Welcome to Asbury University and the Online Social Work Program. We are so glad you are learning with us!
As a heads-up, this webpage includes information about two important “stepping stones” in the Social Work Program.
First, once you have been accepted into the University Online Programs, you may declare social work as your major. After a few of your SW courses, you will begin the process of being Confirmed to the Social Work Program. This takes place after accumulating 60 credit hours, beginning or passing the SWA 252 class, and meeting the GPA criteria of 2.5.
Second, the Field Education Placement is an important part of your hands-on Social Work Education. This will take place your final two semesters. Please see HERE for a PowerPoint presentation about Field Education and our website for more information.
Please keep in mind that to apply to the program, and to graduate with a Social Work degree, you must pass all social work classes (SWA prefix) with a C- or above and maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5.
If you have any questions about the program, specific classes, or the Online Program, please contact SocialWork@asbury.edu.
Again, welcome! We are excited to learn and grow with you. Please reach out if you have any questions!.
If you have any questions about the program, coursework, or graduation requirements, please feel free to contact the Department of Social Work.
If you have questions about applying to Asbury University, please check out the Online Social Work page.
View the class descriptions. Note that the classes offered through Online Programs are the same classes offered in the traditional undergraduate program. The only difference is the delivery method: Online.
A few of the classes are offered each semester, such as SWA 100, 211, and the Practicum Courses, SWA 340 & 440. Your Online Progrmas Advisor will help you put together your schedule and is very knowledgeable of when classes take place throughout the semester.
We will work with you to determine when you should be Confirmed to the Social Work Program. This will happen after beginning SWA 252, accumulating 60 credit hours, and all other conditions are met. Additional information can be found in the Program Handbook. For Fall 2021, dates will be announced no later than September 2021. Usually the date will fall within the first few weeks of October.
The best plan for Field Education timing is two consecutive semesters, usually Fall, then Spring, in your final year of the program. However, if this plan does not fit well with your life circumstances or academic plan, you may discuss an alternative plan with your advisor.
Our Field Director will work with you as you search for a location to do your Practicum. There are suggestions on where to begin looking on our Field Placement Page.
Field Education is where students turn theory into practice, and have experiential learning under the supervision of a professional social worker. Thus, it is important to show our Director of Field Education that you are responsible, educated, timely, and have the qualities of a Social Worker before sending you into the Field to learn.
Field Education Preparation Module takes a full semester to evaluate these skills, your interpersonal abilities, and professional abilities through resume building, searching for agencies in your communities who have a Social Worker supervisor with a degree in Social Work (not psychology, social service, counseling, etc.). It is a semester for both the student and tour Director of Field Education to build relationships with those you may want to learn under in Practicum I and II. Additionally, there is professional and agency paperwork that needs to be filled out to secure a placement.
As this all takes time, we have a semester dedicated to this process. This must be completed in full before a student can begin Practicum I or II.
You can find information about our Social Work faculty. Each of or Social Work Faculty has advanced degrees in Social Work, and have taught many of the courses in our Traditional Undergraduate Program as well as Online Programs. Please feel free to reach out to any of us if you have any questions or concerns! We look forward to building relationships with you. Non-Social Work classes are taught by faculty all over campus.
Asbury's Registrar will set an expected graduation date when you first begin online classes. In general, if you transfer into the online program with 60 credits or more, or with an Associates Degree, the sequence of Social Work classes takes 4 full-time semesters (2 full-time years). If you have less than 60 credits when you begin, the credits you transfer don't cover the Foundation courses required by Asbury, or if you are taking classes part-time, that will extend out your graduation date.
Contact SocialWork@asbury.edu if you have any questions.