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Program Overview

Program Overview

Best Bachelor's of Social Work in Tennessee - SocialWorkDegree.org

You are passionate about people—so are we. Our program is committed to upholding the value and dignity of every human, recognizing their strengths, and stressing the importance of diversity to human development. We seek to hear the voices of all individuals, understand human needs, and ethically integrate faith and social work practice in a transformative learning environment. And we want to walk with you as you do the same.

Come gain the experience you need to enter the growing field of social work. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor projects that the employment growth of social workers will grow 16 percent from 2016 to 2026. According to the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, social workers are the nation’s largest group of mental health providers. And, over 40 percent of all disaster mental health volunteers trained by the Red Cross are social workers. 

Few occupations can match the broad range of opportunities of social work.  You’ll find social workers in hospitals, schools, community mental health centers, court systems, non-profit organizations, private businesses, police departments, nursing homes, providing rehabilitation services in drug and alcohol centers, private practices, and countless other work settings.  They practice in areas such as health care, child welfare, early childhood intervention, mental health, aging, management, and clinical settings.  Social workers may be executive directors of non-profit organizations, community organizers, therapists, educators, and researchers. in large cities and in small communities.  Social workers fight for social justice, and improve lives and communities.  You'll grow in community and learn to respond to human needs with a Christian worldview. And thanks to our small class sizes, we'll foster what will be a lifelong mentoring relationship with you. 

You'll complete over 500 hours of professional, supervised field practicum work and graduate as a SALT Scholar. The experience you gain here will put you at an advantage for the Advanced Standing Master of Social Work programs. When you graduate, you'll have the strong foundation you need to practice your profession with compassion, commitment, competence and ethics.

BSW Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes

Alumni Feedback

Alumni Feedback

"As an undergraduate student, I found myself searching for a service-oriented career with deep purpose.  Finding Social Work for me was just that.  The faculty went above and beyond to instill in me the values of Social Work and cultivate an understanding of diversity, self determination and empathy.  The Social Work Department truly invested in me as a young practitioner and helped guide my experiences.  I currently work for the Nashville District Attorney's Office as the Director of Victim Witness Services, managing a team that serves crime victims in Davidson County.  I am so grateful for my experience as a Social Work student at Lipscomb which propelled me forward to serve crime victims.  I am honored to have been a part of an undergraduate program that cared about growing me not only as a practitioner, but as a person." -- Mackenzie Britt 

98%

Job placement rate

Study Abroad

See the world — whether it’s Italy, Austria, Costa Rica, England or another country. Career opportunities will open for you as you sharpen your foreign language skills. Gain the international experience and cross-cultural communication skills you’ll need in our global economy.

Expert faculty, small class sizes

Learn from award-winning, experienced faculty who actually care about you. Our small class sizes allow us to get to know you personally. We lead an approachable community within our respective programs. Our faculty connections are the experts on their subject matter, too.

Nashville, TN

A big city. An even bigger opportunity. We consider Nashville, Tennessee, an extension of our classroom, and as a leading city in many industries, that means you’ll gain experience and insight you won’t find anywhere else.

20:1

Student to faculty ratio

Our Faculty

  • Rebecca Clark headshot

    Rebecca Clark

    Associate Professor and Chair of the Dept of Social Work

    Rebecca Clark is the Chair of the Department of Social Work, Associate Professor of Social Work and the Director of the Social Work Program.

    Meet Rebecca Clark
  • Autumn Maxwell headshot

    Autumn Maxwell

    Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Field Education

    Autumn Maxwell is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Tennessee and has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BSW) from Lipscomb University and a Master...

    Meet Autumn Maxwell
  • Cayce Watson

    Cayce Watson

    Adjunct Faculty

    Watson is a Licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker and Master Addiction Counselor with over ten years of practice experience.

    Meet Cayce Watson

Career Paths

Social Workers

Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. Clinical social workers also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.

Social and Human Service Assistants

Social and human service assistants provide client services, including support for families, in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, and social work. They assist other workers, such as social workers, and they help clients find benefits or community services.

Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors

Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors advise people who suffer from alcoholism, drug addiction, eating disorders, mental health issues, or other mental or behavioral problems. They provide treatment and support to help clients recover from addiction or modify problem behaviors.