Briar Cliff Social Work Programs
Briar Cliff University appears in our ranking of the 35 Best Value Christian Colleges with CSWE-accredited Programs.
Briar Cliff University is a private university in Iowa that offers two social work degree programs for undergrads. Both of these programs will prepare students to work in a social work agency and to further their studies in a graduate program. The university also offers a gerontology minor that is popular among social work majors.
Students can earn a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work through the university. This is a traditional program that requires students to take classes on the Sioux City campus. Students will take three Social Work Practice courses that teach them about working with individuals and groups. They can then take Field Work and Field Work Seminar. The Field Work course requires that students work in the social work field. They'll take the seminar at the same time, which lets them discuss some of their experiences with other students. Other courses in this social work program include Social Science Research Methods, Principles of Sociology, Introduction to Psychology and Sociology of Marriage and Families.
The university offers a number of opportunities for social work majors too. It has its own Social Work Club, which allows students to talk about issues and changes in the field and hear about job and internship programs. Students must have a grade point average of 2.0 or higher to join the club. Briar Cliff University also encourages students to participate in study programs away from the campus. It organizes travel programs each year that allow students to work in the United States and abroad for class credit.
Also available through the university is an online social work program for undergrads. This program is available for both full-time and part-time students. It features the same classes as the traditional program but allows students to do the majority of their work online. They'll work with professors who have decades of experience in the social work field and with an advisor who will help them sign up for classes and meet all the program requirements. In their final year, online students will work with the university's field director and find a fieldwork placement in their own cities. They will then spend 450 hours working in the field. Briar Cliff University offers a gerontology internship for social work majors too.
About Briar Cliff University
Located in Sioux City, Iowa, Briar Cliff University is a private university affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. Founded in 1930, the university came about due to a joint effort between locals living in the city and religious leaders. When it opened for classes, the university accepted only women. It wanted to provide women with practical training and to make sure that those women used their faith. The university accepted its first group of male students to certain programs in 1965 and became coeducational just two years later. It also added graduate programs to its curriculum in the early 2000s.
Also called both BCU and Briar Cliff, the university now offers students the chance to learn a liberal arts degree in a Catholic setting. Students have the option of enrolling in a two-year degree program or enrolling in a bachelor's program. It also offers a few Master of Arts programs and has one of the only Applied Behavior Analysis programs in the state. Undergrads attending BCU can also study abroad. More than 1,300 students attend Briar Cliff University every year.
Briar Cliff University Accreditation Details
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS) gave Briar Cliff University regional accreditation. As part of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), this type of accreditation allows students to receive both federal and state aid and to apply for that aid through the FAFSA. It also guarantees students the right to transfer their credits. The Council on Social Work Accreditation (CSWA) also granted to the university accreditation for its traditional and online social work programs.
Briar Cliff University Application Requirements
Briar Cliff University will accept any student into an undergrad program who has a high school grade point average of at least 2.0 and an ACT score of 18 or higher. Students who want to apply to the university must first create an application account on the school's website. They can then log in and fill out the application. As long as they remember their usernames and passwords, they can log in and out anytime they would like. The application asks them about what they want to study and their hobbies and interests.
In addition to the application, students must make arrangements and have their official test scores and transcripts sent to the university. Briar Cliff asks for a transcript to see what high school classes the student took and what grades he or she received. Those who want to live on the BCU campus must fill out a housing application, which the university will use to pair students with their future roommates. Students accepted into the university must put down a $75 enrollment deposit too.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Students attending BCU can apply for financial aid in two different ways. They should start with the FAFSA, which will determine whether they qualify for any of the state and federal government aid available. This can include federal loans and grants and grants from the state government. Some students will also qualify for the federal work-study program.
The university encourages students to fill out the scholarship application too. This application takes just a few minutes to complete. It asks for information about where the student attended high school and for contact information. BCU uses the application to decide if students qualify for scholarships based on their overall financial need and other factors. Scholarships are available for both females and minority students.
Most students need scholarships and other types of financial aid because Briar Cliff University is a private school that charges a high tuition rate. The cost for full-time students comes in at around $29,800 a year for tuition alone. Miscellaneous fees add more than $1,200 to their annual costs. Any student who wants to live on the campus will pay more than $9,000 a year for room and board too. The financial aid packages available from the university will cover some of these costs. Prospective Briar Cliff University students can learn more about its social work programs on the university's Department of Social Work page.