Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)

School of Social Work

About the Program Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)

The Barry School of Social Work’s Bachelor of Social Work Program is SACS accredited, trauma-informed and focused on empowering the next generation of professional clinicians and leaders. Our trauma-informed curriculum, which is offered at our main campus in Miami Shores, Florida, prepares students to specifically address areas of trauma and resilience within their communities including abuse, neglect, and crisis. We also offer exceptional internships with experienced Clinical Practice Supervisors who provide our students with opportunities to explore areas of expertise unique to their professional interests. Students pursuing their BSW have the option to continue their education and earn a Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW) in two semesters through our advanced standing program.

Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, Barry University’s Bachelor of Social Work Program features a committed faculty that wants to get to know you and help you achieve your goals. Our small class sizes allow you to learn in an engaging environment and receive personal attention. In the Bachelor of Social Work program, students will complete 45 credits from five different curricular divisions. Your professional social work education will consist of 13 social work courses (39 credits) and two upper division psychology courses. Your senior year will include a year-long clinical internship in a human service agency in South Florida, along with two practice courses.

Program Highlights

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Fully Accredited

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Diverse Campus

Selected

Internship Programs

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Financial Aid

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    Fully Accredited

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    Diverse Campus

  • Selected

    Internship Programs

  • cash

    Financial Aid

Some career opportunities include:

  • Advanced Clinical Practice

    Clinical

    Clinical social workers are found in a variety of settings that provide therapeutic counseling to clients.
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    Public Welfare

    Public welfare is designed to provide services and support for low income, disabled, ill, elderly, or juvenile clients.
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    Criminal Justice

    Focus on assessment and rehabilitation of clients as well as restorative justice in communities.
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    Child Welfare

    Child welfare social workers strive to ensure the safety and well-being of children through treatment of the whole family.
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    Research & Education

    Research on issues of social justice and human rights provides data and statistics important in program implementation and policy development.
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    Healthcare

    Social workers in health care facilitate medical and emotional treatment of patients.
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    Developmental Disabilities

    Social workers in this area help people with disabilities to adjust so that they can lead productive lives.
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    Occupational

    Occupational social workers aid employees in being more productive and satisfied.

BSW Program Goals

  • Demonstrate professional practice reflecting the profession’s core values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of community, organizations, service delivery systems, policy and program settings, the variables that influence stability and change within these environments and how these factors affect client needs and interests.
  • Demonstrate theoretical knowledge and practice skills related to reducing the effects of oppression and discrimination, and advancing social and economic justice in local and global communities.
  • Demonstrate competency in social work assessment intervention and evaluation in agency and community contexts with diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
  • Engage in continuing professional growth and development, self-reflection, and evaluation of one’s own practice.

Transfer Student (2+2) BSW Program

Our Transfer Student (2+2) program, is designed for students who have earned their associate’s degree. Depending on the number of transfer credits accepted, students can earn their BSW Degree in two academic years

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Debbie Chanan M

Debbie Chanan, Ed.S, MSW BSW Program Director

Director’s Welcome

“It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Barry University School of Social Work BSW Program! We are excited to embrace our Social Work core values through the innovative trauma informed curriculum taught by a group of dedicated and mission-driven Social Work professors who are leaders in the field.”

Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Academic Advising

We strive to enhance the academic development of BSW student majors through a career-focused and supportive approach to advising to assist students in achieving their academic goals.
The majority of your academic advising and registration questions can be answered here:
  • You Are Expected To:

    • Schedule regular appointments or make regular contacts with your academic advisor during each semester.
    • Become knowledgeable about your requirements for your major in Social Work.
    • Come prepared to each appointment with your program evaluation.
    • Ask questions if you do not understand an issue or have a specific concern.
    • Keep a personal record of your progress toward meeting your goals.
    • Follow through with all referrals or recommendations from your academic advisor.
    • Become knowledgeable about Barry University’s policies and procedures.
    • Read your Barry email DAILY. You may want to link this Barry email account with your personal account.
    • Accept responsibility for your choices throughout your degree.
  • You Academic Advisor Is Expected To:

    • Understand and effectively communicate accurate information regarding distribution and major requirements and other academic policies and procedures.
    • Develop a plan of study with you.
    • Monitor and document your academic progress.
    • Encourage and support you in developing realistic goals and attainable educational plans.
    • Provide information about campus resources and make appropriate referrals.
    • Maintain Title IX confidentiality standards and procedures.
    • Be available to answer questions through appointments or Barry email.

