Bachelor of Social Work - BSW Degree

GMercyU’s planned BSW degree will be a practical, hands-on program for those who want to dedicate their lives to helping others. As a student in GMercyU’s social work degree program, you will gain the knowledge and skills needed for generalist social work focused on economic and social justice concerns, ranging from homelessness to community violence, substance abuse, organizational diversity, and child welfare, to name a few.

Offered through the School of Arts and Sciences, the Bachelor's in Social Work degree will provide a holistic approach to addressing the social and economic needs of individuals and communities in urban, suburban and rural areas.  

Once you complete your BSW degree at GMercyU and pass your Pennsylvania social work exam, you'll be eligible to apply for licensure through the State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Licensed Professional Counselors.

Other benefits of choosing our social work program at GMercyU include:

• A BSW program that addresses social problems and social and economic justice issues in keeping with our Catholic identity and the critical concerns of the University’s founders, the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas
• Co-curricular organizations, such as Best Buddies, Mercy Works, Peer Mentoring, and Sigma Phi Sigma that provide experiential service learning opportunities to BSW students
• Alternative Spring Break and other service learning programs where you can gain practical hands-on experience before you graduate
• More than 60 years of experience preparing  Distinctive Mercy Graduates to become leaders in their chosen professions
• Fulfilling and exciting real-world learning opportunities in both suburban and urban locations
• Courses taught by experienced faculty who take the time to mentor and engage their students
• Eligibility for advanced standing in CSWE master’s degree programs, which means you can complete your MSW in just one year

*Gwynedd Mercy University’s Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program was granted Candidacy for Accreditation by the Council on Social Work Educations’ Commission on Accreditation.

Candidacy for a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation indicates that it has made progress toward meeting criteria for the assessment of program quality evaluated through a peer review process.  A program that has attained Candidacy has demonstrated a commitment to meeting the compliance standards set by the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards, but has not yet demonstrated full compliance. 

Students who enter programs that attain Candidacy in or before the academic year in which they begin their program of study will be retroactively recognized as having graduated from a CSWE-accredited program once the program attains Initial Accreditation.  Candidacy is typically a three-year process and attaining Candidacy does not guarantee that a program will eventually attain Initial Accreditation. Candidacy applies to all program sites and program delivery methods of an accredited program.  Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program.

Social Work Degree Candidacy Requirements

When you begin your BSW degree program you will be in pre-candidacy. To enter Candidacy, you will need to:

• Complete a Social Work Candidacy application
• Complete three designated social work courses with a GPA of 2.67 or better
• Earn a 2.5 overall GPA or better
• Submit criminal background checks required to practice with children and adults
• Complete and sign a Volunteer Service Form verifying that you have performed at least 30 hours of volunteer service in the last 3 years.  Volunteer service must be completed at a non-profit agency.  Day camp counselor, babysitter, or errand runner are not appropriate volunteer activities.
• Submit a letter of recommendation from a non-family member stating that you have the qualities for success as a social worker
• Submit a 3- to 5-page self-assessment paper describing the qualities that will make you a good social worker

Provided you meet the above requirements, you will be able to enter Candidacy as early as the first semester of your sophomore year in the social work program. More detailed information on the candidacy application process will be provided by your advisor.