Social Work Degree Information

Social Work is a helping profession which leads the development, provision and evaluation of social services. Social Work is both an academic and an applied discipline that relies on values of service, social and economic justice, the dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, and integrity and competence in practice. The essence of Social Work is helping people, organizations and communities.

Social Work strives to enhance human well-being and to alleviate poverty, oppression and social injustice while promoting respect for human diversity. The Social Work profession draws upon its own accumulated body of knowledge and skills, as well as the theories and findings of other social science disciplines. Among the social sciences, Social Work is unique in its emphasis on both the person and the social environment in a reciprocal relationship.

ENMU's Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program follows the standards and guidelines of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) in preparing students to be competent, caring, ethical and effective Social Work practitioners. The BSW Program is in candidacy for accreditation from the CSWE. Candidacy means that students graduating from the program are grandfathered into graduating from an accredited program once initial accreditation is gained. Currently, the Social Work Program cannot promise accreditation to incoming students. Students are encouraged to meet with a Social Work program faculty advisor for information regarding any changes in the program's status.

The BSW curriculum is designed to provide the base of knowledge, skills and values necessary for competent and ethical generalist Social Work practice to those entering the profession, as well as those already practicing in social service settings. The curriculum is designed to help prepare students and practitioners for licensure and advanced study.

Social workers are licensed professionals in New Mexico and are found in a wide variety of practice settings including health and mental health, child welfare, community-based organizations, medical facilities, schools youth services, law enforcement, courts, corrections, the military, services to elders, and other social service providers.

Program Model

The ENMU BSW Program is designed to be a 2 year course of professional study and fieldwork for students who want to become Social Workers. Students wishing to enter the program should be advised that the general degree requirements as established in the ENMU catalog must be met prior to graduation. Students who have not met general education requirements, who have not completed required upper division coursework, or who have not completed necessary elective credit hours may be required to spend more than 2 years in the Social Work program at ENMU prior to achieving the BSW degree. Students should also be advised that BSW classes are primarily delivered on evenings and Saturdays in a videoconferencing + hybrid/web-enhanced model and will require a certain degree of technological proficiency with computers and the internet. Students should finally take note that, although BSW courses are offered via a distance education format, some courses will require travel to the ENMU campus 2-3 times per semester. Additional degree requirements such as general education and recommended electives may also be unavailable using a distance education model and that some travel to the ENMU campus may be required for degree completion. Field placement coursework may additionally require travel and/or completion of course requirements during regular working (daytime) hours.

Students considering a Social Work major should consult with a social work faculty advisor as early as possible in their academic career. Those wishing to declare the Social Work major/degree plan must submit an application and three reference letters to the Social Work program and meet with a Social Work faculty advisor prior to enrolling in Social Work classes.

The Bachelor of Social Work degree has a social work composite major and does not require a minor.

Degree: Bachelor of Social Work (BSW): 2009
Major: Social Work

Courses that are strongly recommended within the General Education Requirements:

• STAT 213 Statistical Methods I (4)

Social Work Course Requirements (56 hours)

• SWK 201 Introduction to Social Work (3)
• SWK 302 Social Work in Rural Settings (3)
• SWK 311 Social Work Practice I - Individuals (3)
• SWK 312 Social Work Practice II - Families(3)
• SWK 321 Human Behavior (HBSE) I (3)
• SWK 322 Human Behavior (HBSE) II (3)
• SWK 334 Introduction to Social Research (4)
• SWK 341 Social Welfare Policy I (3)
• SWK 361 Preparation for Field Placement (1)
• SWK 362 Field Experience I (3)
• SWK 413 Social Work Practice III - Small Groups (3)
• SWK 414 Social Work Practice IV - Communities (3)
• SWK 416 Public Child Welfare (3)
• SWK 424 Human Behavior (HBSE) III (3)
• SWK 425 Southwest Peoples & Cultures (3)
• SWK 444 Social Welfare Policy II (3)
• SWK 463 Field Experience II (3)
• SWK 464 Field Experience III (3)
• SWK 498 Senior Seminar (3)

Electives for SWK majors: Elective requirements for Social Work majors should be relevant to Social Work education. Due to the diverse nature of social work services and clients, the following disciplines and specific course offerings are highly recommended as electives for Social Work majors. Specific courses suggestions are listed below. Electives should be considered carefully with special attention paid to pre-requisite requirements for each course. Students are strongly advised to select electives in consultation with a Social Work faculty advisor.

