Social Work
Fast Facts:
- Above 95% of our social work graduates who have taken the Kansas State Licensure Exam have passed the first time.
- Nearly all social work graduates are employed within two months of graduation.
- We show a very high acceptance rate for social work majors going on to graduate school for a Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) degree.
- More Bethel Fast Facts...
Social work is a profession that focuses on enhancing and restoring people’s capacity for social functioning. Baccalaureate-trained social workers help people solve problems they experience in the context of their various environments. Social work requires knowledge and skills for work with a variety of human systems including individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. Activities include enhancing people’s problem solving skills, connecting people with resources, making resource systems more responsive to people and creating new resources when none exist. An underlying objective of social work is to help marginalized people achieve social and economic justice.
If you study social work at Bethel College, you will gain a heightened awareness of social inequality and social justice issues that are often a backdrop for personal issues and problems. Personal and family problems frequently represent larger public issues and you’ll find ways to identify and begin to remedy those issues.
The liberal arts are the foundation upon which a social work major rests — a foundation for understanding human beings in the context of their social, cultural and economic environment. The liberal arts also help you develop skills necessary to be an effective professional social worker — oral and written communication skills as well as the ability to think analytically and synthesize information from a variety of sources.
Graduates of this department are highly sought after by employers of social workers. Through our network of contacts (faculty with professional social workers), our faculty can link you with internship placements as well as potential professional positions.
Some distinguishing characteristics of Bethel’s social work program are:
- A record of excellence among employers for the preparation of its graduates. Employers have noted that our graduates are especially well-prepared for ethical practice as well as in assessment and intervention planning knowledge.
- Research and practice partnerships with community organizations and agencies that take advantage of the community as a laboratory for learning.
- Local and international internship settings through which every graduate has the opportunity to develop professional competence.
- The opportunity to develop expertise and earn a certificate in Conflict Resolution along with the social work major, ideal for those interested in restorative/criminal justice.
- Practice-based senior thesis research, through which every student has the opportunity to be mentored individually by a member of the social work faculty.
- Experiential learning opportunities in the local community and in Mexico about marginalized populations and social injustice.
The mission of the social work program is to prepare social workers whose practice embodies the following core values:
- an ethic of discipleship that calls the social worker to be a compassionate presence in solidarity with marginalized people
- an ethic of service that calls the social worker to assist people to solve problems in their daily lives and achieve social justice
- an ethic of scholarship that calls the social worker to strive for continued excellence in social work practice
- an ethic of integrity that is a foundation for holistic personal and professional relationships.
The primary objectives of the social work program are (1) to prepare graduates for entry into professional practice, (2) to prepare graduates for continued social work education at the graduate level and (3) to provide opportunities for continuing education for practicing social workers and other human service professionals.