BSW Social Work

WCU’s undergraduate Social Work program combines internship experiences with comprehensive coursework to prepare graduates for careers helping people cope with poverty, abuse and neglect, addiction, unemployment, disabilities, health problems, mental illness and other challenges. Graduates of WCU’s baccalaureate program may secure generalist social work jobs or apply to graduate school to pursue a Masters of Social Work which is required to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).

Social Work jobs are found in medical centers, nursing homes, senior centers, mental health centers, adoption agencies, schools, developmental centers, group homes, prisons, counseling centers, businesses and child welfare and social service agencies. Graduates qualify for beginning generalist social work positions such as a patient discharge planner, case manager, family specialist or a social worker who orients residents to a long-term care facility. Students who go on to earn a master’s degree and become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) qualify for additional positions such as a therapist or counselor at a mental health facility, a forensic interviewer at a hospital, or a clinician in a substance abuse treatment center. MSW graduates are also employed in macro-level positions including executive directors of not-for-profit agencies, community builders and public policy analysts. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics identifies social work as one of the fastest growing careers.