Undergraduate Extended Campus Areas of Study B.A. Social Work

Accredited by CSWE since 1976

St. Scholastica's Social Work Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Our graduates enter most Master of Social Work programs with advanced standing.

2015 Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes

Program Video Playlist
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St. Scholastica was named on the list of Top 200 Colleges for Native Americans by Winds of Change magazine.

B.A. Social Work | Accelerated Learning

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Mesa Community College

Now offering a January start! Learn more.

FAST FACTS: B.A Social Work

Gain 570 hours of field experience, well above the national average
Curriculum and field work emphasize professional documentation, ethics and evidence-based practice strategies
Graduates eligible for advanced standing in most Master of Social Work programs
Cohort-based curriculum offered in a blended format with on-campus and online courses at six locations: Inver Hills Community College (Twin Cities), Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (Cloquet), Central Lakes College (Brainerd), Riverland Community College (Austin), Mesa Community College (Mesa, AZ) and Phoenix College (Phoenix, AZ)
Options to finish in just 16 months or two years, depending on location*
128 total program credits

Tuition: $415/credit*

* Tuition rates are for the 2016-17 academic year. Additional fees and costs for course materials may apply. Total program cost and completion time varies depending on transfer credits and individual program plans. Tuition rates are subject to change.

Find your career and your calling

The mission of the social work profession is "to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed and living in poverty." Social work addresses the needs of individuals, families, groups and communities. The core values of the profession are service, social justice, dignity and worth of the individual, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence.

St. Scholastica's social work program embraces the mission of the social work profession in the context of the College's Benedictine tradition. The program, accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, requires graduates to be well-prepared for beginning generalist professional practice.

Career overview

The Social Work profession is expected to grow in coming years, with even stronger growth for medical and integrated healthcare social workers. (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

A number of jobs available with a B.A. in Social Work are ranked best jobs by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to strong job growth, the career can be very rewarding and is well suited for people interested in helping others.

Graduates with a B.A. in Social Work are employed in a variety of settings, including:

Family service agencies
Hospitals
Community action agencies
Schools (elementary and secondary)
Child and adult protection
Residential treatment
Homeless shelters
Tribal social service agencies
Justice and corrections
Substance abuse programs
Mental health services
Developmental disabilities services
Public health agencies
Child and youth service agencies
Aging services
Domestic violence programs
Community organizations

Locations

Duluth

We offer a traditional day program at our main campus in Duluth.

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, Cloquet

Earn your B.A. in Social Work from St. Scholastica at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. This program is offered in a hybrid format, with weekly online classes and twice-a-month on-campus classes on Friday afternoons and evenings and on Saturdays.
Depending on the number of college transfer credits, students may complete the program on a full-time basis in three or four semesters. Full or part-time options are also available.

Admissions criteria

Admissions priority will be given to student applicants in the following order:

Students who have completed both an A.A. and A.A.S. degree in Human Services through FDLTCC.
Student who have completed an A.A. degree through FDLTCC.
Students who lack no more than eight credits to complete their A.A. or A.A.S. degree through FDLTCC.
Student who have completed a minimum of an A.A. or A.A.S. at another institution.

Visit Admissions Requirements and Checklist for additional information.

Central Lakes College, Brainerd

Earn your B.A. in Social Work at Central Lakes College. Students may choose from a 16-month track or a 2-year track that includes a summer break. Courses are delivered in an accelerated evening format and meet on campus on Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30-9:30 p.m.

This program includes opportunities to delve deeper into the profession through extended internship practice, involvement in community projects and opportunities to participate in international service-learning trips to Mexico and Jamaica to practice social work and explore social justice concerns.

Admissions criteria

We accept students who have earned between 59-71 eligible transfer credits. We prefer that students have completed the MN Transfer Curriculum or an A.A. degree AND have completed all required lower-division courses in preparation for the social work major.

Visit Admissions Requirements and Checklist for additional information.

Inver Hills Community College, Inver Grove Heights

Earn your B.A. in Social Work at Inver Hills Community College. Students may choose from a 16-month track or a 2-year track that includes a summer break. Courses are delivered in an accelerated evening format and meet on campus on Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Admissions criteria

Visit Admissions Requirements and Checklist for additional information.

