Social workers help people cope with everyday problems. They may provide services such as advocacy, crisis response, and connecting clients with resources. Social Workers address societal ills by understanding and addressing problems in functioning that can occur with people, systems, as well as with the interactions between systems and people. Social workers are taught how to assess, identify, intervene, and evaluate problems and solutions. Social workers engage with individuals, families, and communities to affect positive social change and promote conditions that boost social and economic well-being. The program encourages students to have an appreciation of diversity as a strength and competence when working with populations regardless of ethnicity, age, gender, orientation, identity, level of ability, and numerous other expressions of diversity.
The MSW provides the opportunity to serve others beyond the BSW level. All social workers are passionate with regards to social justice. With the MSW degree, social workers can carry that passion to the classroom through teaching, as well as, positions in school social work, the mental health community, and positions with the criminal justice field.
The Social Work degree program is available online. Online programs have the same content and curriculum as traditional on-campus programs. All coursework, including lectures, assignments, and exams, is available through the Canvas online learning system.
Online programs are asynchronous, which means there are no specific times you must be online. Professors and other instructors are available during virtual “office hours” for discussion. The programs are designed to allow you to focus on two courses in eight-week terms.
As an online student, you may be eligible to transfer credits from other accredited colleges. Learn more about our online program admission requirements.
At the heart of one’s choice to study social work is a deep desire to help others. At Limestone University, our desire is to help you. Our low faculty-student ratio allows for personalized support from a team of experienced Social Work professionals and academics. And as the largest Social Work program in South Carolina, Limestone University offers multiple ways to earn your degree. Evening and online students benefit from convenient eight-week terms offered six times per year. Students may complete their BSW Degree from Limestone University by taking courses entirely online, in classrooms, or any combination of both.
The Social Work profession has over 50 fields in which the degree can be utilized including healthcare, services to families and children, anti-poverty programs, public health, domestic violence counselor, school social worker, nursing home social worker, hospice social worker, substance abuse counselor, and mental health worker to name a few. According to the US Bureau of Labor & Statistics, employment for social workers is projected to add 109,700 jobs nationally -- a 16% growth rate— which is more than double the 7-percent employment growth projected for all occupations from 2016 to 2026. Other occupations include:
- School Social Worker
- Hospital Social Worker
- Nursing Home Social Worker
- Addictions Counselor
- Mental Health Counselor
The mission of the Limestone University Bachelor of Social Work Program is to prepare students utilizing a liberal arts education for generalist social work practice by incorporating social work values, ethics, critical thinking, and evidenced-based skills to improve quality of life (at the individual, local, and global level) and promote positive social change, particularly for vulnerable individuals and groups who are often survivors of social and/or economic injustice. We furthermore require that students demonstrate a commitment to service, a belief in the dignity and worth of all people, and a genuine respect for diversity. We emphasize the importance of valuing human rights and human relationships from a person-in-environment perspective. Students who successfully complete our program will be competent as beginning social work professionals as well as adequately prepared for further professional development at the graduate level of study.
- To prepare traditional and nontraditional students for employment as beginning generalist social workers and to prepare them for graduate study.
- To provide access to a diverse range of students who for economic, social, or geographical reasons would not be able to pursue a social work education elsewhere.
- To prepare graduates who are aware of their responsibility to continue their professional growth and development by providing up-to-date content about evidence-based social work practice
- To integrate throughout the curriculum the values and ethics that guide professional social workers in their practice with special emphasis on social and economic justice.
The Bachelor of Social Work Program at Limestone University prepares students for beginning generalist practice as a professional social worker. The course content in our BSW curriculum is approved by the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners, and the program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Our educational requirements allow students to be eligible to take the LBSW licensure exam in South Carolina and other states. Students outside of South Carolina should verify the requirements for licensure in their state.