Department of Social Work

Mapp (Chair), Bergel, Kanenberg, McFarland

For more information, please visit the Department’s website or check your course syllabi, which are available through the course instructor or at the High Library.

The mission of the Elizabethtown College Social Work Department is to prepare competent and committed social workers who have integrated social work knowledge, values and skills, and who work for social and economic justice locally, nationally and globally. Consistent with the Elizabethtown College motto, “Educate for Service,” we strive to provide a generalist social work education that is based upon a strong liberal arts foundation integrated with extensive field experience.

The social work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and has established the following goals:

Goal One: To develop competent and committed entry-level generalist social workers grounded in a liberal arts perspective and a professional foundation, whose practice is guided by social work knowledge, professional values, and ethical standards of behavior, and who can work with multi-level systems in serving diverse and oppressed populations.

Goal Two: To develop social workers who, recognizing the strengths inherent in human diversity, advocate for social and economic justice and empower clients within a global context.

The program provides an extensive opportunity for field experience beginning in the first year. The major culminates with 600 hours of field instruction during the student’s senior year. Field experiences are arranged to meet the student’s individual interest. Field experiences include, but are not limited to, such areas as child welfare, corrections, mental health, rehabilitation, health care, schools and aging. International internships are also available.

Major Offered

The Department of Social Work offers a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work .

Prospective social work majors must apply for admission to the program in the spring semester of their second year. This application requires the following:

A formal interview with a social work faculty member during which professional interests and abilities are explored.

Two reference rating forms completed by persons who know the applicant (one personal, one professional).

A short essay describing the applicant’s interest in the field of social work.

A 2.00 cumulative grade point average.

Admittance into the program does not guarantee that the student will graduate with a degree in Social Work. The advisor – in conjunction with the Social Work faculty – reserves the right to dismiss a student from the major on the basis of unprofessional behavior and/or academic performance. The standards for professional conduct as expressed in the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics serve as the Department’s standards for determining dismissal from the program. The student has the right to appeal the decision in the same manner as dismissal for academically related reasons. These policies are articulated in both the Department handbook and on the website.

In order to remain in the Department, the student must obtain a minimum grade point average of 2.00 in all social work courses required by the major. Social Work students must achieve a grade of C or higher in all courses required within the Social Work Department. If a student receives a C- or below in any of these classes, they will be required to repeat the class.

Minor Offered

The Department of Social Work participates in an interdisciplinary minor in Human Services . Students majoring in Social Work are prohibited from declaring the Human Services minor. For more information, contact Dr. Vivian Bergel.

Honors in the Discipline

The Department of Social Work participates in the College Honors in the Discipline Program. For guidelines, students should consult the Department Chair.