A Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) equips you with the ethical foundation and essential training to help individuals, families, groups, and communities enhance their well-being and restore social functioning. The BSW program, offered through the Robert E. Smith School of Nursing and Health Sciences, is the only bachelor’s program in social work in Mississippi using innovative Hybrid and HyFlex formats, providing flexible access to high-quality instruction.
Real-world simulations, volunteer experiences, and applied coursework prepares you for direct practice in a variety of settings. Graduates enter the workforce fully prepared to meet the high demand for social workers or continue on to advanced social work study, with licensure exam preparation built into the program.
100%
Hybrid with a Hyflex option
90+
Years of combined faculty practice experience in social work
(Licensed at the LCSW level)
95%
Acceptance rate to graduate education programs
Why Choose Social Work at DSU?
Delta State’s Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program offers a flexible Hybrid/HyFlex model unique in Mississippi and the Southeast, allowing students to attend in-person or join live online. The sequenced curriculum integrates powerful simulations through the Empathetic-Action Simulative Education (EASE) lab featuring the Poverty Simulation®, Simucase®, the In Her Shoes® Domestic Violence Simulation, the Virtual Dementia Tour®, and the COPD Simulation, to build strong, hands-on practice skills.
Students gain further preparation through volunteer opportunities, service-learning, and specialized training with the Delta Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC). Delta State also offers the Child Advocacy Studies Training Certificate which includes advanced simulations like the FORECAST® Child Abuse Simulation, Mobile Mock Crime Scene, and Mock Meth Lab.
With strong job demand, experiential learning, and licensure exam preparation, Delta State’s BSW program is an excellent choice for students seeking a meaningful, impactful career in social work.
- Hybrid and Hy-Flex learning options
- Flexible student advisement
- Unique simulations through E.A.S.E. Center
- All simulations are in-person
- Real-world volunteer and field/internship placements
- Connects students with multiple employers
- Leads to LSW level licensure eligibility
- 3 Social Work Clubs
- Social Work Field Symposium
- Statesmen Shelf Food Pantry Partnership
- 100% Employability because of training and high demand
- Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) since 1983.
”I love the DSU BSW program because it gives students the opportunity to learn essential skills to become competent professional helpers. The faculty ensure that students are prepared for professional social work practice.
Jasmine MeeksClass of 2023
Areas of Study in Social Work
Social Work (Major)
The major is Social Work’s curriculum emphasizes student mastery in engaging, assessing, intervening, and evaluating various client systems of all sizes using: social work values and ethics, skills and practice methods, social welfare policies and services, research, human and cultural sensitivity and competency, aging, health and mental health care, and child advocacy. This multi-faceted, experiential educational foundation allows students to demonstrate competency in any problem area with all kinds of client systems during their volunteer and field placements which prepares them to work in any practice setting.
Embedded throughout the curriculum are various real-world simulations offered through our Empathetic-Action Simulative Education (EASE) lab.
Social Welfare (Minor)
Students in other majors, such as psychology, child studies, or any program requiring a minor, may take social work courses to earn a minor in social welfare, gaining valuable insights into the helping process, professional values, and effective strategies for supporting individuals and making referrals. This minor equips students with transferable skills applicable to diverse careers, including daycare settings where enhanced knowledge of child development and intervention techniques can significantly benefit young children. However, the social welfare minor does not qualify graduates for social work licensure, professional practice, or the title of social worker, serving instead as a foundational enrichment for those seeking to deepen their understanding of human services and community support.
Volunteer and Field Placements
BSW students complete a variety of volunteer placements throughout the program and must complete an internship under the supervision of a licensed social worker during their last semester. Students must demonstrate competencies with various client systems of any size including children, adults, older adults, groups, families, organizations, and communities. The Delta State BSW Program has many community partnership arrangements with local and state agencies in Mississippi, particularly in the Mississippi Delta, and can form partnerships with agencies located anywhere in the U.S. or world if needed. Common agencies for the BSW field internship include:
- MS Department of Child Protection Services
- Grace Hospice
- Children’s Advocacy Centers of Mississippi
- Delta Children’s Advocacy Center
- MS State Department of Health
- MS Department of Mental Health
- Bolivar County Community Action Agency
- South Delta Development and Planning District Area Agency on Aging
- Local courts, nursing homes, hospitals, hospices, and schools.
What Can I Do with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work?
A Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) prepares graduates to step directly into rewarding roles across child welfare, healthcare, schools, mental health, aging services, and criminal justice. With a BSW, you can assess client needs, provide counseling and emotional support, coordinate care, advocate for resources, maintain records, conduct home visits, manage crisis situations, and help clients build life skills and access opportunities. These versatile skills allow BSW graduates to make an immediate, meaningful impact in the lives of individuals, families, and communities.
The job outlook for BSW graduates is exceptional, driven by national demand for social workers. Passing the licensure exam opens doors to advanced opportunities, especially when paired with a Master of Social Work (MSW), which qualifies graduates for clinical practice, leadership roles, and higher earning potential. Choosing the BSW path launches a stable, impactful career where you are genuinely needed.