About the Program Minor in Social Work

The Minor in Social Work provides the opportunity for students to explore the helping profession of social work within a trauma-informed, resiliency framework. It is designed to give non-social work majors the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of many of the complex social issues of our time and what can be done to help create a better society individually and/or collectively.

The primary goals for the minor in social work are to enhance sensitivity to vulnerable populations, to provide an opportunity to gain a more profound understanding of the meanings of empathy, self-determination, and human dignity; to stimulate interest in advocacy for human rights and social justice

Learn More
News

Top Stories

  • Barry Grad to Serve as State Representative February 15, 2022

    Barry University School of Social Work graduate Daryl Campbell (MSW ’17) will be spending a lot more time in Tallahassee!

  • The Center for Human Rights and Social Justice: Annual Report 2020 August 04, 2021

    The Center for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ), as part of the School of Social Work, has released its Annual Report for 2020.

  • How Dr. Mitch Rosenwald Is Using His Social Work Skills To Impact Local Policy June 22, 2021

    As a clinical social worker and veteran professor in Barry’s School of Social Work, Dr. Mitch Rosenwald has long championed the benefits of bringing social work perspectives to government policy.

  • With New Research Social Work Students And Professor Advocate For Gender-Affirming Care March 15, 2021

    A new paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity is giving voice to members of the trans community who suffer from gender dysphoria.

Curriculum

In the Bachelor of Social Work program, you will complete 45 credits from five different curricular divisions, giving you a strong liberal arts background. Your professional social work education will consist of 13 social work courses (39 credits) and two upper division psychology courses. Your senior year will include a yearlong Professional and Clinical Practice Placement in a human service agency in South Florida, along with three practice courses.

View Course Descriptions

Internship Professional and Clinical Practice

BSW Professional and Clinical Practice prepares BSW students with generalist practice skills to focus on the wellbeing of the individual and society. Barry University School of Social Work Professional and Clinical Practice curriculum is designed to ensure the integration between the classroom learning experience and direct social work practice. Professional and Clinical Practice courses are a vital part of the BSW curriculum, providing BSW students the opportunity to develop generalist practice skills in a supervised setting.

BSW Students will gain generalist practice skills that include:

  • Orientation to the operational and organizational components of social services agencies
  • Engagement with various client populations
  • Enhanced knowledge of community needs and resources
  • Development of case management skills (intake assessment, discharge planning, and biopsychosocial evaluation)
Professional and Clinical Practice Placement Service Learning

Clinical Practice Sites Include:

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Schools

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Hospitals & Health Centers

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Criminal Justice Agencies

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Community-based Agencies

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    Schools

  • Clinic

    Hospitals & Health Centers

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    Criminal Justice Agencies

  • Small Class Sizes

    Community-based Agencies

Admissions Overview Getting Started

In the time it takes to watch a movie, you can apply to attend Barry University. From application to graduation, we support you every step of the way. Apply anytime, anywhere. We accept submissions on a rolling basis, but the sooner you apply, the better. Some majors require extra information for acceptance into specific programs. See what you need to apply, since general admission doesn't guarantee acceptance into all majors.

As part of Barry's diverse, close-knit community of 3,000 undergraduates, you’ll grow and build lifelong relationships. With a 15:1 student to faculty ratio, you'll thrive thanks to individualized instruction and professors who are experts in their fields. The best part? You’ll leave college with the skills you need to succeed and little debt; we work to make school affordable through merit-based scholarships and financial aid.

