Department of Social Work

• Students
  • MSW: 246
  • BSW: 95
  • First-Generation: 70%
  • Minority: 77%
• Faculty
  • Full-time: 19
  • Adjunct: 29
• Internships
  • 193 sites for students to put learning into practice
  • 4 counties where students serve in a variety of social work capacities
  • 97,740 service hours completed annually

Students in APU’s social work programs benefit from:

• Small classes that allow you to build close relationships with each other and with faculty-mentors representing diverse backgrounds who bring relevant experience into the classroom.
• Use of live simulation, internships, and other real-world experiences to put learning into practice.
• Scholarship opportunities to help make your degree more affordable.
• A part-time option at the graduate level to support working students.

Four values and cornerstones guide the Department of Social Work’s mission: competence, character, critical thinking, and community.

Competence: Training competent social workers is central to our mission. By offering current curriculum, competitive internships, and innovative teaching strategies, our students develop skills as competent social workers. Current innovations include coursework in military social work and clinical Spanish, skills testing with live actors, engagement with community projects and research, agency-based leadership capstone projects, and ongoing development of new interdisciplinary internship sites.

Character: We hold to high standards of professionalism in our students. We adhere to the National Association of Social Work Code of Ethics and work diligently to prepare and train students in the professional behaviors exemplified by our respected alumni. As a Christ-centered university, we ascribe to the highest level of integrity for faculty and students, including training in ethical decision making to prepare students for the challenges of real-world practice.

Critical Thinking: In a global world where social welfare issues, programs, interventions, and policies can change quickly, we train students to be problem solvers who can effectively engage new trends, research, and technology with confidence and determination. We want students to be independent thinkers so they become leaders in the field of social work.

Community: Joining an APU social work program means joining a community of social workers who care about each other, their local communities, and the world. We strive to keep classes small so students build relationships with each other and with faculty. These synergistic relationships provide a platform for professional mentorship to students throughout their careers, and establish a network of relationships through our alumni who are serving communities all over the world.

Accreditation

Azusa Pacific University receives accreditation from the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). In addition, the BSW and MSW programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).