals and how this program will help them achieve their goals.
4. An interview with the Program Director and/or program faculty.

Accreditation

The Master of Social Work (MSW) is not yet accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and is pending approval by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

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