Eastern Mennonite University’s BSW program, located at Harrisonburg in Virginia’s scenic Shenandoah Valley, has been continuously accredited by Council on Social Work Education [CSWE] since 1976.  We are a distinctive social work program in an historically faith-based institution where values of community, service, peacebuilding and cross-cultural relationship are practiced.

The CSWE Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards provide a foundation for the social work program (Council of Social Work Education, 2015).  These standards, also referred to as EPAS, provide the foci for the program’s curriculum and assessment of student learning outcomes.    

The program is additionally grounded in an implicit curriculum provided by a vibrant University, renown for its peace and justice emphases, which draw diverse people from all over the world for study.  The University’s CORE education requirements emphasize the importance of diversity, inter-faith dialogue, and cross-cultural understanding.  Every undergraduate student must fulfill cross-cultural requirements through structured group experiences; most travel for a semester in other countries.  An Anabaptist Mennonite philosophy undergirds the campus community encouraging caring relationships, deep spiritual exploration, and a global perspective.

Program Mission

The mission of the Social Work Program at Eastern Mennonite University [EMU] is structured within three essential contexts: 

1. the Anabaptist faith tradition of EMU as an educational institution of Mennonite Church USA now serving students of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds,
2. the purpose and core values of the social work profession, and
3. the Accreditation Standards of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

Grounded within these contexts, the EMU Social Work program mission is to: 

prepare students to serve and lead together as generalist social work practitioners seeking justice in a global world,
engage students in rigorous curriculum and cognitive and affective processes that form intersectional self-understanding and appreciation for the strengths-based potential of diverse persons, families, and communities.
mentor students for trauma responsiveness and sustainable stewardship of human capabilities and earth’s resources.

Program Goals

1. Equip students with generalist social work knowledge, values, and skills required for entry-level social work practice and/or graduate study.
2. Provide rigorous curriculum and engagement with community learning and experiential field education.
3. Mentor students to engage with diverse individuals, families, communities, and organizations with self-awareness, ethical boundaries, and cultural humility.
4. Support students in collaborating with diverse clients on micro, mezzo, and macro levels through respectful relationships that rebuild lives and communities and create hope for a positive future on earth.