Department of Social Work and Sociology
Welcome to the Virginia Union University BSW & MSW Social Work Programs! We are the only social work program in Virginia offering a Bachelor of Social Work, at an independent, faith-based HBCU.
More great news! We now offer a Master of Social Work at VUU as well! If you choose to get your BSW with Virginia Union University, you can also complete your MSW in as little as one additional academic year. That’s all the way to a Master’s degree in 5 years!
Bachelor of Social Work
The mission of the VUU Department of Social Work is to produce generalist social work practitioners who have professional experience and academic training in social justice and discrimination, and who are competent in working with at-risk populations. Graduates will have client advocacy skills, a strong sense of self, adaptability and a sense of responsibility for their profession.
The VUU Baccalaureate (BSW) Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and was re-affirmed in 2019. Our next accreditation review is June 2027.
Students who receive a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from VUU are expected to:
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Demonstrate competence in social work practice with individuals, families, groups, and communities;
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Utilize current social work knowledge in making responsible decisions based on self-awareness and knowledge of the values and ethics of the profession;
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Demonstrate an ability to apply knowledge of social policy formulation in advocating for desired social change;
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Understand and be able to work with clients from different racial, cultural, ethnic, sexual and religious backgrounds, and be able to combat the effects of social inequalities;
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Be able to evaluate one’s own practice;
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Be prepared to pursue graduate education.
Master of Social Work
Our MSW program is uniquely positioned as an Advanced Generalist program with a Trauma-Focused Specialization. This distinctive emphasis reflects our commitment to equipping you with the skills and knowledge necessary to address the complex challenges posed by trauma in diverse social work settings.
The Department of Social Work at Virginia Union University is pleased to announce the MSW program achieved Candidacy for Accreditation status by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation in July 2023!!!
Candidacy for a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation indicates that it has made progress toward meeting criteria for the assessment of program quality evaluated through a peer review process. A program that has attained Candidacy has demonstrated a commitment to meeting the compliance standards set by the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards, but has not yet demonstrated full compliance.
Students who enter programs that attain Candidacy in or before the academic year in which they begin their program of study will be retroactively recognized as having graduated from a CSWE-accredited program once the program attains Initial Accreditation.
Candidacy is typically a three-year process and attaining Candidacy does not guarantee that a program will eventually attain Initial Accreditation. Candidacy applies to all program sites and program delivery methods of an accredited program. Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program. VUU hopes to obtain full accreditation status in late 2024, or early 2025.
In order to be formally accepted into the MSW program, students will need to complete a VUU MSW Program Application. You can find this application below. Completed applications can be emailed to the MSW Program Director, Dr. Katy Baugus at kbaugus@vuu.edu.
VUU MSW Curriculum
49 Full-Time Credits
26 Advanced Standing Credits
January 2024
The VUU MSW Program formal curriculum is a two-year, four-semester course of study for full-time students. The core curriculum ladder is shown below. Electives of the program are in addition to these core courses.
All students must take a Pre-Field/Orientation course before starting the program.
Early Fall Course
(5-week delivery)
Full-Time Status
Year 1
Fall
Semester I (8-week or 16-week term delivery)
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SWK 500 Human Behavior in the Social Environment (3 credits)
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SWK 502 Field Education/Seminar I (4 credits)
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SWK 511 Policy I: Social Welfare History and Policy (3 credits)
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SWK 524 Generalist Practice I with Individuals and Families (3 credits)
Spring
Semester II (8-week or 16-week term delivery)
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SWK 503 Field Education/Seminar II (4 credits)
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SWK 510 Social Research (3 credits)
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SWK 514 Ethics (3 credits)
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SWK 525 Generalist Practice II with Groups, Communities, and Organizations (3 credits)
Year 2
Fall
Semester III (8-week or 4-week term delivery)
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SWK 602 Field Education/Seminar III (4 credits)
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SWK 640 Introduction to Trauma-Informed Social Work (3 credits)
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SWK 651 Advanced Generalist Practice III with Marginalized Individuals and Families from a Trauma Perspective (3 credits)
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SWK 754 Advanced Policy: Economic Trauma, Financial Literacy, and Social Systems (3 credits)
Spring
Semester IV (8-week or 4-week term delivery)
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SWK 603 Field Education/Seminar (4 credits)
