Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
Curriculum
Our Bachelor of Social Work program combines a liberal arts curriculum with courses in social-behavioral science and professional social work.
Highlights
- People-oriented, student-centered, and community service-focused
- Courses and field experience begins in the first year of study
- Personal academic and career advisement
- Small group seminars that integrate theory and practice
- A well-established program, accredited by the Council on Social Work Education since 1974
- Part of a nationally recognized School of Social Work
- Involvement with the Scranton Division, National Association of Social Workers
- Active student organization that provides community service and educational programs
- Extracurricular learning through local/state conferences
- Opportunity to minor in a range of disciplines
Field Experiences
Undergraduate social work students must complete a series of three field experiences, during your freshman, junior, and senior years. Field experience in your senior year consists of 450 hours of instruction at one of many local social agencies. Click here to learn about some of the agencies our students have worked with.
Advanced Standing
Graduates of the BSW Program may receive advanced standing in Marywood's CSWE accredited Master of Social Work (MSW) Program. This enables qualified BSW graduates to complete the MSW degree in one year.
Thinking About Social Work?
Here is a helpful link to see if social work is right for you and to real stories about social workers in the profession.
High Lights of BSW Graduates who are Distinguished Alumna
Helping Others through Compassion and Care
Maria Kolcharno, MSW, LSW, director of admissions at Marworth Alcohol and Chemical Dependency Treatment Center, credits Marywood University for providing her with the knowledge necessary to work in the field of chemical dependency. After receiving her bachelor of social work degree in 1991 from Marywood, she continued her graduate studies at Marywood and earned a master of social work degree in 1993. Ms. Kolcharno works directly with patients and their families to offer hope and a new way of life in sobriety.
She found her path to practicing care with compassion while working as a teacher assistant with the Northeast Intermediate Unit #19 (NEIU) for nearly ten years. NEIU provides an array of services that meet the educational and social service needs of Lackawanna County’s Schools as well as the Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County. Ms. Kolcharno decided while working at NEIU to begin her studies at Marywood University as an evening student in the bachelor of social work program.
As a student, Ms. Kolcharno sought the advice of professors who could best assist her in determining a course of study that fit her interests.
“I had the opportunity to speak with professors, and, through those conversations, I was given advice that set me on the ideal career path,” said Ms. Kolcharno. “Once I found my path, I never looked back. I knew I had made the correct choice in pursuing a degree in social work at Marywood,” she continued.
Finding the Right Career Path – Why Social Work?
During one of her first social work classes, the professor began the class by posing the questions, “Why social work? Are you here to fix yourselves? Are you here to fix your families?”
Ms. Kolcharno said, “It was at this moment that students learned that majoring in something so that you can fix yourself or your family was not what the social work profession was about; rather, the focus was on helping others.
Making a Difference
Initially, Ms. Kolcharno began working at Marworth as a primary counselor, however, after a few years it became clear that those who were to be treated along with their families required a clinical focus that begins in the admissions department. Ms. Kolcharno was given the task of setting the stage for the patients and their families’ first glimpse of treatment.
“I truly believe that patients have the best chance of recovery if they are treated along with their family or support system. I have a core belief in this philosophy,” said Ms. Kolcharno. “I’m most gratified any time that I can work directly with patients and their families and offer hope in a dark time,” she continued.
Prior to working at Marworth Alcohol and Chemical Dependency Treatment Center, Ms. Kolcharno began her professional career at Lourdesmont School as a psychotherapist. She was responsible for the dual diagnosis program, residential and partial hospitalization in a residential and day treatment setting for adolescents suffering from addiction and mental health issues.
The Path to Success Begins with a Marywood Education
Teresa Osborne, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, began her path to success by receiving her education at Marywood University. Ms. Osborne earned her Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Health Service Administration degrees from Marywood.
As a student, Ms. Osborne assumed active leadership roles in various social work and other student organizations, all while excelling academically. While still an undergraduate, she worked at Allied In-Home Services as a homemaker/companion, aiding homebound elderly and disabled individuals in Lackawanna County, and she was a caseworker for Meals on Wheels of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
After receiving her B.S.W. degree, Ms. Osborne first accepted a position as a social worker at Julia Ribaldo Nursing Home—then as a case manager in the Protective Service Units with the Lackawanna County Area on Aging. In a short time, she was promoted to supervisor of the Protective Service Units. After receiving her M.H.S.A degree, she accepted a post as director of community relations and marketing with Balanced Care Corporation.
Ms. Osborne is a native of Scranton and, prior to accepting the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging position under the administration of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, she served as the executive director of the Luzerne/Wyoming Counties Area Agency on Aging. She previously served as chancellor and chief operating officer of the Diocese of Scranton, and, prior to that, was executive director of the Lackawanna County Department of Human Services and director of the Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging.
Gov. Tom Wolf said, “Teresa Osborne has over two decades of experience working with and advocating for the elderly and the disadvantaged,” Gov. Wolf continued, “Her management experience, as well as her record enhancing Pennsylvania’s response to elder abuse and exploitation, make her a solid fit to lead the Department of Aging.”
Ms. Osborne was recognized by her alma mater, Marywood University, with a Recent Graduate Award, received the Legion of Honor Award from The Chapel of Four Chaplains, and was recognized as a Northeast Woman of distinction by The Scranton Times-Tribune.
For more information about the BSW program, please contact Robin Engels, LCSW, Program Director, at (570) 348-6282 ext. 2571 or [email protected]
