Some students know they want a career in which they can serve, advocate, and become leaders in their communities. For those students, the Social Work program at Methodist University gives them the opportunity to turn that calling into a purpose and a profession. The Bachelor of Social Work program is offered both on campus and online, giving access to a wide range of students.
Some students know they want a career in which they can serve, advocate, and become leaders in their communities. For those students, the Social Work program at Methodist University gives them the opportunity to turn that calling into a purpose and a profession. The Bachelor of Social Work program is offered both on campus and online, giving access to a wide range of students.
“Social work is a noble profession,” said Jeffrey Thigpen, Ph.D., director of Social Work and head of the Human Services Division at Methodist University. “There’s nothing greater or more honorable than working in the interest of others.”
Service is the foundation to how the program is structured and students are prepared. Social Work at MU prepares students to work directly with individuals, families, and communities. Thigpen says that students who are committed to social justice and helping people are the type of students who thrive in the BSW program. He says that to think like a professional in the field, students must look inward.
“Students have to become critically self-aware of who they are,” he said, so that potential social workers recognize their own conscious and unconscious biases, backgrounds, and beliefs so that they do not interfere with serving clients effectively.
Conversations around self-care are taught early in the program. Students learn that caring for others means caring for themselves and are taught to recognize their own emotional responses and develop ways for managing them. By the time they enter their 16-week practicum, they are mentally prepared.
That emotional and social aspects are important when students begin preparing to step into environments they may encounter in the field. Social workers step foot into homes, schools, hospitals, and community spaces that may look very different from their own lifestyles or lived experiences. They may work with families living in poverty, crisis, trauma, or instability. The program acknowledges that and prepares students for it.
The preparation begins in the classroom. Faculty members draw from their own professional backgrounds and introduce students to case scenarios that reflect the day-to-day work. Guest speakers are invited to classes to talk about the emotional demands of the profession, and students interview social workers in the field to get a better understanding of what the job entails.
On the academic side, Introduction to Social Work introduces students to the profession, its values, and the roles social workers hold across different settings. Human Diversity and Populations at Risk focuses on the poverty and inequality in which the community’s social workers are often called to serve. In upper-level classes in the program, students work through case scenarios and practice with professional social workers to better understand the demands of the field.
Sophomore Arjola Gorani says that was just the type of hands-on experience she needed.
“The program has not only given me the guidelines and foundation in knowledge, but it has provided me with proper insight into what the work looks like,” she said. “I’ve participated in multiple IPE (Interprofessional Education) sessions where I was presented with a case by students in other majors, and my role was to explain how I would approach it and work with other professionals.”
Beyond classroom scenarios, Gorani gets hands-on experience through volunteer work in the community. She volunteers at the Fayetteville Child Advocacy Center, assisting with programs that support children and families navigating in crisis.
“Being directly involved, seeing the impact we can make, really shows me what social work is all about,” she said. Experiences like this, combined with her IPE work, allows her to learn in her classes at MU and translate it to service in the community.
Where Can a Social Work Degree at MU Take You?
Working in social work doesn’t mean just working for a county department of social services. One degree can lead students into professions in hospitals, classrooms, counseling offices, or community advocacy. Methodist University graduates build careers in:
- Healthcare: As medical social workers or care coordinators
- Behavioral Health: Providing psychotherapy and case management
- School Systems: As school social workers or school counselors
- Public Health Agencies
- Child Welfare and Family Service Organizations
- Seniors Services and Long-term Care Facilities
- Administrative Roles Within Social Service Organizations
The demand for social workers continues to grow, and the profession depends on individuals willing to step into difficult spaces and take on that responsibility.
“There is a shortage of social workers that is happening now and is expected to continue,” Thigpen said. “The opportunities for social workers exceed the average growth rate for other occupations.”
Gorani said her vision for her future in the field is crystal clear. After graduation, she hopes to advocate for children who need stability and support and eventually help strengthen policies within the social work system.
“I hope that children and parents, seeing how complete strangers will give everything to improve their living situation, will have a sense of hope,” she said.
At Methodist University, Social Work is preparation for a profession that asks students to think deeply, act ethically, and care without hesitation.
“You cannot become a CPS (Child Protective Services) social worker without truly caring,” Gorani said. “This job requires more than just a degree. I am entering a profession where compassion and strong moral conviction are not optional, but essential.”
To learn more about the Social Work program at Methodist University, including more about courses, and admission details, visit methodist.edu/academics/program/social-work.