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Program Overview
Hospitals, schools, clinics, and the court system all depend on social workers to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable individuals.
Mission Statement
The Bachelor of Social Work degree program at Fairfield University prepares graduates to recognize and value the inherent worth and dignity of all people and promote the well-being of individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities informed by the person-in-environment perspective. The Program is committed to serving a diverse society, advancing respect for diversity, human rights and social, economic and environmental justice. It seeks to prepare lifelong learners who possess strong conceptual and generalist knowledge, values and skills, while upholding the highest standards of professional conduct. The Program educates students to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration with professional and community partners, and will advance the social work profession through the scholarly contributions of its faculty.
The Bachelor of Social Work degree program at Fairfield University aims to help students to develop intellectual rigor, personal integrity, informed decision-making, self-reflection and social responsibility. It seeks to promote the profession of social work by educating students in the Jesuit tradition, to become “men and woman for others,” who recognize social inequities and intervene as leaders for social change.
Accreditation
The BSW Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Founded in 1952, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is the national association representing social work education in the United States. Its members include over 800 accredited baccalaureate and master’s degree social work programs, as well as individual social work educators, practitioners, and agencies dedicated to advancing quality social work education. Through its many initiatives, activities, and centers, CSWE supports quality social work education and provides opportunities for leadership and professional development, so that social workers play a central role in achieving the profession’s goals of social and economic justice. CSWE’s Commission on Accreditation is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the United States and its territories (CSWE 2015).
Baccalaureate Social Work Program Assessment Outcomes
Council on Social Work Education - Form AS 4(B)
Fairfield University, Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies, Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes
Form AS 4(B) A form required for Reaffirmation, Candidacy, and ongoing compliance per AS 4.0.3
This form is used to assist the Commission on Accreditation in the evaluation of the program’s compliance with the accreditation standard below.
4.0.3: The program uses Form AS 4(B) and/or Form AS 4(M) to report its most recent assessment outcomes for each program option to constituents and the public on its website and routinely up-dates (minimally every 2 years) its findings.
All programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation (COA) are required to measure and report student learning outcomes. All students are assessed using a minimum of two measures on their mastery of the nine competencies that comprise the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) and any additional competencies programs may choose to add. These holistic competencies reflect the dimensions (knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive & affective processes) of social work practice that all social workers are expected to master during their professional training.
Programs determine a percentage-based benchmark for each competency and determine an outcome-measure benchmark (minimum score) for each measure. The competency benchmark (which can differ for each competency) represents the minimum percent of students the program expects to have achieved the outcome measure benchmarks in both/all measures for each of the nine competencies. The program then determines the percentage of students that attained each outcome measure (e.g., minimum score or higher), and aggregates the percentages for both/all measures together to obtain the percentage of students demonstrating competence inclusive of two (2) or more measures. The result of aggregating both/all outcome measure percentages provides the percentage of students achieving the competency benchmark. An aggregated percentage at or above the competency benchmark is considered achievement of that competency. If the program has more than one program option, the program must report data for each program option, and also an aggregate of all program options combined to determine an overall percentage of students across all program options achieving the competency benchmark.
Per the requirement of CSWE COA’s recognizing body, the Council on Higher Education
Accreditation (CHEA), and accreditation standard 4.0.3, programs must post this form publicly
on its website and routinely up-date (minimally every 2 years) its findings. Upon request,
programs must provide CSWE with the weblink to the published form on the program’s website
where it is accessible to the public. Data presented on the form must be collected within 2 years
of today’s date at all times.
| Competency | Competency Benchmark | Percentage (%) of Students Achieving Benchmark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program Option #! On Campus | Aggregate of All Program Options | ||
| Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior | 80% | 1 | 100% |
| Competency 2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice | 80% | 1 | 100% |
| Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice | 80% | 1 | 100% |
| Competency 4: Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice | 80% | 1 | 100% |
| Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice | 80% | 1 | 100% |
| Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities | 80% | 1 | 100% |
| Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities | 80% | 1 | 100% |
| Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities | 80% | 1 | 100% |
| Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities | 80% | 1 | 100% |
All students are assessed using a minimum of two measures on their mastery of the nine competencies that comprise the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of the Council on Social Work Education and any additional competencies programs may choose to add. Summarize the program’s competency-based assessment plan. Programs may add/delete rows to accurately reflect the number measures included in the data presented.
