Social WOrkers Strengthen the Fabric of CommunitY
Through a combination of classroom instruction, field placements, and community engagement, you’ll gain the necessary skills to address complex social issues and support individuals, families, and communities in need. Throughout the program, you’ll explore the importance of advocating for at-risk populations and promoting positive social change. The program provides a foundation for modern social work values and ethics and encourages the enhancement your sense of self-knowledge and awareness necessary for effective practice.
MC’s social work program Provides a solid foundation
The social work program prepares you to make a difference in the lives of your community in a variety of ways:
- For entry-level generalist social work practice with diverse populations of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in a changing global social environment
- To advocate for human well-being recognizing the strengths and resiliency of client systems
- To understand social problems, formulate, influence, and/or improve social policies and services in diverse political contexts
- To utilize critical thinking in understanding and applying appropriate research methodologies, and best practices for implementing and evaluating program services
- For professional, empathetic social work practice, guided by the CSWE Educational Policy and Accreditation core competencies and the Social Work Code of Ethics for graduate education
Students can declare a major in social work at any time, however the first two years at MC are essentially a pre-social work major as you complete the University core curriculum requirements. As part of our accreditation standards, you must apply and be formally accepted into the Social Work B.S.W. program after completing the minimum admission requirements. Department counselors will work closely with you from your first day at MC to ensure you are on track for entering and thriving within the program.
Admission To the Social Work Program
Admission to Mississippi College does not guarantee admission to the Social Work Program. Minimum requirements for admission to the Social Work Program include the following:
- Completion of 75% of the core curriculum (36 hours)
- Cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher
- Successful completion of SWK 225, Introduction to Social Work; SWK 331, Generalist Practice I
- A grade of “C” or higher in all required social work courses
- Completed Application to the Social Work Program
- Three letters of reference
- Professional resume
- Admissions conference with social work faculty
- Autobiographical statement including:
- Family of origin – communication styles and patterns, conflict resolution, interactions as a family, family structure, and any additional pertinent information.
- Childhood and young adulthood – experiences during your lifetime that impacted in the formation of who you are today.
- Outside Sources – people and issues that influenced your life.
- Spirituality – the awareness of your spiritual journey.
- Career choices – reasons for choosing or exploring career choices such as social work.
Applications should be turned in to the Social Work Program Director no later than November 1. Three letters of recommendation are required and should be forwarded by the reference directly to the Social Work Program Director at the address below. See Social Work Program faculty members for further information or clarification. Credit is not granted in the Social Work Program for life experiences or previous work experience.