The world needs people willing to step into the hard places – to advocate for individuals and communities whose lives have been touched by grief, stress, trauma and injustice, and to help them move toward stability and hope.
As a social worker, that might mean supporting a teenager through a mental health crisis, helping a veteran access services, walking alongside a family involved in child welfare, serving students in a school, helping people in recovery, or advocating for policies that strengthen communities.
If helping others is what fuels you – gets you out of bed in the morning – we have just the major for you.
As a social work major, you’ll learn to meet each person with dignity, cultural humility and practical skill, grounded in a Christian commitment to love, justice and non-complacency. Through more than 450 hours of field experience, interprofessional learning alongside other disciplines, and a three-course Faith in Action sequence exploring justice, diversity and advocacy, you’ll learn not only to care deeply, but to assess needs, navigate systems, collaborate with other professionals and take meaningful action.
A World of Options Awaits
Our nationally accredited Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program prepares you to work in a wide range of public and private social work and social welfare settings, providing the knowledge, skills and value base to succeed in fields ranging from healthcare and child welfare to ministry and criminal justice.
Earning a BSW provides advanced standing if you want to continue your education in graduate school, allowing you to complete your master’s degree in social work more quickly. This accelerates the path for those planning to further their careers in the social work field.
We don’t expect you to learn all this in a classroom. All social work majors are required to work in the field before they graduate, so you can expect to get hands-on experience through internships. Our experienced faculty will get to know you by name and teach you to focus on the unique needs of individuals, enabling you to link social research with real-world social work practice.
On top of that, we offer a Christian college environment that encourages not only academic – but spiritual – growth. Challenge yourself to be the change agent you were born to be and bring hope to those who desperately need it.
Interprofessional Education
The Interprofessional education program happens twice a year—once each semester—giving you the chance to gain valuable, hands-on experience. By participating, you’ll see how different professional training and ethics influence client care, preparing you to collaborate with a variety of professionals in the health system. You’ll build confidence in sharing your perspectives and assessments while learning from other disciplines, setting you up for success in real-world professional environments.
Program Distinctives Why Study Social Work at George Fox?
We believe in turning theory into practice. Within your time as a social work student, we will help you find and complete an internship, resulting in 450 hours of real-world practice before graduation.
You will engage with faculty, fellow students, and professional social workers who understand the integration of faith and vocation as they relate to service and social justice. We stand by the Lord’s Word to “walk humbly, love mercy, live justly” (Micah 6:8) as it relates to social work.
George Fox’s BSW program is nationally accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). This looks good on graduate school and job applications!
You will complete the program in a cohort model, working through the curriculum in small groups that provide opportunities for rich relationships.
If you choose to go on to the master of social work program at George Fox, you’ll have advanced standing and be able to finish your graduate degree in as little as eight months!
Courses / Curriculum What Will I Study?
The George Fox social work program takes a holistic approach to the practice of social work, offering courses that cover the wide spectrum of the human experience. Through the coursework and internships offered, you will be trained to work with a wide variety of populations.
You will build a strong foundation of social work practice that includes ethical and professional values and skills.
We teach the Generalist Model of Social Work Practice and the four stages of practice: engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation.
Social work students develop knowledge and skills related to working with individuals, families, groups and communities.
We don’t shy away from the hard topics, including diversity, equity, human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.
You will learn about policy practice and analysis. How does law affect the individual?
Research projects will develop strong research skills to help inform your social work practice.
The Cornerstone Core is a set of 12 courses across 10 academic disciplines that undergraduate students take at George Fox to cultivate their character within the Christian context.
An introduction to the scientific study of human behavior. Major topics include the biological bases of behavior, sensation, perception, thinking, learning, memory, development, emotion, motivation, personality, social interaction, and abnormal behavior. Prerequisite to most other psychology courses.
A study of physical, intellectual, personality, social, and moral development from infancy to old age. Will not count as part of the psychology or psychological science major. Students who take PSYC 310 are not eligible to also take PSYC 311, PSYC 314, or PSYC 312 for credit Prerequisite: PSYC 150 General Psychology.
An introduction to the study of society, including the study of the shared relationships that create social organization and social processes of society. Required for sociology minors and for admission into the social work major.