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SWK 613 Advanced Research: Program Evaluation (3 credits)
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SWK 652 Advanced Generalist Practice IV with Marginalized Groups, Organizations and Communities from a Trauma Perspective (3 credits)
Forms
VUU MSW Program Application
Candidacy Letter
Social Work Department Incomplete Request Form
Assessment Data
2022-2023
AS 4.0 BSW
2023-2024
AS 4.0 BSW
AS 4.0 MSW
Faculty & Staff Directory:
Dr. Johnetta Guishard, PhD, LMSW
Chair, Department of Social Work and Sociology & Assistant Professor
jhguishard@vuu.edu
Research Interests:
Military Populations, Substance Abuse, Youth and Education, Food Insecurity and Farming, Rural Mental Health
Topic Interests:
Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Criminal Justice, Veterans, Youth and Young Adults
Experience:
Psychotherapy, adolescent skills development and education, military sexual trauma
Education:
BSW | Virginia Union University
MSW | Walden University
PhD | Walden University
Dr. Katy Baugus, EdD, LCSW MSW
Program Director & Associate Professor
kbaugus@vuu.edu
Research Interests:
Food insecurity, transportation disadvantage, inadequate childcare, and non-academic barriers
Topic Interests:
First-generation college students, incarcerated individuals, LGBTQ, miliary personnel and their families
Experience:
Psychotherapy, administration, faculty, and student affairs leadership
Education:
BA | Bucknell University
MSW | Marywood University
EdD | Northcentral University
Dr. Andrea Keen-Avery, DSW
Assistant Professor, Social Work
akavery@vuu.edu
Ms. Jacquelyn Smith-Edwards, MSW
Assistant Professor, Social Work
jswhite@vuu.edu
Dr. Johnnie O’Neal, PhD, MSW
Associate Professor
joneal@vuu.edu
Research Interests:
HIV/AIDS, aging LGBTQ adults, addiction, social work education
Topic Interests:
Social determinants of health, LGBTQ+ adults, addiction, volunteerism, ethics
Experience:
Over ten years of higher education instruction and leadership in social work, medical social work, leadership
Education:
AA | Trident Technical College
BSW | Limestone College
MSW | University of South Carolina
PhD | Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Jeffrey Harlow, PhD, MA
Assistant Provost & Associate Professor
Research Interests:
Organizational effectiveness, stages of change, addiction recovery, leadership self-efficacy, higher education student success, program evaluation, research methods, and data analysis
Experience:
Over 20 years higher education instruction and leadership, community- based evaluation research
Education:
BS | Pennsylvania State University
MA | Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
PhD | Bryn Mawr College
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VUU Social Work Curriculum
Social Work Minor Degree & Sociology Minor Degree
Sequence of Social Work Program Courses for Social Work Students
The list of required, core social work courses for the B.S.W. includes the following (See below for a list of the entire four-year curriculum, including general education requirements):
Freshman Year
Sophomore Year
Junior Year
Senior Year
Electives
In addition, all social work students are required to supplement their curriculum with two interdisciplinary electives (in social work or other social sciences, 3 credits each) and two social work electives (3 credits each). In the general education curriculum, social work majors are required to take a statistics class, an economics class, a psychology class, and a speech class.
Sequence of All Courses Required for B.S.W. Including General Education Requirements
*Literature Classes: 6 cr required: Students must take either HUM 225 OR HUM 226; ENG 323, 324, 328, 329, 354
can be used as the other 3 cr, but student may take both HUM 225 & 226
*Restricted Electives: Courses in Criminal Justice, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology (beyond required level), Public Administration (American Government), Religion, Education, or Sociology (beyond required level)
*SWK Electives (when offered): SWK 290 (Interpersonal Conflict and Interpersonal Skills); SWK 306 (Substance Abuse); SWK 307 (At Risk Populations); SWK 350 (Social Work and Spirituality); SWK 360 (Health and Aging); SWK 370 (Child Welfare Policy); SWK 490 (Selected Topics such as Death & Dying, Community Organizing, Military, School-age Children); SWK 499 (Leadership Seminar)
*Social Work courses must be taken in sequence: 200 level courses must be taken before 300 level and 300 before 400 level. For all 2 part classes, the (1) class must be taken before the (2) class.
*All SWK core courses and general education with (*) require a “C” or better for a final grade; all Social Work courses may only be repeated once.
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| Field Education |
| Student Organizations |
| Application to the Social Work Program |
| Faculty |
| CSWE Accreditation: What does it mean? |
| Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes (CSWE) |
In order to receive a Sociology Minor Degree at VUU, a student must identify this intention with the VUU Registrar, and successfully complete the following courses:
Sociology Minor 18 credit hours
SOC 200 Principles of Sociology 3 credit hours
SOC 301 The Development of Social Thought 3 credit hours
SOC 305 Modern Social Problems 3 credit hours
SWK 309 Research Methods I* 3 credit hours
Sociology Electives* 6 credit hours
*Or the equivalent approved by the Department Chairperson
Application to the Social Work Program
Students may declare an intended major or minor in social work at the time they begin at VUU, or at any time while at VUU. Transfer students may also declare social work as their intended major or minor. The student will remain an intended social work major until the completion of the freshman and sophomore years. At this point, students must be formally admitted to the Social Work Program in order to enroll in upper division social work courses. Students who are not admitted to the Social Work Program may not be permitted to take upper division social work courses.
