Education and Social Work Department

Rooted in Purpose, Driven by Passion

At Valparaiso University, our education program shapes future teachers who are deeply committed to student success and lifelong learning. With a foundation in servant leadership and a focus on holistic development, our faculty guide aspiring educators to lead with empathy, think critically, and inspire the next generation in and beyond the classroom.

Our Approach to Teacher Preparation

Call to Teach

Teaching is a profession and a call grounded in spirit of servant leadership.

Student Centered

Teachers place student well-being (intellectual, emotional, and social) at the center of their instruction.

Spirit of Study

Teachers are animated and nourished by a spirit of study and critical reflection.

Vision and Commitment

Teachers are committed to finding ways to sustain and renew their vocation to learning.

Education & Social Work Department

Social Work

Social work is a profession of highly trained professionals who care about people. We foster success in others and alleviate suffering in tangible ways. Whether it’s in the classroom, community, or around the globe, our students and graduates use their compassionate, skilled, and creative selves to change lives in ways they never imagined.

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Education & Social Work Department

Your Path to Purpose-Driven Social Work

Education & Social Work Department

About the Department

Rigorous and Integrated Learning

Students are engaged in learning both in and out of the classroom. The social work major consists of 45 credits plus general education requirements and 12 credits of required interdisciplinary courses (of which most are interchangeable in the general education requirements for the BSW). Students also are involved in learning activities that allow them to apply classroom knowledge such as internships at a social service agency engaging in cross-culture communication and interchange to learn and practice cultural competency, visiting the state legislature to examine the role of advocacy, and preparing at undergraduate research to investigate the role research has in informing practice.

Internship Requirement

Our internships truly set our graduates apart. This experience integrates empirical and practice based knowledge and promotes the development of professional competence. Field education is systematically designed, supervised, coordinated, and evaluated according to stringent criteria established by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). This educationally directed internship program offers students opportunities for practice in a variety of settings in the community. Students complete a 100 hour internship in the spring semester of their third year and a 450 hour internship in the fall and spring semesters of their fourth year.

Highly Marketable

Graduates from our program are highly marketable and are employed in child welfare, mental health, schools, hospitals, elder care, churches, shelters, corrections, and other social service settings. Alumni typically enter graduate school to pursue a MSW within five years of graduation and are eligible to apply with advanced standing which gives them credit on courses taken within the BSW curriculum and reduces graduate school to two to three semesters. Some of our graduates pursue post graduate, gap year experiences in the Peace Corps, Lutheran Volunteer Corps, and Americorps.