Social Work Degrees at Saint Leo University
Saint Leo University appears in our ranking of the 35 Best Value Christian Colleges with CSWE-accredited Programs.
Saint Leo University offers both a bachelor's and a master's degree in social work. The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree is designed to prepare students generalist social work, entry-level social work, or graduate study in the field. Career options include school counselors, researchers, child welfare workers, substance abuse social workers, and caseworkers. The curriculum emphasizes content in five areas: field instruction, practice methods, research, human behavior in the social environment, and social welfare policy. The 120-credit-hour BSW consists of 42-credit-hours in core courses such as sociology, psychology, human behavior, social welfare policy, and social work practice. Students round out the degree with general elective credits, and a 12-credit-hour field placement in social work is also required. Students have several professional development opportunities, including service learning, co-curricular activities, a senior seminar, and a 32-hour weekly field internship.
The full-time, online Master of Social Work (MSW) program is only available to students who physically reside in Virginia, South Carolina, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida. Students attend classes via webcam, and prospective students must be aware that they will need to meet for evening classes each week, attend one weekend seminar on-campus over the summer, be available for weekday internship hours, and adjust their lives to meet the demands of the program. The MSW prepares graduates for professional advanced practice in becoming leaders who provide social work services to all populations, with a particular focus on the workforce, military personnel, and the aging population. The MSW is a 62-credit, two-year program that begins each fall. As a sequential program, graduate students will take each course according to the specific program outline. Students will take 30 credits of foundation courses in research methods, social welfare policy, human behavior, methods of social work practice, child abuse and neglect, psychopathology, ethics, and more. Electives may include courses in traumatic stress, military social work, substance abuse, children's services, and/or gerontology.
About Saint Leo University
Saint Leo University is a private Roman Catholic post-secondary institution in St. Leo, Florida, 35 miles north of Tampa, the university was founded in 1889 and has an association with both a Benedictine monastery known as Saint Leo Abbey and a Benedictine convent known as the Holy Name Monastery. Both the abbey and Saint Leo are named for the bishop of Rome from 440 to 461, Pope Leo the Great, as well as for Leo XIII, who was Pope when the school was founded, and Leo Haid, who helped to establish the school and served as Saint Leo's first president.
Saint Leo University is one of the five largest Catholic universities in the country, and it was the first Roman Catholic college in Florida. Students pursue degrees on-campus, at more than 40 education centers, and from its Center for Online Learning. Saint Leo was also one of the first universities in the U.S. to offer distance learning education to students, beginning with the education of military women and men in 1973 during the Vietnam War. Today, it is a leading university for veterans, active-duty military members, and their families. Students can choose from more than 40 master's, bachelor's, and associate degrees as well as certificate programs and one doctoral program.
Saint Leo University Accreditation Details
Saint Leo University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award doctoral, specialist, master's, bachelor's, and associate degrees. In addition, Saint Leo's bachelor's and master's degrees in social work are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Like other reputable institutions, Saint Leo recognizes transfer credits only from regionally accredited universities and colleges. Regional accreditation is the highest form of accreditation a university or college can obtain, and it is mainly obtained by nonprofit, academically oriented institutions. Accreditation indicates that an institution has successfully completed a rigorous peer review process that evaluates its faculty, learning outcomes, and academic programs, among other factors.
Saint Leo University Application Requirements
Saint Leo University offers rolling admissions for undergraduate students seeking an online degree. Students must fill out the online application, submit proof of high school graduation, submit a one-time $45 nonrefundable application fee, and submit official academic transcripts and test scores. Students may also provide professional training documentation for the posaintleo.edu/social-work-master-advanced-standing-program-degreetential to use this training for academic credit.
Only students residing in Florida, Virginia, South Carolina, Texas, Mississippi, and Georgia are eligible to pursue an online-only master's degree in social work from Saint Leo University. To apply for the full-time Advanced Standing MSW program, applicants must hold a bachelor's degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited social work program, completed within the last five years. Students must fill out the online application, submit a current resume, submit a one-time $80 nonrefundable application fee, submit three letters of recommendation, and submit a personal three- to five-page essay. A copy of the senior fieldwork evaluation from the undergraduate program is also required as well as a transcript release form for all previously attended institutions. Applicants must also undergo a criminal background check and participate in a personal interview in order to be admitted into the program. Those pursuing the online MSW with a concentration in Advanced Clinical Practice must meet the same application requirements with the exception that they must hold a bachelor's degree in any field from an accredited institution.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The cost for an online bachelor's degree in social work from Saint Leo University is $360 per credit hour, excluding costs such as books and other related fees. Undergraduate active-duty military will pay $250 per credit hour. Graduate students seeking an online master's in social work will pay $495 per credit hour for their degree. Those who wish to determine whether they are eligible for financial aid must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Types of aid that may be available to Saint Leo University students include the non-Federal Work-Study Program, the Federal Work-Study Program, student employment, corporate assistance, military, and veteran benefits, outside scholarship opportunities, university private scholarships, TEACH Grant, university grants and scholarships, private loans, federal loans, and more.