For acceptance into the Social Work Program, the following criteria must be met:
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Cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.4 or higher;
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Grade of “C” or above in each of the social work classes: (SWK 200, SWK 255, SWK 256 OR SWK Communication 1 and 2) and in English 101 and 102;
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Completed 45 credit hours, which includes Eng 101 and 102, Mat 115 and 121 (or higher), Statistics, SWK 256 and 257 (SWK Communication 1 and 2), or finished one Communication class and currently enrolled in the other);
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Completed the required community service hours for each semester the student was a social work major.
Typically, applicants will complete the application for admission to the Social Work Program during the spring of their sophomore year or at the beginning of the semester in which they transfer to VUU, if it is later. If the student has not met the criteria by that time, the student may apply in a subsequent fall or spring semester.
Social Work Program Application
VUU Social Work Faculty 2017-2018
Sandra Flynn, Ph.D
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Ph.D, 2003, Social Work, The University of Alabama
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M.S.W, 1996, Radford University
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B.G.S., 1994, Radford University
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A.A.S., 1978, New River Community College
Dr. Flynn teaches Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Ethics, Health and Aging, and is the Director of our Field Program.
Jacqueline White, M.S.W.
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M.S.W., 2002, Virginia Commonwealth University
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B.S., 1998, Virginia Commonwealth University
Ms. White teaches Introduction to Social Work, Oral Communication, social Work with At-Risk Populations, and the Practice sequence.
Jeffrey Harlow, Ph.D
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Ph.D, 1998, Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research
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M.A, 1985, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
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B.S., Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Harlow is the Chair of the Department and teaches Written Communication, Policy, Research, Social Discrimination, Child Welfare Policy, and Leadership Seminar.
Adjunct Faculty
Ms. Kathryn Bentley, M.S.W. teaches Social Work with School-Age Children and Leadership Seminar
Mr. Keith Preston, M.A. teaches Principles of Sociology
Ms. Cynthia Martin, M.A., teaches Principles of Sociology, Race Relations, Social Problems, and Development of Social Thought
CSWE Accreditation: What does it mean?
Click here to view the CSWE Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Data for 2016-2017 and 2017-2018
The Social Work Program at VUU is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), and is bound to rigorous standards for its curriculum. CSWE accreditation ensures that the Program implements and maintains a set of course offerings that result in students’ mastery of nine (9) professional competency areas, and thirty-one (31) practice behaviors. Every social work course addresses one or more of these academic standards. Moreover, all fourth-year students are required to enroll in a two-semester, 400 hour field placement experience, which is an intentional, supervised learning (service learning) experience. Additionally, at VUU, all second year social work students are required to complete a Sophomore Field Experience, which includes 100 hours of supervised field placement and classroom seminars.
The VUU Social Work Program is accredited through 2019 and is scheduled for re-affirmation in 2019.
CSWE Accreditation means that our Social Work Program meets the rigorous student learning outcomes or standards. Outcomes for students in the BSW Program are defined by the CSWE's nine core competencies and corresponding 31 practice behaviors. The Program’s entire upper division curriculum is designed to address these competencies and practice behaviors. Below are the nine core competencies and associated 31 practice behaviors:
Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
Social workers understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, as well as relevant laws and regulations that may impact practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Social workers understand frameworks of ethical decision-making and how to apply principles of critical thinking to those frameworks in practice, research, and policy arenas. Social workers recognize personal values and the distinction between personal and professional values. They also understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions influence their professional judgment and behavior. Social workers understand the profession’s history, its mission, and the roles and responsibilities of the profession. Social Workers also understand the role of other professions when engaged in inter-professional teams. Social workers recognize the importance of life-long learning and are committed to continually updating their skills to ensure they are relevant and effective. Social workers also understand emerging forms of technology and the ethical use of technology in social work practice. Social workers:
1.a. - make ethical decisions by applying the standards of the NASW Code of Ethics, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision-making, ethical conduct of research, and additional codes of ethics as appropriate to context;
1.b. - use reflection and self-regulation to manage personal values and maintain professionalism in practice situations;
1.c. - demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior; appearance; and oral, written, and electronic communication;
1.d. - use technology ethically and appropriately to facilitate practice outcomes; and
1.e. - use supervision and consultation to guide professional judgment and behavior.