This course provides an introduction to the values, ethics, theory, roles, and responsibilities of social workers within generalist social work practice with a special focus on working with diverse populations. The course focuses on how students' personal experiences, evolving worldview, and self-awareness can be developed and utilized as a foundation for social work practice focused on service and justice. Special attention is given to the history of the social work profession, its response to current and historical contexts of oppression and racism, and how the social work profession empowers people to advocate and take action towards social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. This course requires volunteer work in a social work agency or with an organization serving individuals, families, or communities who identify with specific vulnerabilities. This course is required for those majoring in Social Work and must be taken prior to entrance into the social work cohort program or within the first semester following student's acceptance into the social work cohort program.
This course provides education in applied statistics for the social and behavioral sciences. Emphasis is placed on statistical logic and decision making. Prerequisite: high school algebra.
As the first course in the 3-course Faith in Action Seminar Series, this course provides a space for structured dialogue and discourse related to faith and justice. Students will engage with assigned reading, critical personal reflection, and classroom discussions to develop an understanding of the complex interaction between faith and justice. A framework for addressing injustice will be supported and developed throughout the course. Prerequisites: Formal admission to the Social Work Program and concurrent enrollment in SWRK 333 Human Rights and Justice is required.
As the second course in the 3-course Faith in Action Seminar Series, this course provides a space for structured dialogue and discourse related to faith, anti-racism, and diversity. Students will engage with assigned reading, critical personal reflection, and classroom discussions to develop an understanding of the complex interaction between faith, anti-racism, and diversity. A framework grounded in cultural humility for addressing racism, oppression, and marginalization will be supported and developed throughout the course. Prerequisite/Corequisite: Formal admission to the Social Work Program and concurrent enrollment in SWRK 420 Social Work with Diverse Populations is required.
As the third course in the 3-course Faith in Action Seminar Series, this course provides a space for structured dialogue and discourse related to faith and advocacy. Students will engage with assigned reading, critical personal reflection, and classroom discussions to develop an understanding of the complex interaction between faith and advocacy. A framework for engaging in advocacy to address communal, structural, and systemic racism and oppression will be supported and developed throughout the course. Prerequisites: Formal admission to the Social Work Program and concurrent enrollment in SWRK 460.
This course provides an introduction to practices that advance human rights and promote social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. Related concepts of oppression, power, privilege, and inequality will also be covered. Prerequisite: Formal admission to the Social Work Program or a declared minor in Social Welfare.
This course provides a study of the foundations of social work practice: professionalism, ethics, self-awareness, theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, and generalist social work practice with individuals. Micro-level theory, skills, and interviewing techniques are applied to generalist social work with an understanding of how bias, power and privilege, and personal values and experiences affect social work practice with diverse clients. Furthermore, this course assists the students in necessary self-exploration as it relates to self-awareness and future ethical social work practice. Prerequisites: SWRK 180 Introduction to Social Work; formal admission into the Social Work Program. Additional course fee is required.
This course provides a study of mezzo-level generalist social work practice with families and groups. Attention is given to a systems framework of generalist social work practice, with a particular focus upon assessment and development of culturally appropriate and evidenced-based intervention strategies. Prerequisites: SWRK 391 Social Work Practice I: Individuals; formal admission into the Social Work Program.
This course provides an overview of generalist social work methods practiced with organizations and communities with focus on planning, implementing, assessing, and evaluating macro-level systems. Special attention is given to macro-level advocacy for social justice issues, including, but not limited to anti-racism, discrimination, equity, and inclusion. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: SWRK 392 Social Work Practice II: Groups and Families; formal admission into the social work program.
This course provides an introduction to issues of diversity and difference in preparation for social work practice with cultural humility. Students will learn about vulnerable and marginalized groups and the environmental systems which impact them. Special attention is given to issues of intersectionality, bias, discrimination, power and privilege, and oppression. Students will explore their own personal identity and how their views, beliefs, values, and behaviors may support or hinder future social work practice with diverse populations. Prerequisite: SWRK 333 Human Rights and Justice and formal admission into the social work program; or a declared Criminal Justice Minor.
This course provides basic knowledge about research methods as it applies to social work practice. Students learn how to access, critique, synthesize, articulate research findings derived from interprofessional and diverse research methods, approaches, and sources. Students learn the inherent bias in research and evaluate design, analysis, and interpretation using an anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspective to inform decisions pertaining to practice, policy, and programs. Topics specific to social work research such as agency-based research, program evaluation, outcomes evaluation and single-subject design will be emphasized. This course demonstrates the need for and encourages the use of research in social work practice. Prerequisites: SWRK 240 Statistical Procedures; formal admission into the Social Work Program.
