Program Description:

This degree completion program, leading to the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), offers courses designed to prepare students for entry level professional practice in a wide variety public and private social welfare agencies, organizations, and programs. Study includes the social, economic, and political processes involved in the development and change of social service institutions, the dynamics of human behavior, and the intervention methods and their applications to a wide variety of situations and clients. The Appalachian Social Work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, and graduates may be granted advanced standing in two-year master’s degree programs in social work.

Click here for a list of careers associated with this degree.

The BSW Degree requires 122 semester hours of credit, and the program blends 70 hours of transfer credit with 52 hours of Appalachian major social work courses to provide students with the opportunity to complete the Bachelor of Social Work Degree at various sites in western North Carolina. Appalachian offers Full-time and Part-time BSW Distance Education program options at selected locations.

Social Work Lower Division/Foundational Requirements (19 Semester hours):

Social Work lower division/foundation courses required for the BSW degree are listed in the table below. Students are responsible for meeting any deadlines for lower division/foundation courses.

Admission Requirements:

All applicants must meet the University Transfer Admission Requirements as well as the requirements specific to the transfer BSW Program. In addition to the University requirements applicants must:

• Present a minimum of 60 semester hours of transferable credit (transferability of coursework to be determined by Appalachian) by the time of entry to a Distance Education BSW Program.
• Have successfully completed lower division/foundation courses (see table below)
• Test Scores: No test scores (ACT or SAT) are required for admission to the program.

Lower Division/Foundation Course Requirements for the BSW Degree

• NC Community College course #s are in parentheses
• Prospective students are strongly encouraged to have all lower division/foundation completed before entry
• Lower Division/Foundation courses completed before Fall Semester 1997 are subject to approval by the Social Work Department

Distance Education Program Delivery Information:

Distance Education social work programs are cohort based (groups of students are admitted and complete their program of study at a particular location. Cohorts begin at a selected location, if there is sufficient interest, and take their classes at the same pace until graduation. Each major social work course is offered only one time in each cohort program, and students must be prepared to take the courses according to the program schedule. The courses are generally taught face-to-face (some online coursework or assignments may be online) by Appalachian faculty.

All students must have reliable access to the internet, and a high-speed/broadband access (cable or DSL) is strongly recommended.

All students must have a transferable math course before registering for SW 3850.

Proposed Cohorts*:

Applying:

Applications must be complete (online application submitted, fee paid, and all required supporting documents received) and ready for review by the applicable deadline.

Click here to access the online application for admission.

Part-time BSW Program Information

All students are subject to general program admission and matriculation requirements on the General Information page.

Part-Time Program Delivery:

The part-time BSW program admits approximately 25 students to each cohort. Generally, two Appalachian courses will be offered each term, including summers. (In some cohorts, there may be one or more terms in which only one course is offered.) Each social work course will typically be conducted one evening per week (usually 6:00-9:00 pm) or on occasion, on weekends (e.g., Friday evenings and/or Saturday mornings). During the last semester of the part-time BSW program, students will be enrolled full-time (15 semester hours).The social work field instruction, scheduled in the final term, requires approximately 32 hours per week (may involve daytime hours). The program duration is 9 semesters (fall, spring, summer, fall, spring , summer, fall, spring and summer).

Program Requirements:

The BSW degree requires the completion of 122 semester hours of coursework, and consists of the following components:

General Education Requirements:

To fulfill General Education requirements, you should complete the Community College (CAA) 44 semester hour core, or the Associate in Arts degree (AA), or the Associate in Science degree (AS), through a North Carolina community college. If not completed by the time of entry to a program, one of these options should be finished before the last term of the program in order to fulfill General Education requirements.

Lower Division/Foundation Requirements:

There are specific lower division/foundation courses required for the BSW degree listed above. Please note that the deadlines for completing cognate courses differ for part-time and full-time programs.

Social Work Major Requirements:

The Distance Education BSW program offers 52 semester hours of major social work courses. Students must earn at least a 2.0 ("C") grade in each required social work course.

• SW 2010 (3) Professional SW in Contemporary Society
• SW 2020 (3) The American Social Welfare System
• SW 2615 (3) Cultural Competence in the Helping Professions
• SW 2630 (3) Human Behavior & the Social Environment
• SW 3000 (3)  Basic Skills for the Social Professions
• SW 3330 (3)  Social Welfare Politics, Programs, Issues
• SW 3850 (3)  Social Work Research Method I
• SW 3870 (4) Social Work Research Methods II
• SW 4000 (3) Social Work Practice I
• SW Elective (3) Required Social Work Elective Course
• SW 4010 (3)  Social Work Practice with Groups
• SW 4020 (3)  Social Work Practice with Communities & Organizations
• SW 4650 (12) Social Work Field Instruction
• SW 4690 (3) Senior Seminar: Issues & Ethics for Field & Profession

Elective Requirements:

The BSW degree requires a total of 122 semester hours, and 52 semester hours are currently offered in the Distance Education BSW program. Therefore, a student would need to transfer at least 70 semester hours of credit to Appalachian in order to complete the BSW degree. Some students who have fulfilled General Education and cognate requirements may still need to take elective credits to obtain the 122 semester hours required for graduation. Any elective coursework needed must be completed before the last term of the part-time BSW program.

Completion of Lower-Division Coursework:

All lower-division coursework (Community College 44 sh core, or AA or AS degree, social work lower division/foundation courses, and any necessary elective credits) must be completed before the last term of the part-time BSW program. Concurrent enrollment (i.e. taking courses through Appalachian and a community college during the same term) is allowed for the BSW program, as long as maximum hours per term are not exceeded, and any prerequisites and other lower-division coursework are completed by the appropriate time. (Students should not be concurrently enrolled during the last term of the part-time BSW program.

To request an evaluation of transferable coursework, prior to applying to the program, please send an email request for a scheduled appointment to Bronwen Sheffield at sheffieldbl@appstate.edu.

Effective July 1, 2011 federal regulations will require all institutions of higher education (including Appalachian State) that deliver online instruction (whether part of an online or site-based degree program) to have written authorization from the state in which each student resides. If you reside outside of North Carolina and intend to apply to one of Appalachian’s distance education programs, please notify the program manager.

Part-time, Evening Program Manager
PT, Evening Program Manager: Ms. Bronwen Sheffield
Email: sheffieldbl@appstate.edu
Toll-free Phone: 800-355-4084
Local Phone: 828-448-6142