• Anthropology 103, 123, 233, 243, 333, 340, 350, 401, 432
• Communication 101, 102, 202, 250, 331, 334, 380, 447, 470, 475, 477
• Nursing 312
• Philosophy 211
• Family and Consumer Sciences 221, 280, 310, 323, 333
• Psychology 101, 201, 202, 300, 402, 421, 443, 445
• Economics 200, 221, 222
• Religion 333
• History 203
• Sociology: Most courses applicable
• Humanities 105
• Spanish 101, 102, 105, 201, 202, 205
• Political Science 101, 102, 314, 321, 330, 332, 410
• Criminal Justice: Most courses applicable

The BSW Program additionally recommends that Social Work students take at least one year of Spanish. Two years is preferable. Other languages such as ASL, Native American languages, etc. are suggested as electives.

Social Work degree information from the 2009-10 Undergraduate Catalog is available online (begin on p. 96). Course descriptions begin on p. 173. Degree plans are not official until they have been approved by the appropriate officials as identified in the respective catalogs. Request your degree plan here.

Which classes will transfer?  Check out our transfer equivalencies.

Additional Provisions

Students must meet the following conditions in order to graduate:

1. All students wishing to declare a Social Work major must submit an application packet to the SWK Program Director prior to being admitted to the SWK Program. This application is available from the Program Director and is also available online. Students who wish to begin coursework in a fall semester should submit their application by April 15.
2. The Social Work course rotation begins in the summer semester with SWK 201. In-depth SWK study begins in the subsequent fall semester and is a full-time program. Courses are sequential in nature (fall courses are prerequisite to spring courses) and are not designed for part-time study. Though students may apply for admission to the program at any time during the academic year, student admissions to the SWK Program are limited to fall only. Students who do not follow their degree plan as outlined or who do not complete required courses as scheduled will extend their matriculation beyond two years. Many required courses may be offered only on Saturdays or evenings. Students should have completed the vast majority of General Education and elective requirements before taking the the SWK sequence of courses.
3. Students in the BSW Program must follow all policies and procedures as outlined in the BSW Student Manual and Field Instruction Manual. Both of these documents are available from Program faculty as well as online.
4. All BSW students must attend a mandatory program meeting at the ENMU campus in Portales each fall. These meetings are typically scheduled in August prior to the first week of classes.
5. All students seeking to enter the Social Work program, including transfer students, students declaring a major after 30 hours or those who hold an A.A. or other degree, must meet with a Social Work faculty advisor to prepare the BSW degree plan before enrolling. Students must also complete advising with a BSW Program advisor prior to enrolling each semester. Advising should be completed during the regular academic year (August to May) and students are encouraged to see their advisors during advising week each semester.
6. All General Education requirements must be met (41 hours minimum).
7. Social Work majors must take the 56 hours of Social Work course requirements. All Social Work courses must be completed with a grade of C or better.
8. Students must select sufficient hours from required and elective course offerings to equal 128 hours minimum for graduation. 40 hours of upper division coursework must be taken. 24 of the final 33 hours must be taken at ENMU and 15 of the final 33 hours must be upper division).
9. 450 clock hours of field internship is required for the BSW degree. These hours are spread across at least 3 semesters of study (10-12 hours per week). Students must complete the Preparation for Field Placement coursework and have been formally accepted into the Field Placement Program prior to accruing any hours. Additional policies regarding the Field Placement Program can be found in the Field Instruction Manual and students are strongly advised to refer to these policies. The Field Instruction Manual is available from the Field Director and online.
10. BSW students must complete departmental entrance and exit assessment as specified by the ENMU BSW Program. This may include standardized assessments such as the ACAT (The Area Concentration Achievement Test) and the BEAP (Baccalaureate Education Assessment Package) - Social Work Values Inventory.
11. Transfer course equivalencies must be demonstrated through transcripts and syllabi or exam scores. Students who have completed substantial course work but who lack equivalent courses that satisfy the above conditions may be required to take additional courses to graduate with a BSW. These hours may be in addition to the requirements listed above.
12. Social Work courses over 5 years old cannot be counted toward the ENMU BSW degree and must be repeated.

For more information about the Social Work Program, please contact:

Ms. Patricia Saylor
Program Director and Instructor in Social Work
ENMU Station 13
1500 S Ave K
Portales, NM 88130
575.562.2504
Patricia.Saylor@enmu.edu

For more information about the field program, please contact:

Ms. Barbara Palantone
Field Director and Assistant Professor in Social Work
ENMU Station 13
1500 S Ave K
Portales, NM 88130
575.562.4510
Barbara.Palantone@enmu.edu