About the Department of Social Work

What is the department of social work like?

In the social work department there are approximately 175 majors and 75 minors.  There are eight full time faculty and two adjuncts teaching in the program.  All faculty hold advanced social work degrees and have many years of practice experience.

Where is the department located?

Located in the Fine Arts Building, that also houses the university's Art Museum and the Geology department, the social work office is in room 227 on the second floor. Classes are, for the most part, held on the second floor of the building where a Social Work computer lab is also located.  The main number of the department is 765 285-1016. 

What is the BSW program's mission?

• To prepare liberally educated, academically disciplined, generalist social workers, who are strongly committed to the purpose and value base of the profession, and to meeting the needs of a changing society.
• To function as a resource center for program development by providing consultation, research support, and professional services in collaboration with local and state human service communities.

The Department of Social Work has established seven goals and thirteen objectives which flow from its mission.

What is unique about the BSW program at Ball State?

Ball State's program is the oldest accredited undergraduate program in the state, and the largest.  Its alumni make up a significant portion of the social work workforce in east central Indiana, and are viewed as excellent graduate school candidates in Indiana's MSW programs, as well as graduate programs in the midwest and across the country.    

What is accreditation and why is it important?

Ball State's BSW program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), which sets rigorous academic standards. Only individuals earning an undergraduate degree (BSW) from an accredited program can qualify to sit for the state licensing exam, and to pursue advanced standing in a graduate social work program.  Advanced standing in an MSW program reduces the number of credit hours needed to earn an MSW.

Ball State's BSW program was reviewed in 2005 and granted full accreditation until 2014 by the Council on Social Work Education.