Competency 2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
Social workers understand how diversity and difference characterize and shape the human experience and are critical to the formation of identity. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiple factors including but not limited to age, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, marital status, political ideology, race, religion/spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status. Social workers understand that, as a consequence of difference, a person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as well as privilege, power, and acclaim. Social workers also understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values, including social, economic, political, and cultural exclusions, may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create privilege and power. Social workers:
2.a. -apply and communicate understanding of the importance of diversity and difference in shaping life experiences in practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels;
2.b. - present themselves as learners and engage clients and constituencies as experts of their own experiences; and
2.c. - apply self-awareness and self-regulation to manage the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse clients and constituencies.
Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
Social workers understand that every person regardless of position in society has fundamental human rights such as freedom, safety, privacy, an adequate standard of living, health care, and education. Social workers understand the global interconnections of oppression and human rights violations, and are knowledgeable about theories of human need and social justice and strategies to promote social and economic justice and human rights. Social workers understand strategies designed to eliminate oppressive structural barriers to ensure that social goods, rights, and responsibilities are distributed equitably and that civil, political, environmental, economic, social, and cultural human rights are protected. Social workers:
3.a. - apply their understanding of social, economic, and environmental justice to advocate for human rights at the individual and system levels; and
3.b. - engage in practices that advance social, economic, and environmental justice.
Competency 4: Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
Social workers understand quantitative and qualitative research methods and their respective roles in advancing a science of social work and in evaluating their practice. Social workers know the principles of logic, scientific inquiry, and culturally informed and ethical approaches to building knowledge. Social workers understand that evidence that informs practice derives from multi-disciplinary sources and multiple ways of knowing. They also understand the processes for translating research findings into effective practice. Social workers:
4.a. - use practice experience and theory to inform scientific inquiry and research;
4.b. - apply critical thinking to engage in analysis of quantitative and qualitative research methods and research findings; and
4.c. - use and translate research evidence to inform and improve practice, policy, and service delivery
Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice
Social workers understand that human rights and social justice, as well as social welfare and services, are mediated by policy and its implementation at the federal, state, and local levels. Social workers understand the history and current structures of social policies and services, the role of policy in service delivery, and the role of practice in policy development. Social workers understand their role in policy development and implementation within their practice settings at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and they actively engage in policy practice to effect change within those settings. Social workers recognize and understand the historical, social, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. They are also knowledgeable about policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation. Social workers:
5.a. - Identify social policy at the local, state, and federal level that impacts well-being, service delivery, and access to social services;
5.b. - assess how social welfare and economic policies impact the delivery of and access to social services;
5.c. - apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.
Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Social workers understand that engagement is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers value the importance of human relationships. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to facilitate engagement with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand strategies to engage diverse clients and constituencies to advance practice effectiveness. Social workers understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions may impact their ability to effectively engage with diverse clients and constituencies. Social workers value principles of relationship-building and inter-professional collaboration to facilitate engagement with clients, constituencies, and other professionals as appropriate. Social workers:
6.a. - apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks to engage with clients and constituencies; and
6.b. - use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to effectively engage diverse clients and constituencies.
Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Social workers understand that assessment is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in the assessment of diverse clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand methods of assessment with diverse clients and constituencies to advance practice effectiveness. Social workers recognize the implications of the larger practice context in the assessment process and value the importance of inter-professional collaboration in this process. Social workers understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions may affect their assessment and decision-making. Social workers:
7.a. - collect and organize data, and apply critical thinking to interpret information from clients and constituencies;
7.b. - apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the analysis of assessment data from clients and constituencies;
7.c. - develop mutually agreed-on intervention goals and objectives based on the critical assessment of strengths, needs, and challenges within clients and constituencies; and
7.d. - select appropriate intervention strategies based on the assessment, research knowledge, and values and preferences of clients and constituencies.
Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Social workers understand that intervention is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are knowledgeable about evidence-informed interventions to achieve the goals of clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to effectively intervene with clients and constituencies. Social workers understand methods of identifying, analyzing and implementing evidence-informed interventions to achieve client and constituency goals. Social workers value the importance of inter-professional teamwork and communication in interventions, recognizing that beneficial outcomes may require interdisciplinary, inter-professional, and inter-organizational collaboration. Social workers:
8.a. - critically choose and implement interventions to achieve practice goals and enhance capacities of clients and constituencies;
8.b. - apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in interventions with clients and constituencies;
8.c. - use inter-professional collaboration as appropriate to achieve beneficial practice outcomes;
8.d. - negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on behalf of diverse clients and constituencies; and
8.e. - facilitate effective transitions and endings that advance mutually agreed-on goals.
Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Social workers understand that evaluation is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. Social workers recognize the importance of evaluating processes and outcomes to advance practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in evaluating outcomes. Social workers understand qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluating outcomes and practice effectiveness. Social workers:
9.a. - select and use appropriate methods for evaluation of outcomes;
9.b. - apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the evaluation of outcomes;
9.c. - critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate intervention and program processes and outcomes; and
9.d. - apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