| Dimension(s) assessed: | Knowledge, Values, Skills, Cognitive and Affective Processes. |
| When/where students are assessed: | Spring 2022/SWRK 4307 |
| Who assessed student competence: | Prof. Joshua Neitlich |
| Outcome Measure Benchmark (minimum score indicative of achievement) for Competencies 1-9: | 3 out of 5 |
| Competency Benchmark (percent of students the program expects to have achieved the minimum scores, inclusive of all measures) for Competencies 1-9: |
80% |
| Percentage of Students Achieving Competency | 100% |
| Dimension(s) assessed: | Knowledge, Values, Skills, Cognitive and Affective Processes. |
| When/where students are assessed: | Spring 2022/SWRK |
| Who assessed student competence: | Field Instructor/Field Director |
| Outcome Measure Benchmark (minimum score indicative of achievement) for Competencies 1-9. | 3 out of 5 |
| Competency Benchmark (percent of students the program expects to have achieved the minimum scores, inclusive of all measures) for Competencies 1-9: | 80% |
| Percentage of Students Achieving Competency | 100% |
Requirements & Curriculum
Applications for the BSW program are evaluated by the Office of Admission. Students who declare a social work major are accepted directly into the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies bachelor of social work program in their first year.
To progress in the program, students are required to successfully complete all core, required courses and internship experiences. By accepting admission in the Egan School, the student understands the program eligibility and progression requirements. Social work students must follow all University educational policies and general regulations including those regarding academic progress.
Social work undergraduates will have close individual advising with social work faculty as well as ongoing group process with faculty beginning in their first year in the program.
In order to complete the BSW degree, students will earn 126 credits. Coursework in the major begins with two introductory courses in the first year, followed by a structured program, including 15 required courses, (45 credit hours) in social work. In addition, beginning in fall of the senior year, students will complete 450 hours (8 credits) over two semesters of supervised field education in a variety of social service agencies and community outreach settings.
In order to remain in the social work program, students must have:
- An overall 2.75 overall GPA at start of junior year
- A grade of C+ or higher in all social work courses.
- A passing grade in the first semester fieldwork practicum
- The recommendation of the Faculty Advisor
A minimum grade of B must be received for all social work courses in order to progress in the program.
Fairfield University students, who are currently undecided or enrolled in any major, have the option to change their major to social work. Interested students should contact the BSW program director, Dr. Kim Oliver at koliver@fairfield.edu.
Required Courses
| Ethics of Health Care |
| Immigration, Race, and Ethnicity in U.S. History |
| Health Communication for Healthcare Professionals |
| Healthcare Delivery Systems |
| General Psychology |
| Public Health and Social Justice |
| Social Work Essentials I |
| Social Work Essentials II |
| Social Work: An Introduction |
| History of Social Welfare |
| Human Behavior in the Social Environment I |
| Human Behavior in the Social Environment II |
| Social Policy and Social Justice |
| Research in Social Work Practice |
| Leadership for Interdisciplinary Health Professionals |
| Generalist Social Work Practice I |
| Generalist Social Work Practice II |
| Integrative Field Practicum Seminar I |
| Integrative Field Practicum Seminar II |
| Field Practicum I |
| Field Practicum II |
A detailed list of course requirements, offerings, and more can be viewed in the University’s course catalog.
Admission
With a long history of preparing men and women for careers in the expanding fields of medicine and health studies and ranked as one of the nation’s best nursing schools, The Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies is dedicated to delivering an excellent, comprehensive education to our students.
More About Social Work
Life After Fairfield
Life After Fairfield
Fairfield has a long history of success in preparing students with a solid foundation for the health professions. With the growing demand in the social work field, students can find a number of career opportunities in government agencies, and with contractors, think tanks, international agencies, humanitarian organizations and foundations as well as the corporate sector or in academia.
Learn about how Fairfield's Career Center can support your post-graduate goals, and how Fairfield's tight-knit alumni network can build career and mentoring opportunities that last a lifetime.
Diversity and Inclusive Excellence
Diversity and Inclusive Excellence
As a Jesuit, Catholic university, Fairfield is dedicated to diversity and inclusion; to radical hospitality in service of racial, social, and economic justice.
Egan Newsletter
Egan Newsletter
Learn more about what our faculty, students, and alumni are doing, as well as stay up-to-date on our rankings and accolades, programs, and more.
Egan Update
Egan Update
We invite you to view the Egan Update, a year in review of Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies news.
Faculty & Staff
Faculty & Staff
Fairfield University’s Egan School boasts experienced faculty who inspire students to become leaders across social and healthcare environments. These students are actively engaged with faculty in practice, policy, scholarship, and service.