Improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities

The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree at Carlow University is designed to provide you with an understanding of human nature and cultural diversity. As a student in the program, you will participate in a one-year, agency-based field placement, a corresponding classroom seminar, and at least 50 hours of volunteer service. This will equip you with the hands-on experience you need to work through upper-level coursework and graduate with real-world experience. 

The program is concentrated in social work theory and practice with a foundation of liberal arts studies. Throughout the curriculum, you will develop entry-level social work skills that can be translated into practice with individuals, families, organizations, and communities.

Social work curriculum 

The social work curriculum includes:

Upon completion of selected courses, social work majors must proceed with an application process into the upper-level social work requirements. This process must be completed prior to registering for field placement. Every social work major is required to participate in a 450-hour agency-based field placement, as well as a corresponding classroom seminar.

Additional information is available in the University’s course catalog.

Quick facts

• Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
• Experienced professors who continue to practice social work in their areas of expertise
• Concentration in Healthcare Social Work, Crisis and Trauma, or Restorative Justice
• Minors offered in Healthcare Social Work, Behavioral Health, and Crisis and Trauma

Alternate degree completion options

Online Degree

Gain the knowledge you need at your convenience with our online degree option. When applying, indicate your interest in the online option.

3-Year Degree

Finish your bachelor’s degree in three years by following a 3-year academic plan. Courses are taken across fall, spring and summer terms with summer courses completely online. When applying, indicate your interest in the 3-Year Degree option.

Accreditation

The Bachelor of Social Work is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). CSWE’s Commission on Accreditation is responsible for developing accreditation standards that define competent preparation and ensuring that social work programs meet them. CSWE administers a multistep accreditation process that involves program self-studies, site visits, and reviews. Carlow University’s next accreditation visit will be in 2028.

Resources

• View or download the Bachelor of Social Work field manual [pdf]. It contains information and documents specific to the field placement component of the program  
• View or download theBachelor of Social Work program handbook [pdf]. It contains policies, procedures and information about the program
• View or download theAssessment of Student Learning Outcomes [pdf]. 

Admission requirements and application process

Social Work faculty

Kathryn Bonach, PhD, LSW, LPC Program Director, BSW Program, Associate Professor

Sheila Roth, PhD, LCSW Professor, Social Work (MSW)

Marsha Frank, PhD, LCSW Associate Professor, Social Work (MSW)

Jessica Friedrichs, MSW BSW Field Education Director, Assistant Professor

Kenneth Smythe-Leistico, EdD, MSW, LSW Field Director, Assistant Professor, Social Work (MSW)

Carrie Stott, PhD, LSW Program Director, Assistant Professor, Social Work (MSW)

Dig into life’s important questions with a Philosophy minor

Studying for a philosophy minor, you will examine and ask the largest and most important of human questions concerning life and the nature of the universe. You will immerse yourself in a critical study of past and present systems of philosophic thought and learn to investigate the truths and principles pertaining to the nature of existence, knowledge, values and conduct. 

With its emphasis on language skills, critical thinking and abstract reasoning, the Philosophy minor has numerous practical applications. It complements majors such as Psychology or Education, and students majoring in Liberal Studies will find the Philosophy minor a superb addition to their other minors.

Philosophy minor curriculum

The minor requires 15 credits, including five courses in philosophy.

Understanding humanity: History minor

You can supplement your interest in learning about the past with a History minor. You will uncover the value of history through research of recorded events, analysis of patterns and critical thinking in order to present the past, better understand contemporary problems and predict future challenges.
A minor in History is a perfect addition to comprehensive Liberal Studies and English majors.

History minor curriculum

This minor is open to any major. A minimum of 18 credits is required.

Minor in Behavioral Health

In the Behavioral Health minor program, you will learn about the social work profession as you study the connection between behaviors and mental and physical well-being. You will learn how to develop cultural competence in working with diverse populations, explore the individual and community context of behavioral health, and learn about case management.

The minor is open to all majors. It particularly benefits students who pursue careers in social and behavioral sciences, political science, psychology, anthropology and sociology.

A Behavioral Health minor enriches all career choices. With this minor, you will be prepared to work in behavioral health organizations and in settings where behavioral health impacts clients and communities, such as in health care, education, criminal justice and advocacy.

Behavioral Health Minor curriculum

The minor required 18 credits. Two elective courses focus on topics such as practice with groups and families, crisis intervention and substance abuse. The forensic context will further prepare you to work in these areas.

Find your social and behavioral sciences degrees at Carlow 

Carlow University offers a variety of social and behavioral science degree programs to prepare you for a career in social work or counseling. You will develop social work skills that can be translated into practice with individuals, families, organizations and communities, and learn the theories of human behavior related to how personality, environment and culture interact with one another to shape an individual.

Minor in Neuroscience

You can expand your physical science major with a minor in neuroscience. You will study how the functions and mechanisms of the nervous system affect behavior in animals and humans in conjunction with your major studies in biology, chemistry or psychology.

Behavioral Neuroscience Minor Curriculum

This minor is designed for students not majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience and is open to any major. A minimum of 21 credits is required;10 must be taken at Carlow University.

