B.A. in Social Work

Are you a good listener, find that friends seek your support and advice? Do you want to make a difference in the world by helping people with their problems? Are you interested in human rights and social justice? Would you like a professional career? If “yes,” you may want to consider studying social work.

Baccalaureate Social Work (B.S.W.) education equips students with the knowledge, skills, and values for a professional helping career in a variety of settings (schools, hospitals, poverty programs, addiction services, shelters, etc).

• Employers recognize B.S.W. graduates as entry-level professionals
• MSW grad schools offer advanced standing options to those from an accredited B.S.W. program, earning a Master's Degree in Social Work in less than 2 years!
• Siena' s B.S.W. Program has been accredited since 1985

Program Highlights

• Nationally accredited since 1985.
• Department has a leadership role with the New York State Social Work Education Association.
• Emphasis on both classroom and hands-on experiences.
• 450-hour internship requirement in professionally supervised sites matching students’ interests. Example settings include schools, nursing homes, probation offices, programs serving homelessness, domestic violence shelters, and mental health settings.
• Focus on the development of communication skills and understanding of social problems necessary to become a professional interviewer and community change agent.
• Hands-on experience working with individuals, families, groups, and communities to solve problems.
• Preparation for social work careers in diverse settings such as hospitals, family service agencies, domestic violence programs and more immediately after graduation.
• Preparation for Master’s in Social Work programs.

Requirements for the Major (37 credits)

• SWRK100 - Intro Soc Welfare and Soc Work 3 credits
• SWRK200 - Social Work Practice Skills 3 credits
• SWRK300 - Human Bhvr and the Soc Envir I 3 credits
• SWRK310 - Human Bhvr and Social Envir II 3 credits
• SWRK315 - Social Wk Pract W Orgs & Comm 3 credits
• SWRK320 - Social Wk Prac w Indiv and Fam 3 credits
• SWRK410 - Field Education I 4 credits
• SWRK415 - Social Work Practice w/Groups 3 credits
• SWRK420 - Field Education II 5 credits
• SWRK430 - Social Work Research 3 credits
• SWRK440 - Social Welfare Policy 3 credits
• SWRK491 - Child Abuse Neglect Workshop 0 credits

AND

• SWRK301 - Internship in Social Work 1 credits

OR

• PCST480 - Internship in Peace Studies 3 credits

OR

• INSA480 - Internship Franciscan Serv Advo 1 TO 3 credits

Auxiliary courses (21 credits)

• ATDV110 - Statistics for Social Science 3 credits
• BIOL025 - Human Biology 3 credits
• PSYC100 - General Psychology 3 credits
• SOCI101 - The Sociological Perspective 3 credits

AND

• PSYC220 - Abnormal Psychology 3 credits

OR

• PSYC340 - Human Cognition 3 credits

OR

• PSYC350 - Physiological Psychology 3 credits

AND

• ECON101 - Principles of Economics, Micro 3 credits

OR

• ECON102 - Principles of Economics, Macro 3 credits

AND

• POSC100 - Contemporary U.S. Politics 3 credits

OR

• POSC130 - Political Theory 3 credits

OR

• POSC140 - Comparative Politics 3 credits

OR

• POSC150 - World Politics 3 credits

OR

• POSC205 - State and Local Government 3 credits

Students must achieve and maintain a minimum social work major GPA of 2. 7 for required S.W.R.K. courses following admission into the Social Work Program (i.e. Junior and Senior level courses).

Any student who falls below a 2. 7 major GPA for the required S.W.R.K. courses at any point following formal admission into the program will be terminated from the program and required to declare another major. (The gap between the current major GPA and the required 2.7 GPA as well as any extenuating circumstances will be evaluated on a case by case basis according to the program's review process.)

Internship Sites

• Albany County Dept of Children, Youth, and Families
• Albany Medical Center Hospital
• Alzheimer’s Association
• Guilderland Elementary School
• Joseph’s House & Shelter
• Parsons Child and Family Center
• Rensselaer County Probation
• Samaritan Hospital Mental Health Clinic
• Troy High School
• Unity House Domestic Violence Program

A Siena education is an education with soul. Located in Loudonville, New York—just 10 minutes from the state capital of Albany—the Siena experience is built for a new generation of leaders eager to create a more just, peaceful, and humane world. It empowers them through a transformative journey of intellectual, spiritual, and personal discovery.

At Siena education isn’t something you get, it’s something you get to do. With 40 majors, 80-plus minors and certificates, and prestigious joint-degree programs in liberal arts, science, and business, Saints have over 1,200 unique ways to reach their personal and professional goals. But that’s just the beginning. Our 3,000 Saints engage personally with top scholars in a dynamic, customized learning environment. From internships to research to service, they get real-world experience now, not later. The result: sought-after graduates prepared to succeed in an ever-changing global society.