Riverland Community College, Austin

Earn your B.A. in Social Work at Riverland Community College. With a hybrid format that combines online classes with occasional in-person meetings on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Riverland Community College (RCC) in Austin, and a seamless transfer program, students can complete their degree in just two years. Courses are delivered in an accelerated evening format and meet on campus on Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30-9:30 p.m. and occasional Saturdays.

The “2 Plus 2” degree will offer Riverland students a seamless pathway from a two-year associate’s degree to a four-year bachelor’s degree. The College of St. Scholastica is an independent Catholic Benedictine college based in Duluth and has several other extended-site degree programs around the state.

The social work program will accept students from all three Riverland campuses — in Austin, Albert Lea and Owatonna — who hold the two-year associate of arts degree.

Admissions Criteria

Social Work Transfer Guide for Riverland Community College.

Visit Admissions Requirements and Checklist for additional information.

Contact

Lee Gustafson, Ph. D. MSW, LISW
Chair, Social Work Dept.
(218) 723-7048
lgustaf3@css.edu

Mesa, AZ

As one of the only B.A. in Social Work programs in the Valley designed to meet the needs of working adults, flexibility is our specialty. With a hybrid format that combines online classes with in-person meetings on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Mesa Community College, Southern & Dobson campus, and a seamless transfer program, students can complete their degrees in just two years.

Through small class sizes and personalized learning plans, students get the personal attention they need to master the material. Pair that with 570 hours of field experience throughout the Phoenix area, and students will be fully prepared to make a difference from day one.

Two cohorts: Mesa Community College offers two starts — in the fall and spring. Deadline for spring 2017: Nov. 19, 2016, deadline for fall 2017: Aug. 1, 2017.

Office directions

Social/Cultural Science Building SC #72

Campus directions

Admissions criteria

The College of St. Scholastica has a partnership with Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) that allows students to transfer 100 percent of their credits (excluding preparatory, technical, or below "C" courses) towards St. Scholastica's bachelor's degree programs.

Social Work Transfer Guide for Maricopa Community Colleges.

Visit Admissions Requirements and Checklist for additional information.

Contact

Lisa Aguilar, Campus Manager/Admissions Counselor
(480) 620-6241
laguilar@css.edu

Marcia Runnberg, Program Coordinator
(877) 287-8753
mrunnber@css.edu

Phoenix, AZ

As one of the only B.A. in Social Work programs in the Valley designed to meet the needs of working adults, flexibility is our specialty. With a hybrid format that combines online classes with occasional in-person meetings at Phoenix College and a seamless transfer program, students can complete their degrees in just two years.

With a hybrid format that combines online classes with in-person meetings on Monday and Wednesday afternoons at Phoenix College and a seamless transfer program, students can complete their degrees in just two years.

The first Phoenix College cohort will begin this fall. Priority application deadline is April 15, and the final application deadline is August 1.

Office directions

Phoenix College
1202 W. Thomas Road
A Building, #107
Phoenix, AZ 85013

Admissions criteria

Social Work Transfer Guide for Maricopa Community Colleges.

Visit Admissions Requirements and Checklist for additional information.

Contact

Lisa Aguilar, Campus Manager/Admissions Counselor
(480) 620-6241
laguilar@css.edu

Marcia Runnberg, Program Coordinator
(877) 287-8753
mrunnber@css.edu

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Info Sessions

"CSS has allowed me to gain the skills I needed to earn a temporary position at the same company where I am completing my internship. I also attended the National Headstart Association Conference in Nashville, TN, and discussed the importance of parents being taught to advocate for their family's needs."

– Jose Martinez, '17

Read Jose's CSS story
"The CSS Social Work program at FDLTCC was a great fit for me due to the accelerated learning curriculum. The workload was tough but maintainable and the instructors and advisors were helpful and played a paramount role in my completion."

– Rita Aspinwall, BSW, '15

Read Rita's CSS story
"I came into the B.A. in Social Work program as an early childhood educator thinking I was just completing a goal to get my 4 yr. degree. My internship showed me a new interest in working with the elderly and doing medical social work. I am now the Social Services Director (LSW) at Pierz Villa Nursing Home."

– Heather Kasper-Maine, LSW, '10