Apply Now! Admission Requirements

Start your application today. In just a few years, you'll graduate with a degree from a highly-respected, affordable university.

Admissions Overview Are you a Transfer or an International Student?

You can apply to Barry whenever it’s convenient for you. We accept applications on a rolling basis, but it’s always better to apply sooner than later. You’re considered a transfer applicant when you have at least 12 college level credits from a regionally accredited college or university. Remember, you may have to apply separately to specific programs, so please review the academic requirements for your intended major.
If you are an international student, applying as early as possible is in your best interest in order to allow ample time for immigration processing. Please note that general admission to Barry University does not guarantee acceptance into all academic majors. Also, please be aware that admission to Barry University does not guarantee that you will be granted a student visa by the United States Embassy or Consulate in your country of origin.

Core Performance Standards

The Core Performance Standards (CPS) adopted by the School of Social Work provides faculty and students with a set of essential standards for assessing professional conduct. Grounded in the NASW Code of Ethics and core values and mission of social work, the Core Performance Standards provide ethical principles that guide social work practice and on which the public can hold social work practitioners, scholars, and educators accountable. These principles depict the scope of responsibility to which all students obligate him/herself from the time of entry in the Barry University-School of Social Work.

The Core Performance Standards help students in Barry University School of Social Work to recognize their professional responsibilities and criteria for professional conduct. In order to remain in good standing in the School of Social Work, all students, as stated in the NASW Code, "must not allow their own personal problems, psychosocial distress, legal problems, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties to interfere with their professional judgment and performance or to jeopardize the best interests of people for whom they have a professional responsibility." (p.23, NASW Code of Ethics.)

 

Barry University School of Social Work is leading the way in setting ethical standards for professional growth and development.

The Core Performance Standards encompass the following skill areas:

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    Self Awareness

    A commitment to the process of self-reflection and self-critique assuming full responsibility to protect peers, colleagues, research participants, clients and others from the adverse consequences of personal performance problems and behaviors.
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    Critical Thinking

    Individual reasoning reflects a comprehensive analysis that distinguishes fact from inference; an individual's conclusions and assigned meanings are grounded in relevant data, information and evidence.
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    Professional Relationships

    All professional interactions reflect respect, integrity, honesty, cooperation and collaboration as well as a clear understanding of professional role, authority and appropriate boundaries.

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    Professional Ethics

    Individual judgment and conduct is consistent with established laws and the values and ethics of the social work profession as set forth in the NASW Code of Ethics.
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    Task Management

    Effective task/time management strategies guide all professional and academic responsibilities and activities.

Financial Aid Affordable for you.

If you’re a full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate, you may qualify for our merit-based scholarships with awards up to $17,000, based on your cumulative GPA and standardized test scores. Scholarships are available for freshmen (including test optional), transfers, international, DACA, and Dreamer applicants. Using your admissions application, we automatically determine your eligibility.

More than 90% of our students receives some form of financial assistance. Apply to see if you qualify for a full array of federal and state financial aid programs. Just submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Complete it as soon as possible since funds may be limited. Barry's federal school code is 001466. Curious about qualifying? Take a look at our Net Price Calculator.

Net Price Calculator Tuition and Fees

Explore our scholarship system to see if you qualify for scholarships funded by alumni, private donors, corporations, and others.

You can use the Barry University Scholarship System to find other scholarship opportunities that you may be eligible to receive:

  • Answer as many questions as you like—the more questions answered, the more scholarships you’re matched to
  • Be automatically considered for many of the scholarships available at Barry University
  • Do a keyword search for scholarships and review the criteria to see if your qualifications are a match
The scholarships are funded through contributions from private donors, alumni, faculty, staff, parents, campus organizations, and corporations.
Barry University Scholarships

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