Social Work Scholarships
The Delta State BSW Program offers several scholarships for qualifying junior and senior students, including the Taylor Skelton Memorial Scholarship, the Alinda Capps Sledge Memorial Scholarship, the Emma Jean Adams Scholarship, and the Shane Garrard Memorial Scholarship. Students are automatically matched to eligible Delta State Social Work scholarships, with selection determined by Social Work faculty based on merit, including GPA, resume, essay, or professional membership. Students may also be eligible for non-program specific scholarship opportunities.
Through federal Title IV-E child welfare funding, Delta State BSW program also offers the MS Academic Pathways (MAP) Workforce Development Scholarship in partnership with the MS Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS). This scholarship supports full-time senior BSW students who complete their senior field internship with MDCPS and commit to one year of employment after graduation. It covers most tuition costs for the final two semesters. CAST Certification is required for eligibility.
Program Goals
The DSU BSW Program prepares practitioners who engage in ethical and competent social work practice with various systems of all sizes by providing a dynamic research-informed, competency-based curriculum focused on the demonstration of professional knowledge, values, and skills. It also promotes healthy and mentally healthy human growth and development through the integration and use of trauma-informed care principles, the person in environment perspective, simulative education, and strengths-based and self-care models.
Admission Requirements
The DSU BSW Program accepts applications for admission only in the fall semester during enrollment in SWO 305 Social Work Skills. Admission criteria include an overall GPA of 2.25 or greater, two letters of recommendation with evaluation forms, an interview with faculty, an autobiographical essay, BSW orientation attendance, completion of BSW assessments, and a written agreement to abide by the DSU BSW Student Handbook and the NASW Code of Ethics. Admission is determined by the program’s Admissions Committee. Academic advisement is available anytime online or in person. Flexible and part-time course scheduling are also available. The program does not have weekend or night courses.
Curriculum
Delta State University’s BSW Program develops professional social workers equipped with generalist knowledge, values, and skills to understand social problems, human needs, and effective interventions. Grounded in the profession’s ethics, the curriculum enables graduates to deliver direct services addressing individuals’ interactions with others and their environment. A broad liberal arts foundation—emphasizing social and behavioral sciences—supports professional coursework that integrates academic learning with experiential classroom, simulative, volunteer, and field experiences.
Social Work (Major)
| Course Number | Course Title | Credit |
| SWO 101 | Volunteering in the Community | 3 |
| SWO 201 | Introduction to the Profession of Social Work | 3 |
| SWO 301 | Child Welfare and Advocacy | 3 |
| SWO 304 | Integrated Health and Mental Health for the Helping Professions | 3 |
| SWO 305 | Social Work Skills | 3 |
| SWO 309 | Aging and the Community | 3 |
| SWO 311 | Social Welfare Policies and Services | 3 |
| SWO 315 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment I | 3 |
| SWO 320 | Social Work Methods I | 3 |
| SWO 370 | Methods of Social Research | 3 |
| SWO 375 | Statistics for Social Workers | 3 |
| SWO 416 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment II | 3 |
| SWO 421 | Social Work Methods II | 3 |
| SWO 422 | Social Work Methods III | 3 |
| SWO 430 | Social Welfare Policy Analysis | 3 |
| SWO 475 | Field Instruction | 12 |
| SWO 481 | Integrative Seminar | 3 |
| TOTAL | 60 | |
Social Welfare (Minor)
| Course Number | Course Title | Credit |
| SWO 101 | Volunteering in the Community | 3 |
| SWO 201 | Introduction to the Profession of Social Work | 3 |
| SWO 311 | Social Welfare Policies and Services | 3 |
| Choose 2 Social Work (SWO) Electives: SWO 300: Human Diversity SWO 301: Child Welfare and Advocacy SWO 302: Understanding Rural Communities SWO 304: Integrated Health and Mental Health for the Helping Professions SWO 309: Aging and the Community SWO 412: System Responses to Child Maltreatment |
6 | |
| TOTAL | 15 | |
Degree Requirements
To earn this degree, you must successfully complete at least 120 credits, including your general education requirements and the major requirements below.
| General Education | 38-41 |
| University Requirement | 1 |
| Special Degree Requirements | 9 |
| Major Requirements | 60 |
| Electives | 9-12 |
| TOTAL DEGREE REQUIREMENTS | 120 |
For more information on degree requirements and specifics on courses needed to complete the degree, consult the Undergraduate Academic Catalog. For a semester-by-semester breakdown on how you can complete this degree in 4-years, visit academic maps.
Fees
The university charges a distance education fee of $5 for students enrolled in in certain courses at DSU. DSU BSW seniors in SWO 481 Integrative [Field] Seminar are assessed a $55 fee to cover mileage of the DSU BSW Program’s Field Liaison’s field visits required by the Council on Social Work Education. The DSU BSW Program has a perpetual federal Title IV-E child welfare grant that often covers the cost of academic subscriptions related to child welfare including Simucase, Academic Writer, and Tevera/Lumivero. This grant also covers full tuition for qualified students who receive the MAP Scholarship and complete their internship at MDCPS.
