Welcome from the Department Chair
Thank you for your interest in our program of study. On behalf of the faculty, staff, and students, welcome to the Social Work Department at Belmont University. We have been granting the fully accredited Bachelor’s of Social Work (BSW) degree since 1999. The BSW is a professional degree program that strives to prepare competent, effective practitioners who create, maximize, and sustain social and economic justice around the world. As part of the Belmont community, we believe that we prepare students to engage and transform the world with disciplined intelligence, compassion, courage, and faith. More specifically, our mission is to:
...prepare students as competent and effective generalist social work practitioners who are life-long learners, strategic thinkers, and leaders. Within the context of the liberal arts and modeled after the life and work of Jesus to seek social justice, our program focuses on providing students the requisite knowledge, values, and skills to serve and empower those who experience oppression or vulnerability with a vision of a more equitable and non-judgmental world.
As a professional degree program, our students have many opportunities to serve and learn experientially. Throughout the four year program, students engage in a wide range of service-learning opportunities; from volunteer experiences at local agencies to semester-long field instruction abroad, if they choose. Many of our graduates are accepted into advanced placement programs and complete the master of social work (MSW) degree in one year or less.
You can find a comprehensive description of our courses as well as more information about the major, social justice minor, and school social work licensure requirements by visiting the undergraduate catalog.
Social work offers a wide range of employment opportunities in a variety of settings. We hope you will explore our website and let us know if we can answer any questions for you. Again, thanks for visiting.
Lorraina Q. Scholten
Chair, Department of Social Work
615.460.5540
