In the Healthcare Social Work concentration of Carlow University’s online BSW, you’ll gain a conceptual, ethical and practical framework for social work practice in healthcare.

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Get your college career off to a great start!

Discover the pathway that may be best for you in pursuit of an undergraduate degree at Carlow University.

Ugandan boat ride
Experience campus living
Experience campus living
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Engage in a variety of direct service-learning projects
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Explore Your Passion and Empower Global Communities

Welcome to a unique, first-semester educational opportunity that helps you in getting to know yourself better, while helping others. The Carlow faculty have designed this immersive experience so you immediately can apply your learnings in real-world settings to make a meaningful impact. In addition to core curriculum courses that you can apply to most majors, you will spend 4 weeks abroad in Uganda.

Quick facts

  • Experience campus living and a structured self-reflection learning program focused on reinvigorating your passions and your purpose in life 
  • Serve alongside your peers, through service-learning projects in the fields of education, healthcare, social justice and more  
  • Benefit from onsite counseling to help you discover and process your strengths, interests and skills throughout your experience
  • Minister to the needs of Ugandans, igniting your global perspective of the ways in which you can best serve yourself and the world around you
A woman holding a Ugandan child, both are smiling.
Doctor consulting her female patient. Patient and doctor sitting in office. Diagnostic, prevention of women diseases, healthcare, medical service, consultation or education, healthy lifestyle concept

Your Discovery Program experience

On-campus discovery and preparation

You will begin your self-discovery living on Carlow University’s charming, urban campus in the heart of Pittsburgh’s exciting Oakland area.

  • First semester courses can be applied to most Carlow undergraduate majors.
  • You will be part of a living/learning community on campus during your first semester.
  • Service-learning projects will occur locally and internationally.
  • A residency fee, billed by Carlow, includes round-trip travel on major U.S. carriers, accommodations, meals, activities, and project materials.
  • Financial aid and scholarships may be available for eligible students.

Get Your College Career Off to a Great Start

If you are interested in the Discovery Program, complete this form or contact Global Center Director, Susan O’Rourke, at slorourke@carlow.edu or +1 (412) 578-2054.

Service Learning in Uganda (30 days)

Apply what you learned, sharpen your problem-solving skills and make positive contributions through service and volunteer opportunities at Ugandan schools and health care clinics.

One of your guides and mentors abroad will be Global Center Director, Susan O’Rourke. She has led study abroad programs for decades and is committed to helping you become immersed in the Ugandan culture with amazing moments and adventures. Alongside Susan will be a counselor available to students, both are trained in healthy relationships, stress management practices and study-abroad protocols.

Serve, Learn & Volunteer

  • Volunteer (provide tutoring and engage in fun learning activities) at Noah’s Ark School for Children with Disabilities in Entebbe
  • Participate in service projects (plant orchards and tend to school gardens) for Bright Kids Uganda on Lake Victoria Island
  • Serve (provide instruction and adapt learning materials for children with disabilities) at Silver Memorial Inclusive Community Learning Center (SMILE) in Opucet
  • Assist with vision assessments and distribution of donated eye glasses for seniors and school children
Two adults conduct an eye exam for a Ugandan woman. They are sitting pointing at a piece of white paper.
Three adults; one Ugandan and two women walk along a dirt road talking together.

Meet a New Culture

  • Hear inspiring life stories from locals, young and old; learn about their history including the effects of living as a British colony and subsequent years of conflict
  • Become familiar with local customs and their challenges
  • Interact with people living in remote villages without access to electricity, clean water, phones or computers
  • Prepare, taste and eat authentic Ugandan food 

Take amazing adventures

  • Visit the source of the Nile River and go white water rafting 
  • Take a hike to the tallest waterfall in eastern Africa, Sipi Falls 
  • Observe animals in their natural habitat on a three-day safari 
  • Visit Chimpanzee Island
Three women and one man stand on top of a rock flexing their muscles. A waterfall is behind them.
A Carlow student holds a Ugandan reptile in a field near a river.
Olivia Miller, ’21, biology major and runner on the track & field/cross country team.

An impactful experience

“I would go back and serve in Uganda in a heartbeat. I wish I had more time there. It had a huge impact on my life after returning and loved the opportunity to be able to have an impact on the lives of those there.”

– Kaylee Goblesky, Carlow University Nursing student

Get Your College Career Off to a Great Start

If you are interested in the Discovery Program, complete this form or contact Global Center Director, Susan O’Rourke, at slorourke@carlow.edu or +1 (412) 578-2054.

Program Director

Susan O'Rourke
Susan O’Rourke, Faculty, Education, Education & Liberal Studies, Thursday, September 2, 2021. (Rebecca Droke/Carlow University)

Susan O’Rourke, EdD
Global Center Director

Global Center Director, Susan O’Rourke has been working in Uganda for 10 years (since 2012). She has personally selected the comfortable and secure living facilities for the Uganda service-learning program and prearranged secure transportation through established partners in Uganda. Dr. O’Rourke has developed experiential learning and service projects through established partnerships and non-government organizations (NGOs).

Partners such as:

  • Noah’s Ark School for Children with Disabilities
  • Bright Kids Uganda
  • Silver Memorial Inclusive Community Learning Center (SMILE)
  • Prime Tower Primary School

Contact the Discovery Program

If you are interested in the Discovery program, and have questions, email us or give us a call. We’re here to help!

DISCOVERY@carlow.edu
+1 (412) 578-2054

Stott, Carrie

Education PhD, Health Care Ethics, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pa.MSW, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, Pittsburgh, Pa.BS, Mental Health Counseling, Gannon University, Erie, Pa. Research Impact of ethics education … Continued

Smythe-Leistico, Kenneth

Education EdD, Administrative and Policy Studies, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.MSW, Mental Health, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala.BA, double major, Psychology and Sociology, The University of Wisconsin at Whitewater, … Continued

Smith, Earl Bradford

Education  PhD, Education, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.MSW, Social Work, Marywood University, Scranton, Pa. BA, Sociology, Thiel College, Greenville, Pa.  Research Macro social work Cultural competency Cultural humility Social justice Leadership … Continued

Roth, Sheila

Education PhD, Administration and Policy Studies, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.MSW, Social Work, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.BS, Social Work, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. Research Suicide Awareness Among Public … Continued

Rashid, Anne

Education PhD, English, Binghamton University, Binghamton, N.Y.MA, English, Binghamton University, Binghamton, N.Y.BA, English, Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich. Research Literature of environmental justice Contemporary women’s poetry African American literature  Publications … Continued
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