This course provides an in-depth analysis of how human needs and values are translated into social policy on community, state, national and international levels. Special attention is given to the ways in which values and power interests influence the creation of social policy. Emphasis is placed on the history of social welfare and related policies, the process of policy formation and analysis, and impact of policy on vulnerable populations. The course includes a critique of historical and current social policy and the systems related to social policy to provide a foundation for policy practice that is rights-based, anti-oppressive, and anti-racist. Implications for generalist social work practice and services will be explored through a variety of class activities. Prerequisites: SWRK 333 Human Rights and Justice, SWRK 420 Social Work with Diverse Populations; formal admission into the Social Work Program or a declared Social Welfare Minor.
This course provides a beginning level of supervised social work internship experience in a social service agency where students begin applying generalist practice skills of working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. This is the first course in the internship experience/instruction sequence. Students integrate and apply concepts from social work practice courses focused on professionalism, ethics, policy, research, diversity, human rights and justice, anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion and the generalist social work perspective. Additionally, students attend a one-hour seminar each week that addresses the integration of classroom concepts and experiences at the agency. (225 clock-hours with the agency) Prerequisites: SWRK 391 Social Work Practice I: Individuals, SWRK 392 Social Work Practice II: Groups and Families; formal admission into the Social Work Program.
This course provides further depth and integration of theory, classroom learning, and experience within the student's internship experience/instruction, building on concepts developed in SWRK 476. This is the second course in the internship experience/instruction sequence. Ideally, SWRK 476 and 477 will occur in a full-year practicum during the student's final year. Macro-practice concepts will be emphasized and topics will include work with agency boards, communities, governmental systems; implementation of a research project in the agency; community analysis; termination with clients and the agency; addressing social inequities in the student's field experience/practicum; engage in Anti-racism, Diversity , Equity and Inclusion (ADEI) in practice; policy issues; and ethical conduct/NASW Code of Ethics. Required for majors. Additionally, students attend a one-hour seminar each week that addresses the integration of classroom concepts and experiences at the agency. (225 clock-hours with the agency) Prerequisites: SWRK 391 Social Work Practice I: Individuals, SWRK 392 Social Work Practice II: Groups and Families, SWRK 476 Social Work Internship and Seminar I; formal admission into the Social Work Program.
This course provides an opportunity for students to consolidate substantive knowledge regarding the CSWE Competencies found in the CSWE EPAS. Students apply knowledge and skills gained across their BSW courses to the social work profession, including ethical social work practice, advocacy for human rights and justice, generalist social work practice across the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Students develop a framework for their social work practice focused on theory, self-awareness, ethics and professionalism, and the integration of spirituality and religion in social work practice. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: SWRK 440 Social Work Research Methods, SWRK 460 Social Policy and SWRK 476 Social Work Internship and Seminar I; formal admission into the Social Work Program.
Applying to the Social Work Program
In addition to applying to George Fox, social work students also apply for admission to the social work program.
Take your learning abroad with two fully supported social work internships. Choose between two semester-long programs: Uganda Christian University or Living and Learning in Quito, Ecuador.
These opportunities are offered annually and students are encouraged to take part during their second or third year. Not only will you continue your education, but you’ll also receive field experience hours.
Career Outlook What’s After George Fox
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for social workers is expected to increase by 6% between 2024 and 2034. The demand for mental health and substance abuse workers is projected to grow by 17%, while healthcare social workers should grow by 8%.
Other strong growth areas include work with the elderly, families and children, while employment opportunities in rural areas should be especially plentiful.
Below are some of the common career paths our social work graduates pursue or are well-equipped to go on to. Keep in mind that while a bachelor's degree provides a strong foundation, certain specialized or advanced roles may require additional education or experience.
Social and Community Service Managers
$77,030
Healthcare Social Workers
$62,940
Social Workers
$58,380
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
$55,960
Child, Family, and School Social Workers
$53,940
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
$53,710
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other
$49,690
Rehabilitation Counselors
$44,040
Social and Human Service Assistants
$41,410
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026)
Bree Farrar
Class of 2025
My social work professors had the biggest impact on me. They had a welcoming environment in the office, with Keurig coffee always stocked, candy in the jar, loads of stickers, and people to chat with when you needed a break from classes. I would say the people who made the biggest impact were Erin Johnson, my advisor, and Kim Rapp, our administrative assistant. They always put a smile on my face and helped me to stay on track when I felt like everything was falling apart.
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