Social work is one of the most meaningful professions in the world — and one of the most necessary. GCU's CSWE-accredited B.S.W. prepares you to practice as an entry-level generalist social worker, equipped with the knowledge, skills, values, and field experience to make a real difference with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Grounded in the Mercy tradition of justice and compassion, this is a program that takes its mission seriously — and so will you.
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GCU's B.S.W. program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) — the national accrediting body for social work programs in the United States. CSWE accreditation is the professional standard that employers, licensing boards, and graduate programs use to evaluate the quality of a social work education. It also means that graduates are eligible for state certification upon application to the NJ State Board of Social Work Examiners — and that students with a 3.0 average in major courses qualify for advanced standing in M.S.W. programs, skipping the first year of graduate school entirely.
Social work is learned by doing — and GCU's B.S.W. builds three semesters of supervised field experience directly into the degree. The junior-year Macro Field Education (SW390 — 125 hours) places you in a social service agency working with groups, organizations, and communities. Senior Field Education I (SW496 — 200 hours) and Advanced Field Education II (SW497 — 200 hours) deepen and expand your practice across the full range of generalist social work settings. A weekly integration seminar runs alongside each field placement, connecting classroom theory to real-world experience.
Students who complete GCU's B.S.W. with a 3.0 average or higher in major courses are eligible to apply for advanced standing in M.S.W. programs — including GCU's own M.S.W. program. Advanced standing typically allows B.S.W. graduates to skip the first year of the two-year M.S.W., completing graduate social work education in as little as one year of full-time study. If your goal is the M.S.W. and clinical licensure (LCSW), the B.S.W. → Advanced Standing M.S.W. pathway is the most efficient route available.
New Jersey's social service landscape is deeply multilingual — particularly in communities with large Spanish-speaking populations. GCU's B.S.W. requires Spanish language coursework (SP101 Elementary Spanish I or SP107 Spanish for Specialized Work Settings, with the option of continuing to intermediate level), reflecting the reality of social work practice in New Jersey. Students enter field placements better prepared to communicate with and advocate for the full diversity of clients and communities they'll serve.
GCU’s B.S.W. program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) under the CSWE 2022 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards. CSWE accreditation is the national standard of quality for social work education and is required for professional recognition, state certification, and M.S.W. advanced standing eligibility.
Upon graduation, B.S.W. students are granted state certification upon application to the NJ State Board of Social Work Examiners.
Social work stands at the intersection of human need, systemic injustice, and community strength — and generalist social workers are the professionals who navigate all three every day. GCU’s B.S.W. program prepares you to enter this profession equipped with a solid theoretical foundation, genuine practice skills, and a values-based commitment to social and economic justice that is inseparable from effective social work practice.
The curriculum is built around the nine social work competencies established by CSWE’s 2022 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards — from ethical and professional behavior and anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) in practice, through engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. These competencies aren’t abstract aspirations; they are assessed concretely through field placements, case studies, research assignments, and class discussions throughout the program.
Three semesters of supervised field education — 525 hours total — are the backbone of the program’s practice preparation. These are not observation experiences; they are supervised professional practice, in real agencies, with real clients, under licensed social work supervision. A weekly two-hour integration seminar runs alongside each field placement, ensuring that theory and practice remain in constant dialogue.
The liberal arts foundation required by the program — sociology, biology, psychology, English, statistics, and Spanish — reflects social work’s fundamentally interdisciplinary nature. Social workers must understand human behavior, social systems, biological reality, and the communities they serve — and communicate across all of them.
GCU’s location in Lakewood situates the program centrally in New Jersey, providing field placement opportunities across an exceptional range of social service settings.
GCU’s B.S.W. is a great fit if you:
Direct Entry (Bachelor’s Level):
Graduate School Pathway (M.S.W. — Advanced Standing):
| Career | Entry Salary | Mid-Career Salary | Experienced Salary (LCSW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child/Family Social Workers | $38,000–$50,000 | $56,900 | $70,000+ |
| Healthcare Social Workers | $48,000–$62,000 | $64,300 | $82,000+ |
| Mental Health/Substance Abuse Social Workers | $40,000–$54,000 | $64,300 | $85,000+ |
| Social & Community Service Managers | $52,000–$68,000 | $78,500 | $100,000+ |
Job Outlook
To earn this degree, students must successfully complete at least 120 credits, including General Education requirements and the major requirements below.
The B.S.W. student is required to take:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SO101 | Principles of Sociology | 3.0 |
| BI111 | Life: Human Biology | 4.0 |
| EN111 | Writing, Research, and Digital Literacy | 3.0 |
| or EN221 | HNRS: Rhetoric, Research & Digital Lit | |
| MA103 | Introduction to Statistical Thinking | 3.0 |
| PS111 | Introduction to Psychology | 3.0 |
| or PS113 | Foundations of Psychology | |
| Select one of the following two options: 1 | 3.0-6.0 | |
SP101 and SP102 | ||
One semester of intermediate Spanish | ||
| Total Credits | 19.0-22.0 | |
Spanish is required to fulfill the language requirement, however another language can be substituted with the approval of the department chairperson.
