Central Connecticut State University Social Work Program
This school appears on our ranking of 20 High-value BSW Degrees in Metro Areas with Top Salaries for Social Workers.
The Bachelor of Arts in Social Work program that Central Connecticut State University offers meets the guidelines established by the Council on Social Work Education. It also uses some of the mandates established by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). The program provides students with the necessary skills to enter an MSW program, but it also provides them with basic skills that they can use to work in the field with only a bachelor's degree.
CCSU requires that students maintain a portfolio as they work through the program. They can upload assignments and information through Taskstream, which will keep track of that information. Students also use this system when applying for a field education experience. The university requires that students do 680 hours of fieldwork before they graduate. They will do 70 hours a semester for two semesters, which equals out to around five hours of volunteer work each week. Students will need to do at least 70 hours of volunteer work before they can enter the social work program. Most students work in different organizations and agencies each semester to gain more experience across various social work fields.
Like other colleges, CCSU requires that students take electives and complete a general education core. Social work majors must also take 54 credits of social work classes. Those classes include Writing for the Social Work Profession, Social Welfare Policy and Services, Generalist Social Work Practice with Small Groups, Generalist Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families and Introduction to Social Work Research. Students will also need to take two electives at or above the 400 level from within the social work department.
About Central Connecticut State University
Central Connecticut State University is a public university that is one of the oldest colleges in the state. Established in 1849 as the State Normal School, it was one of the first normal schools founded in the state and in the country as a whole. The normal school operated up through the 1930s and offered programs that trained teachers on how to act and think in the field. It later became the Teachers College of Connecticut and shifted its curriculum to feature degree programs for teachers. As the need for students trained in other fields grew, the college added new programs to meet those needs. The campus moved several times over the years before establishing a permanent campus in New Britain. It chose the name Central Connecticut State University after becoming a full university.
Also called CCSU, Central Connecticut, and Central Connecticut State, the university now has an enrollment of more than 12,000 students, which makes it one of the largest public schools of higher learning in the state. U.S. News & World Report ranked CCSU as one of the top colleges in the north, and The Princeton Review ranks the university as one of the best in the northeastern region of the United States. It has more than 30 organizations run by students, including a dance team, computer club, and tea club. Students can also join one of the 16 athletic organizations that use the Central Connecticut Blue Devils name in competition.
Central Connecticut State University Accreditation Details
Central Connecticut State has accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and its Office of Accreditation. The CSWE will only accredit programs that meet its guidelines and regulations. This is one of the only programs in Connecticut with this type of accreditation. Students attending CCSU can apply for financial aid and use any of the aid that they get because the university has regional accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). NEASC accreditation also allows students to transfer any credits they earned from one college with regional accreditation to another. The university's education, counseling, nursing, teaching, engineering and music programs all have specialty accreditation too.
Central Connecticut State University Application Requirements
Students interested in studying social work cannot simply apply to the program and start at the beginning of the year. They must apply to the university itself, take general education classes and do at least 70 hours of volunteer work first. Those applying to CCSU must have a high school diploma or its equivalent. They will submit the online application and pay the $50 fee, which they can pay with a debit or credit card online. The university asks for a transcript that shows the student's high school class ranking and grade point average. Students will also need to submit an ACT or SAT test score, a personal statement and at least two letters of recommendation.
Once a student receives acceptance to the university, he or she can enroll in classes. Students can take lower level social work classes before officially declaring a major, but they must maintain a 2.5 grade point average in all those classes. The social work department will only accept students into the program who have at least a 2.0 GPA in all their classes. Students will also need to fill out and submit a volunteer experience evaluation form.
Tuition and Financial Aid
CCSU offers a tuition and fees calculator that allows students to enter the number of credits they want to take to see how much it will cost. The university charges a base rate of $5,288 per semester for all Connecticut residents who enroll as full-time students. Nonresidents, which include students from any other state, pay $11,542 per semester. Students living on its campus must pay for both a dorm room and a meal plan. This will add at least $6,100 to the student's overall costs. The university offers meal plans for commuter students that let them pay one fee at the beginning of the semester and get a set number of meals from the university's cafeterias.
Financial aid packages are available for all incoming students who would like to study social work at CCSU. New students need to fill out the FAFSA, which they can do anytime between October and the late spring. Current students can file a new FAFSA each year to see if their aid packages change from one year to the next. The university allows students to enroll in the federal work-study program to make money each semester. Students who use the FAFSA may qualify for grants and loans as undergrads too. Central Connecticut State University offers a small number of scholarships also.