Social Work Degrees at Roberts Wesleyan
Roberts Wesleyan College appears in our ranking of the 35 Best Value Christian Colleges with CSWE-accredited Programs.
Since 1979, the School of Arts & Sciences has conferred the Social Work B.S. in Carpenter Hall for Roberts Wesleyan College undergrads to put Christian faith into practice empowering the most marginalized. Chaired by Dr. Rebekah Crofford, the 124-credit daytime program offers traditional, four-year or accelerated, three-year tracks toward generalist service. Adults could pursue the 62-credit, 22-month BSW Completion option at the Jefferson Road campus too. Thanks to the 11:1 learner-faculty ratio, required courses like Ethnic Diversity, Social Welfare History, and Neurodevelopment are individualized. Field education involves 400 clock hours at partnering agencies, such as Highland Hospital, Hillside Family Center, Brockport Central Schools, and Genesis House. Other opportunities include practicing in the Salvation Army Interviewing Lab, pledging Phi Alpha, joining the SSWA, taking Guatemala mission trips, attending the Discovery Retreat, and minoring in Correctional Counseling.
Dedicated to Ezekiel 47:12, Roberts Wesleyan College utilizes a Christ-centered, strengths-based ecological systems model to deepen practice competencies in the Social Work M.S. Directed by Dr. David Skiff, the 60-credit, two-year program could be shortened to 12 months with CSWE-accredited Advanced Standing qualifications. Leading to LMSW licensing, the degree has two available concentrations: Mental Health and Child & Family Services. Courses like Psychopathology, Family Therapy, Managing Conflict, and Multidimensional Assessment meet during evenings in Rochester. After the 500-900 internship hours, MSW majors boast 96 percent job placement at Petra Place, Unity Health, Wesley Gardens, and more. Graduates might also join Christians United for Israel, research in the HRSA-funded labs, present at the NASW-NYS Conference, continue in the Clinical Psychology Psy.D., organize the Annual Purple Walk, and assist the Refugee Clinic in Costa Rica.
About Roberts Wesleyan College
Roberts Wesleyan College was founded in 1866 by Free Methodist minister Benjamin T. Roberts in the Rumsey Mansion as the coed Chili Seminary. Nineteen years later, a generous $30,000 gift renamed the theological school for A.M. Chesbrough. By 1949, Roberts Wesleyan earned its current name as a comprehensive private, four-year Methodist NAICU member of the East Coast Conference. Endowed for $23 million, RWC now enrolls 1,747 Redhawks, including Social Work majors, who contribute 20,000+ service hours. Robert Wesleyan College's 188-acre campus located off Route 33 southwest of Rochester with the Golisano Library won the 2016 Beautification Award. Linked to 8,252 LinkedIn alumni, RWC has trained Sharon Sweet, John Walsh, Kirk Wagar, Jennifer Suhr, and others.
The U.S. News & World Report ranked RWC the 78th best Northern school and 28th top value with the 224th best online graduate education nationally. On Niche, Roberts Wesleyan is America's 253rd most conservative college, 527th safest campus, and 871st top faculty. Newsmax crowned Roberts Wesleyan College the 83rd best evangelical Christian institution. College Factual placed RWC as the country's 307th best buy with the 83rd top social work program and 257th highest-paid graduates. The Social Mobility Index applauded RWC for the 191st best opportunity. In Washington Monthly, Roberts Wesleyan had the 172nd most Peace Corps participation and 213th top master's degrees. WalletHub also lauded RWC for the 225th best faculty resources and 207th best campus experience.
Roberts Wesleyan College Accreditation Details
In 2017, Roberts Wesleyan College had its Level V accreditation renewed for 10 more years by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) without sanctions under president Dr. Deana Porterfield. Headquartered in Philadelphia, this regional agency is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to conduct quality checkups for all of RWC's 59 baccalaureate, 16 master's, one doctoral, and six certificate majors. Roberts Wesleyan is an approved member of the Association of Free Methodist Educational Institutions (AFMEI). The BSW and MSW majors also hold programmatic accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) through June 2025.
Roberts Wesleyan College Application Requirements
The Fall 2016 acceptance rate of 68 percent caused Peterson's to classify admission to Roberts Wesleyan College as "moderately difficult." First-year Redhawks must finish an NYS Regents high school curriculum or out-of-state equivalent. Admitted freshmen have an average GPA of 3.5 in grades 9-12. Social Work B.S. undergrads present a mean SAT score of 1140 and ACT score of 23. Bachelor's completion students need at least 60 credits from accredited colleges with minimum "C" grades. The MSW only considers bachelor's degrees in liberal arts disciplines and overall GPAs above 2.75. Prerequisites include Research Methods, Statistics, and Intro to Sociology. Advanced Standing is reserved for BSW holders crossing the 3.0 GPA mark.
Roberts Wesleyan College has rolling admission year-round until three weeks before semester start dates. Prospective Social Work B.S. and M.S. entrants must create online IDs to submit the free RWC Application or Common Application wholly online. Some items might be mailed to 2301 Westside Drive in Rochester, NY 14624. Assistance is available at (585) 594-6400 and via [email protected] too. Don't forget the following:
- High school and college transcript requests
- College entrance exam (SAT/ACT) scores
- Typed autobiographical goal statements
- Two to three letters of recommendation
- Advanced Standing writing sample
- Copies of BSW field evaluation forms
- Professional résumé of service work
- Tuition and Financial Aid
Full-time undergrads earning Roberts Wesleyan College's Social Work B.S. pay $30,458 for annual tuition. Mandatory fees add $1,360 per year. Living in campus dorms like Davison Hall bills $6,630 for room and $3,998 for board. The yearly cost of attendance equals $45,138 for residents and $37,122 for commuters. Adults pursuing the BSW degree completion are charged $514 per credit or $31,868 annually. Rochester's least expensive private institution also prices the Social Work M.S. at $681 per credit with a one-time $300 fee. Master's study will total $41,160 for Traditional and $20,730 for Advanced Standing grads.
According to the NCES College Navigator, 97 percent of full-time RWC Redhawks share $19.8 million annually for financial aid offers that average $16,156. Institutional awards include the B.T. Roberts Scholarship, Founder's Scholarship, Trustee Scholarship, Legacy Scholarship, Farash Foundation Scholarship, Opportunity Grant, and Black Scholars Scholarship. File the FAFSA application with code 002805 for Federal Pell and FSEOG Grant consideration. Empire State residents may receive the Tuition Assistance Program, Veterans Tuition Award, and Child Welfare Worker Incentive Scholarship. Learners employed at partnered corporations receive a 25 percent tuition discount. The Federal Work-Study jobs are limited for at least $10.5/hour. The average debt from Perkins, Ford Direct, and PLUS loans is currently $34,950. Roberts Wesleyan College alumni could qualify for the NYS Licensed Social Worker Loan Forgiveness Program though.
Learn more about Roberts Wesleyan College at the Department of Social Work website.