Learn to understand the relationship between brain and behavior

Earn a Behavioral Neuroscience degree in the neuropsychology track

The neuropsychology program will give you new insights into how the brain thinks, reasons, formulates and processes. 

You will be prepared to work in neuropsychology and clinical psychology, where neuropsychological assessments are an important part of clinical work. With the behavioral neuroscience degree, you will gain knowledge of the biological and physiological mechanisms that drive the nervous system and better understand the relationship between the brain and behavior. 

The Behavioral Neuroscience major is an interdisciplinary program that builds on the strengths of Carlow University’s biology, psychology and chemistry programs.  

Neuroscience degree curriculum

Carlow’s neuroscience program allows undergraduates to take courses in neuropsychology as well as to learn under scholar-practitioners. The curriculum includes a genetics course in which students investigate the maintenance, inheritance, transfer and expression of genetic information at the molecular, cellular, organismal and population levels. The cognitive psychology course explores its basic concepts and contemporary topics, such as will perception, attention, pattern recognition, consciousness, memory, the representation of knowledge, language, cognitive development, thinking and artificial intelligence.

Quick facts

• Gain hands-on learning experiences

• Leverage Carlow’s relationships with nearby research centers 

• Be prepared for graduate work in psychology and neuropsychology

• Start taking Master’s courses as an undergraduate and earn a graduate degree faster for less money

Alternate degree completion option

3-Year Degree

Finish your bachelor’s degree in three years by following a 3-year academic plan. Courses are taken across fall, spring and summer terms with summer courses completely online. When applying, indicate your interest in the 3-Year Degree option.

Accelerated

Fast track your way to a master’s by taking graduate courses as an undergraduate student. Course credits count toward both degrees. Apply for the accelerated option after your sophomore year.

Admission requirements and application process

Behavioral Neuroscience faculty

Kathryn Bonach, PhD, LSW, LPC Program Director, BSW Program, Associate Professor

Sheila Roth, PhD, LCSW Professor, Social Work (MSW)

Marsha Frank, PhD, LCSW Associate Professor, Social Work (MSW)

Jessica Friedrichs, MSW BSW Field Education Director, Assistant Professor

Kenneth Smythe-Leistico, EdD, MSW, LSW Field Director, Assistant Professor, Social Work (MSW)

Carrie Stott, PhD, LSW Program Director, Assistant Professor, Social Work (MSW)

Understand why people break the law and the reasons for their behavior

With a bachelor’s in Criminology,  you will learn the nature of crime and the effectiveness and fairness of society’s efforts to prevent and control it.

You will engage in a cross-disciplinary approach to the study of crime, offenders and victims, as well as the agencies, laws, policies and processes of the criminal justice system. You will train to become an agent of change by developing critical thinking skills through problem-based learning in order to impact  the fields relevant to criminology professionals regardless of setting.

A psychology concentration is embedded within the program to ensure that you have the knowledge relevant to direct-practice professions in the field. This emphasis on psychology will help you develop an awareness of the critical role mental health plays in criminal behavior. 

Criminology major curriculum

Carlow University’s major in Criminology focuses on prevention and remediation strategies. Notable courses include Crime and Mental Health and Race, Class and Justice.

Quick facts

• Pair studies with additional minors in Pre-Law, Counseling, or Crisis and Trauma
• Enjoy flexible options for degree completion for non-traditional students and those outside of the region
• Benefit from internship opportunities

Alternate degree completion options

Online Degree

Gain the knowledge you need at your convenience with our online degree option. When applying, indicate your interest in the online option.

3-Year Degree

Finish your bachelor’s degree in three years by following a 3-year academic plan. Courses are taken across fall, spring and summer terms with summer courses completely online. When applying, indicate your interest in the 3-Year Degree option.

Accelerated

Fast track your way to a master’s by taking graduate courses as an undergraduate student. Course credits count toward both degrees. Apply for the accelerated option after your sophomore year.

Admission requirements and application process

Criminology faculty

Joseph Roberts, PhD Professor, Program Director of MA in Psychology, MS in Fraud and Forensics, and Undergraduate Criminology

Mary Burke, PhD Professor, Counseling Psychology

Learn about crime theory with a minor in Criminology

If you are interested in studying issues such as the systems and administration of justice, crime theory, and the intersection of mental health and deviant behaviors, you can elect to minor in Criminology.

In this scientific study of crime and criminals, you will examine why crime exists,  its effects on society and the environment, and how to prevent or reduce criminal activity.

Criminology minor curriculum

This minor is open to any major. A minimum of 18 credits is required.

Required courses include:

• Criminology
• Criminal Justice
• 4 criminology electives

Learn fraud prevention, fully online: MS in Fraud and Forensics

Acquire in-demand, up-to-date skills in Carlow University’s IACBE-accredited online Master of Science in Fraud and Forensics. One of the first of its kind in the nation, the program is consistently ranked as one of the top forensic accounting programs.

Accreditation

The College of Arts and Sciences Department of Business Management, Accounting, and Ethics at Carlow University has received specialized accreditation for its business programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) located at 11374 Strang Line Road in Lenexa, Kansas, USA.

For a list of accredited programs and retention information, see Accreditations.