All of these courses provide a liberal arts foundation on which to build the social work curriculum, inclusive of field experience. The major course requirements are as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SW101 | Foundations of Social Work | 3.0 |
| SW203 | Introduction to Social Welfare | 3.0 |
| SW253 | Human Rights & Social Justice | 3.0 |
| SW295 | CommunicationSkillsSocialWork | 3.0 |
| SW305 | Human Behavior & Social Environment I | 3.0 |
| SW306 | Human Behavior & Social Environment II | 3.0 |
| SW310 | Methods of Social Work Research | 3.0 |
| SW313 | Social Work Practice I | 3.0 |
| SW323 | Social Policy | 3.0 |
| SW361 | Mental Health | 3.0 |
| SW390 | Macro Junior Field Education | 3.0 |
| SW414 | Social Work Practice II | 3.0 |
| SW440 | AdvPolicy&SocWkPract | 3.0 |
| SW496 | Senior Field Education in Social Work | 6.0 |
| SW497 | Advanced Field Education in Social Work | 6.0 |
| Select two of the following: | 6.0 | |
SW213 | Selected Topics in Social Work | |
SW220 | Human-Animal Bond | |
SW240 | Addictions | |
SW251 | Family Systems | |
SW265 | Child Welfare | |
Any course from the Gerontology selection | ||
| Total Credits | 57.0 | |
Students must complete 57 credits in the department. BI111 Life: Human Biology must be taken before, or during the junior year. Those students who are interested in applying for the Baccalaureate Child Welfare Education Program (BCWEP) must take SW265 Child Welfare class as one of their social work electives. SW265 Child Welfare must be taken prior to or concurrently when applying for the BCWEP grant.
Admissions Requirements First-Year Students
Transfer Students
Advanced Standing to M.S.W.:
Upon completing the B.S.W., students will demonstrate the following nine CSWE-aligned social work competencies:
Q: What does “CSWE accreditation” mean, and why does it matter? A: The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is the national accrediting body for social work education programs in the United States. CSWE accreditation means GCU’s B.S.W. meets national standards for social work education — and it matters practically in two major ways. First, it makes you eligible for state social work certification upon graduation in New Jersey (and most other states). Second, it makes you eligible for advanced standing in M.S.W. programs, which can save you a full year of graduate school. Without CSWE accreditation, neither of these pathways would be available to you.
Q: How does the major acceptance policy work? A: Being admitted to GCU doesn’t automatically make you a Social Work major. You must first complete SW101 Foundations of Social Work and SW203 Introduction to Social Welfare — both with a grade of C or better. Once you’ve done that, you complete the formal acceptance process outlined in the Social Work Student Policy and Procedures Manual. This policy exists because social work requires genuine readiness and commitment — academically, professionally, and personally. Students who don’t meet these thresholds can explore other majors at GCU.
Q: What is the field placement experience like? A: Field placements are supervised professional practice experiences — not observation or shadowing. You’ll be placed in a real social service agency, working under a licensed social work supervisor, performing the actual work of entry level generalist social workers. The three placements total 525 hours: 125 hours in the junior-year Macro Field (SW390, focusing on groups, organizations, and communities) and 400 hours in the two-semester Senior Field (SW496 and SW497, focusing on individuals and families in a variety of generalist practice settings). A weekly two-hour integration seminar runs alongside each field placement.
Q: What GPA do I need for field placements and graduation? A: A minimum 2.5 GPA in major courses is required to enter field placements and to graduate. Students with a 3.0 average in major courses are eligible for advanced standing recommendation to M.S.W. programs. Writing adequacy is also assessed — students referred to the Writing Center must complete recommended sessions and provide evidence of completion to the department chair.
Q: Why is Spanish required? A: New Jersey is one of the most linguistically diverse states in the country, and Spanish is the most widely spoken language after English across many of the communities where social workers practice — particularly in Ocean County (where Lakewood is located) and Cumberland County (where the RCSJ campus is located). Being able to communicate basic information in Spanish — and knowing when to call an interpreter — makes you a more effective, more ethical practitioner in New Jersey’s communities. SP107 Spanish for Specialized Work Settings is specifically designed for healthcare and human services contexts.
Q: What is advanced standing in an M.S.W. program? A: M.S.W. (Master of Social Work) programs are typically two years long. B.S.W. graduates from CSWE-accredited programs with strong GPAs are eligible for “advanced standing” — which generally means skipping the first (foundation) year of the M.S.W. and completing only the advanced specialization year. This can save a full year of graduate school tuition and time. GCU’s own M.S.W. program accepts advanced standing applications from GCU B.S.W. graduates with a 3.0+ major GPA.
Q: When should I apply? A: Rolling admissions — apply any time. Priority deadlines are November 1, January 1, and March 1. Given the major acceptance policy (requiring SW101 and SW203 before formal major acceptance), starting on time matters — apply early and begin your gateway courses in your first year.
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