Social work is a profession that seeks to improve people’s lives and living conditions by working with individuals, families, groups and communities. By completing a BSW, you will gain the skills needed to make a difference in many areas of society and in individual lives. 

Students who complete a BSW may have the opportunity to complete an advanced-standing Master of Social Work (MSW) program. While MGA does not currently have an MSW program to learn more about this benefit, you can reach out to Rebekah Hazlett-Knudsen at .

A BSW degree will prepare you to enter into a wide-range of entry-level generalist roles. According to the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors (BPD), generalist social work practitioners:

“Work with individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations in a variety of social work and host settings. Generalist practitioners view clients and client systems from a strengths perspective in order to recognize, support, and build upon the innate capabilities of all human beings. They use a professional problem solving process to engage, assess, broker services, advocate, counsel, educate, and organize with and on behalf of clients and client systems. In addition, generalist practitioners engage in community and organizational development. Finally, generalist practitioners evaluate service outcomes in order to continually improve the provision and quality of services most appropriate to client needs. Generalist social work practice is guided by the NASW Code of Ethics and is committed to improving the well-being of individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations and furthering the goals of social justice.”

As a BSW graduate you may work throughout a wide-range of social service settings. These include settings like the Department of Children and Families (DFCS), hospitals, youth service agencies, government agencies and many others. According to the 2016-2026 Georgia Department of Labor Occupational Outlook, the annual state growth rate for social work jobs averages 1.79 percent (ranging between 1.69%and 1.95% depending on area of social work); higher than the 1.1 percent overall growth rate for all occupations. Demonstrating the need in Central Georgia for qualified entry-level social work professionals, the annual growth rate in Macon-Bibb and the Middle Georgia is on average 1.12 percent. The highest growth is in the areas of child and family, mental health and healthcare social work.

You will learn more about the many settings in which social workers serve through the SOCW 2215 course, program advising and orientations. Feel welcome to ask questions about how social work might fit with your interests during advising sessions.

This refers to the required structure and sequencing of courses. Students who declare social work as their major in their freshman or sophomore years will complete their Core Curriculum and Area F courses as shown in the plan of study. Formal admission to the program is required to move into upper level courses. Once a student begins the formal program, social work course work is taken in the sequence shown in the plan of study. Any deviations from the curriculum progression require approval of the BSW Program Director. Progression from one semester to the next is dependent upon successful completion of the following: 1) Completion of each semester’s core courses (with a C or better), 2) Maintaining a GPA of 2.5 or better 3) Adherence to professional behavior and ethics standards, and 4) Adherence to the MGA Student Code of Conduct.

Students may declare the major at any time. Students may declare the major in the following ways:

1. When applying to MGA, students may select social work (BSW) as their major on their application. Once accepted, the acceptance letter will state social work as the current major. Students will then attend an MGA new student orientation where program advisors will assist with the registration process.
2. Current MGA students wishing to change to social work should first complete the student information section of the online change of major form. As a professional courtesy to the current program of study, the student should schedule a meeting with the current advisor to discuss the major change and to obtain the current advisor’s signature. The student should then schedule an appointment with a professional advisor in the Department of Teacher Education and Social Work, or the BSW Program Director, to complete and process the change of major form and to develop a plan of study.

You may reach out to:
Dr. Rebekah Hazlett-Knudsen, BSW Program Director,
Ms. Sonja Rivers, Professional Advisor, Cochran Campus,

The Department of Teacher Education and Social Work looks forward to your application for admission to the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program. Acceptance into Middle Georgia State University (MGA) does not automatically grant you acceptance into the Department of Teacher Education and Social Work. A separate application process must be completed in order for you to be considered for the formal BSW program.

The MGA BSW program does offer a part-time hybrid program that meets on Saturdays. For more information on this and other program options, please see programs/social-work/index. 

Professionalism and ethics are a very important part of social work practice and thus of social work education. Throughout your time in the program you will be held to the highest standards of communication, professional and ethical conduct. This will extend to your written communication, verbal communication, decision-making, and interpersonal interactions.