Social Work and Sociology Mission, Values and Goals

The mission of the B.S.W. program is to provide generalist social work education to a varied student body based upon the knowledge, values, and skills of the social work profession.

The B.S.W. program derives its core values as conceptualized and defined by its two guiding professional organizations, the National Association of Social Workers and the Council on Social Work Education.

• Competence
• Dignity and worth of the person
• Human rights
• Importance of human relationships
• Integrity
• Scientific inquiry
• Service
• Social justice

These values provide the foundation for the mission and goals of the B.S.W. program.

The B.S.W. program provides a rigorous curriculum and uses sound teaching practices to promote: 1) the knowledge, values, and skills used in social work that can be applied across settings and varied populations; 2) critical thinking skills; and 3) ethical and competent social work practice consistent with the mission and objectives of the social work profession. To this end, the goals of the B.S.W. program include the following:

1. To prepare generalist social work practitioners to behaviorally demonstrate the values of the social work profession through their practice, including service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, competence, human rights, and scientific inquiry;
2. To further refine students’ essential critical thinking skills commensurate with generalist practitioners at the bachelor’s level in the contemporary social service environment;
3. To prepare bachelor’s level practitioners for generalist practice and licensure in social work or related disciplines;
4. To establish a foundation for continued graduate work at the master’s level in social work or related disciplines; and
5. To maintain a reciprocal relationship with social work practitioners, groups, and organizations in the community.

As a social work program located in West Texas, the mission of Angelo State University’s master’s program in social work is to provide a quality education based on the knowledge, skills, and values of the social work profession and grounded within a person-in-environment framework while preparing students to work with varied populations, including an emphasis on the emerging Hispanic population, the military population, and the older adult population in both rural and urban settings characteristic of this region. The master’s program will provide professional development opportunities for students who desire to promote the social, psychosocial, or biopsychosocial functioning and well-being of individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations, and communities at the master’s level of practice. Not coincidentally, the master’s program also seeks to improve the quality of life and well-being of all persons through its preparation of advanced practitioners, the impact of its student field placement participation, and the service opportunities met by its faculty and staff at the local, regional, national, and global levels.

The MSW program derives its core values as conceptualized and defined by its two guiding professional organizations, the National Association of Social Workers and the Council on Social Work Education.

• Competence
• Dignity and worth of the person
• Human rights
• Importance of human relationships
• Integrity
• Scientific inquiry
• Service
• Social justice

These values provide the foundation for the mission and goals of the social work program and our social work curriculum.

The M.S.W. program provides a rigorous curriculum and uses sound teaching practices to promote: 1) the knowledge, values, and skills used in social work that can be applied across settings and varied populations; 2) critical thinking skills; and 3) ethical and competent social work practice consistent with the mission and objectives of the social work profession. To this end, the goals of the M.S.W. program include the following:

1. To prepare advanced generalist social work practitioners to behaviorally demonstrate the values of the social work profession through their practice, including service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, competence, human rights, and scientific inquiry;
2. To further refine students’ essential critical thinking skills commensurate with advanced practitioners at the master’s level in the contemporary social service environment;
3. To prepare master’s level practitioners for advanced practice and licensure in social work or related disciplines;
4. To establish a foundation for continued graduate work at the doctoral level in social work or related disciplines; and
5. To maintain a reciprocal relationship with social work practitioners, groups, and organizations in the community.

The mission of the D.S.W. in Clinical Social Work program is to prepare graduates for advanced clinical practice, social work teaching positions in higher education, and for administrative/leadership opportunities in health and human services.

The values of the D.S.W. in Clinical Social Work are:

• Competence
• Dignity and worth of the person
• Human rights
• Importance of human relationships
• Integrity
• Scientific inquiry
• Service
• Social justice

The goals of the D.S.W. in Clinical Social Work are:

1. Engage in systematic inquiry that adheres to scholarly conventions;
2. Use and evaluate research-informed practice critically and at an advanced level;
3. Develop and disseminate practice-relevant knowledge through a variety of channels, such as administration, consultation, scholarly activity, supervision, and teaching;
4. Demonstrate leadership in social work practice and education; and
5. Develop and maintain substantive expertise in clinical social work.

To provide sociological education to a varied student body for a global society.

1. Curiosity
2. Accountability
3. Integrity
4. Objectivity
5. Skepticism
6. Transparency

1. To critically evaluate and apply explanations of human social behavior and sociological research findings.
2. To communicate (verbally and in writing) sociological knowledge to varied audiences.
3. To gain mastery of sociological knowledge in social problems, social psychology, research methods, and sociological theory.
4. To prepare graduate for employment in the social sciences or for continued graduate study.