SOCIAL WORK @ FMU

Social Work is part of the Department of Sociology here at FMU. The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) prepares students to be generalist social workers in a range of human, social, and community service agencies and/or pursue graduate study in social work or related fields. A major in social work complements the sociology major in several ways given the goals of the sociology program includes preparing students to objectively and systematically understand human social life and behavior with an emphasis on embracing cultural diversity and promoting social justice in the areas of socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, gender, health, crime, and families.

To be considered a social worker and pursue licensure in the state of South Carolina, students must graduate from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). At this time, the FMU BSW Program is seeking the opportunity to pursue accreditation.

Students may begin taking social work courses to prepare for admission to the BSW program.  Students are not considered declared social work majors until they have applied for and have been accepted into the program.  Application for the BSW program is anticipated to begin Fall 2027.  Students must meet admission criteria prior to applying for the program.  See “Admission to the BSW Program” below for specific requirements.

Faculty

Dr. Kertrina Graham serves as the BSW Program Director.  She joined the faculty in Fall 2025.  She has more than three decades of experience as a social worker.  If you are interested in studying social work, please contact Dr. Graham for more information.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program at Francis Marion University educates students to embrace both a local and global perspective in their social practices while valuing the significance of human interactions at the group, organization, and community levels. Graduates understand the reciprocal relationship between individuals and groups and their environment and ascertain how to address individual and community needs in a multicultural, ever-changing society. Students value and engage in scientific inquiry to increase their knowledge, allowing them to become culturally competent social workers who aim to improve the well-being of vulnerable populations through advocacy, committing to advancing human rights, eliminating poverty, and embracing cultural diversity. Students understand the importance of service to the profession and adhere to values that promote integrity, competence, the dignity of clients and their relationships, social justice, and respect for all humankind. Graduates with a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree will receive the educational background to become competent generalist social workers prepared to pursue graduate study in the field of social work.

Goals of the Program

1. Prepare students to be competent social workers employing generalist practices that emphasize the welfare of all individuals and communities, embraces diversity, and promotes social justice.
2. Prepare students to be professional practitioners who can address the needs of communities, groups, and individuals by imparting the knowledge, skills, and values of the program and the social work profession.
3. Promote the use of scientific inquiry for students to increase their knowledge, acquire the ability to solve problems and improve services and policies, understand ways to increase the quality of life of people, and develop the means to advance social justice.
4. Utilize assessments to determine student progress toward attaining the nine competencies outlined by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) 2022 EPAS.
5. Graduate generalist social workers who are fully prepared to contribute to the well-being of their communities by embracing multi-cultural perspectives, employing cultural competence to address specific needs, and implementing intervention strategies as needed.
6. Prepare students to pursue a graduate degree in social work.

Admission to the BSW Program

Admission into the BSW program requires completion of at least 30 credit hours, including SOWK 200 (Introduction to Social Work) with a grade of “C” or higher; a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher; and submission of a completed program application form, a two-page personal statement, and two letters of recommendation.

Students must maintain a 2.5 GPA in the BSW major to continue in the program. Moreover, students must follow a standard of conduct and the Code of Ethics as outlined by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Students must also show progress toward acquiring the nine competencies outlined by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) 2022 EPAS. Failure to maintain a 2.5 GPA in the major after two remediation attempts (two attempts at retaking courses to replace Ds or Fs) may result in termination from the program. Successful completion of the program requires a 2.5 GPA in the major and an overall GPA of 2.0.

Eleven Core courses:

SOWK 200 – Introduction to Social Work
SOWK 230 – Cultural Perspectives
SOWK 240 – Social Welfare Policy
SOCI 302 – Social Research Methods
SOCI 303 – Social Statistics and Data Analysis
SOCI 362 – Human Behavior in the Social Environment
SOWK 371 – Social Work Intervention I: Working with Individuals and Families
SOWK 372 – Social Work Intervention II: Large Groups and Community Organizations
SOCI 403 – Applied Social Analysis
SOWK 497 – Social Work Practicum I
SOWK 498 – Social Work Practicum II

Two elective courses in Social Work selected from:

SOWK 301 – Special Topics in Social Work
SOWK 330 – Children: Special Needs, Services and Policies
SOWK 335 – Crisis Intervention

One elective course on Individual and Group Differences selected from:

SOCI 306 – Social Problems
SOCI 310 – Race and Society
SOCI 311 – Economic Inequality
SOCI 315 – Gender and Society
SOCI 327 – Aging and Later Life
SOCI 331 – Environment and Society

One elective course on Community and Institutional Concerns selected from:

SOCI 334 – Population and Society
SOCI 343 – Juvenile Delinquency
SOCI 347 – Alcohol, Drugs and Society
SOCI 348 – Family Violence
SOCI 349 – Hate Crimes and Terrorism
SOCI 353 – Human Trafficking
SOCI 375 – Society, Health, and Medicine
SOCI 376 – Social Perspectives on Mental Health and Illness
SOCI 382 – Modern Families
SOCI 387 – Death and Dying
SOCI 388 – Disasters and Extreme Events

One additional focused elective course selected from:

AAAS 200 – Introduction to African and African American Studies
ANTH 100 – Introduction to Anthropology
ANTH 215 – Language and Culture
ANTH 220 – Native Peoples of North America
HIST 311 – History of Black America to 1865
HIST 312 – History of Black America since 1865
HIST 321 – Family and Gender in World History
GEOG 101 – Cultural Geography
GEOG 355 – Global Environmental Policy and Politics
GNDR 200 – Gender Studies
PSYC 315 – Child Behavior: Growth and Development
PSYC 316 – Adolescent Behavior: Growth and Development
PSYC 319 – Social Psychology
PSYC 325 – Introduction to Psychopathology
PSYC 327 – Psychology of Gender
PSYC 332 – The Psychology of Relationships
PSYC 338 – Motivation and Emotion